麻豆社

In recent days, the Japanese pop industry has been gripped by a major sexual abuse scandal.

The president of Johnny and Associates - one of Japan's largest talent agencies - resigned on Thursday, amid allegations the company's late founder Johnny Kitagawa used his position to sexually abuse teenage boys.

Now the new president, Noriyuki Higashiyama - who was supposed to clean up the agency - finds himself accused of sexual abuse. He's said he could not remember the reported acts which he said may or may not have occurred.

Hannako Montgomery, a freelance journalist based in Tokyo, has been telling Newshour's Nuala McGovern more about what Mr Higashiyama is accused of.

(Photo shows Noriyuki Higashiyama at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on 7 September 2023. Credit: Franck Robichon/EPA)