Episode 16: The Johnny’s controversy

The Johnny & Associates scandal has caused an uproar.

Three Kyodo News journalists -- Yamaguchi-san, Donican and Horiuchi-san -- talk about how the scandal unfolded as male talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc.'s late founder Johnny Kitagawa was found to have sexually abused teens over decades, and how society has reacted to the agency's efforts to manage it.

(The agency has changed its name to Smile-Up Inc. as of Oct. 17.)

Article mentioned in the podcast:

Scandal-hit Johnny's to change name, over 300 victims seek redress

Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents.

More Podcast episodes:

Podcast [English World] Episode 15: School trips

Podcast [English World] Episode 14: Asakusa Samba Carnival 

Podcast [English World] Episode 13: Ninja bear

The logo of talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc. is removed as a Johnny's store in Osaka closes down on Oct. 16, 2023, following a sex abuse scandal involving the agency's late founder. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo