From Junichi Okada to Shunsuke Kazama… Why “Former Johnny’s” Are So Popular on Terrestrial Variety Shows

Former Johnny’s talent is popular with sponsors and easy to work with

Junichi Okada (45) and Ryuji Akiyama (48) of “Robert” have appeared in “Imasara Shiro! ~It Won’t Be on the Test, but It’s Useful~” (TBS), whose prime-time specials aired for three consecutive months.

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

Since the start of this year, former Johnny’s Agency members—who left the agency to go independent—have been making their presence felt in the variety show industry.

“Shunsuke Kazama (43) left ‘ZIP!’ (Nippon TV) this spring, but immediately ‘switched sides’ to become a seasonal regular on the rival show ‘Ravit!’ (TBS), which briefly became a hot topic.Kazama has also started a column in a women’s weekly magazine. I hear he’s eager to promote himself—perhaps because he feels a sense of crisis now that he no longer has the backing of a major agency,” said a producer at a major network.

Kazunari Ninomiya (43) continues to appear in the second season of the drama “VIVANT” (TBS), which aired in 2023 and became a social phenomenon.His appearance as a panelist on “Friday Mystery Club!!!” (Nippon TV network) has been made a regular feature. He has also been appointed as a 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 peak of their careers as entertainers; their ability to also serve as hosts is a major strength. While their main focus is acting, they’re skilled at reading the atmosphere on set and have the ability to improvise, such as in mini-skits.Since they’re former idols, they tackle variety show segments without hesitation, which makes them incredibly popular with the staff. Kazama is a Disney fanatic and has extensive knowledge of ‘frequent flyer status runs,’ so he’s highly valued on informational programs as well,” said a director at the production company.

Because he has a large and dedicated fan base, he’s also popular with sponsors.

“Now that high ratings are hard to come by due to the proliferation of channels and the diversification of interests, former Johnny’s talents—whose fans actively share their thoughts and information on social media—are a blessing for the TV industry. Since going independent, she has fewer restrictions than during her Johnny’s days, and there are no barter deals, so she’s easy for the production side to work with,” says the aforementioned broadcast writer.

“The fact that they themselves have a positive attitude is also one of the reasons offers keep coming in,” says the director mentioned earlier.

“When an artist is affiliated with a major agency, it’s hard to cancel a show even if the ratings are iffy, given the need to maintain future relationships. In that regard, with independent artists, there’s no need to walk on eggshells. Of course, I’m sure they’ve always taken their work seriously, butit’s a hot topic in the industry thatthey have a ‘different spark in their eyes.’”

Fumito Kawai (38) is said to have “suffered the consequences” of the success of the former Johnny’s members.

“His graduation from ‘A.B.C-Z’ was a major blow. It was precisely because he was an active idol that his conversational skills and sense of humor were so highly praised, but once he graduated, producers naturally turned to Ninomiya and Okada, who have both high name recognition and strong skills,” says the key network producer mentioned earlier.

Will “former Johnny’s” members become the saviors of the struggling variety show industry!?