Johnny & Associates Mulls Name Change at Board Meeting

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:27 JST, September 20, 2023

Johnny & Associates Inc. held a board of directors meeting on Tuesday to discuss a possible name change for the company among other issues linked to sexual abuse committed by its founder, the late Johnny Kitagawa.

According to an announcement by the entertainment agency on its website, the board members also discussed what to do with stocks held by the company’s former president, Julie Keiko Fujishima, and other issues for the future of the company.

The company said in the announcement that it will disclose newly agreed policies on Oct. 2.

Major companies have been reconsidering the use of Johnny & Associates artists in commercials and other advertisements. Some have even expressed doubt that the agency regrets what happened.