NMB48 Members alleged to be under "slave contract"

NMB48

(The following contains translations - these may not be entirely accurate)

Original at http://bunshun.jp/articles/-/7848

It has been reported by this week's " Weekly Bunshun" magazine that a contract exists between members of NMB48 and the affiliation office "KYORAKU Yoshimoto Holdings Co., Ltd." forbidding employment for a lengthy period after withdrawal from the group 

Unlike other sister groups such as AKB48, all the members of NMB48 belong to an affiliated company of Yoshimoto Kogyo. The Weekly Bunshun digital interview team were able to see the actual "exclusive contract". There was the following clause:


"Do not conduct external arts activities for two years starting from the date of termination of this contract"


"It's almost like a slave contract! If you stop the activity for two years, it's actually a retirement from the entertainment world" an unnamed former NMB48 member is quoted as saying.

The magazine consulted a labor lawyer, who pointed out that such a clause is likely to be as a violation of the Antimonopoly Act.

A Yoshimoto Kogyo 's spokesperson is quoted as saying: "There is definitely a clause in the NMB's contract but I have not used it as a method of restricting activities.The contract of the children who entered in March this year has no such provision, and the contract there is with the former members for two years is not binding."