Ibuki, leader of the Japanese dance crew Osaka Ojo Gang—winners of Mnet’s World of Street Woman Fighter—has spoken out about her conflict with fellow members and shocking treatment by event organizers.
On September 12, Ibuki posted a lengthy statement on her social media, saying she wanted to “clarify the misunderstandings and speculation” directly. She revealed that in early August, her manager attempted to negotiate rehearsal costs with event organizer Route59, but talks collapsed. Ibuki claimed she was blindsided when Route59 sent her a document containing false claims and threatened to expose her unless she signed a direct contract within an hour.
“They told me they could no longer work with my manager and demanded I sign directly,” Ibuki wrote, describing the ordeal as deeply traumatizing. “I felt as if my future was being held hostage.“
Ibuki also revealed she later discovered the other Ojo Gang members had already agreed to contracts without her. Pressured and given no time to confirm the truth, she says she had no choice but to comply. Despite her existing agreements dating back to the World of Street Woman Fighter filming days, Route59 allegedly insisted on overriding those deals with a direct contract, repeatedly sending her threatening messages.
“The stress became unbearable,” Ibuki admitted, adding that she was eventually admitted to a psychiatric clinic in Japan. “All I wanted was to keep my promise to fans and stand on stage with Ojo Gang.” She emphasized that she would have joined the concert if negotiations had been handled fairly and legally.
She explained that Ojo Gang’s official account was temporarily shut down because the group’s joint statement “contained content that could harm ongoing contracts with other companies,” and closing it was her last attempt to protect the members.
Concluding her statement, Ibuki vowed: “I will resolve the continued false claims through legal action.“
Earlier this month, Ibuki drew attention for skipping Ojo Gang’s World of Street Woman Fighter performance in Seoul and confirming she would also miss the upcoming Busan show. Meanwhile, members including Kyoka accused her manager of embezzlement.
In response, Route59 denied Ibuki’s accusations, stating that negotiations had dragged on due to “poor communication” with her manager, who allegedly made unusual demands such as omitting appearance fees from the contract.
Sources: Daum
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