Photo/Illutration Thirteen groups of 72 performers who used to belong to Johnny & Associates Inc. participate in the first live concert held by Starto Entertainment Inc. on April 10 at Tokyo Dome. (Minako Yoshimoto)

The new company that has taken over the talent management business from the former Johnny & Associates Inc. (now Smile-Up Inc.), which has been embroiled in a massive sex abuse scandal, has started full-scale operation.

Starto Entertainment Inc. held its first live concert at Tokyo Dome on April 10, which attracted some 55,000 people.

Smile-Up is tasked with compensating the victims of sexual violence by the late agency founder, Johnny Kitagawa. 

Meanwhile, Starto Entertainment was set up to continue the functions of a talent agency, such as talent management and development, as outlined in the news conference held by the company’s management in the fall.

Six months have passed since that announcement, yet it is difficult to believe that the two companies have been fully separated. The former company, which was supposed to focus solely on compensation, continues to operate the fan club.

Julie Keiko Fujishima, Kitagawa’s niece, announced her resignation as president of Johnny & Associates and was supposed to withdraw from managing related businesses due to her responsibility for the scandal, which has rocked the nation’s entertainment industry.

However, she remains the representative director (chief executive) of a group company that manages song copyrights.

The current state of the organizations and the reasons for the delay in separation were partially disclosed this week after criticism over the lack of explanations.

Kitagawa's sexual offenses were long overlooked within the closed nature of the talent agency. The agency's tendency to disregard the importance of disclosure and explanation does not appear to have changed, raising concerns that this culture of secrecy might foster new problems.

With providing compensation to victims remaining incomplete, the launch of the new company into "a new stage" raises questions about how much it truly confronts the gravity of the suffering of many pop star hopefuls who fell victim to the founder’s sexual assaults.

Thus, it is crucial for the group to deliver on its promise to separate the two companies and continually explain the progress made. The group’s premature move to resume its idol agency business without winning the understanding of the public could also inflict emotional pain on the fans.

Another troubling incident has occurred in terms of the way the group was responding to the damage done to victims.

Last month on a BBC program, Noriyuki Higashiyama, president of Smile-Up and a former pop idol developed and managed by Johnny & Associates himself, was asked about online defamation of the victims.

Higashiyama said, "I think there is also freedom of speech," and "It's hard to draw the line on defamation."

Such remarks from the company's top management can deter victims who are considering revealing their own hurtful experiences and applying for compensation.

Last year, the company posted an inconsiderate comment on its site claiming that "there are people who make false testimonies (concerning sexual abuse),” which experts said could lead to “secondary victimization,” or the additional trauma that victims of sexual abuse may experience from the responses of individuals and institutions after the initial abuse.

The organization needs to recognize its lack of knowledge in handling sexual abuse cases and think of ways to address the shortcomings for improving performance.

The group’s resumption of the talent agency business should not be viewed as a starting point for winding down the process of responding to the consequences of many years of sexual abuse committed by its founder.

As the United Nations Human Rights Council’s working group pointed out last summer, the government and business partners, including media companies, have vital roles to play in ensuring that victims receive the relief they deserve.

They also must continuously and closely monitor the group's human rights performance to prevent similar cases in the future.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 18

Related News