Japan's public broadcaster NHK has announced that it will resume hiring pop idols from the talent agency once known as Johnny & Associates Inc. TV Tokyo, which in autumn 2023 suspended new appearances by the agency's client roster, has also announced a resumption.

This marks the end of major Japanese broadcasters' boycott of these performers following revelations that agency founder Johnny Kitagawa had committed widespread sexual abuse against its young male talent pool. But the emotional scars of this abuse remain unhealed. We must not let this issue fade into obscurity.

A year has passed since the former Johnny's agency admitted to the sexual abuse and issued an apology. In the meantime, it has been split into two entities: Smile-Up Inc., which handles compensation for victims, and talent agency Starto Entertainment Inc. Julie Fujishima, a member of the founding family and the president of Smile-Up, has focused solely on compensation and is reportedly not involved in the management side.

NHK President Nobuo Inaba explained at a press conference that the decision to bring back the agency's performers was based on progress in compensating victims, measures to prevent a recurrence, and the clear separation between the old and new companies.

However, help for the victims is far from complete.

Smile-Up's relief committee has received claims from 1,000 individuals, of which they have apparently reached compensation agreements with 510. Nevertheless, some victims have not been recognized, and others may hesitate to come forward due to concerns about the impact on their families or workplaces.

Additionally, those who have come forward continue to face severe slander and defamation on social media. Smile-Up must take a more proactive information sharing approach to prevent such secondary harm.

The media's responsibility in this scandal is also in question. It has been pointed out that broadcasters turned a blind eye to the abuse while prioritizing getting Johnny's talent on their programs. Has the relationship between talent agencies and TV networks been sufficiently reevaluated? Further scrutiny is needed moving forward.

Ratings fell for last year's NHK "Kohaku Uta Gassen" New Year's Eve music show, which did not feature any performers from the former Johnny's. Inaba denied that the decision to resume featuring the agency's talent was made with the show in mind, but said that "the decision to sign contracts would now be left to the production team." This stance, which seems to shift responsibility onto the production team, is questionable.

Sexual abuse has long been tolerated in Japan's entertainment industry, not just at Johnny's. Continuous efforts are needed to eliminate these harmful practices and protect human rights.