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Two years ago, actor Ozawa Ren quit his career after the press revealed a series of shocking revelations regarding his behavior. Now, almost two years later, he’s attempting a comeback. And Twitter isn’t having any of it. Here’s why there’s such a backlash – and how the incident shows Japan’s changing attitudes towards sexual crimes.
WARNING: This article discusses physical assault and suicide.
The scandal
Ozawa Ren (小澤廉), 31, is a Kanazawa-born actor. He got his first role in 2013 when he was scouted by an agent and cast in the popular kids’ show Kamen Rider. Since then, he’s been known primarily for his stage performances in 2.5D musicals such as Osomatsu-san on Stage. He’d also had roles in various dramas and movies such as Kyoen NG.
However, in 2020, Bunshun Online published an expose that showed a frightening side of the actor the public had never seen.
In their expose, Bunshun revealed that Ozawa had had a sexual relationship with a high school girl (Bunshun refers to her only as A). The article included a truckload of evidence from her family and friends, including conversations from the social media app LINE. The picture they painted was damning.
A close friend of A’s, who was 16, introduced her and Ozawa at the party. (At the time, Ozawa was in his late 20s, approaching 30. In Tokyo, the age of consent is 18.) Ozawa aggressively pursued a relationship with her.
According to friends and family, Ozawa was a perfect gentleman out and about. Behind closed doors, however, he was a monster. He beat A routinely, leaving visible bruises. In text messages, Ozawa often referred to the girl as his “pet” and talked about “training” her. (And please don’t give me any “kinkshaming” nonsense, folks – this wasn’t a healthy relationship between consenting adults.)
The two moved in together in 2019. When A became pregnant, Ozawa became even more violent, at one point beating her stomach. He pressed her into getting an abortion. The physical and psychological torment was so great that A eventually attempted suicide. (Thankfully, her friend intervened.)
Ozawa Ren’s attempted “comeback” – and the backlash
The evidence Bunshun accumulated was so overwhelming that Ozawa Ren had no choice but to fess up. In the wake of the ensuing scandal, he ceased all activity and faded from the limelight. (It’s worth noting, however, that Ozawa never faced any criminal charges for his behavior.)
This week, however, Ozawa resurfaced on Twitter with a handwritten note. In it, he says, “I’ve taken these two years to analyze myself – to experience my immaturity, my shortcomings as a member of society, and my weakness. I’ve done my penance. I’m deeply sorry.”
And that’s all he has to say about that. Ozawa ends by thanking the people who’ve supported him. To thank them, he says, he plans to return to acting.
The tweet has over 18,000 likes on Twitter. However, it also has over 12,000 quote tweets. And neither they nor the comments are particularly kind to Ozawa’s attempted self-rehabilitation.
The top comment, with over 12K likes, reads: “It’s because I’ve loved and supported you that I don’t want you back. You can’t just gloss this over by talking about your ‘weakness’. Be more forthcoming with your fans and your victim. I think I have the right to be this harsh given the time and money I’ve wasted on you. I await your reply.” (A follow-up reply says, “Now here’s a true fan.”)
Another commenter says, “No, no – keep recovering in your home, forever.” Yet another said, “Don’t ever stand on the stage again.”
For his part, Ozawa Ren seems oblivious to the backlash. He’s posted several tweets since that one on October 8th. In his first follow-up tweet, Ozawa thanks people for their “warm comments”, leading one to question whether he’s reading some alternate universe Twitter the rest of us can’t access.
On the 9th, he posted pictures of himself at a friend’s wedding party. Commenters asked if the bride’s parents knew he was a sex offender and whether he planned to punch her in the stomach.
The changing culture towards sex offenders in Japan
Of course, Twitter is Twitter, and it isn’t always an accurate reflection of how the world at large will respond. However, news coverage so far is bare and can hardly be described as positive.
The greater question is who would want to represent Ozawa. His former agency cut ties with him after his scandal. It’s hard to imagine, given the negative reaction to his “comeback” and his tone-deaf response, that he’ll be able to work in mainstream media again.
The reaction to Ozawa Ren’s “rehabilitation” isn’t occurring in a vacuum. May activists within Japan have long criticized what they call the country’s lax attitude towards sexual offenders. In particular, many cases brought by underage victims (or victims who were underage at the time of the assault) are routinely dismissed. Judges claim in such cases that the victim can’t “prove” that they didn’t consent to sex – even when the assailant was their own parent.
Even schools have a bad reputation for letting sex offenders slide. Just last week, local news reported that a middle school teacher who was disciplined for taking upskirt shots of a high school girl had never been disciplined for another act of obscenity toward a minor back in 2012. (The lack of any sort of national sex offender tracking database only exacerbates such problems.)
However, there are multiple signs that things are changing. Ito Shiori’s case brought the #MeToo movement to Japan and drew a national spotlight on how authorities often ignore sexual assault against women.
And the public in general seems less inclined to forgive and forget when it comes to sexual assault. The case of actor Kagawa Teruyuki, who sexually harassed a hostess in Ginza in 2019, is a good example. After these revelations came to light last month, Kagawa attempted to gloss them over with a swift apology on live TV. The attempt tanked and he’s steadily lost work ever since.
There have also been rumblings in the past few years about raising Japan’s national age of consent. Currently, it’s stuck at a paltry 13 years – although most prefectures and cities set at least 16 years as the lower limit.
So will Ozawa Ren’s comeback work? Personally, I doubt he’ll be able to do much of anything beyond starting a YouTube channel where he rants against “cancel culture”. Let’s see if my prediction turns out to be true.
What to read next
Sources
[1] 「共演NG」俳優・小澤廉（29）が元JK恋人に壮絶DV《性行為中に「殴っていい？」黒くにじむ証拠写真》. Bunshun Online
[2] 小澤廉さんが直筆文で活動再開を発表 SNSでは賛否「待ってました」「一生好意的には見れん」. Nijimen
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