Takarazuka Revue Bereaved Family Submits Opinion "Power Harassment Acts Rise to 15"

In the case of the death of a 25-year-old member of the Takarazuka Revue Company, the lawyer for the bereaved family held a press conference on the 7th, and announced that he had submitted an opinion to the opera company pointing out the problems with the investigation report released last month, stating that "bullying and power harassment could not be confirmed."

A 25-year-old member of the Takarazuka Revue was found dead in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture in September.

On the 9th of last month, the opera company released the contents of an investigation report stating that it could not be ruled out that there was a strong psychological load due to long hours of activity, but that bullying and power harassment could not be confirmed.

Regarding this, the lawyer for the bereaved family held a press conference on the 14th and revealed that they had submitted an opinion to the opera company pointing out the problems of the investigation report.

At the press conference, the bereaved family released a photo of a member of the troupe claiming to be a burn mark from a senior student who pressed a curling iron on his forehead, and a LINE exchange in which he told his family that he felt that it was on purpose, and pointed out that "it is natural to think that it was intentionally imposed rather than negligently."

In addition, regarding the fact that the bereaved family claims that they were verbally abused by the senior student, the report says, "While the investigation report dismisses the testimony of other theater company members that corroborates such behavior as hearsay, the circumstances and content of the incident are uncritically assumed facts, and there is nothing but an arbitrary finding of fact."

In their written opinion, the bereaved family stated that there were a total of 7 acts that constituted power harassment, and reiterated their request for the opera company to recognize such acts.

The bereaved families will hold a second meeting with the company's representatives later this month to demand an apology and compensation.