Johnny’s Office Renamed SMILE-UP as Compensation Plans Emerge for Abuse Victims
Conflicts are inevitable! Will the victims agree? The amount will be determined based on age and the nature of the damage" "It was difficult to confirm the age of those who were enrolled before 1996.
Higashiyama, who is currently holding a stage performance until November 23, will be meeting with victims and visiting businesses in between.“When I was a child, I thought, ‘If this is what it takes to be on TV,'” he says. “But as I grew up, I came to understand what was being done to me, and by the time I was an adult, I was covered in scars both physically and mentally. I thought I had forgotten about it at one time, but the recent turmoil brought back memories, and I resumed my visits to the hospital.”
On October 17, Johnny’s changed its name to SMILE-UP. From now on, it will be a company that provides compensation to the victims.
The consultation service was opened on September 15, and I reported the damage at an early stage, but I didn’t hear from them for about two weeks. I am worried that the first meeting with the company has not been decided yet.
President Noriyuki Higashiyama (57) and Vice President Yoshihiko Inohara (47) have stated in previous press conferences that they will provide compensation beyond the law to the victims. The Johnny’s office has established an internal victim relief committee, which is currently studying the details of compensation with lawyers playing a central role. From the content of the press conference so far, the phrase ‘beyond the law’ seems to indicate that compensation will be provided even if more than five years have passed since the damage, when the statute of limitations for claiming damages under the Civil Code expires. However, in terms of the amount, some point out that it is beyond the law.
“The office is envisioning contributing 500 million to 1 billion yen as the source of the compensation to be paid to all sex victims. We are told that the amount will be divided into three levels based on the damage situation, and furthermore, the amount of compensation will differ depending on whether or not the victim was an adult at the time of the victimization. The definition of an adult is said to be the age of adulthood at the time of the damage,” said an official of a company affiliated with the former Johnny’s office.
