Sho Sakurai in Tears After ‘Johnny Kitagawa Sexual Assault Incident

The previous article, “It was the same structure as ‘Battles Without Honor and Humanity’… The ‘Sad Similarities’ Between Hitmen and Idols Belonging to Johnny’s.”

The previous article discussed the similarities between hitmen and idols, who use humiliation as a springboard to rise above. Japanese idols have been viewed by the public as having been “sexually assaulted”. There are other serious factors that have pushed them over the edge.

The “real reason” Sho Sakurai was in tears.

Sho Sakurai of Arashi made a comment on the issue of Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual assault on “News Zero,” a news program in which he serves as an anchor, and it caused a sensation. Referring to the difficult position he finds himself in, he said the following.

On “News Zero,” for which he serves as a commentator, he opened his heavy mouth, his voice trembling, about the sexual assault issue.

“One thing I want to tell you is that there are people who are hurt by speculation. There are many of my dear friends who I once spent time with as a member of Johnny’s Junior who have already started a new life in a completely different place from this world. We must avoid, above all, that these people, as well as others, will be the subject of unwanted speculation and the subject of this issue.”

 

Sho Sakurai is 41 years old, and it has been 28 years since he began his career as a Johnny’s Junior at the age of 13. He has been the anchor of this program for 17 years. He has always been calm, intelligent, and clear in his commentary on the news, but commenting on the issue made him tremble.

This comment was controversial. For the naysayers, it has led to a surge of slander and libel on social networking sites against the accusers of sexual assault (Bunshun Online, June 14). Sakurai must have thought that they were responsible for the “unintended speculation” that he feared.

 

He and his colleagues had been deeply hurt by the “speculation” long before the sexual assault report. For a long time, they had been mired in guilt and humiliation. It is likely that Sakurai was so upset and emotional because of this that the accumulated guilt and humiliation had come pouring out.