Hiroshi Ikushima’s Indefinite Self-Ban Forces His Talent to Make a Decision and a Request

Some talent thinking of leaving

Hiroshi Ikushima (74), who was the chairman and leading talent of “Ikushima Kikaku-shitsu,” stepped down from his chairman role just over two weeks ago.

Facing allegations of power harassment and sexual harassment, he was abruptly removed from his long-running radio program, “Hiroshi Ikushima’s Ohayou Teishoku・Ohayou Icchokusen” (TBS Radio), just before its 7,000th broadcast. He has since gone on indefinite hiatus, with little hope for a comeback.

As the April programming revision period approaches, anxiety is growing among talents affiliated with the agency.

“Looking at what happened with the former Johnny’s Agency, it’s easy to understand the concern. Even if the affiliated talents themselves have done nothing wrong, just being associated with Ikushima Kikaku-shitsu could lead to their regular programs or commercial deals being canceled. Some talents are now considering leaving the agency due to fears that they may lose work or struggle to receive new offers.”

The agency currently represents talents such as “Shinnosuke Ikehata” (72), who appears in the NHK morning drama “Omusubi,” as well as popular idols. If they decide to leave or transfer to another agency, it could spell financial trouble for the company.

Particular attention is being paid to the veteran female announcers whom Ikushima personally scouted, many of whom previously worked for major TV networks. The most prominent among them is “Miyoko Yoshikawa” (70), who was Ikushima’s junior at TBS and continues to work as an MC and commentator. Other notable figures include former NHK announcer “Yuko Naito” (48), former Fuji TV announcers “Rieko Terada” (63), “Noriko Yoshizaki” (63), and “Yumi Masuda” (70), as well as former TV Asahi announcer “Mikiko Minami” (68). All of them reportedly joined the agency after being personally recruited by Ikushima.

 

“If removing the ‘Ikushima color’ is difficult, then…”

“The voices of those announcers saying they will leave the agency or become independent have not been heard so far. However, as long as the ‘Ikushima color’ remains, they seem to be prepared for the inevitable decline in job offers,” said a commercial TV executive.

What is Ikushima himself doing now?

“He seems completely exhausted. There were even days when reporters were waiting outside his house, so it appears he’s not in a state to go out yet. That said, he’s not the type to stay quiet forever, so in the future, he may support the agency’s talents and staff from behind the scenes,” said a radio station official.

Tomoyasu Iio, a skilled manager who has worked with talents like Maomi Yuki (44), has taken over as the president of Ikushima Kikakushitsu. Meanwhile, Ikushima’s eldest son, actor Yuki Ikushima (40), reportedly started training as a manager last year.

“He was likely considering his son as his successor, but then this sexual harassment and power harassment scandal erupted. That being said, Ikushima’s younger brother is also an executive at the agency, making it incredibly difficult to remove the ‘Ikushima color’ from the company. Some talents have even requested a name change for the agency,” said a sports newspaper editor.

What decisions will the affiliated talents make? Will the agency change its name or structure? The future developments remain to be seen.