How A Popular Idol’s Career Survived Her Mother’s Sex Scandal With A Minor
Content Warning
Part of an idol’s career involves maintaining a public image that is well-received by their fanbase. Sometimes though, despite their best efforts, idols become embroiled in scandals by association.
This was the case for Takahashi Minami, a J-Pop idol, TV personality, and former member of the girl group AKB48. Minami was 14 when her idol career began, after she beat out over seven thousand auditioning applicants to become one of AKB48’s twenty-four founding members in 2005. Minami “graduated” from AKB48–a group that periodically replaces old members with new ones–at the end of 2015, but if things had gone differently, her career might have ended entirely three years earlier.
In February 2012, Minami’s then-44-year-old mother was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for performing sexual acts with a minor. The unnamed, male high school student was the 15-year-old classmate of Minami’s younger brother. At the time, Minami was 20 years old. Following the arrest of Minami’s mother, Japanese tabloid Shukan Jitsuwa released a report claiming that AKB48’s agency was allegedly limiting coverage to prevent the story from tainting Minami and AKB48.
The incident came to light after Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested three male minors for assault in October 2011. One of the boys told the police that he had an ongoing sexual relationship with Minami’s mother. She was introduced to the 15-year-old boy at the Takahashi family home–an apartment in Hachioji–while he and her son’s other friends were hanging out there.
After her arrest, the woman told police that she had been forced into having sexual relations with the 15-year-old to protect her son. She said, “I had to because they (the other boys) were threatening my son.” A reporter who specializes in legal affairs claimed that Minami’s mother was initially forced but continued the relationship willingly.
The evidence shows that she was forced initially, but for the second meeting (and thereafter) she took the boy in her own car to a love hotel. It is hard for her to deny that she was pursuing her own pleasure.
— Reporter
Following a summary indictment, Minami’s mother was fined 500,000 yen (about $3,293 USD) for violating an ordinance regarding the healthy development of youths. The amount, according to Shukan Jitsuwa exceeded the common penalty range for similar sexual indecency incidents, 200,000 yen to 300,000 yen.
Given the salaciousness of the story and rising Minami’s fame, one might have expected the story to be front-page news. However, many television stations, sports newspapers, and even tabloids reportedly did not cover the scandal, with some omitting mentions of it entirely for 10 days. Some that did cover the story left Minami’s name out of it. According to the Shukan Jitsuwa report, this was partly out of consideration for Minami’s mother and partly out of caution.
The management agency answered inquiries from the media by requesting that consideration be made for the mother being a victim. This made the media stop. There is a risk that reporting this incident may jeopardize business relationships.
— Sports newspaper journalist
At the time, there was speculation about whether or not Minami would remain an AKB48 member, even though she had nothing to do with the scandal. Through AKB48’s blog, she announced that she would be staying with the group and received an outpouring of support from fans, staff, and her members.
Because of everyone, I am able to stand at this place. I understand there are many opinions, It can’t be helped if people think I shouldn’t be in AKB. But…I would like to continue.
One day, I want to stand on my own two feet, and make my dreams come true. I think that’s the way I will repay everyone who has supported me.
— Takahashi Minami
Minami continued to be a successful and popular member of AKB48 until her graduation a few years later. After leaving the group, she began hosting her own radio show and debuted as a soloist.
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