Former Johnny & Associates employee admits to abusing eight underage trainees

A former employee of the former Johnny & Associates agency (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT) has admitted to sexually abusing eight underage trainees, known as Jr., between approximately 1995 and 2000. The individual, who served as a manager responsible for scheduling and transportation, told the Asahi Shimbun that the incidents primarily occurred inside company shuttle vans.

The perpetrator stated that while he once viewed these actions as a form of “communication,” he now explicitly recognizes them as “sexual assault.” He noted that some victims, most of whom were high school students at the time, were given several thousand yen following the incidents.

SMILE-UP., the entity established to handle compensation for the agency's victims, has acknowledged receiving multiple complaints regarding this individual. This admission follows the 2023 investigation that uncovered sexual misconduct by the agency's late founder, Johnny Kitagawa. While the agency has undergone leadership changes and restructuring, this new testimony indicates that the fallout from the agency's systemic abuse continues to unfold.