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The story
On September 28, “SMILE-UP.” (formerly Johnny & Associates) announced changes to its management structure. President Higashiyama Yuji will step down at the end of his term, with a new leadership structure taking effect October 1, while owner-family member Fujishima Julie Keiko will remain on as a director. SMILE-UP. was reorganized following the sexual abuse scandal involving Johnny Kitagawa into an organization that handles no new talent activities and focuses solely on victim compensation. On 5ch, while some welcomed Higashiyama’s departure, others were skeptical, saying “nothing really changes as long as Julie stays,” while others speculated it “might pave the way for Higashiyama’s return to entertainment.” The discussion also spread to Kimura Yoshino’s increasing workload and allegations of pressure on affiliated groups.
2026-09-28 15:04
On the 28th, “SMILE-UP.” updated its official website to announce changes to its management structure. President Higashiyama Yuji will step down at the end of his term.
The official site stated: “We would like to announce that at today’s board meeting held on September 28, 2026, the board resolved to change its composition due to the expiration of directors’ terms, and following the shareholders’ meeting held afterward, the proposal to appoint directors was approved. As a result, a new management structure will take effect as of October 1, 2026.”
Source: oricon.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Right on script.
Or finally doing some actual work for once?
Victim compensation for the sexual abuse case is the main job
They're not about to bring talent management back right away, are they
This is a compensation company.
It's set to shut down once all the settlements are paid out.
Who else is supposed to run it if not the family?
Her husband's basically unemployed now, so she's got to bring in the money.
For a year after the scandal broke, he refused to take his salary and lived off retained earnings
I remember Shoken and Ikkei (veteran supporting actors) acted so well that lead actor Higashiyama basically got left in the dust
They just cut him open and sewed him back shut.
More like they transplanted the cancer into the brain instead
Arashi's already broken up.
Even if she returns to the industry, she won't have her old clout.
Heard she's been complaining to MAJ (a talent industry association) and even meddling in TV casting.
Wouldn't be surprised if she goes right back to doing whatever she wants
Higashi was president, huh.
I only ever had a spacey image of him, but turns out he's surprisingly sharp
It's just a compensation front desk job anyway, Julie can handle that fine
Throw Usocchi (lit. "Little Liar," a nickname) in there too
My kid got into M!LK and EBiDAN back around the start of this year,
but lately she's gotten sick of the brutal random-bonus-item sales tactics,
and now she's landed on "SnowMan's better since their bonuses aren't random"
Technically it's a separate organization now
Background and Key Points
SMILE-UP. changed its name in 2023 following the revelation of the sexual abuse scandal involving Johnny Kitagawa, and was reorganized into an organization dedicated solely to victim compensation, with no new talent activities. Higashiyama Yuji was appointed president at that time, and his current departure is framed as simply the natural end of his term. Meanwhile, owner-family member Fujishima Julie Keiko remains on as a director, and the thread’s discussion focused heavily on this contrast. Opinions were split between skeptics arguing that “nothing substantively changes as long as Julie — who holds the real power — stays on even after Higashiyama’s exit,” and others suggesting it “could pave the way for Higashiyama’s return to entertainment.” There were also comments noting that allegations of pressure on affiliated idol groups have grown more credible, reflecting persistent distrust toward the management structure of the former Johnny’s organization as a whole. Readers should keep in mind that SMILE-UP. is not a company currently engaged in talent management, but rather an organization set up specifically for victim compensation.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Former Johnny’s] “SMILE-UP.” announces change in management structure — President Higashiyama Yuji to step down at end of term, Fujishima Julie Keiko remains [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”
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