Four Key Players Are Aiming to Strike Back! New President of Johnny’s, Noriyuki Higashiyama, and Rumored Big Names are being Leaked!

The real feeling is, “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

Noriyuki Higashiyama, 56, the new president of Johnny’s, said this while looking down from time to time. During the press conference, when Higashiyama was asked if he himself had sexually assaulted a junior member of the group, his answer was too unreliable.

Hideaki Takizawa (41) was the first idol to go behind the scenes. When he became president of “Johnny’s Island,” he showed his outstanding sales skills by going around with “Snow Man” center Raoul (20) to greet producers and others at various stations and handing out business cards. However, what is required of Higashiyama in this situation is the ability to explain and manage crises that will lead to the restoration of trust. It is too heavy a burden for a TV personality to suddenly take on such a role.

Former President Julie and her daughter’s vision of restoration of power

At a press conference held on September 7, former president Keiko Fujishima Julie (57) said that she would remain with the company as representative director and that she would own 100% of the shares in the office.

Mr. Julie increasingly has no need to be in the public eye. Except for the fact that she has been found guilty of sexual assault, it will be convenient for her. For some time now, she has wanted a form of management that would allow her to concentrate on her business. It is the same structure as in the past, when Janie Kitagawa was in the public eye as president and Mary Kitagawa (both deceased) managed the office’s finances,” she said.

Higashiyama, who was once reported to have been in a relationship with Mr. Julie, would have been a good choice for the new president.

In appointing Higashiyama as president, Mr. Julie called together Yoshihiko Inohara (47), Taichi Kokubun (49), and Takuya Kimura (50). I heard that the five of them, including Higashiyama, got together. V6″ with Inohara was an independent faction within the office, Kokubun’s “TOKIO” was the Mary faction, and Kimutaku, a former member of the Iijima faction and now the lone head of the faction, ……. It is seen that they have gathered the senior members of the factions within the office.

He has Inohara and Kokubu, who are well-liked and well-liked by younger members, covering for Higashiyama, and he also brings in the charismatic Kimura. By putting the four of them at the forefront, they will try to restore their image. On the other hand, they cannot run a business. In the end, Mr. Julie, who has fled into the backroom, will be responsible for management decisions, using experts in finance and real estate as his brains,” said Mr. B, a source in the entertainment industry.

Mr. B continues, “There are reasons for Mr. Julie’s insistence on staying with Johnny’s.””

First, she is Julie’s daughter. Julie’s mother, Mary, wanted her granddaughter to eventually take over the company. Currently, her daughter is around 20 years old. It seems that she has been sent to study in the U.S., with the intention of having her learn management and other skills.

“Secondly, I think there is a belief that the Johnny’s office belongs to their family in the first place. If a talented person from the outside is invited to become president, Mr. Julie will not be able to interfere in the management. In his press conference, he said, ‘I made the decision to stay on at the company to compensate the victims,’ but in reality, he probably wants to keep track of the company’s assets.”

But even Higashiyama and Kimutaku, on whom Mr. Julie relies, have their own concerns.

Kimutaku and Shizuka’s hearts.

Until now, Kimura has been at the top of the talent list,” said Shizuka. He remained at the office after the “SMAP” breakup scandal, and his wife, Shizuka Kudo (53), was a good friend of Mary’s, so he had an unshakeable position. However, for Shizuka, a stage mom, she would want her daughters to work mainly overseas. If she becomes a detriment to that, it is quite possible that she will give up on the Johnny’s office.

Higashiyama’s wife, Yoshino Kimura (47), is an active actress and belongs to another agency, but she will have to be deeply involved with Johnny’s from now on. Naturally, there will be restrictions on her work. Moreover, as president, Higashiyama is under severe scrutiny from the public. There is no way Kimura would think well of her husband’s appointment as president.

The office’s admission of Janney’s sexual assault has caused major companies to suspend commercial appearances by Japanese celebrities. What will happen to TV stations?

TBS and Fuji Television have indicated before the press conference that they will continue to use Johnny’s talents in their commercials. will also continue to be a daytime regular. However, Fuji Television is actually taking a wait-and-see approach.

“Nippon TV said that as long as the companies are opposed to the use of Johnny’s, their future appointments will depend on their sponsors’ opinions. In addition, other agencies are beginning to express their disapproval of working with Johnny’s,” said a source close to the TV station.

Even the best-selling idols are leaked!

The day is coming when Japanese idols will be forced to leave terrestrial TV programs. Furthermore, the BBC’s coverage of the sexual assault has put the entertainment industry in a tight spot overseas, rather than domestically.

The BBC’s coverage of the sexual assault has left the entertainment industry in a bind overseas, rather than domestically. For Toma Ikuta (38), Shunsuke Kazama (40), and Junichi Okada (42), remaining with Johnny’s would be a negative.

In their current situation, they may decide to move to another office in the future. Kazuya Ninomiya (40) also co-starred in the popular drama “VIVANT” (TBS) with Masato Sakai (49), who became independent from a major entertainment agency at the end of last year. When you see the back of Sakai, whose range of activities has expanded, it is natural that independence would cross his mind,” said a production company executive.

In this context, “TOBE” could not have come at a better time for Takizawa.

At first, TOBE was derided as “Johnny’s No. 2 store,” but now it is the best place for Johnny’s talent. Takizawa may be the one who will be trying to pull out “Snow Man,” which was under Julie despite Takizawa’s efforts to nurture it, and especially Raoul, who is eager to expand overseas.

The revelation of Janie Kitagawa’s sexual assaults may have given Takizawa a good reason to leave the company.

Sho Sakurai (41) and Nobugo Murakami (41) are complete Julie supporters. However, Sakurai has already received bashing from abroad for being an ambassador for the Rugby World Cup. Murakami is also no longer able to host NHK’s “Kohaku Uta Gassen”. Olympic work would be a dream come true.

The insurance company “Aflac” is said to be in the process of signing a contract with Sakurai personally and has approached him about continuing to appear in their commercials. Masahiro Nakai (51), who has already left the office, has been appearing on TV and other media with his own connections after leaving the office. If Sakurai’s CM renewal is realized, it will be much easier for talents with connections to move to the new office.

There are staff members and talents in the office who have continued to have faith in Sakurai even after his death. The first of these is Kink Kids.

Koichi Domoto (44) and Tsuyoshi Domoto (44) have considered leaving the office many times, but after Mr. Janney’s death, they decided they wanted to pass on his teachings to their younger colleagues. They decided to remain in the office. However, now that this has happened, there is little point in staying in the company,” said a person involved with the stage.

Johnny’s’s empire is in turmoil. Where will it all lead to?

From the September 29, 2023 issue of “FRIDAY”