Yoshino Kimura, Shizuka Kudo… “Johnny’s wives” are not at ease with the unexpected “splash” of the sexual assault issue.

The sexual assault case against former Johnny’s president, Mr. Kitagawa, shows no signs of being resolved, and it is said that the wives of celebrities belonging to Johnny’s office have also been greatly shaken by this issue. The headwind of public criticism that has not abated amidst the tumultuous new presidency of Noriyuki Higashiyama (56) is also an unexpected “splash” for these wives.

The Johnny’s office, which was known as a place where Johnny’s sister Mary Kitagawa (died in 2009), a vice president with absolute power, had her nose to the grindstone and would not easily tolerate romance among its talent, has had several female entertainers who have gone on to get married. Actress Yoshino Kimura (47), who married Higashiyama in October 2010; singer Shizuka Kudo (53), who tied the knot with Takuya Kimura (50) in December 2000; and actress Aoi Miyazaki (37), who remarried to Junichi Okada (42) in December 2005, are representative. They were said to be one of the few successful cases in which they were able to successfully negotiate with Mr. Merry and others.

There are others. Asaka Seto (46), the wife of Yoshihiko Inohara (47), who is the president of Johnny’s Island, a subsidiary of Johnny’s, attended the press conference held by the Johnny’s office on September 7 as the president. The TV personality Risa Kikuchi (28), who registered her marriage in September 2007 to Shigeru Jojima (52), president of TOKIO, which is also a subsidiary of the company, is in a similar position.

There are also actress Miho Shiraishi (45, married in November 2004), wife of Hiroshi Nagano (50), and actress Nana Seino (28, married in June 2008), wife of Toma Ikuta (38). These women, who were supposed to have enjoyed happy lives with popular Japanese celebrities, are said to be at a loss.

The problem of sexual assault has spread to the point where many companies have announced that they will no longer use the girls in their commercials, and the girls have even begun to distance themselves from the Johnny’s talents. The talent may lose new jobs and income in the future. It is understandable that their wives, who had come to terms with Johnny’s, consummated their marriage and created a stable family, would be concerned. Some of these women are reportedly discussing their future with those around them in response to the escalation of the sexual assault problem. Their husbands may choose to leave the company or move to another location in the future, which would make their future earnings uncertain,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

(Sports newspaper reporter) Especially upsetting for Yoshino Kimura, who has two daughters with Higashiyama (11) and (10), is her husband’s attitude toward her. Her husband’s handling of the Johnny’s office is under scrutiny from all over Japan, and there is a possibility that his past behavior will be examined and criticized.

Kimura is having a difficult time dealing with the criticism of her husband, who is the new president of the company, and as a family man, she is not at peace with it. She happened to play the role of a professional president, and was ridiculed on the Internet for a role that was associated with the issue of sexual assault. People around Kimura are not in the mood to talk about anything related to Johnny’s.” (A source close to the entertainment industry)

Miyazaki has just finished raising her 4-year-old son, and has just begun a full-fledged return to acting, with the release of “Daimyo Bankruptcy” in June of this year, her first movie in six years. At such a time, she is facing an unexpected negative situation. Her husband Okada, who has become one of Japan’s leading actors, has also had his commercials cancelled by several companies.

Kudo, too, was subjected to collateral criticism when Takuya Kimura remained with Johnny’s at the time of SMAP’s breakup in ’16. In recent years, there have been rumors of her husband’s independence in relation to Kudo, so there must be a lot to think about in this situation.

On September 19, the Johnny’s office updated its official website to report that at a board of directors meeting on the same day, the future direction of the company’s operations was confirmed. The official announcement is scheduled for October 2, but it suggests a change of company name, etc. Some sports papers also reported that there were plans for major changes in the group’s structure, including the establishment of a separate company. Seto is perhaps more concerned about the situation than anyone else.

If Higashiyama fails, Inohara is likely to replace him as the top candidate, since his sincere attitude at the press conference on September 7 was well-received and his popularity has been on the rise. However, Seto must be worried that her husband, who is not a “strong-armed” character, is facing a difficult situation. He himself just left the office he had belonged to for many years last May and became independent.

Depending on how the crisis of Johnny’s’s collapse plays out, there is a possibility that the wives will increase their work to support the family in the future. The unprecedented scandal has entered a situation where it is impossible to predict how far it will “spread”.