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

“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.