Why NHK is Silent about Teruyuki Kagawa’s Sexual Assault Scandal?
“Film and stage actors pursue the world of “chic,” and Kabuki actors, who carry on the traditions of the performing arts, are perhaps the best examples of this. Teruyuki Kagawa, a successful actor in TV dramas and commercials, is also a member of the Ichikawa Chuguruma family. Shukan Shincho” (weekly magazine) reported that Kagawa was involved in a lawsuit over a hostess at a club in Ginza.
He has long had a “bad name” in Ginza. He had a bad drinking habit and made loud noises, causing trouble not only to the hostesses but also to the customers around him.
“At first, the young girls who were happy to see him because he was Teruyuki Kagawa gradually drifted away one or two at a time,” he said. Eventually, the experienced hostesses, who were used to dealing with customers, tried to soothe them, but it was no longer enough. They are severely warned by their mothers, and have been banned from several clubs.
It seems that they feel they can do whatever they want because they are hostesses. We are proud to work at Ginza’s clubs, which we believe are the best in Japan. The customers are all quiet, enjoying conversation and sipping their drinks slowly. There are some who touch women’s bodies, but most of them play casually.
In Ginza, it is against the law to speak out about customers’ behavior or how they pay their bills. However, if a woman is labeled as a drunkard or, in this case, as a “sexual abuser,” she will be scorned by the entire industry. The female victim is even reported to have suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Kagawa’s office explained, “It is true that I have caused discomfort to the woman in question through my own negligence,” and “I have conveyed my deep regret and apology to the other party and have received their understanding and forgiveness. Kagawa appeared live on “The Time,” the TBS information program on which he serves as MC, and apologized, saying, “I am truly sorry.”
While Kagawa himself bowed his head, NHK, which has a regular program on the subject, for some reason remained silent. Kagawa is currently appearing on E-television’s educational program “Teruyuki Kagawa’s Insects Amazing!” a culture program on E-television. Despite this, when asked by the news media if NHK has any plans to change its broadcasting schedule, it commented, “At this time (August 25), we have no such plans.”
E-tele is a former educational TV station. How should parents explain to their children that they have been “left alone” despite the fact that the star of a popular children’s TV program has admitted to committing sexually harmful acts?
Why doesn’t NHK take action? How should parents explain this to their children?
Not only actors and Kabuki actors, but also writers are looking for “chic.” Shuhei Fujisawa, by the way, wrote the following words about Shotaro Ikenami’s masterpiece “Onihei Hankacho” (Bungei Shunju).
In addition to the main character Onihei, the countless thieves who appear and disappear in the darkness have an indescribable charm. They do not steal from places where it is difficult to be stolen from. The thieves, who adhere to the three rules of not killing and not raping women, are the embodiment of Ikenami’s aesthetics, and his sense of reality is reflected in the unforgivable villains who act like bastards or hasty criminals.
Kagawa, who has been in the limelight as a popular actor and a Kabuki actor, was thought to have such chic qualities, but the latest report has overturned that image and turned him into a boorish man. NHK’s pride is being tested.
