Hankyu Hanshin, the parent company of the all-female musical theater company Takarazuka Revue, has apologized to the family of an actor who died in September last year.
The 25-year-old girl died after being harassed by theater directors and older guild members, it was alleged. She was discovered near her condominium in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, a case that local police are treating as a possible death by suicide.
“The two sides reached a broad agreement on several points, including compensation,” Kyodo news agency reported at a press conference held in Osaka on Thursday. The company and the deceased’s family met at several events to define their association.
“We cannot make any excuses for what we accomplished, considering the emotions of the bereaved family,” said Yasuo Shimada, president of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, at the time.
Kyodo also cited a lawyer, who said it was legally vital that Takarazuka clearly admit to a series of harassment incidents and apologize. Previously, the theater company said an investigation by an Osaka legislative agency was unable to verify bullying or harassment, but acknowledged the psychological impact.
Japan’s leisure industry has long been known for avoiding or covering up incidents of bad behavior. In an inflexible and patriarchal system, these are sometimes based mainly on hierarchy and seniority.
The sector is still reeling from last year’s revelations at powerful technology firm Johnny & Associates, where it was revealed that its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa, sexually abused several hundred young men. Because of this, the company changed its name, began a remuneration payment process and saw the dismissal of its CEO.
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