Johnny’s Sexual Abuse Issue Reflects a Wider Problem as Only 0.2% of Male Victims Seek Help, Specialist Warns

The issue of sexual abuse by the late Johnny Kitagawa, founder of the now-defunct Johnny’s Entertainment, was brought to light last March when the BBC aired a long-form documentary. This issue was also addressed at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting held in Switzerland this June, where various human rights violations facing Japan, including Kitagawa’s sexual abuse problems, were discussed.

“Even men can become victims of sexual violence”—In March 2023, Takashi (a pseudonym), while studying abroad in Europe, was reminded of horrifying memories from over a decade ago after watching the BBC documentary “Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop.” 

At the time, Takashi (a pseudonym), who was a graduate student at a prestigious national university in Japan, was highly regarded as a future scholar. He had just published his first book with a major publisher, and invitations to give lectures from organizations that had read his book began to trickle in, which he actively accepted. Although it might have seemed like his career was smooth sailing from the outside, his mind was always filled with anxiety.

Due to his family background—his father and grandfather were university professors—Takashi had always been convinced that he would also become a university professor in the future. However, he failed his university entrance exams. Reluctantly, he graduated from the economics department of a famous private university and initially worked for a global corporation, but he left the job as he couldn’t find any interest in it. He then re-entered his first-choice national university, and although belatedly, he started to see a path to living as a scholar.

However, the difficult part starts here. Many young researchers find themselves in non-regular positions in university research labs and face harsh research environments. The number of teaching positions at universities is extremely limited, and the employment rate for those with doctoral degrees is lower than for those with undergraduate or master’s degrees. Few companies hire individuals with doctoral degrees.

“I nearly felt like I was going to die from the pressure while writing papers, but it’s even worse now.”

Takashi often expressed this to his friends.

It was during such a time that he was victimized. After giving a lecture in a regional city, Takashi was invited to dinner by a woman who was the event organizer.

“Your talk was so moving, Professor. It’s wonderful to see such a young and promising person. I will continue to support you in the future.”

The woman, dressed in a high-end suit, beamed with excitement and started walking towards a nearby park, eager to hear more.

One must not offend influential people. Reluctantly following along, Takashi was suddenly led to a shaded area and had his lips seized. “What are you doing? Please stop,” he protested, but was told, “It’s okay. I’m just giving you a little reward.” He was laughed at with a giggle. His lower body was groped, and his zipper was lowered. He trembled with shock and disgust. “Oh, how cute,” the woman said as she buried her face in Takashi’s groin.

“I could have refused, but I was afraid of being embarrassed and resented, so I couldn’t. Moreover, I became aroused and climaxed in her mouth. I can’t forgive myself.”

Several days later, he confided in a friend and sobbed. Over ten years had passed since the assault. Takashi had returned to Japan and was close to achieving his long-desired professorship, but the emotional scars have not healed.

The woman’s actions towards Takashi were sexual harassment that took advantage of her superior position and sexual violence that ignored his feelings. Takashi does not need to be ashamed of having ejaculated in her mouth. In men, stimulation can reflexively cause erection and ejaculation, and under criminal law, an erection or ejaculation does not equate to consent.

However, the woman likely does not think her actions were criminal or that she deeply hurt Takashi. Additionally, those around Takashi may have dismissed his hints of victimization by assuming, “Maybe he actually enjoyed it,” or “If he didn’t like it, he could have refused; he’s a man,” and did not take his claims seriously.

In fact, until the criminal code was revised in 2017, male victims of sexual violence were not recognized. The old crime of rape (now called non-consensual intercourse) was only applicable to sexual intercourse involving penetration of the female genitalia by the male genitalia, and did not include anal or oral intercourse as criteria. In other words, even if Takashi had reported the assault, the perpetrator would not have been subject to punishment.

“The exposure of the Johnny’s incidents has led to greater social recognition of male victims of sexual violence. However, there are still quite a few people who continue to bash victims with outdated thinking, and many still believe that such things only happen in unique environments like the entertainment industry. It seems that Japanese attitudes toward sexuality and the closed-off environment make it difficult for such issues to come to light.”

This is what Hiroshi Yamada, Deputy Director of Urology at the Nagomi Clinic at the Japanese Red Cross Aichi Medical Center Nagoya Daini Hospital (Showa Ward, Nagoya City), who has been supporting sexual violence victims since before the clinic’s establishment in 2016, said.

“Consultations from men often involve cases where adults are coerced by superiors at work or teachers/seniors at school using hierarchical relationships. Many cases involve minors who come through child consultation centers after experiencing abuse from family or relatives. There are also older patients who have lived with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) after being victimized in their 20s.”

Nagomi, which operates out of the hospital, can provide both physical and mental care for victims through a team of medical professionals. However, for men, the situation is different from women because emergency contraception within 72 hours is not required. This delay in seeking help after the assault becomes a barrier to aid. Evidence such as semen, saliva, or body hair left in the anus, throat, or on clothing cannot be collected for DNA testing.

“Sexual violence often does not leave visible trauma. If a victim takes a shower and changes clothes after the assault, there are no physical samples or material evidence, making it impossible to prove the assault. Even if anal intercourse occurred, any anal tears will heal within two to three weeks.”

As a result, medical support is limited to checking for sexually transmitted infections and mental health care by psychiatrists. Additionally, because material evidence cannot be obtained, it is difficult to pursue criminal charges even if a complaint is made.

Over a year has passed since the Johnny’s incidents came to light, and Hiroshi Yamada expresses a sense of resignation and urgency due to the sharp decline in media coverage focusing on the negative aspects of sexual abuse.

“Currently, we are at the stage of developing a system for victim support and creating manuals for assistance. When the media coverage disappears, the public may think that such incidents have also disappeared. However, that is not the case, and we want the media to continue to highlight this issue.”

Since 2016, Nagomi has been accepting consultations on sexual violence regardless of gender. As of March 31 this year, there have been 13,715 consultations by phone, but only about 700 of these are from men (including duplicates from the same individual), and fewer than 40 cases have resulted in visits to the clinic. This means that only 0.2% of all consultations have led to hospital visits. Male victims of sexual violence are not limited to the entertainment industry or a specific group of people. There should be victims close to everyone, yet societal prejudice remains strong, making it difficult for victims to speak out even if they want to.

Note: To respect individual privacy, some details in the text have been altered to prevent identification.

◆ Dr. Hiroshi Yamada’s Profile

Graduated from Fukushima Medical University in 1994. Completed training at the former Nagoya Second Red Cross Hospital. Joined the Department of Urology at Nagoya University and worked at its affiliated hospital before returning to the former Nagoya Second Red Cross Hospital in September 1998. Later became Deputy Director of Urology and engaged in clinical work.
During the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, he served as part of a relief team and became inspired by humanitarian support. Since June 2017, he has been involved in the activities of Nagomi at the Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Hospital as a physician specializing in male sexual abuse victims. He continues to raise awareness about the realities of male sexual abuse through various academic conferences and media.

His main qualifications include Doctor of Medicine, Certified Urologist, Certified Endoscopic Surgeon, Robot Surgery Proctor, and Certified Cancer Treatment Specialist.