Masahiko Kondo: Japanese pop star suspended over affair

‘After careful consideration we decided that strict punishment was needed,' agency says

Masahiko Kondo apologised after his affair was made public (Rex Features)

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.