Hideaki Takizawa’s “farewell” to Johnny’s

The time has come for the charismatic figure who supported Johnny’s for 27 years, both as an idol and as a member of the management team, to leave the “empire.

Mr. Kitagawa, who reigned at the top of the Japanese idol world for a long time. Before his death, the entertainment magnate named Hideaki Takizawa (40) as his successor. Takizawa was still in his 30s at the time, but he retired at the end of 2006 after performing at a countdown live concert. From the beginning of 2007, he was selected as president of “Johnny’s Island,” which was in charge of training Johnny’s Jr. When Mr. Kitagawa passed away in July of the same year, he was appointed vice president of Johnny’s Office. On November 1, Prince, who had served Johnny’s so well that he was even ridiculed for being “adopted by Johnny-san,” abruptly announced his resignation from the company. The media and fans alike could not believe their ears.

Takizawa is of the same generation as Arashi and Kanjani Eight, but he came into the world much earlier. He was already charismatic from the time he joined the company in 1995. Thanks to him, Johnny’s Jr. went from being amateurish trainees to being treated as outspoken TV personalities. At the tender age of 22, he was chosen to play the lead role in the NHK historical drama “Yoshitsune.

In 2006, Takizawa began “Takizawa Enbujo,” the forerunner of “Takizawa Kabuki,” a stage performance in which he would later become a regular spring event. Since then, many of his junior members, including “Snow Man,” have been cast in the show and have been nurtured by him.

After the breakup of the popular unit “Tackey & Tsubasa” and the departure of his partner Tsubasa Imai (41), Takizawa remained at the office to mentor the younger members.

After the death of Mr. Kitagawa, Takizawa began to take the initiative in live-streaming and opening a YouTube channel, something Johnny’s had not been actively involved in. “After the death of Mr. Kitagawa, Takizawa also began to launch a YouTube channel and live-streaming services, which the Johnny’s Office had not been active in. Takizawa was the type of producer who was devoted to nurturing talent and making them shine, and he had the trust of his junior staff. That is why his sudden retirement came as such a surprise. It will have an impact on the future management of the juniors.

Takizawa’s “Snow Man” and ” SixTONES” made their CD debuts with flying colors. They made their CD debuts and became the mainstay of Arashi after its hiatus. Takizawa’s sudden retirement comes at a time when much attention is focused on the next generation of Johnny’s under Takizawa’s leadership. A person involved with the stage, which Takizawa had emphasized as a place for training, said, “Mr. Takizawa is upwardly mobile.

Takizawa is a perfectionist with a strong desire to rise to the top. He has succeeded as a one-man show as the older brother of the Jr. Every year, after the big autumn performance of “Takizawa Kabuki,” he personally arranged and prepared a BBQ and entertained dozens of junior members of the company. At the venue, there were streamers with the names of all the Jr. members who performed. The juniors were delighted that Mr. Takizawa was paying attention to them. However, he had been telling those around him for some time that he would eventually step down as vice president, so there must have been some discrepancy with the office’s policy.

On October 28, the Jr. group “Travis Japan” made its worldwide major debut on October 28. After witnessing the big day for the junior members of the group, whom he had been paying close attention to, Vice-President Takizawa decided to leave the company.

He said, “I hear that you are going to retire from the entertainment business, but the former chief manager of ‘SMAP’, Michi Iijima (64), also said he was going to retire and launched ‘New Map’. I think Tackey will probably establish his own production company as well. Two years ago, he produced a Jr. group called “IMPACTors” with unknown members. IMPACTors,” a Jr. group of unknown members, two years ago. Two years ago, he just started producing a Jr. group called “IMPACTors,” which consists of unknown members. There is a possibility that he will rescue the Jr. group that suddenly lost Takizawa’s backing and is now in limbo, as he did with the group.

Yoshihiko Inohara (46), formerly of V6, has been chosen as Takizawa’s successor and is already the president of “Johnny’s Island.

I don’t get the impression that he is involved in nurturing the younger generation, but I think he was chosen because he has good contacts at TBS, NHK, TV Asahi, and other stations. After Janie’s death, Mr. Takizawa made the rounds in his suit with his business cards to greet and entertain the executives of the stations. I don’t know if Mr. Inohara will follow the same method, but he has a natural affinity for people, and I am sure he has strong sales skills.

Mr. Kitagawa’s outstanding ability was to find “gemstones,” polish them, and nurture them into great stars. The parting of ways with his successor may prove fatal to the empire.

From the November 18, 2022 issue of FRIDAY