Johnny’s Office Renamed SMILE-UP as Compensation Plans Emerge for Abuse Victims

“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.

The table above is a list of compensation amounts identified by this magazine as of mid-October.

The amount of compensation for sexual crimes is usually decided by discussion between the two parties. Considering that the market rate for a settlement for attempted forced sexual intercourse is 2 to 4 million yen, the amount set by the office is too low for cases where no sexual intercourse took place. In the case of forced sexual intercourse, the market price is 6 million yen. In malicious cases, the amount can be 10 million yen or more.

The delicate amount of 5 million yen for underage victims may not be acceptable to victims who have suffered trauma for a long time. In addition, what will be done in cases such as when a victim dies of mental or physical abnormalities as a result of suffering from sexual abuse and the bereaved family complains about the damage (Lawyer familiar with sexual abuse victims)

It seems that the relief committee would consider such cases as those were the victim’s enrollment and the circumstances of the victimization can be verified, even if there was no direct sexual act. However, depending on the year in which the student left the office, it may be disadvantageous to confirm the student’s enrollment.

 

“In fact, it was only five years ago that Johnny’s office began to use a documented contract with the Jr. The enrollment list was not created before 1996. Those who left before that time would have to bring magazine clippings or photos from that time to prove their enrollment. There are no other clear standards, such as whether or not fan letters can be used as material for enrollment verification,” said a former Johnny’s office related company official.

When we inquired with the former Johnny’s office about the maximum compensation amount of 5 million yen and how the amount was set, we received the following response.

“We are not in a position to answer your question, since we have entrusted the Victims Relief Committee with the responsibility of reviewing the reports from the victims and determining the amount of compensation, but at least to the best of our knowledge, we are not aware of any facts as questioned.”

We also made a similar inquiry to AI-EI Law Office, to which the lawyers who make up the Victims’ Relief Committee belong, but received no response by the deadline.

 

The former Johnny’s office began interviewing victims who had reported the damage to the media under their real names from an early stage. However, the former Johnny’s office has been conducting interviews mainly with Higashiyama and Inohara, who are still active in the entertainment business, and it appears that they are having difficulty coordinating their schedules.

He said, “Now that the story has become this big, it is difficult for me to end it on my own. I want the office to settle the matter in a sincere manner.”

A compensation is required as soon as possible for the victims who continue to walk in the fog.