The Wakayama
Prefectural Police Department reported that Kouichirou Itou ,
renowned producer of various films by director Makoto Shinkai such as “ Your Name ( Kimi
no Na wa )”, has been charged with new charges for violating
the Law for the Protection of Minors of Japan , after it was
discovered that he paid a minor for sexual services.
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His newly
added charge involves a 17-year-old teenager from Yokohama. Investigators
discovered that Itou knew the girl was a minor when she paid him 30,000 yen (about
$193) for sex at her home in December 2023. In addition, Itou
took photographs of the act and kept them.
Police
reports now indicate that Itou admitted to paying at least twenty girls he met
on social media for sexual services. " I knew at least twenty
underage girls on social networks and I paid them to have sex with me ,"
declared the producer.
Another
of the identified victims was a 15-year-old teenager, with whom he became
involved in a “paid sex” relationship for two years , with Itou depositing 20,000
yen (about $128) on each occasion.
Police
reported that several of the victims were identified thanks to Kouichirou Itou
saving several of their photographs on his smartphone. Now the producer
remains in police custody while more and more charges are added to what is now
a collective complaint.
The first
time the producer was arrested was on February 21, after the police discovered
that he had coerced a 15-year-old girl, whom he met on social networks, to send
him naked photographs. It is worth noting that Itou himself was aware that the girl in
question was a minor. This incident had occurred in 2021 and it is believed
that he offered about 12,500 yen (around $80) in cash to get the photographs.
It should be
noted that Itou has been a producer on many of director Makoto Shinkai's works,
including his second feature film “ Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho (The
Place Promised in Our Early Days)“, “ Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo (Children
Who Chase Lost Voices)“, “ Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of
Words)“, his successful film “ Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name.)“,
and his next two films “ Tenki no Ko (Weathering with You)”
and “ Suzume no Tojimari “.
Source: The AsahiShimbun
