A man in his 30s says he was sexually abused multiple times by the late founder of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates at NHK's broadcasting center in Tokyo about 20 years ago.

NHK says it is taking the man's statement seriously.

NHK has interviewed the individual. He says he was sexually abused by Johnny Kitagawa in a men's restroom at the NHK broadcasting center in Shibuya in the fall of 2002, when he was in high school.

He told NHK that he was taking dance lessons at NHK's building in Shibuya, as he wanted to perform in one of the broadcaster's music programs. Young pop stars from Johnny & Associates are featured on the show. The man said Kitagawa was also present during the lessons.
He said Kitagawa approached him during a break and took him to a men's restroom. He said Kitagawa took off his underwear and abused him sexually.

The man said he was deeply shocked. But he said he wanted to be a Johnny & Associates pop star so badly that he participated in the lessons on the weekends when he was contacted by the agency.

He said he was abused about five more times in men's restrooms at NHK.

Several months later, he refused for the first time. The agency stopped contacting him the following week.

He told NHK that he was upset when he realized that his dreams could not come true, unless he continued to endure the abuse. He said he seriously thought about what he should do next. When the sex abuse scandal involving the agency's late founder came to light this year, he said he realized that Kitagawa's actions were wrong. He said he is angry at the agency, as his dreams were destroyed.

NHK has broadcast the program, which is called "The Shonen Club," since April, 2000. The program features Johnny's Juniors, young entertainers dreaming of becoming one of the agency's stars. NHK says it will conduct a complete review of the program. It adds that it may change the title of the show.

The man also told NHK that he got in touch with Johnny & Associates, after the agency encouraged Kitagawa's victims to contact the firm. He added that he will meet with the agency.

NHK has stated that, as a responsible producer of programs, it cannot overlook such incidents or allow actions like that to happen. It says it will take further steps to protect the safety and the rights of everyone who appears in its programs.

Regarding the man's statement, the talent agency says it was not aware that such an incident happened at NHK.
It says an independent team has been tasked with preventing recurrences. It also says it has set up a committee to help the victims. The team and the committee will collect the facts about all of the alleged cases of sexual abuse.

The agency says it will continue to compensate the victims in accordance with the advice it received from the independent team.