Japan's all-female musical theater company Takarazuka Revue on Thursday admitted to all claims of harassment against a deceased actress by troupe members and apologized to her family.
The two sides have reached a broad agreement on various issues, including compensation, as the theater company acknowledged all 14 incidents of harassment pointed out by the family, an official of the troupe's parent firm Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc. said at a press conference held in Osaka Prefecture.
"We cannot give any excuse for what we have done considering the feelings of the bereaved family," Yasuo Shimada, the president of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, told the press conference.
Many of her seniors who perpetrated the harassment submitted personal letters of apology to the family, according to a lawyer representing the family.
The 25-year-old actress was found dead on the premises of her condominium in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on the morning of Sept. 30 in what police suspect was a suicide. Her family has since demanded an apology and compensation from Hankyu Hanshin Holdings.
The family claimed that among the incidents, the actress suffered burns when a senior theater member pressed a hair iron against her forehead.
"We cannot confirm there was malice, but such an excessive action falls under harassment," said the official, vowing to change the company culture overshadowed by excessive discipline and long work hours.
The official also acknowledged the theater company's negligence in adequately educating its actresses to keep up with modern standards.
The fifth meeting between the family and the parent company was held on March 15, with the company apparently conceding to the family.
It is significant that the Takarazuka side clearly admitted to many harassment incidents and apologized, the family lawyer said at a separate press conference in Tokyo.
In February, the lawyer said that Takarazuka Revue admitted to approximately half of the harassment claims while denying the rest, either partially or entirely, suggesting the two sides needed more time to reach an agreement.
The theater company said in November that an investigation by an Osaka law firm could not confirm bullying or harassment but did acknowledge the psychological stress she suffered due to long working hours.
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