Judge: "Discovering romantic relations damages idols' image"

A 17-year-old J-pop idol was fined 650,000 yen ($5,386) in damages by the Tokyo District Court on September 18. The court ruled that she had violated her contract with her management company by associating with the opposite sex. The girl had signed the contract in March 2013 and debuted in a six-girl idol group in July. The group dissolved in October, however, when it was learned that the girl in question accepted an invitation to a hotel room by two male fans.

The girl argued that "not dating is not an indispensable aspect of being a girl idol," but the judge, Akitomo Kojima, disagreed. "Discovering romantic relations damages the image of idols," he ruled. "To gain the support of male fans, clauses banning romantic relations are necessary." Kojima blamed the girl for the dissolution of the idol group and fined her for part of her clothing and lesson costs.

In Japan, celebrities are widely expected to lead highly moral, chaste lives and project an image of "purity" to appeal to their fans. Voice actress Yū Serizawa apologized for wearing a ring in 2014; AKB48 singer Minami Minegishi shaved her head in repentance for dating a dancer in 2013; and actor and singer Jin Akanishi was blackballed for marrying fellow actor and singer Meisa Kuroki in 2012.

[Via Nikkan Sports; Image from Nyaa Sokuhou VIP]