Despite debuting in 2017 and being a well-known idol group based in Niigata, Japan, NGT48’s reputation took a hit in 2019 when they were involved in a scandal that sent shockwaves through the Japanese entertainment industry. As a result, the group lost support from sponsors and fans, leading to changes in their operational methods.
In January 2019, member Yamaguchi Maho disclosed that she was attacked by two men upon entering her apartment. Fortunately, her neighbors heard and rescued her. She accused certain members of NGT48 of being involved in the incident, alleging that they had disclosed her address and schedule to the attackers. While the police arrested the perpetrators, they were released after 20 days as they denied the assault and claimed they simply wanted to speak with the idol.
Despite reporting the incident to the group’s management, Yamaguchi Maho’s concerns were not addressed and she was even pressured to stay quiet. As a result, she decided to make her story public which resulted in the management forcing her to apologize to fans for “causing trouble”by speaking out. This sparked a global uproar among fans, with more than 53,000 signatures demanding the resignation of NGT48 director Etsuro Imamura for his failure to act.
After the assault, it was revealed by netizens that Yamaguchi Maho had unfollowed four members of NGT48, including Ogino Yuka, who was a well-known and highly regarded member of the group. Despite attempts to defend herself, Ogino Yuka faced severe criticism and was accused of mistreating Yamaguchi Maho and being involved in the attack. The investigation uncovered that one of the attackers had admitted to having ties with eight NGT48 members, who had given him access to Yamaguchi Maho’s apartment address. This only solidified the suspicions of the netizens.
The NGT48 incident resulted in a significant decline in the group’s reputation, resulting in widespread criticism both domestically and internationally. As a consequence, the group’s upcoming performances were postponed, several sponsors terminated their support, and the city of Niigata, a staunch supporter, declared its disassociation from the group. In response, the management company filed a lawsuit against the perpetrators, seeking 30 million yen in compensation. The company also reported a total financial loss of 100 million yen and acknowledged the impact on the trust between the members and the company.
Despite lasting for over a year, the lawsuit was prolonged by the attackers’ continuous alteration of their statements and refusal to take responsibility. Eventually, a resolution was reached in which the two perpetrators were obligated to pay 2.4 million yen over a span of five years and were prohibited from taking part in any AKB48-related events, including NGT48. The lawyer concluded the case by clarifying that the NGT48 members were not involved in the assault and that Yamaguchi Maho’s severe reactions towards them were based on a misunderstanding. However, this explanation was unsuccessful in persuading the public.
Despite the controversy surrounding Yamaguchi Maho, NGT48 made efforts to improve the situation by shifting their focus from subgroup activities to group-wide activities. On various social media platforms, several members, such as Rena Hasegawa, Riko Sugahara, and Fuka Murakumo, showed their support for Maho by removing “NGT48″from their profiles.
On April 21, 2019, NGT48 members Yamaguchi Maho, Rena Hasegawa, and Riko Sugahara announced their departure from the group. During the announcement, Yamaguchi Maho revealed that she had been called a “company destroyer”by AKS’s president. She explained that she could not continue to be a part of a group that handled issues by simply apologizing. A farewell performance was held for the three members on May 18, where seven other NGT48 members who were supportive of Yamaguchi Maho were present. Notably, Ogino Yuka, who was accused of bullying and involvement in the attack on Yamaguchi Maho, was absent from the performance
In 2021, Ogino Yuka also departed from NGT48 and shifted her focus towards modeling. Recently, she launched a YouTube channel named “Miss Ogino’s Bad Reputation”and shared two videos in an attempt to clarify the Yamaguchi Maho incident. However, her channel received a significant amount of backlash from netizens, with many leaving angry comments and calling for a boycott. Some of the comments included, “Why does she look so different? Her appearance is intimidating,””She caused harm to NGT48 and now she wants to make a comeback?””Her actions are shameless and disgraceful to the group,”and “It’s unbelievable that she still has thousands of subscribers on her channel.”
After being forced to leave the group because of the attack, Yamaguchi Maho shifted her focus to acting. Born in 1995, the former idol has since secured prominent roles in popular television dramas including “Panda Judges The World” , “Kekkon Dekinai Ni Wa Wake Ga Aru” , and “Chocolate No Mahou” .
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