A Pop Star Shouldn’t Shave Her Head in Shame for Having a Boyfriend

Minami Minegishi, a popular member of AKB48 since the group’s founding in 2005, faced the camera and apologized profusely to fans. As tears washed over her face, she said those in charge of the group had demoted her to the “trainee” team and, to punish herself, she had shaved her head. Her transgression: being caught leaving a young man’s apartment several days earlier.

Thousands in Japan watched the just-buzzed Minami deliver her tearful apology, and on Twitter the video promptly took up five trending-topic spaces. Many were shocked by what she had done to herself, while others believed the punishment was just and were surprised by what she had done. It quickly morphed into the country’s first big entertainment scandal of the year, but Minegishi’s painful-to-watch apology is much more than tabloid fodder: Her situation highlights the more disturbing aspects of the Japanese entertainment industry, and also on a growing gender problem in Japan.

Read more. [Image: AKB48]

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11. duriandaze reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    This sums the whole debacle up nicely: “This episode has illuminated the most problematic aspect of the Japanese music...

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15. yanagiyoruko reblogged this from mbmelodies and added:

    This articulated what...was thinking in a much better way that I could ever have.

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30. 1029 reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    Here is a little rant I wrote about this a couple of days ago.

31. teachu reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    What.

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33. underdormanttrees reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    Japan’s number one export these days is man-children, unfortunately.

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39. duhlan reblogged this from foggypebble and added:

    Japan just has a lot more.

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47. evanescentfairytale reblogged this from thevalidfallacy and added:

    No wonder why I don’t listen to Japanese music anymore. I love Ayumi Hamasaki. :C

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