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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Japan’s top companies cut ties with Johnny Kitagawa’s J-pop agency over sexual abuse scandal

Johnny Kitagawa on a tv screen
Sexual abuse allegations against Johnny Kitagawa, the late founder of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, first surfaced in 1999. Photograph: Kyodo News/AP

Some of Japan’s best-known companies have cut ties with a powerful talent agency whose founder was accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of teenage boys, in a scandal that has rocked the country’s entertainment industry.

The public broadcaster NHK said this week it would not sign new contracts with stars from Johnny & Associates until it was convinced the firm had properly addressed the scandal.

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