Why Japan’s J-pop idol industry bans sex, dating and romance

from Japan Today Spotlight · host Japan Today

Japan’s idol industry enforces strict no-dating and no-romance rules that shape the lives of young performers and fuel a multibillion-yen business model built on fan fantasy. This episode explains why these rules exist, how agencies enforce them and what controversies reveal about power, control and fan culture in Japan.Watch the full Japan Today Spotlight series on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyLmgel-5aDxrGswj_8hRRiUwdm5tGGTH

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 13, 2025

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Why Japan’s J-pop idol industry bans sex, dating and romance

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