Latest news with #Kitagawa
New Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Japan open to nuclear energy collaboration with Malaysia, Asean nations
KUALA LUMPUR: Japan is open to collaborating with Asean countries, including Malaysia, on civilian nuclear energy as part of a broader commitment to decarbonisation and sustainable development across the region. Japanese Foreign Ministry press secretary Kitagawa Toshihiro said Tokyo was ready to provide a range of support for Asean nations to meet decarbonisation goals. "Japanese companies are quite interested in promoting nuclear, especially focusing on small nuclear reactors. "Most recently, with Canada, we have decided to promote such small nuclear reactors. Why not with Asean countries?" he said at a briefing session with members of the press last night. Kitagawa added that, as Vietnam and Japan have already agreed to collaborate in civilian nuclear energy, the Japanese government welcomed further discussions with other Asean nations, including Malaysia. Kitagawa highlighted that any expansion of nuclear use must come with robust regulation and oversight. "We strongly believe that the proliferation of nuclear power should be strictly controlled by the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)," he said. Japan, he added, continues to support peaceful uses of nuclear power while advocating for strict supervision by international bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure safety and compliance. Additionally, Japan is also backing major regional initiatives such as the Asean Power Grid and aims to strengthen ties through Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) by offering technical and financial support to help Asean economies decarbonise without sacrificing development through transitional power sources such as ammonia and hydrogen. Yesterday, Malaysia and the United States signed the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation (NCMOU) aimed at advancing cooperation between the two countries on peaceful nuclear development at the sidelines of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings. According to the US State Department, Malaysia and the United States have also launched negotiations for a civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
The Mainichi
05-07-2025
- The Mainichi
Osaka prosecutor who accused boss of rape faces backlash
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- In Japan, prosecutors are powerful public officials who are meant to protect the public from rapists and other criminals. But what if the chief prosecutor is an accused rapist himself? That's the explosive charge leveled by Hikari (a pseudonym), a female prosecutor with the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office who says she was raped by her boss in 2018. Her pain did not end after the alleged attack. She says it got worse due to a campaign by former chief prosecutor Kentaro Kitagawa and others to silence her, and a colleague who slandered her by spreading rumors claiming she had romantic feelings for Kitagawa. Hikari's quest for justice is the latest MeToo case in Japan involving women who refused to be silenced after being assaulted by establishment figures. They include filmmaker Shiori Ito and former Ground Self-Defense Force member Rina Gonoi. Kitagawa, 65, has been indicted and initially admitted the rape charge, but later recanted, saying the sexual encounter was consensual. On May 21, Hikari -- not her real name -- held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo in which she disclosed a handwritten letter she had received from Kitagawa, asking her to keep quiet about what happened. According to the indictment, in September 2018, Hikari drank at a social gathering for work and became intoxicated before trying to catch a taxi. Kitagawa half-forced his way into the vehicle and took Hikari to his official residence where he raped her. A groggy Hikari regained consciousness and pleaded for Kitagawa to stop, but he continued the sexual assault, telling her, "You are my woman now." In an interview with Kyodo News in early May, Hikari said she believes she was "bullied by the prosecutors' organization" into initially not speaking publicly about the incident. She wishes to remain anonymous as she intends to continue her work. Hikari developed post-traumatic stress disorder and was unable to continue work as a prosecutor, a job she loved. In Kitagawa's six-page letter written to Hikari, dated Oct. 28, 2019, he apologizes for the "irreparable damage" his actions caused and for the fact that his apology following the incident was insufficient. But after begging Hikari's forgiveness several times, Kitagawa asks her to keep the rape secret. "If this incident becomes public, I will not be able to live on, and I have decided that I will have no choice but to commit suicide," the letter reads. The scandal would harm Kitagawa and the Public Prosecutors Office, leading to resignations by other high-ranking officials, it adds. At the press conference, Hikari recalled that she was too scared to speak out about what happened. She finally decided she could not live without holding Kitagawa responsible and filed a formal report in February 2024 demanding strict punishment. She said she returned 10 million yen ($70,000) in compensation that Kitagawa had paid her and her husband. "My dignity as a human being and as a prosecutor was trampled on, my body and soul harmonious life with my family, my precious job, the time I had spent working tainted and my future was stolen from me," she said. Kitagawa was arrested in June 2024 on a charge of quasi-forcible sexual intercourse and indicted on the same charge in July. At the first hearing of his trial in October, Kitagawa admitted to the indictment, saying he had "no intention of fighting the case," and apologized for "causing serious and severe harm to the victim." However, the situation took a dramatic turn in December when his new defense council made it clear that Kitagawa would be denying the charge. He suddenly claimed there was consent and no intention to commit a crime. The trial has not been held since he changed his plea to not guilty. Hikari's trauma continues to this day. After returning to work briefly in September 2024, a female deputy prosecutor in the same department, on the same floor, began circulating rumors about the incident and her involvement with Kitagawa. Hikari refers to this as a "secondary rape." According to Hikari, the deputy prosecutor leaked her personal information and details of the sexual assault, and said her victim's report and PTSD claims were fraudulent. Hikari was again forced to take sick leave. Hikari filed claims of defamation and harassment among other charges against the deputy prosecutor, but the woman was not charged and only received a warning. Hikari and her lawyer are preparing to file a review with the Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution, claiming the decision not to prosecute the deputy prosecutor is unjust. She is also calling for the establishment of an independent committee to review the responses to her case. "Harassment is rampant in the Public Prosecutors Office," she said. "I believe that both the Kitagawa case and the further accusations by the deputy public prosecutor are the result of this kind of prosecutorial terrain." In an email to Hikari's lawyer, a high-ranking official of the Osaka High Public Prosecutors Office said the office stands by its decision not to pursue a case against the deputy prosecutor based on the law and evidence. The official also argues further that publicly speaking about the incident "undermines the credibility of the office." "This is not an attempt to keep her quiet or a threat, but an obvious request, so we ask that she refrain from saying she has been told to shut up or threatened," the official said. (By Aya Tamura)
Kyodo News
30-06-2025
- Kyodo News
FEATURE: Osaka prosecutor who accused boss of rape faces backlash
By Aya Tamura, KYODO NEWS - 9 minutes ago - 09:05 | All, Japan, Feature In Japan, prosecutors are powerful public officials who are meant to protect the public from rapists and other criminals. But what if the chief prosecutor is an accused rapist himself? That's the explosive charge leveled by Hikari, a female prosecutor with the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office who says she was raped by her boss in 2018. Her pain did not end after the alleged attack. She says it got worse due to a campaign by former chief prosecutor Kentaro Kitagawa and others to silence her, and a colleague who slandered her by spreading rumors claiming she had romantic feelings for Kitagawa. Hikari's quest for justice is the latest MeToo case in Japan involving women who refused to be silenced after being assaulted by establishment figures. They include filmmaker Shiori Ito and former Ground Self-Defense Force member Rina Gonoi. Kitagawa, 65, has been indicted and initially admitted the rape charge, but later recanted, saying the sexual encounter was consensual. On May 21, Hikari -- not her real name -- held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo in which she disclosed a handwritten letter she had received from Kitagawa, asking her to keep quiet about what happened. According to the indictment, in September 2018, Hikari drank at a social gathering for work and became intoxicated before trying to catch a taxi. Kitagawa half-forced his way into the vehicle and took Hikari to his official residence where he raped her. A groggy Hikari regained consciousness and pleaded for Kitagawa to stop, but he continued the sexual assault, telling her, "You are my woman now." In an interview with Kyodo News in early May, Hikari said she believes she was "bullied by the prosecutors' organization" into initially not speaking publicly about the incident. She wishes to remain anonymous as she intends to continue her work. Hikari developed post-traumatic stress disorder and was unable to continue work as a prosecutor, a job she loved. In Kitagawa's six-page letter written to Hikari, dated Oct. 28, 2019, he apologizes for the "irreparable damage" his actions caused and for the fact that his apology following the incident was insufficient. But after begging Hikari's forgiveness several times, Kitagawa asks her to keep the rape secret. "If this incident becomes public, I will not be able to live on, and I have decided that I will have no choice but to commit suicide," the letter reads. The scandal would harm Kitagawa and the Public Prosecutors Office, leading to resignations by other high-ranking officials, it adds. At the press conference, Hikari recalled that she was too scared to speak out about what happened. She finally decided she could not live without holding Kitagawa responsible and filed a formal report in February 2024 demanding strict punishment. She said she returned 10 million yen ($70,000) in compensation that Kitagawa had paid her and her husband. "My dignity as a human being and as a prosecutor was trampled on, my body and soul harmonious life with my family, my precious job, the time I had spent working tainted and my future was stolen from me," she said. Kitagawa was arrested in June 2024 on a charge of quasi-forcible sexual intercourse and indicted on the same charge in July. At the first hearing of his trial in October, Kitagawa admitted to the indictment, saying he had "no intention of fighting the case," and apologized for "causing serious and severe harm to the victim." However, the situation took a dramatic turn in December when his new defense council made it clear that Kitagawa would be denying the charge. He suddenly claimed there was consent and no intention to commit a crime. The trial has not been held since he changed his plea to not guilty. Hikari's trauma continues to this day. After returning to work briefly in September 2024, a female deputy prosecutor in the same department, on the same floor, began circulating rumors about the incident and her involvement with Kitagawa. Hikari refers to this as a "secondary rape." According to Hikari, the deputy prosecutor leaked her personal information and details of the sexual assault, and said her victim's report and PTSD claims were fraudulent. Hikari was again forced to take sick leave. Hikari filed claims of defamation and harassment among other charges against the deputy prosecutor, but the woman was not charged and only received a warning. Hikari and her lawyer are preparing to file a review with the Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution, claiming the decision not to prosecute the deputy prosecutor is unjust. She is also calling for the establishment of an independent committee to review the responses to her case. "Harassment is rampant in the Public Prosecutors Office," she said. "I believe that both the Kitagawa case and the further accusations by the deputy public prosecutor are the result of this kind of prosecutorial terrain." In an email to Hikari's lawyer, a high-ranking official of the Osaka High Public Prosecutors Office said the office stands by its decision not to pursue a case against the deputy prosecutor based on the law and evidence. The official also argues further that publicly speaking about the incident "undermines the credibility of the office." "This is not an attempt to keep her quiet or a threat, but an obvious request, so we ask that she refrain from saying she has been told to shut up or threatened," the official said. Related coverage: Ex-chief Osaka public prosecutor pleads guilty to rape of colleague Ex-chief public prosecutor arrested for raping colleague in Osaka
Japan Today
29-06-2025
- Japan Today
Osaka prosecutor who accused boss of rape faces backlash
By Aya Tamura In Japan, prosecutors are powerful public officials who are meant to protect the public from rapists and other criminals. But what if the chief prosecutor is an accused rapist himself? That's the explosive charge leveled by Hikari, a female prosecutor with the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office who says she was raped by her boss in 2018. Her pain did not end after the alleged attack. She says it got worse due to a campaign by former chief prosecutor Kentaro Kitagawa and others to silence her, and a colleague who slandered her by spreading rumors claiming she had romantic feelings for Kitagawa. Hikari's quest for justice is the latest MeToo case in Japan involving women who refused to be silenced after being assaulted by establishment figures. They include filmmaker Shiori Ito and former Ground Self-Defense Force member Rina Gonoi. Kitagawa, 65, has been indicted and initially admitted the rape charge, but later recanted, saying the sexual encounter was consensual. On May 21, Hikari -- not her real name -- held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo in which she disclosed a handwritten letter she had received from Kitagawa, asking her to keep quiet about what happened. According to the indictment, in September 2018, Hikari drank at a social gathering for work and became intoxicated before trying to catch a taxi. Kitagawa half-forced his way into the vehicle and took Hikari to his official residence where he raped her. A groggy Hikari regained consciousness and pleaded for Kitagawa to stop, but he continued the sexual assault, telling her, "You are my woman now." In an interview with Kyodo News in early May, Hikari said she believes she was "bullied by the prosecutors' organization" into initially not speaking publicly about the incident. She wishes to remain anonymous as she intends to continue her work. Hikari developed post-traumatic stress disorder and was unable to continue work as a prosecutor, a job she loved. In Kitagawa's six-page letter written to Hikari, dated Oct. 28, 2019, he apologizes for the "irreparable damage" his actions caused and for the fact that his apology following the incident was insufficient. But after begging Hikari's forgiveness several times, Kitagawa asks her to keep the rape secret. "If this incident becomes public, I will not be able to live on, and I have decided that I will have no choice but to commit suicide," the letter reads. The scandal would harm Kitagawa and the Public Prosecutors Office, leading to resignations by other high-ranking officials, it adds. At the press conference, Hikari recalled that she was too scared to speak out about what happened. She finally decided she could not live without holding Kitagawa responsible and filed a formal report in February 2024 demanding strict punishment. She said she returned 10 million yen ($70,000) in compensation that Kitagawa had paid her and her husband. "My dignity as a human being and as a prosecutor was trampled on, my body and soul harmonious life with my family, my precious job, the time I had spent working tainted and my future was stolen from me," she said. Kitagawa was arrested in June 2024 on a charge of quasi-forcible sexual intercourse and indicted on the same charge in July. At the first hearing of his trial in October, Kitagawa admitted to the indictment, saying he had "no intention of fighting the case," and apologized for "causing serious and severe harm to the victim." However, the situation took a dramatic turn in December when his new defense council made it clear that Kitagawa would be denying the charge. He suddenly claimed there was consent and no intention to commit a crime. The trial has not been held since he changed his plea to not guilty. Hikari's trauma continues to this day. After returning to work briefly in September 2024, a female deputy prosecutor in the same department, on the same floor, began circulating rumors about the incident and her involvement with Kitagawa. Hikari refers to this as a "secondary rape." According to Hikari, the deputy prosecutor leaked her personal information and details of the sexual assault, and said her victim's report and PTSD claims were fraudulent. Hikari was again forced to take sick leave. Hikari filed claims of defamation and harassment among other charges against the deputy prosecutor, but the woman was not charged and only received a warning. Hikari and her lawyer are preparing to file a review with the Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution, claiming the decision not to prosecute the deputy prosecutor is unjust. She is also calling for the establishment of an independent committee to review the responses to her case. "Harassment is rampant in the Public Prosecutors Office," she said. "I believe that both the Kitagawa case and the further accusations by the deputy public prosecutor are the result of this kind of prosecutorial terrain." In an email to Hikari's lawyer, a high-ranking official of the Osaka High Public Prosecutors Office said the office stands by its decision not to pursue a case against the deputy prosecutor based on the law and evidence. The official also argues further that publicly speaking about the incident "undermines the credibility of the office." "This is not an attempt to keep her quiet or a threat, but an obvious request, so we ask that she refrain from saying she has been told to shut up or threatened," the official said. © KYODO
Asahi Shimbun
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Arashi member seeks apologies from Kitagawa in new book
Kazunari Ninomiya with his book, 'Dokudan to Henken' (Provided by Shueisha Inc.) Kazunari Ninomiya, a member of popular idol group Arashi, said he expects an apology from a now-dead show-business guru whose sex abuse scandal led to the demise of the group's talent agency. In a book to be published on June 17, Ninomiya responded to a question: 'Who do you want to meet most now, and what do you want to hear and get from the person?' He named Johnny Kitagawa, the founder of Arashi's former agency, Johnny & Associates Inc. An internal investigation by the company found that Kitagawa had sexually abused hundreds of boys and young men who belonged to the agency. 'I want Johnny Kitagawa to apologize with all his heart and soul,' Ninomiya wrote in the book 'Dokudan to Henken' (My personal views). 'I want him to apologize for depriving me of the office I had cherished or the place I had belonged to.' Ninomiya, known as Nino among fans, did not directly mention his views of the sex abuse scandal of Kitagawa, who died in 2019 at age 87. But he wrote that he has no objection to dropping the name 'Johnny' from the agency's name. Johnny & Associates announced on Oct. 2, 2023, that it would change its name to Smile-Up Inc. to focus on providing compensation to sex abuse victims and also establish a new company to take over its talent management business. Ninomiya left Johnny & Associates as an individual the same month, becoming one of the first members to review their relationships with the agency. Arashi has suspended group activities since 2020. 'When I thought about my future work, I could not stay with the office, which was unlikely to gain trust and recognition based on global standards,' Ninomiya wrote. 'It is not something for me to speak about lightly because there are victims (of sexual abuse), but I had never thought that office would be gone.' During a meeting with reporters before the publication, Ninomiya was asked why he chose Kitagawa as the person he wanted to meet most. 'If he had not caused others trouble, the office I had been with would not have disappeared and I would not have followed the path I have done,' he said. Referring to Kitagawa as 'aitsu' (that guy), he added, 'Apart from the problem that attracted public attention, I had long thought that something is wrong with him being completely silent.' Ninomiya also said he wants Kitagawa to apologize for the scandal. Although Kitagawa is dead, Ninomiya said he wants to discuss the issue with him 'person to person.' Ninomiya said he believes Kitagawa would apologize if he were to meet with him. In the book to be published by Shueisha Inc., Ninomiya shares his thoughts in response to 100 questions about topics ranging from Arashi to his work after leaving the agency.
