Why Former Johnny’s Stars Like Junichi Okada and Shunsuke Kazama Are Winning Over TV Variety Shows

Former Johnny’s talents are well received by sponsors and easy to work with

The Golden Special of “Imasara Shiro! ~Not on the Test, But Useful~” (TBS), starring Junichi Okada (45) and Ryuji Akiyama (48) of Robert, was broadcast for three consecutive months.

“The regular late-night broadcast began in October 2025, followed by Season 2, which is currently airing during Saturday afternoons, and it has been decided that the show will be promoted to a regular prime-time slot this fall. ‘THE FLOOR’ (Nippon TV), a special program hosted by Okada in March, will also become a regular program this fall. Okada is going to be quite busy starting this fall.” (TV writer)

Since the beginning of this year, former Johnny’s talents who left the former Johnny & Associates and became independent have been strengthening their presence in the variety-show industry.

“Shunsuke Kazama (43) left ‘ZIP!’ (Nippon TV) this spring, but he immediately ‘switched’ to the rival program ‘Love it!’ (TBS) as a seasonal regular, which briefly became a topic of discussion. Kazama has also started a column in a women’s weekly magazine. I hear he is actively promoting himself, perhaps because he feels a sense of crisis now that he no longer has the backing of a major agency.” (Key-station producer)

Kazunari Ninomiya (43) continues to appear in the second season of the drama “VIVANT” (TBS), which aired in 2023 and became a social phenomenon. “Friday Mystery Club!!!” (Nippon TV), in which he appears as a panelist, has become a regular program. He has also been appointed TBS Special Ambassador for the Asian Games, which will be held in Nagoya starting in September.

“Okada, Kazama, and Ninomiya are all in their 40s and at the prime of their careers as talents, and their ability to serve as MCs is another major strength. Although acting is their main field, they are highly skilled at reading the atmosphere on set and are also capable of handling ad-lib situations, such as impromptu mini-skits. Because they come from an idol background, they can carry out variety-show concepts without feeling embarrassed, which makes them extremely popular with production staff. Kazama is a Disney fanatic and also has extensive knowledge of airline status runs, so he is highly valued on informational programs as well.” (Production company director)

Because they have many devoted fans, they are also well received by sponsors.

“Now that high ratings are harder to achieve due to the proliferation of channels and the diversification of people’s hobbies, former Johnny’s talents are a welcome presence for the television industry because their fans actively spread their impressions and information on social media. Since they have become independent, there are fewer restrictions than during their Johnny’s days, and there are no package deals with other talents, so they are also easy for production teams to work with.” (The TV writer quoted above)

The director quoted above says that the fact that they themselves are positive and motivated is also one of the reasons offers keep coming.

“When someone belongs to a major agency, even if the ratings are mediocre, it is difficult to cancel a program when you have to consider the future relationship with the agency. With independent talents, there is no need for that kind of consideration. Of course, I think they were serious about their work before as well, but people in the industry are saying that ‘the look in their eyes is different now.’”

The person said to have lost out because of the success of former Johnny’s talents is Fumito Kawai (38).

“It hurt that he graduated from A.B.C-Z. His talk and sense of humor were highly praised precisely because he was an active idol, but once he graduated, if we are choosing between him and Ninomiya or Okada, who have both high name recognition and strong skills, we’ll go with Ninomiya or Okada.” (The key-station producer quoted above)

Could the former Johnny’s talents become the saviors of the struggling variety-show industry!?

From the September 4, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY.”