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April 28, 2024
 

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SMAP

Members of Johnny’s Sexual Assault Victims Association who allege they were abused by famed-talent agent Johnny Kitagawa speak to reporters in late July in Tokyo following a hearing by United Nations human rights experts.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 23, 2023
Kishida faces leadership test over Johnny's sexual abuse scandal
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who prides himself on his “ability to listen,” faces a test of his leadership amid the Johnny's sexual abuse scandal.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 18, 2023
How Japanese media companies enabled Johnny’s abuse
The power dynamics of Japan's entertainment and media industries ultimately meant that accusations of sexual abuse were not investigated.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 29, 2021
Former SMAP member Shingo Katori marries girlfriend
Upon news of the marriage, television personality Shingo Katori released a simple statement asking for the support of his fans.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Feb 10, 2021
Former SMAP member Katsuyuki Mori out for year after auto race injury
Katsuyuki Mori, a former member of superstar pop idol group SMAP, will need a year to recover after fracturing his pelvis and lumbar spine during a motorcycle race, the Japan Keirin Autorace foundation said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 23, 2021
Former SMAP stars test broadcast television’s relevance
Rival talent agencies move into the void left by Japan's former J-pop kings.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 21, 2020
Ex-SMAP member Masahiro Nakai leaving Johnny's after more than 30-year run
Masahiro Nakai, the former leader of disbanded all-male idol group SMAP, said Friday he will leave talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc. in late March, ending a relationship that has lasted over 30 years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Sep 4, 2019
Celebrities mourn death of Johnny Kitagawa at Tokyo Dome memorial event
Entertainers flocked to a memorial event in Tokyo on Wednesday for Johnny Kitagawa, founder of one of the country's most powerful talent agencies that produced an extensive array of well-known boy bands over half a century, who died of a stroke at the age of 87 on July 9.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 4, 2019
'Stormy Family': Dysfunctional family, dysfunctional film
Masahide Ichii delivers a drama about family members dealing with their own long-standing resentments while facing an impending typhoon
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 3, 2019
News outlets in Japan less afraid to tackle entertainment issues
Ever since Johnny Kitagawa died on July 9, the media has been filled with sentimental tributes to the pop idol impresario, mostly by the young men whose careers he cultivated, but also by those with a stake in Japan's hermetic show biz world.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 18, 2019
Commission warns Johnny & Associates about alleged pressure on broadcasters over ex-SMAP members
The Fair Trade Commission has warned that the agency might be in violation of the antimonopoly law, sources said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news / Heisei Icons,Heisei Icons
Apr 7, 2019
SMAP: The pop idol media monopoly that dominated the Heisei Era
Many can't let go of the most successful male idol group the Heisei Era and continue to share favorite songs and clips of the outfit on sites such as Twitter.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 23, 2019
Idols and agencies in Japan navigate a brand new landscape
Television personality Masahiro Nakai made an appearance as a "surprise guest" on the March 10 installment of Nippon TV's law-related variety show, "Gyoretsu no Dekiru Horitsu Sodanjo" (“Line-up Law Office”). Earlier, guest Koji Kato had related an anecdote featuring Shingo Katori, Nakai's former associate in the idol group SMAP, which disbanded in 2016. Nakai liked the story, referring to Katori affectionately as "Shingo-chan."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Feb 7, 2019
Where will fans go after Arashi?
Fans of Arashi still haven't come to terms with the news that the J-pop group will go on a hiatus at the end of 2020, bringing a close, at least temporarily, to one of the 21st century's most popular Japanese acts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 4, 2018
On the road to new experiences, post-SMAP, with Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
It has been almost two years since pop group SMAP split up, but its demise after over two decades at the forefront of entertainment in Japan is still fresh in everyone's memory.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 2, 2018
Is the feudal era over for Japan's talent agencies?
Japanese show business definitely has a feudal side. Talent agencies control their tarento (talent) much in the way the daimyō (feudal lords) controlled the samurai in their clans, supporting their livelihoods in return for absolute fealty. And just as samurai were expected to stay with one clan their entire lives, talents typically find it hard — if not impossible — to leave their agencies.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 27, 2018
SMAP star's Instagram foray reflects weakening grip of Japan TV ads
Shingo Katori commanded the adoration of millions of fans across Asia as a member of SMAP, one of Japan's most successful boy bands. After decades as a ubiquitous TV presence, he finally decided in November it was time to get an Instagram account.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Music acts found new ways to get noticed in 2017, but nothing beats an established brand
The path to J-pop stardom used to be pretty simple: Align yourself with the right talent agency and label — they'll do all the work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 9, 2017
Former SMAP stars find freedom online
When a wrecking ball fell on and destroyed a car, I was hooked on a 72-hour live stream starring three former members of pop group SMAP.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Sep 22, 2017
Ex-SMAP trio launch fan site hinting at October debut under new management
Three ex-members of the disbanded all-male pop group SMAP have launched an official fan site with a video alluding to freedom from the group's past troubles and a fresh start under new management.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jun 26, 2017
Three former SMAP singers to leave talent agency in September
Johnny & Associates announced June 18 that three former members of the pop idol group SMAP, which broke up at the end of last year, will leave the talent agency on Sept. 8, when their contract terms expire.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Number of homeless in Japan hits record low
Homeless people sleep on the street in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in August 2021.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Air China to buy 100 locally made C919 jets in $11 billion deal
A Comac C919 during an aerial display at the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore in February
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Tokyo's Koto Ward by-election a race unlike any other
Natsumi Sakai, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s candidate and one of four female candidates running in the by-election, touts her experience as a cancer survivor and midwife as having prepared her to tackle issues that women currently face.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Top U.S. and China diplomats talk tough amid warnings of new ‘downward spiral’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Friday
Kyotographie's strong 12th edition shines light into the margins
Yassine Alaoui Ismaili, who goes by Yoriyas, turned to photography, shooting motion while in motion himself, after an injury forced him to give up his career as a professional breakdancer.

Podcast

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[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

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