Sexual Violence Allegations by Elderly in Their 70s... Official Acknowledgment and Apology
Establishment of Company Human Rights Regulations and Internal Audit Institution Also Included
Japan's largest entertainment agency, Johnny's Office, which has produced numerous popular male idol groups such as SMAP, TOKIO, V6, and Arashi, is changing its name to "Smile Up" after 61 years since its founding. This decision came as an apology following recent allegations that the founder, Johnny Kitagawa (1931?2019), sexually exploited trainees during his lifetime.
Johnny's Office's new president Noriyuki Higashiyama (57) announced that the company name will be changed to 'Smile Up'. [Photo by REUTERS]
On the 2nd, Japanese media outlets including NHK and Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Johnny's new president, Noriyuki Higashiyama (57), held a press conference in Tokyo and announced the establishment of a new company called "Smile Up," which will take charge of Johnny's management and related businesses. The former president, Julie Fujishima, who led Johnny's after Johnny Kitagawa's passing and is his nephew, did not attend the conference. They expressed their apologies repeatedly through letters.
The new company, Smile Up, will be responsible for the management operations previously handled by Johnny's Office, while the existing Johnny's Office will remain to handle compensation for victims. Compensation for victims is scheduled to begin next month.
Earlier in March, the BBC released a documentary titled "Johnny Kitagawa, a Japanese J-POP giant still respected despite allegations of child sexual abuse," exposing the long-term sexual abuse of minors by Johnny Kitagawa, the founder of Johnny's. Following this, Johnny's became the center of controversy as more allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Johnny Kitagawa surfaced.
Since the BBC report, Johnny's has been in decline. It became the subject of investigation by the United Nations Human Rights Council, and affiliated entertainers such as Hiromitsu Kitayama, Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi have resigned one after another.
Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny's Office, is suspected of having continuously committed sexual exploitation during his lifetime. [Photo by AFP]
Johnny's Office initially responded passively to the sexual abuse allegations, but as foreign media and others began to focus on the issue, then-president Julie Fujishima stepped forward in May. She said, "I sincerely apologize for the turmoil caused by the founder's sexual violence issues," but the controversy did not subside, and Fujishima resigned from her position as president on the 5th.
In 2021, Koki Maeda, affiliated with Johnny's Office, revealed that he was a victim of sexual abuse, and since then, testimonies from idol trainees reporting similar experiences have poured in. In July, 78-year-old actor Yoshiji Hattori held a press conference claiming, "When I was 8 years old, I was sexually assaulted by Johnny Kitagawa, who visited my home," and stated, "Kitagawa started massaging my shoulders under the blanket, and I was sexually abused about 100 times over two and a half years."
Public broadcaster NHK has effectively banned appearances by Johnny's affiliated entertainers, and major advertisers such as Suntory have terminated their contracts.
The Victim Relief Committee announced at the press conference that they had been contacted by 478 people as of the 30th of last month, with 325 of them requesting compensation. They also stated that compensation will begin in November for 150 individuals whose victimization has been directly confirmed, but specific amounts and numbers were not disclosed.
Johnny's Office also announced 11 measures to prevent recurrence at the press conference, including the establishment of internal human rights regulations and the installation of an internal audit body.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
