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August 12, 2026
 

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JOHNNY KITAGAWA

Fuji TV headquarters in Tokyo's Minato Ward. Fuji TV came under fire over the manner in which it handled a case of ¡°sexual trouble¡± involving former boy band member Masahiro Nakai and a female announcer.
JAPAN / Media / FOCUS
Jul 30, 2025
How the Japanese TV industry is changing
After a series of major scandals in recent years, Â鶹´«Ã½ TV industry appears to be growing more sensitive to issues of harassment and misconduct.
Johnny's & Associates President Noriyuki Higashiyama (second from right), unveils Smile-Up as the new name for the talent agency during a news conference in Tokyo in October 2023. The agency decided on the name change after it acknowledged the abuse committed by its late founder and apologized to victims in September 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 4, 2024
Johnny¡¯s victims group to disband one year after agency admitted abuse
The group says it will continue to help victims with unresolved cases ¡ª through consultation and other forms of support ¡ª despite the disbandment.
Akimasa Nihongi, who spoke about his experience as a victim of sexual assault by Johnny Kitagawa, the late founder of the eponymous talent agency, said in a video message that victims who report their abuses are often subject to slander and harassment.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 27, 2024
Ex-member of Johnny¡¯s calls for victim protection at U.N. panel
Akimasa Nihongi said measures ought to be put in place to protect victims from slander and harassment after they go public with abuses.
Noriyuki Higashiyama (second from right), unveils Smile-Up as a new company name to replace Johnny's & Associates during a news conference in Tokyo in October.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 29, 2024
Smile-Up says two ex-Johnny¡¯s staffers were also sexual predators
The statement from Smile-Up, which is responsible for compensating victims, came after the BBC published an interview with its president.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 17, 2024
Johnny¡¯s abuse victims seek transparency on compensation criteria
Many are unable to prove past affiliations with the agency, with some alleging that the wrongdoings occurred before the signing of contracts.
Junya Hiramoto and Shimon Ishimaru, members of Johnny's Sexual Assault Victims Association who claim to have been sexually abused by the late founder of Johnny & Associates, hold a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo in September
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 30, 2023
More men seek sex abuse consultations after Johnny¡¯s scandal
According to Tokyo police, consultation requests from male victims surged in September after the agency admitted its founder had abused entertainers.
While Hayao Miyazaki¡¯s return to filmmaking, ¡°The Boy and the Heron,¡± did not attain the ?10 billion milestone that the beloved animator¡¯s movies had once routinely surpassed, it debuted at the top of the North American box office and became the first original anime film to lead the box office in the United States and Canada.
CULTURE / Film / 2023 in Review
Dec 15, 2023
Â鶹´«Ã½ auteurs and anime triumphed in 2023
From Hayao Miyazaki¡¯s ¡°The Boy and the Heron¡± to Hirokazu Kore-eda¡¯s ¡°Monster,¡± the box-office hits kept coming.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 8, 2023
Johnny¡¯s changes name to Starto Entertainment
The announcement signals a new chapter in the talent agency¡¯s history as it scrubs references to its disgraced founder from its current structure.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Dec 2, 2023
The entertainment story of the year is long overdue
As entertainment heavyweights Johnny & Associates and Takarazuka Revue are hit by scandals, hope for reform emerges with changing attitudes toward abuse.
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2023
35 Johnny¡¯s abuse victims to be notified of compensation
The company did not release the details of the compensation plans or the names of the victims, citing privacy concerns.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 13, 2023
NHK ditches Johnny¡¯s acts for year-end musical bonanza
For the first time in 44 years, performers represented by the beleaguered talent agency will not appear on ¡°Kohaku Uta Gassen.¡±
The words of encouragement that star player Shohei Ohtani gave his teammates before their final game against the United States during the World Baseball Classic in March were among those nominated on Thursday to be the buzzwords of the year.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 2, 2023
Â鶹´«Ã½ 2023 buzzwords reflect light and dark sides of the year
From the year¡¯s scandals to its champions, the annual list of buzzword candidates highlights the nation¡¯s hope, fears and diversions.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2023
With new name for Johnny¡¯s, focus shifts to victim compensation
The talent agency will face challenges in identifying those eligible for compensation due to the sheer number of victims of abuse by Johnny Kitagawa.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2023
Johnny¡¯s founder accused of sexually abusing teen in NHK bathroom
The man, who was a high school student at the time, said that he was assaulted in the fall of 2002 when he attended a dance lesson.
A reporter raises their hand during a Johnny & Associates news conference on Monday. Journalists were limited to a ¡°one question per company¡± at the event.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 4, 2023
Johnny¡¯s news conference had journalist ¡®blacklist,¡¯ reports say
Johnny & Associates has said it never made a request that specific journalists be passed over for questions.
JAPAN / Explainer
Oct 3, 2023
Unpacking the latest Johnny & Associates news conference
The flood of information released during the agency¡¯s latest news conference may have been difficult to grasp. Here¡¯s what you need to know.
Johnny & Associates president Noriyuki Higashiyama (second from right), flanked by Johnnys' Island President Yoshihiko Inohara (second from left), unveils the company name Smile-Up during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 2, 2023
Johnny¡¯s to form new company in wake of sexual abuse by founder
The move comes after the agency acknowledged abuse and apologized to victims in a news conference last month.
Johnny & Associates' outgoing head Julie Keiko Fujishima and its new chief, Noriyuki Higashiyama, bow to express their apology during a news conference in Tokyo last month.
BUSINESS
Oct 1, 2023
Johnny¡¯s looks toward a revamp as it seeks to salvage tarnished brand
Recent attempts to distance the agency from the long shadow of its namesake have been met with public backlash.
The decision by Johnny & Associates during a news conference on Sept. 7 to retain the company name ¡ª despite its association with an alleged sexual predator ¡ª drew a lot of public criticism.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 20, 2023
Johnny & Associates considers changing name as criticism mounts
On its website, the agency said it was ¡°discussing the future of the company, taking into consideration opinions and criticisms.¡±
A woman walks past a roadside television screen reporting the death of Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, in Tokyo in July 2019.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 16, 2023
Johnny¡¯s sex abuse scandal causing TV sponsors to reconsider
A growing number of Japanese companies have been rethinking their involvement as sponsors of television programs starring members of Johnny & Associates.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
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