Scandal-hit male expertise company Johnny & Associates Inc stated Monday it should change its identify and set up a brand new agency to handle its performers in a bid to distance itself from late namesake founder Johnny Kitagawa, because it makes an attempt to restore the reputational harm attributable to a long time of his sexual abuse.
Johnny’s can be renamed “SMILE-UP.” from Oct 17 and can oversee the supply of redress to the victims of Kitagawa’s sexual abuse, the company’s president Noriyuki Higashiyama stated at a press convention.
The 57-year-old veteran performer, who will stay as president of the renamed agency, stated a committee established to supervise the redress has to date acquired consultations from 478 intercourse abuse victims, with 325 of them looking for compensation.
The renamed agency will shut down as soon as it has accomplished offering compensation to victims, which is ready to begin in November.
All group corporations and acts that includes a reference to the identify “Johnny’s” may also bear a reputation change, Higashiyama stated.
The new expertise administration agency may also be headed by Higashiyama, with Yoshihiko Inohara, president of the company’s subsidiary Johnnys’ Island, to function vice chairman. Johnny’s will ask its followers to give you the identify for the brand new company.
Prior to the press convention, the company disclosed on its web site a human rights coverage that promised to make sure the safety of minors and the appointment of lawyer Masayuki Yamada as chief compliance officer.
Other preventative measures embrace the institution of a brand new division chargeable for inside audits on Sept 30, and plans to have exterior administrators maintain unique conferences amongst themselves.
The agency additionally pledged to carry board conferences as soon as a month in precept and proceed partaking with the media.
The measures, the end result of discussions held by the board to resolve on the longer term course of the corporate, come after Kitagawa’s niece Julie Keiko Fujishima acknowledged her uncle’s sexual abuse and resigned as president final month.
Higashiyama took over as president following Fujishima’s resignation, however the company’s determination to retain its identify had drawn criticism from victims and corporations utilizing its performers for promoting campaigns.
Kitagawa was one of many Japanese leisure trade’s strongest figures, propelling quite a few teams reminiscent of SMAP and Arashi to stardom earlier than his dying in 2019.
After a BBC documentary aired in March that includes interviews with a number of individuals who claimed to have been sexually abused by the pop mogul, a number of former company members got here ahead with extra accusations of abuse suffered throughout their teenage years.
© KYODO