No, not that Scandal.
AKB member Minegishi Minami has been caught in an idol scandal. From what I can tell, Miichan was seen entering the apartment of GENERATION (an EXILE little brother group) member’s Shirahama Alan shortly after midnight. The lights in the apartment went off around 3am. In the morning, Shirahama left the apartment first around 7am, and Minegishi left the apartment around 7:30am.
To atone for this break in idol conduct Minegishi shaved her head, recorded an apology for YouTube, for was demoted to the rank of kenkyusei (Research Student).
Shukan Bunshun reported with their latest issue published on January 31st.
First, I take no pleasure in this announcement and scandal. I don’t know much about AKB48, but I certainly think that their rise to the top of the Japanese entertainment industry brought about the idol boom that we are currently experiencing. Minegishi is not my favorite idol in the world- I don’t know her very well; and I have never been very interested with AKB48’s output.
(except maybe this song)
I’m probably going to be in the minority with my opinions, but I don’t think this punishment is enough. I’m not a sadist- I don’t wish to limit the experience of these women. I definitely don’t think it is natural for young women to present themselves as virginal beauties. This is especially true for idols who are in their 20’s. Like most men I know, I want my women to be women.
The flip side of this is I want my idols to be idols. I want to be entertained by the impossibly innocent talents of girls. Should any of these idols decide to become women, I am totally OK with it. Please, girls, grow up, fall in love, and become singers or variety personalities. Please, get married and have children. There is nothing wrong with gracefully leaving the idol scene.
BUT, please do not be women masquerading as young girls. I didn’t get interested in idol music because I wanted a facsimile of American music.
Edit: more thoughts
the number 244 
Yeah this sexist, ugly humiliating video of a girl who commited the crime of fraternizing with a boy is not enough…what? This is a disgusting reinforcement of bizarre ideas of ownership over a girl’s entire life beyond her job, her basic human rights. We all knew about the rules, but this new imagery of a girl with her head shaved off paraded in front of youtube viewers by her company serves up connotations to wartime images of women having the same thing done to them for basically the same ‘crime’. It’s savage.
I get an ugly feeling in my stomach and emotions welling up when I watch this video. This is not right. This is not an example you should set for girls, for fans, for the industry. It’s not how a modern society should operate, with pillaries for punishing girls’ “slutty behavior”.
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Actually, I didn’t even think about the video or the haircut when I wrote about her punishment. I agree that the haircut and the video are pretty humiliating.
Why does she even need to make the video? Why does she need to be an idol? I can’t imagine that she was forced to do either of those things. She was probably given an ultimatum like “do these things or leave AKB”. If this is the case, then she CHOSE to shave her head and she CHOSE to make this video. Human rights have nothing to do with it.
Minegishi Minami is in the entertainment business. She is in the idol business by choice- no one is keeping her in AKB. All choices come with consequences.
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You don’t know much about AKB48 and then you pass judgement on one of the members? Nice.
It’s called compassion. Look into it.
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Yes. I judge her.
I personally would live Minegishi to have normal adult relationships! But, Minegishi knows what kind of contract she signed. She isn’t a victim!
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Oh, so this is a post about contract law. Thanks for the clarification.
Please post a copy of her contract as well as the proof of her signing the contract at a legal age. Also please provide evidence that the contract does not violate Japanese contract and labor laws through an opinion passed down by the appropriate government agency.
Also, please provide medical documentation that at the time of the incident that she was not in a psychological state caused by her many years of abstinence and the pressures of her job to make her violation of her contract excused by applicable contract laws.
I will check back in tomorrow and we can continue this discussion. See you then!
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@AKBSoundsGood
Thanks for all the feedback.
I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but what is your point? You listed a few demands, but I don’t see how they are relevant to the subject to Miichan and her Scandal. Perhaps you should make your case in black and white so we’re not in danger of putting words in your mouth or making conclusions for you that you didn’t intend to make.
You don’t believe that the Boyfriend Ban exists?
If it didn’t exist, why do we go through these shenanigans every time there is an idol scandal. Minegishi acknowledges the ban in her apology.
You don’t believe that the Boyfriend Ban should exist?
Well, that’s fine. Its also your opinion. I’m not about to tell you what to think.
You don’t think Minegishi should be held to the Boyfriend Ban?
This goes against the entire notion of idol entertainment. She is free to leave at any time and have a boyfriend.
So, what is your point?
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Sorry for my slow response. I was changing google accounts.
@number244
“I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but what is your point?”
I was not attempting to make a point. I was replying to this post (I thought it was your’s when I wrote it–sorry):
@dik246
“Yes. I judge her.
I personally would live [sic] Minegishi to have normal adult relationships! But, Minegishi knows what kind of contract she signed. She isn’t a victim!”
A contract was mentioned with the clear implication is that MM broke that contract. I was merely asking for relevant details that confirm this fact. @dik246 has not provided it, and of course, may not have seen my request. But @number244, since you responded, do you have this evidence? Perhaps you do. I am merely asking to see it. Perhaps you think you have addressed it here:
@number244
“You don’t believe that the Boyfriend Ban exists?…Minegishi acknowledges the ban in her apology.”
I did not claim the “boyfriend ban” does not exist – I was referring to the “contract” mentioned by the other poster. But ok, since you claim MM acknowledged the existence of a “boyfriend ban” in her apology, I would like to see that evidence as well – here is her apology from the YouTube clip, according to tokyohive.com:
http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/01/minegishi-minami-demoted-to-kenkyuusei-posts-a-video-message-with-shaved-head/
I am very sorry for worrying the members, you fans, staff members, my family, and many people for the article about me on a weekly magazine that will be released today.
As the first generation member of AKB48 that was formed back in 2005, I was supposed to be in the position where I always had to act as a role model for the junior members. However, what I have done was such a thoughtless and a lack of self-awareness behavior.
Since my mind is still in blank, I did not know what to do or what I can do, but as I just saw the magazine, I could not sit still, so I decided all by myself to shave my head without even telling the members or my agency.
I do not expect that I would be forgiven by doing this, but what I first thought was that I did not want to quit AKB48.
I was unable to think of leaving AKB48 now where the members I love and spent my youth together, and you warm fans are. I know this is being over‐optimistic, but I want to stay as Minegishi Minami of AKB48 if possible.
It was all my fault about this. I am very sorry.
I will leave everything to Akimoto-sensei’s and the management’s judgement. Though I haven’t been able to sort out my feelings, I just wanted to tell you how I was feeling right now.
Thank you.
Where in this apology does she mention the existence of a “boyfriend ban”? Please explain – perhaps it was another apology you were referring to? Perhaps a bad translation? Also, since you mention a “boyfriend ban” the clear implication is that the person she spent the night with was/is her “boyfriend”. Where is your evidence of that? Perhaps it was a one night stand? Please provide evidence that this person was/is her boyfriend.
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Nice post! Not even a fan but when I saw the video pop up, I had to take a look because I have noticed certain AKB members but to shave her hair off in an act of forgiveness to the public does seem extreme from a Western view. I do not believe for one second she shaved her hair off according to her, there must have been some “influence” from her company.
The demotion is really sad because I heard she is a 1st generation member as well. I heard this AKB member and the EXILE member are getting treated the same by idol fans but obviously with the girl’s video and how in most idol relationships, the girl seems to get the blame and negative treatment more than the male, the attention seems more on her not only in Japan but also in the West. The BBC and the Guardian over here in the UK have picked up on this story since it’s seen as human rights in the West. To be honest it deserves to have international attention and pressure but only if international media do not make assumptions and read up from a translated Japanese article.
Japan (and Korea too) need to fix that when idols hit certain ages, they would like to date, meet the other (or same) sex and go even further in their relationships. Idols are people too. The media and immature fans need to grow up and realise the idols are humans too.
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Sorry for my slow response. I was changing google accounts.
@number244
“I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but what is your point?”
I was not attempting to make a point. I was replying to this post (I thought it was your’s when I wrote it–sorry):
@dik246
“Yes. I judge her.
I personally would live [sic] Minegishi to have normal adult relationships! But, Minegishi knows what kind of contract she signed. She isn’t a victim!”
A contract was mentioned with the clear implication is that MM broke that contract. I was merely asking for relevant details that confirm this fact. @dik246 has not provided it, and of course, may not have seen my request. But @number244, since you responded, do you have this evidence? Perhaps you do. I am merely asking to see it. Perhaps you think you have addressed it here:
@number244
“You don’t believe that the Boyfriend Ban exists?…Minegishi acknowledges the ban in her apology.”
I did not claim the “boyfriend ban” does not exist – I was referring to the “contract” mentioned by the other poster. But ok, since you claim MM acknowledged the existence of a “boyfriend ban” in her apology, I would like to see that evidence as well – here is her apology from the YouTube clip, according to tokyohive.com:
http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/01/minegishi-minami-demoted-to-kenkyuusei-posts-a-video-message-with-shaved-head/
I am very sorry for worrying the members, you fans, staff members, my family, and many people for the article about me on a weekly magazine that will be released today.
As the first generation member of AKB48 that was formed back in 2005, I was supposed to be in the position where I always had to act as a role model for the junior members. However, what I have done was such a thoughtless and a lack of self-awareness behavior.
Since my mind is still in blank, I did not know what to do or what I can do, but as I just saw the magazine, I could not sit still, so I decided all by myself to shave my head without even telling the members or my agency.
I do not expect that I would be forgiven by doing this, but what I first thought was that I did not want to quit AKB48.
I was unable to think of leaving AKB48 now where the members I love and spent my youth together, and you warm fans are. I know this is being over‐optimistic, but I want to stay as Minegishi Minami of AKB48 if possible.
It was all my fault about this. I am very sorry.
I will leave everything to Akimoto-sensei’s and the management’s judgement. Though I haven’t been able to sort out my feelings, I just wanted to tell you how I was feeling right now.
Thank you.
Where in this apology does she mention the existence of a “boyfriend ban”? Please explain – perhaps it was another apology you were referring to? Perhaps a bad translation? Also, since you mention a “boyfriend ban” the clear implication is that the person she spent the night with was/is her “boyfriend”. Where is your evidence of that? Perhaps it was a one night stand? Please provide evidence that this person was/is her boyfriend.
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