Scandal-hit male expertise company Johnny & Associates Inc has mentioned altering its identify to distance itself from its late namesake founder, the corporate mentioned Tuesday, because it makes an attempt to restore the reputational harm brought on by a long time of sexual abuse of aspiring teen pop singers by Johnny Kitagawa.
After acknowledging Kitagawa’s sexual abuse, his niece Julie Keiko Fujishima stepped down as president on Sept 5, however the company’s preliminary determination to maintain its identify has introduced criticism from not simply victims but additionally firms utilizing the company’s performers in promoting campaigns.
An growing variety of main Japanese firms have already moved to assessment contracts with Johnny’s after the abuse got here to gentle, together with ending or suspending using the company’s performers.
Noriyuki Higashiyama, a veteran TV persona who took over as new president, mentioned in a press release on Tuesday the company will report the outcomes of its discussions on Oct 2, together with these on the corporate identify, the corporate’s possession construction and steps to offer redress for the victims.
“We have held discussions from various perspectives and reached an agreement on the policy we should go with,” a press release from Higashiyama, who himself has been compelled to disclaim allegations of sexual abuse, mentioned following a board assembly.
Whether the company will change its identify has been a subject of a lot dialogue amongst followers, as a number of standard teams incorporate Johnny’s into their identify.
One sufferer, Yasunobu Shiga, is strongly in favor of a reputation change as a result of ache Kitagawa precipitated.
“The name ‘Johnny’s’ should not even exist given the extent of sexual abuse that occurred,” Shiga mentioned earlier.
On Oct 2, the company, which has arrange a committee to supervise redress for victims, will even announce a brand new administration construction.
An exterior probe arrange by the company in response to media experiences detailing sexual abuse allegations towards Kitagawa concluded the corporate had hid the late founder’s actions from the early Seventies by means of to the mid-2010s.
The probe additionally cited Fujishima’s late mom, who was additionally Kitagawa’s older sister, as a significant factor within the long-term coverup of sexual abuse on the agency.
Fujishima, who owns 100% of Johnny’s, expressed her intention to debate her stake with the brand new administration after acknowledging the battle of curiosity her involvement creates.
Kitagawa was one of the revered figures in Japan’s leisure trade, propelling quite a few teams reminiscent of SMAP and Arashi to stardom earlier than he died in 2019.
After a BBC documentary aired in March that includes interviews with a number of folks claiming to have been abused by Kitagawa, a number of former members of the company got here ahead with extra allegations of sexual abuse by him once they have been teenagers.
A U.N. human rights delegation interviewed a number of alleged victims in Japan and launched a press release in early August, urging the Japanese authorities to steer efforts to conduct a clear investigation and assist intercourse abuse victims.
© KYODO