Johnny & Associates, the Japanese expertise company that has been embroiled in an enormous sexual abuse scandal, is rebranding itself as Starto Leisure.
The identify is derived from the phrases ‘star’ and ‘to’ implying “to move towards the longer term,” the group mentioned on Friday. “It’s an expression of our dedication to all our artists present and but to come back, with whom we inaugurate a brand new period in accordance with their particular person skills and private targets,” the group defined.
Johnny & Associates was for a few years probably the most highly effective expertise store in Japan, creating idol teams comparable to Snow Man, and leveraging its male performers into movie and TV roles.
It was introduced low by a scandal regarding its founder Johnny Kitagawa who abused younger male performers over a interval of many years earlier than his dying in 2019. Whereas this appears to have been recognized, however broadly ignored by many within the trade, the size of depravity and cover-up blew up earlier this 12 months following a BBC documentary.
Two subsequent third-party investigations revealed particulars. And Johnny’s present administration was compelled to confess the occasions had been factual. It additionally mentioned that it might arrange a compensation fund and examine claims.
Company companions and sponsors, nonetheless, fled from the scandal. Some ended their use of Johnny’s expertise in commercials. Others, comparable to state broadcaster NHK, selected to not e-book Johnny’s expertise on its reveals.
With a brand new identify, Johnny’s seems to be making an attempt once more to place latest occasions behind it and to be wanting ahead once more.
“Starto is, with none doubt, an leisure workforce that represents the satisfaction of Japan. Be it tune, dance, or stagecraft, the first-class contents and nationwide treasures of Japan have left an indelible mark all over the world and mandate continued effort to satisfy the appropriately excessive expectations of their passionate followers,” it mentioned.
Moreover, it set out three addition undertakings: higher digitization, together with the institution of a proprietary music streaming platform; elevated international openness and abroad outreach; and “metaverse market entry”: extending artists’ skills with state-of-the-art expertise.
“We’ll fervently apply ourselves towards a simply, upright, vibrant, and worldwide future for a brand new leisure panorama,” it added.
