Japan, like most other nations, has a sexual assault problem. Crimes are ignored. Wrongdoing by powerful men is often swept under the rug.
Fortunately, attitudes towards the gravity of sexual assault are changing. Unfortunately, men’s behavior isn’t. A new arrest highlights how men in high-ranking positions in society seem to feel they can do what they like without repercussions.
A partial denial, multiple victims
Nakamoto Kensuke, 50, holds the title of Chief Director in the Sports Information Program Division of NHK’s News Bureau.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Nakamoto approached a woman in her 20s on a Shibuya street, told her, “I have something dangerous on me” – implying he was armed – and used that threat to drag her into a nearby building. He then assaulted her in a stairwell landing, chosen, police say, because it was out of sight from passersby. He fled afterward on a bicycle.
The brazenness of the alleged attack, carried out in one of Tokyo’s busiest neighborhoods by a high-ranking employee of the country’s public broadcaster, has drawn widespread shock and condemnation.
When questioned, Nakamoto partially denied the charges.
“I didn’t force her against her will,” he reportedly told an investigator.
Police aren’t buying it. They’ve received reports of multiple similar incidents. When they searched Nakamoto’s phone, they found videos and images potentially connected to the case.
Investigators are now looking into whether there are additional victims.
NHK issued a statement calling the arrest “truly regrettable” and offering a deep apology to the victim and to viewers. The broadcaster said it would “confirm the facts promptly and respond strictly.”
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Keeping their careers despite being pedophile rapists
The news comes as Japan is rocked by a scandal involving one of the country’s largest manga publishers. Shogakukan admitted earlier this week that it had allowed not one, but two manga authors to publish under pseudonyms despite their documented history of sexually assaulting minors.
Yamamoto Shoichi, creator of the manga Daten Sakusen, lost his gig after he was accused of repeatedly raping and sexually humiliating a 15-year-old female student. However, Shogakukan editors later tried to pay off the victim in a bid to reinstate Yamamoto. When that failed, they resorted to publishing his new manga, Jōjin Kamen, on their site Manga ONE under the name Ichiro Hajime.
A few days later, it came out that Manga ONE had also allowed Matsuki Tatsuya, the creator of Act-Age, to write a new title, The Counselor Through The Years and Stars (星霜の心理士; seisō no shinrishi), under the name Yatsunami Miki.
The case highlighted how those in power continue to cover for men who’ve committed crimes against women. It also underscored how scary it can be for victims to speak out against their accusers.
Japan touts an epic conviction rate and a low crime rate. However, some victim advocates contend that this is partially because the country discourages sexual assault victims from reporting. One agency found that up to 80% of public molestation cases might go unreported.
Historically, it’s also been hard for victims to prove their cases in court. Yamamoto was found liable by a civil court but was never convicted, despite him allegedly treating his 15-year-old victim as an unwilling sex slave. At the time, Japan’s laws made it difficult for rape victims to prove they hadn’t consented to sex.
Nakamoto will have his day in court. The first question is: Will he get an appropriate sentence? Or, like other high-ranking men, will he get a light one?
And the next question is: Will his buddies in industry be there to give him a soft landing once he gets out of prison?
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Sources
【速報】NHKチーフディレクター（50）を逮捕 「俺、危ないものを持ってるから」と脅し面識ない20代女性に性的暴行か. LiveDoor News
