Noriyuki Higashiyama, who “withdrew from the president’s position,” has changed his position due to Julie Fujishima’s “speculation”… “There are also dark clouds over his return to the talent scene.
In a “certain” sense, Noriyuki Higashiyama may be a “victim” as well.
It has been learned that the president of “SMILE-UP.” (former Johnny’s office), the celebrity Higashiyama, has declined to become president of the new company he is launching.
The new presidential candidate is Jun Fukuda, former president of Sony Digital Entertainment Services, agent of actress Non (formerly Reina Noh), and current president of a consulting company.
On September 7, Higashiyama held a press conference with Keiko Fujishima Julie to announce that he had become the president of the former Johnny’s office. On October 2, he held a second press conference and announced that he would also serve as president of a new company separate from SMILE, but within a month he was forced to abandon the idea.
Mr. Higashiyama was the new president, and there was no sense of renewal at all. Not only that, he gave a vague answer, saying that he had heard rumors about Mr. Janney’s sexual assault, which provoked a furious public outcry.
Former victims of Johnny’s also gradually began to say, “He must have known about it,” and finally, a “Special Report” (TBS) program reported that Mr. Higashiyama was complicit in Johnny’s sexual assault by saying, “You should go and get beat up, too. Finally, a “Special Report” program (TBS) aired testimony that suggested that Mr. Higashiyama was complicit in the sexual assault of Janey, saying things like, “You should go get fucked too. The heated media coverage may have forced them to give up on the project.
While dealing with the enormous amount of compensation, the new company and talent contracts, and the intense bashing, Higashiyama himself is performing in a stage production of “Chocolate Donuts,” in which he will star from October 8 to November 23.
In December, Higashiyama is scheduled to hold dinner shows in Osaka and Tokyo, which was supposed to be the end of his career as a TV personality. Higashiyama said
I wanted to stay on the stage until I was about 90 years old,” Higashiyama said.
He expressed his honest feelings, saying at the press conference that he would “devote my whole life” to dealing with the victims. The fact that someone who has been active in the entertainment industry as a celebrity, such as “Shonen-tai” and “Higashiyama Noriyuki,” is willing to devote his life to the sexual assault issues caused by Mr. Kitagawa should be highly evaluated.
Mr. Higashiyama is also a victim in a sense, although it may be misleading to say so, as he was appointed president of both companies and put on the spotlight simply because Mr. Julie, a 100% shareholder of both companies, trusted him.
If Mr. Julie had brought in an outside manager like Mr. Fukuda from the beginning, Mr. Higashiyama would not have been so criticized. Mr. Higashiyama, one of the best entertainers in Japan, was almost destroyed by Mr. Julie’s reckless selection. It may be difficult for him to return as a celebrity.
In an interview with Shukan Bunshun, Toshihiko Tahara’s former manager revealed that the late honorary president Mary had prepared an apartment for her daughter, Julie, to meet Higashiyama, with whom she was dating at the time. If true, it is undeniable that Mr. Julie, who has all the money and authority, tried to control Higashiyama behind the scenes while ostensibly giving full authority to her “ex-boyfriend” Higashiyama.
In other words, Higashiyama was “caught up” in Mr. Julie’s scheme. The revelation of his past behavior will no doubt leave a big scar on him even if he revives as a TV personality in the future. ……
We welcome any information or tips you can provide to FRIDAY Digital. Please send your information to the following information form or to the official X.
Information form: https://friday.kodansha.co.jp/tips
Official X: https://X.com/FRIDAY_twit
PHOTO: Kazuhiko Nakamura