Japanese singer Masahiko Kondo has been suspended by his agency after admitting to an extra-marital affair.
Johnny & Associates, one of Japan’s most powerful talent agencies, felt the veteran artist’s behaviour “lacked awareness and a sense of responsibility”, and deserved “strict punishment”.
“After careful consideration we decided that strict punishment was needed,” it said in a statement.
Kondo, also know as Matchy, was one of the most popular male J-pop idols of the Eighties. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his debut as a singer with the single “Sneaker Blues”, in 1980.
His affair was first reported by a gossip magazine last week.
The 56-year-old has been banned from all work engagements. The agency said he has issued an apology and offered to step back in order to reflect on his behaviour and “become a better person”.
Other public figures in Japan have resigned over similar scandals, including a Japanese MP who, in 2016, admitted to having an affair while his wife was pregnant.
However, some have questioned the severity of Kondo’s punishment.
Amid the explosion in popularity of J and K-pop in the UK and the US, there has been criticism over the way in which talent agencies for J and K-pop artists monitor their stars’ personal lives.
