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December 22, 2024
 

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IDOLS

Miho Nakayama rose to stardom in 1985 after the release of her first single “C,” which established her popularity as an idol.
CULTURE
Dec 9, 2024
Miho Nakayama, known for 'Love Letter' and her music, dies at 54
Nakayama had a solo Christmas show scheduled in Osaka on Friday, but had canceled the show in the morning, citing health reasons.
Many of the acts making their debut at this year's "Kohaku" song contest came out for the lineup announcement at NHK's studios in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 19, 2024
NHK announces Number_i, Illit and Glay for ‘Kohaku’ lineup
Acts from the former Johnny’s were frozen out for a second year as NHK opts for new names and old favorites.
Haruna Kojima sings at an event held in Central Park, New York, in 2015 as a member of the AKB48 pop group.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 19, 2024
Chinese man suspected of stalking celebrity Haruna Kojima
The man is suspected of ambushing Haruna Kojima several times since around August, including near event venues in Tokyo.
Haruna Kojima in Tokyo in April 2017 following her last show as a member of the AKB48 pop group
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 29, 2024
Man held for allegedly assaulting Japanese celebrity Haruna Kojima
The man is suspected of hugging and pushing the former member of pop group AKB48.
Members of the K-pop group NewJeans are embroiled in a dispute with their corporate backers over their creative relationship with an executive producer.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 28, 2024
NewJeans’ ultimatum casts K-pop’s displays of labor in a new light
A YouTube live broadcast from the girl group raises age-old questions about labor practices in the Korean pop industry.
Koichi Domoto performs in the musical "Endless Shock" on Thursday in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 10, 2024
Pop idol Koichi Domoto's musical rewrites Japan record for most performances
The musical "Endless Shock" broke the record for most performances, which "Horoki," a play starring Mitsuko Mori, previously held.
An ambitious high school freshman recruits three girls from her region to create an “idol” group from scratch in “Trapezium.”
CULTURE / Film
May 9, 2024
‘Trapezium’: Being an idol isn’t always a dream come true
The anime adaptation of a book by Kazumi Takayama, a former member of Nogizaka46, offers an authentic look at the pressures of show business.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 8, 2023
Johnny’s changes name to Starto Entertainment
The announcement signals a new chapter in the talent agency’s history as it scrubs references to its disgraced founder from its current structure.
The decision by Johnny & Associates during a news conference on Sept. 7 to retain the company name — despite its association with an alleged sexual predator — drew a lot of public criticism.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 20, 2023
Johnny & Associates considers changing name as criticism mounts
On its website, the agency said it was “discussing the future of the company, taking into consideration opinions and criticisms.”
Major Japanese food and beverage maker Asahi Group Holdings made the decision not to feature Johnny's talents in its future sales promotion activities "to prevent itself from promoting human rights violations by a business partner."
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 9, 2023
Asahi to end use of Johnny's personalities in ads
The major Japanese food and beverage maker made the decision "to prevent itself from promoting human rights violations by a business partner."
Johnny & Associates President Julie Keiko Fujishima (second from right) acknowledged that company founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually abused agency employees for decades during a press conference in Tokyo on Sept. 7.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Sep 9, 2023
What’s in a name? A lot of baggage and trauma, unfortunately.
Johnny and Associates' recognition of abuse is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to move forward.
Julie Keiko Fujishima (right), who stepped down as Johnny & Associates president on Tuesday, and new President Noriyuki Higashiyama give a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 7, 2023
Johnny's replaces president as it admits to abuse by late founder
The replacement comes on the heels of a scathing third-party report, which recommended that Julie Keiko Fujishima resign as president.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Jun 5, 2023
Nagano school runs course for girls dreaming of idol stardom
Six girls dreaming of debuting as idols joined the inaugural class that will pursue both academic studies and performing arts at Saku Chosei Senior High School.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 16, 2023
Foreign media spotlight brought Johnny’s sexual abuse claims to the fore
With abuse accusations circulating for decades, reports by overseas media outlets ultimately cleared the way for coverage in the mainstream domestic press.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 15, 2023
Johnny’s takes steps toward overdue reckoning with its past
Allegations of sexual abuse by founder Johnny Kitagawa have long dogged the talent agency, but times are changing and the company seems to be facing the music.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 15, 2023
Major Japanese talent agency apologizes over sexual assault claims
Allegations by former entertainers against the founder of Johnny & Associates have made headlines both domestically and internationally.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2023
Former teen idol alleges sexual abuse by boy-band mogul Johnny Kitagawa
The artist is one of the first to publicly address Kitagawa's long-alleged sexual abuse, saying he was molested '15 to 20' times while with the agency starting when he was 15 years old.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 13, 2022
Johnny's departures signal growing pains
Though netizens speculated wildly after Johnny & Associates announced the departure of notable figures, the likely explanation is simply that the talent agency is in a moment of transition.
Freed anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson arrives in France
U.S.-Canadian anti-whaling environmental activist Paul Watson, who was released from prison in Greenland's capital Nuuk after five months in detention, arrives with Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy-en-France, near Paris, on Friday.
Nippon Steel alleges undue White House influence on doomed deal review
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
Broken window glass is seen at Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.
Taiwan lawmakers brawl over bills that would 'damage democracy'
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party and opposition party Kuomintang brawl in parliament in Taipei on Friday.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
A police officer stands in front of the residence of a man alleged to have stabbed two junior high school students in Kitakyushu.
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.

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