He admitted that he abused young people… That agency changed its name

Johnny & Associates Inc., one of Japan’s acting and talent agencies. Subjecting pop artist candidates to sexual abuse is on the agenda.

The agency decided to change its name after Julie Keiko, niece of the agency’s founder, Johnny Kitagawa, resigned and confessed that Kitagawa had exploited young candidates.

Higaşiyama Noriyuki, who was appointed head of the Agency in accordance with the reform decisions of the new mandate, announced at the press conference that the name of the agency was changed to “SMILE-UP”.

Higaşiyama said, “Some may have reservations about the word ‘smile’, but with ‘Smile-Up’ we will provide compensation to victims in a short time as a social responsibility.” Higaşiyama noted that so far 325 victims have applied for compensation and stated that compensation will begin to be paid to victims of abuse from November.

Julie Keiko, who sent a message to the meeting, stated that she “considers it her duty as her uncle’s relative” to erase all traces left in this world by her uncle Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019.

The investigation revealed that founder Kitagawa sexually exploited young aspiring artists from the early 1970s to the mid-2010s and that these actions were hidden.

After the actions became public, the agency’s director, Julie Keiko, resigned from her position, confessing in her statement that her uncle, the company’s founder, had exploited young candidates.

American-born Johnny Kitagawa, one of the powerful figures in the Japanese entertainment industry, brought pop music group including “SMAP” and “Arashi” to the stage of fame thanks to the agency. (AA)