Smile-Up president Noriyuki Higashiyama will step down as company continues victim compensation work

The useful part

The leadership change comes three years after Kitagawa's abuse of young performers was publicly acknowledged by his former talent agency, then known as Johnny & Associates. Masayuki Yamada, a lawyer who serves as Smile-Up's chief compliance officer, will succeed Higashiyama as president while retaining his current position. "This does not mean that we are bringing the victim compensation process to an end," Higashiyama said.

How it works

• "Both the company and I have not changed our commitment to ensuring that every single victim receives the necessary compensation.
• Even after leaving my position as president, I want to continue addressing this issue personally." Julie Keiko Fujishima, Kitagawa's niece and a representative director of Smile-Up, will remain in her position.
• Johnny & Associates was once an entertainment powerhouse behind some of Japan's biggest male idol groups and pop acts such as SMAP, Arashi and Hey!
• The Secret Scandal of J-Pop," featuring former talents who said Kitagawa had abused them.
• Months later, the agency acknowledged Kitagawa's misconduct and announced that it would change its name to Smile-Up to sever ties with the founder and focus solely on compensating sexual abuse victims.

What to take from it

In March 2024, Smile-Up disclosed that two former staff members of the defunct talent agency were also found to have committed sexual abuse. Meanwhile, Johnny & Associates' talent management business was made into a new firm called Starto Entertainment. While 578 had received compensation, 231 people were deemed ineligible for compensation and 226 people could not be contacted, the company said.

Example or evidence

• Although the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun published a series detailing allegations of abuse and sexual assault by Kitagawa in 1999, it wasn't until March 2023 that the talent agency became embroiled in a...
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Details worth keeping

Smile-Up's president announces he will step down. At a news conference in Tokyo on Monday, Higashiyama said the leadership change reflects the company's need for someone with expert knowledge of legal proceedings to lead its ongoing efforts to compensate victims of Kitagawa's sexual abuse. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

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