Jun Shison’s independence from a major agency was behind his “strong bond with a popular actor.

[Joon] In the past few years, I have experienced many things, including illness, and my view of work and life has changed, and I have come to think that from now on I want to take on more responsibility and challenge myself in many different things.

The popular actor Jun Shison (28) announced on his Instagram page that he has ended his exclusive contract with the entertainment agency Watanabe Entertainment at the end of this year.

Watanabe Entertainment, to which he has belonged for 12 years, also announced, “We are pleased to announce that our actor Jun Shison will transfer his management duties to his personal company as of December 31, 2023, following the expiration of his contract with our company,” and added, “We will support Jun Shison by investing in his personal company. We have decided to support Jun Shizon in the form of investment in his personal company.

After graduating from Watanabe Entertainment School in 2011, he made his acting debut in the popular musical “The Prince of Tennis 2nd Season. Later, he attracted attention for his leading role in the tokusatsu drama “Resshutsu Sentai Tokkyujar” (TV Asahi). Since then, he has been taking on the expectations of his agency and has made full-fledged inroads into dramas, movies, and the stage.

She played the leading role in “Jyoshiteki Seikatsu” (NHK) broadcast in January 2006, and her performance in the difficult role of a transgender woman was highly acclaimed. It was highly acclaimed and won the 73rd Japan Arts Festival Award in the TV Drama Division’s Broadcast Individual Award. This was the beginning of a great leap forward. His popularity and ability were definitive.

In March 2009, he was hospitalized for a month with acute myocarditis. Nevertheless, after enduring two months of rehabilitation, he made a successful return to work, and he has been working even harder as an actor. In particular, this year he appeared in a succession of high-profile productions, including the morning television series “Ranman” (NHK), “Fermat’s Cooking” (TBS), in which he played the lead role along with Fumiya Takahashi (22), and the Netflix series “Yu Yu Hakusho,” a live-action adaptation of a popular manga.

Shizon suddenly became independent and set up his own private agency just when he was at the peak of his powers as an actor. Many on social networking sites were puzzled by the sudden announcement, saying that it was too sudden, but a popular actor was behind it.

A source in the entertainment industry tells the inside story.

He and Masaru Shirota (38), who used to belong to the same office, had a strong relationship of trust, almost like brothers. Their closeness was such that they lived in the same apartment for a time. Shirota was such a person that Shion respected and was fascinated by him. When Shirota’s exclusive contract with the agency expired at the end of September 2008, and he left the agency and went independent, there were rumors that Shiron would follow suit. At the time, the agency persuaded Shida not to leave the agency, but this year, Shida appeared in a series of dramas, including a morning drama, a drama starring a private key station, and a popular Netflix movie, and his departure came at a time when he had fulfilled his obligations to the agency. In October of this year, he opened his own official website and an official fan club, which probably means that he had already made clear preparations for independence at that point.

So what does the future hold for Shikon?

He has announced that he will operate a private office with investment and support from Watanabe, but he will continue his private activities in the form of an affiliated company. He will be able to focus on his personal activities without being bound by the boundaries of the office, and he may even join forces with Shirota, whom he admires as his older brother.

In his message announcing his departure, Shidon said, “From now on, I will leave Watanabe Entertainment and start my own agency, but I will continue to devote myself to my acting career as I always have. I look forward to meeting many new people and creating new works in the future. His future endeavors are sure to draw even more attention.