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NEWS: Johnny & Associates Changes Name to Smile Up, Establishes New Entity to Oversee Talent

One thing noted in a Kyodo piece about this is that Johnny's consulted with nearly 500 victims and of those over 300 are seeking compensation:

https://twitter.com/UnseenJapanSite/status/1708732636326424780

So...YIKES. They have a lot to give out.

Has there been any reporting on talent leaving the agency since the scandals came out? I don't know how much of a thing that is in Japan, but you'd kind of expect everyone to leave for different agencies.

Johnny & Associates Changes name to Smile Up
as part of the company's "vision" to earn back fans' trust.

You know this is a big deal because the rebrand was the subject of an expose for the Hollywood Reporter. It also points out the rename is viewed rather skeptically.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/japan-johnnys-sex-abuse-scandal-renaming-plan-slammed-1235607160/

But some members of an advocacy group made up of victims — calling itself the “Johnny’s Sexual Assault Victims Association” (JSAVA) — were sharply critical of the plans unveiled Monday.

Shinichi Kimura, a former dancer and singer who has alleged he was assaulted at the age of 18 by Kitagawa in the mid-1990s, said it was inappropriate for Johnny’s to simply create a new entity to house its business.

“Talent should be transferred to a totally different agency and Johnny’s entertainment activities should be discontinued altogether,” Kimura told the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper.

Others have slammed the company’s rebranding effort.

“Naming the company for compensation Smile Up is like asking people to wear white to a funeral. It’s ridiculing the victims,” said a JSAVA member and alleged victim who chose to remain anonymous by using the pseudonym “Izumi.”