Hideaki Takizawa’s Reactivation: A New Look at Janie Kitagawa’s “Passenger Seat in a Reikyukyu Car
One of the events that received a great deal of attention in the entertainment industry in ’22 was the “independence issue” at Johnny’s.
Hideaki Takizawa, a.k.a. “Tacky,” a former celebrity and vice president, left the company at the end of October, and in November, Shiyou Hirano, Yuta Kishi, and Yuta Jinguji of the popular group “King & Prince” announced that they would become independent by the end of 2011. In November, three members of the popular group “King & Prince,” Shiyou Hirano, Yuta Kishi, and Yuta Jinguji, announced that they would become independent by the end of 2011. The announcement was received with great surprise by fans and the public alike.
In the midst of all this, Takizawa updated his Twitter page on January 9.
“Believe in infinite possibilities and move on…” he said.
suggesting a restart of the company, which caused a stir on the Internet. The departure of Takizawa, who had been vice president of the company, was a major event not only for fans but also for the talent in the company.
After the death of Johnny’s president, Mr. Kitagawa, who passed away in 2007, Mr. Takizawa was solely responsible for the development and production of the “Jr.
In fact, the same day debuts of “Snow Man” and “SixTONES” in 2008 and the world debut of “Travis Japan” in 2010 are truly Takizawa’s achievements,” said a sports newspaper reporter.
Takizawa’s departure from Johnny’s was a big surprise. Takizawa retired from show business and went behind the scenes in 2006, when Mr. Janney was still alive.
In response to Takizawa’s decision, Mr. Janney said at the time
When Hideaki Takizawa said to me, “I want to use my experience and knowledge as a TV personality to help Mr. Johnny’s in the development of Johnny’s Jr. I was so surprised and happy that I almost cried. I am truly grateful to Takizawa for making this decision.
Takizawa, on the other hand, was also very happy with the decision. Mr. Takizawa, on the other hand, also said
Mr. Takizawa, on the other hand, said, “Mr. Janney’s presence is too great to be surpassed. That is why this job has become a theme that I will devote my entire life to.
I was impressed by his extraordinary determination to be his successor.
It was in July 2007 that he appeared before us as the “main actor. It was at the funeral of Mr. Janie Kitagawa.
It was a private funeral held in a building in Tokyo, where the training school for the Jr. group that Mr. Janney loved was located, and the press was shut out. Takizawa was riding in the front passenger seat of the car that took him to the funeral.
At the funeral, where not only celebrities but also people related to the office were gathered, the “mourners” were seated not by his sister Mary Kitagawa or niece Julie Fujishima (current president), but by Mr. Takizawa.
I vividly remember the uproar in the editorial office when the photo was sent to us from the scene. It was such an impactful photo.
He was not a relative, and he was the “successor” over such senior members of the office as Mr. Masahiko Kondo and Mr. Noriyuki Higashiyama. This was the moment when he officially showed this to everyone, both inside and outside the company.
However, Takizawa left Johnny’s only three years after that day.
Johnny’s was an agency that had grown under the powerful team of Johnny, who was a genius at scouting and producing, and his sister Mary, who was responsible for management and external negotiations.
After Janney’s death, Takizawa took over this role, but he must have been too heavy a burden for a stranger who is not related to Janney by blood. There were many things that did not go Takizawa’s way, and he seemed to be under a lot of stress…” (A source in the entertainment industry)
Takizawa was entrusted by Mr. Janney and vowed to devote his life to the project. However, his wish was shattered after only three years.
However, his “passion” does not seem to have been crushed. Takizawa has been posting on social networking sites such as Twitter, hinting that he will restart his career, but he has not revealed what kind of activities he will be involved in in the future.
Over the past three years, Takizawa has demonstrated his ability to produce, a trait inherited from Janie-san. Even though he has become independent, we hope that he will be able to realize his “feelings for Mr. Janney” in a different way than before, and we will keep an eye on his future activities.
(text): Norifumi Arakida (FRIDAY Digital Entertainment Desk)
Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1975. Worked as a reporter and editor for an evening newspaper and a women's weekly before assuming his current position. Also appears on TV and radio.
PHOTO: Takero Yui