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Powerhouse Japanese boyband agency Johnny & Associates, which is embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal relating to its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa, has announced it will change its name and split into two companies. In September, the pop giant acknowledged that Kitagawa, who died in 2019 at age 87, had sexually abused boys signed by the agency over a span of several decades.

At a press conference in Tokyo on Monday, it was revealed that an external committee for victim relief set up by the agency had received reports from 478 people, 325 of whom are seeking compensation. The agency, which is rebranding as Smile-Up to solely focus on identifying and compensating victims, said it would begin payments in November, local media reports.

That Tokyo-based company will eventually be dissolved, but its performers can join an as-yet unnamed independent company that is being set up to manage talent.

“All things with the Johnny’s name will have to go,...

Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, engulfed in one of the largest sexual abuse scandals of the post-#MeToo era, said at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday it would change its name and split into two companies.

The existing company will be renamed Smile-Up and tasked exclusively with providing compensation to the hundreds of sexual abuse victims of late company founder Johnny Kitagawa, who died in July 2019 at age 87. A new, as-yet-unnamed entity will be established to manage the talent agency’s current roster of performers. The company said it will ask its fan club members to come up with the name for the new agency.

The move comes after years of cover-ups and denials by Johnny & Associates and amid mounting pressure within Japan and globally for a reckoning.

An external investigative committee set up by the agency says it had received reports of abuse from 478 of Kitagawa’s victims as of Sept.

Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates announced Monday that it will split into two entities: One named Smile-Up that will be focused on compensating victims of sexual abuse by its founder Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019, and the other a talent agency that will continue working with upcoming artists.

The agency will operate under a new name, which as yet to be decided, as it moves to disassociate itself from its disgraced founder. 325 victims have come forward to claim compensation, the company stated during Monday’s press conference, per Reuters.

Today more cast members were announced for the upcoming Kanjani8 movie, The Eight Rangers, directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. Most notably, Becky will play a female detective and Noriyuki Higashiyama will play a villain for the first time in his career.

Kanjani8 is a boy band under Johnny & Associates that made their CD debut in 2004. Partly due to the numeric significance of this year marking their eighth anniversary, a movie version of the sentai parody the group performs at concerts was announced early last month.

Higashiyama will be playing the leader of a terrorist organization called “Dark Crusade”. For his first attempt at playing a villain, he reportedly drew inspiration from Gary Oldman’s character in Luc Besson’s 1994 film Léon while still trying to maintain his own style.

Becky’s character, Mokoko Kito, is a female detective who unites with the Eight Rangers after becoming outraged at the escalating crime...

The official website for Tetsuo Shinohara’s upcoming jidaigeki film Ogawa no Hotori has been updated with a 55-second trailer.

Based on a story by the late Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Sword of Desperation), the film revolves around a samurai named Inui Sakunosuke (Noriyuki Higashiyama) who is given a mission of vengeance from his clan. However, his assassination target is a man named Sakuma Morie, the husband of his younger sister, Tazu (Rinko Kikuchi). Thus, Sakunosuke is put in the agonizing position of choosing between love of family and duty to his clan.

Complicating matters, Tazu is also skilled with the blade, and Sakunosuke must face the distinct possibility of being forced to defend himself against her.

Toei will be releasing “Ogawa no Hotori” in Yamagata Prefecture on June 18, 2011 with a nation-wide release to follow on July 2.

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Lest anyone think Rinko Kikuchi has nothing better to do than pose for obscure magazines or engage in public displays of affection with Spike Jonze, she’s once again defied expectations by joining the cast of a traditional jidaigeki drama. Today it was announced that Kikuchi will play the heroine in Tetsuo Shinohara’s Ogawa no Hotori, opposite Noriyuki Higashiyama.

The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.

Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.

Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.

Lest anyone think Rinko Kikuchi has nothing better to do than pose for obscure magazines or engage in public displays of affection with Spike Jonze, she’s once again defied expectations by joining the cast of a traditional jidaigeki drama. Today it was announced that Kikuchi will play the heroine in Tetsuo Shinohara’s Ogawa no Hotori, opposite Noriyuki Higashiyama.

The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.

Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.

Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.