Ken Miyake’s departure is a matter of course… The “four major factions” in Johnny’s… The “new power structure” that has drastically changed due to the sexual assault issue is revealed!

In its 61st year in business, the Johnny’s office is on the verge of collapse. Until now, the talent has been caught in the middle of a factional struggle among such powerful producers as Janney Kitagawa (87), Keiko Fujishima (57), Michitomo Iijima (65), and Hideaki Takizawa (41). The rise and fall of each faction is reviewed below, along with a chart of the power in the office since the debut of “SMAP.

When Mr. Johnny’s reached his 60th birthday in 1990, he began thinking about training his successor, and it was during this time that his niece, Julie, joined Johnny’s.” (A TV station official)

(A TV station source said, “It was around that time that his niece Julie joined Johnny’s office. After “TOKIO” debuted in 1994, Mr. Janney nurtured Jr. and after their debut, their production was taken over by Mr. Julie. Only Ken Miyake, 44, a former member of V6, who supports the new agency TOBE along with Takizawa, has been devoted to Mr. Iijima, who has connections with famous creators overseas, rather than Mr. Julie since that time.

Mr. Iijima was the one who produced the talent, while his sister Mary Kitagawa (93 years old), Julie’s mother, ran the company. It was Mary’s intention to favor Ms. Julie over Mr. Iijima, who made ‘SMAP’ a super success.

However, at some point, a rift developed between Mr. Julie and Mary that could not be filled.

It was around 2008 that it became clear that Ms. Iijima had distanced herself from Mr. Julie after Mr. Merry had pushed Ms. Julie so hard mentally that she had developed a panic disorder. After that, Mr. Iijima took over the group that debuted.

Mr. Iijima was in charge of “Kis-My-Ft2” and “Sexy Zone,” which debuted in 2011, “A.B.C.-Z,” which debuted in 2012, and “Johnny’s WEST,” which debuted in 2002, under Mr. Johnny’s direction. The “A.B.C.-Z” group, which debuted in 2012, and the “Johnny’s WEST” group, which debuted in 2002, created a disparity within the group by simplifying the costumes of the less popular members, thereby creating fans with strong attachments. This also caused a rift between Mr. Janney and Mr. Julie. JUMP,” which had been produced by Mr. Janney, was transferred to the Julie group on its own.

Mr. Janney liked Ryosuke Yamada (30), the center of the group, and produced him after their debut, but it was a different story for him. After his debut, he was supposed to appear in dramas and variety shows under Mr. Julie, who emphasizes media appearances. Mr. Janney emphasized the stage and did not change his policy.

In addition, there was no indication that he would form a unit with his favorite Yuma Nakayama (29) and others or promote his group in a big way. For this reason, he went directly to Mr. Julie in ’13 to ask her to transfer the group,” said a person involved in the theater.

In 2004, with his retirement in sight, Mr. Iijima attempted to pull the “SMAP” group out of the group and make it independent, but he was unable to pull them all out and left the group. The group, which had been under Iijima’s control, was now produced by Mr. Julie.

Mr. Iijima’s approach, which focused on domestic demand, seemed to have frustrated the more foreign-oriented Mr. Janney. Takizawa, who was appointed as his successor after his death, was also anti-Julie. It was only natural that Miyake, who was also anti-Jury, left the company after Takizawa. After Mr. Iijima’s departure, “Kis-My-Ft2” experienced a sharp decline in work after moving to the Julie faction. Hiromitsu Kitayama (38) also became anti-Julie.

After the death of Mr. Janney, the factions within the company became even more confused.

The last group that Mr. Janney debuted was ‘King & Prince. Even though Mr. Julie was put in charge after their debut, Shiyoh Hirano (26) was still a member of the Janney faction. Later, the office gave up on Iwahashi Genki (26), who had been suspended due to panic disorder, and made him leave the group. Kishi Yuta (28) and Jinguji Yuta (25), who had formed a unit with Iwahashi when they were Jr. members, went to the anti-Julie camp. The members were divided in their work preferences.

Until ’20, Kansai Jr. had no manager, and Mr. Janney produced them directly. After Mr. Janney’s death, Tadayoshi Okura (38) and Yutaka Yokoyama (42) of “Kanjani Eight” of the Julie faction produced “Naniwa Boys” and “A!group” of Kansai Jr. respectively. Daiga Kyomoto (28) of “SixTONES,” who debuted under Takizawa but has remained unaffiliated because he was treated coldly during his Jr. days, has in the past begged Jun Matsumoto (40) of “Arashi” to produce him. A new factional war is about to begin in search of the next great producer.

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From the October 27, 2023 issue of “FRIDAY