A triumph at last for basic human rights and fans of idols in Japan.
A 23-year-old female member of an idol group who was sued for around ¥9.9 million (over $80,000) for breach of contract by dating a fan can celebrate — and her bank account can let out a sigh of relief — as her former management agency’s suit has been dismissed by the Tokyo District Court.
The girl — unnamed in the media reports — had made a contract with the company in April 2012 when she was just 19. It contained a clause saying that damages would be sought if she had a relationship with a fan. She started dating a male fan in around December 2013. She told the agency she wanted to quite in July 2014 and did not appear in a concert as planned. The agency then filed a suit against her for compensation.
“Having relations with the opposite sex is part of our liberty to pursue happiness. Even taking into account the special circumstances of being an idol, a ban on this was taking things too far,” ruled the judge on January 18th.
Many idols have been forced to resign or have lost their positions in music groups due to the notorious “no-dating” rules.
A recent victim is Mayu Harada of Keyakizaka46, who had to leave the group when pictures emerged of her kissing her former teacher.
In AKB48, Rino Sashihara was exiled to a smaller sister group but ultimately survived her sex scandal to become one of the most popular and powerful girls in the AKB roster.
Likewise, Minami Minegishi made headlines when she shaved her head as penance for her “sex crime” but has since bounced back.
If you are expendable, though, you end up out on the street. Yuka Masuda, for example, was sacked from AKB48 for having a relationship with a male colleague.
Management companies have been known to sue idols who breach the no-dating clauses in their contracts. Not only the idols, but fans who cross that forbidden line and have relationships with idols have also been known to face suits.
Are we now entering a new age where idols will be able to have relationships just like ordinary human beings?
