Japan’s sex abuse scandal-tainted Johnny & Associates rebrands to ‘Smile-Up’: ‘the Johnny’s name will have to go’

“All things with the Johnny’s name will have to go,” Higashiyama told reporters at a Tokyo hotel. “A wounded heart isn’t easy to heal. Compensation on its own will never be enough.”

In recent months, dozens of men who were performers and backup dancers as teens and children at Johnny’s have come forward, saying they were sexually assaulted by Johnny Kitagawa.

Kitagawa, who died in 2019, was never charged.

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So far, 325 people have applied to the company’s compensation programme, and that number may grow. Payments will begin next month, Higashiyama said. How the monetary amount will be decided was not yet clear.

Fujishima did not appear at Monday’s news conference and had a letter read aloud. The letter said she was “brainwashed” by her mother Mary, who insisted Kitagawa was innocent, even after the Japanese Supreme Court ruled two decades ago that the sexual allegations against him were accurate.

“I want to erase all that remains of Johnny from this world,” she wrote. “I do not forgive what Johnny has done.”

Some victims say they have suffered for decades in silence, unable to confide in family or friends, while experiencing flashbacks.

Most of the attacks took place at Kitagawa’s luxury apartment, where several youngsters were hand-picked to spend the night. The following morning, he would thrust 10,000 yen (US$100) bills into their hands, according to various testimony.

In a related development, several victims met with lawyers, feminists and Johnny’s fans to work together in pushing for legal changes so civil damages can be pursued after the current limit of 20 years. The criminal statute of limitations is now 15 years.

Lawyer Yoshihito Kawakami said children often don’t understand what happened, and the changes will allow victims to seek damages from Johnny & Associates.

Japan raised the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 only this year. Japanese media reports say Kitagawa often purposely picked on 13-year-olds, although his victims have been as young as eight.

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The company has promised it will compensate victims “beyond the scope of the law”.

“Some perpetrators are living their lives as though nothing happened. That causes great pain to the victims,” said Junya Hiramoto, who heads a group of Johnny’s victims.

Hiramoto and other victims of alleged sexual assault in the case have chosen to identify themselves in the media.

“By coming together, we can grow into a bigger force and move toward hope,” he said.