NHK to resume contracting ex-Johnny's talent; allow them on year-end show

Always thought it was strange that the victims were punished by NHK by them not hiring them after the boss sexually assaulted many of them. I mean why not hire them directly instead of not supporting them. The whole company thing is creepy as well with the name they picked. And NHK execs and pretty much everyone in the industry knew what was going on. Only the boys have been the victims and basically punished. Go figure.

Penalizing individuals for the actions of a horrible company is wrong.

But...

The company should not benefit from their participation!

Disgusting. No legal repercussions for those responsible and complicit in the sexual abuse of 1000's of young boys.

Instead "smile-up" is allowed hold behind closed doors meetings with its victims to decide how much it wants to compensate them. Meetings victims have claimed feel more like interrogations.

https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/15461159

No surprise! NHK saw that their ratings were dismal last year without these "entertainers" so they will welcome them back with open arms.

Rich, they were banned because as you said many themselves were assaulted, but when they had a chance to speak up and help others they did nothing. Some may have taken part in the assaults as well. Thus they were banned. And I don't agree with NHK that the new company has done enough, but money talks so let the circus begin.

Sad to see that this bad rubbish are allowed back on screens.

Starto Entertainment AKA Johnny's AKA Smile Up is one big paedophile ring.

I also don't think that the talented singers should be made to suffer because of the actions of one dead man. We should let them shine. They are still some of my favorite singers.

Sad to see that this bad rubbish are allowed back on screens.

Interesting point of view, wanting to blame and punish the victims and not those that were guilty of the abuse.

Interesting point of view, wanting to blame and punish the victims and not those that were guilty of the abuse.

We are talking about the company and the executives - the ones making huge money, and have historically turned a blind eye to child abuse.

No one is blaming these teenage boys who have been molested. They should be performing independently or through another company, not the rebadged company of paedophile enablers.

 We should let them shine. They are still some of my favorite singers.

With great respect, you are a middle-aged man, right?

Johnny's boys are still some of your favourite singers?

No one is blaming these teenage boys who have been molested. They should be performing independently or through another company, not the rebadged company of paedophile enablers.

They bear a degree of responsibility. At some point they were old enough to speak out, instead they continued to take the money and turn a blind eye while other kids were trapped in the system by perverted predators.

We are talking about the company and the executives - the ones making huge money, and have historically turned a blind eye to child abuse.

Nice try, but no, you wrote the following

Sad to see that this bad rubbish are allowed back on screens.

The producers and agency are not the one's "on screen" it's the boys and men that work for them, the victims in this, are the one's "on screen" and you also try to associate with the group by stating "we" but it's YOU that wrote that, and are 100% wrong.

The victims are not and never have been "bad rubbish"

Sorry, but does anyone still watches NHK shows??

NHK will do anything to keep alive and relevant.

Q? when will NHK stand alone and stop ripping off the general public by forcing them to pay monthly fee for having a TV at home even when they do not watch it or even wish to subscribe to it's obsolete programs ???

PBS is fully independent and relies on public donations and major advertisers, NHK can do the same and STOP it's SCAM.

The NHK depends completely on these groups and entertainers for the kohaku musical program, no surprises here.

@ Yubaru - Fair enough. I guess we have established you like watching Johnny's boys. No judgement.

Enjoy Kohaku Uta Gassen!

Japanese entertainment is a closed shop. Fewer people watch tv every year so if this upsets you, don't worry, the closed shop is not "winning".

I think its fair to assume that Kpop wouldn't be as big in Japan had Jpop not been a closed shop and ditched the same old for more RnB influenced music and ditched kawaii for sexy like Kpop. The big trend for golden hour "variety" tv now is whole programs sponsored by convenience stores, Mega Donki, Costco, or electrical stores. Instead of playing games or doing quizzes like the old days, talentos spend an hour walking around a store or eating ice creams from Lawsons. This is because tv companies are clearly desparate for money.

It's not fair that individual performers be barred from the show. Let them participate and perform. But in no way should Starto/Smile Up be allowed to profit from their performances on the show specifically.

One of the worst if not the worst scandal in the Japanese entertainment world. It was covered up for so long and it took one brave BBC reporter Moheen Azhar to expose it. NHK and the broader Japanese media never covered it and only reluctantly did when victims of this sexual abuse came forward via Azhar's documentary.

https://youtu.be/rmF6mDZjZZw?si=dQz0uAYFh9laam2w

It's not fair that individual performers be barred from the show. Let them participate and perform.

The problem is that this can't be done without explicitly acknowledging the renamed agency as appropriate and positive, which opens a huge can of worms.

But in no way should Starto/Smile Up be allowed to profit from their performances on the show specifically.

As long as the "talents" of the agency are used that means it will profit, even if not a single yen is paid the agency is being recognized and accepted, getting good publicity and justifying that other companies do business with them, after all the NHK is saying everything is fine.

Most of Japanese showbiz and talents, often even PM, had praised and beautified Kitagawa during decades with distract their eyes from suspicious or past trial about sexual abuse.

Many Japanese media had propagandized it nationwidely, assisted to "supply" many boys to Kitagawa. 

These many accomplices don't take responsibility at all, still staying in same position or job without even something penalty.

Compensations about sexual abusing are too insufficient comparing with domestic judicial precedence or overseas, many issues such as pressure against various media or accomplices relation among "stakeholders" are still unexplained.

But, all Japanese TV channels seem to prioritize business than relief of victim still facing endless slander.

virusrexToday  02:06 pm JST

The problem is that this can't be done without explicitly acknowledging the renamed agency as appropriate and positive, which opens a huge can of worms.

Kohaku doesn't name the talent agencies of performers in the show. A lot of people don't know the talent agency of every performer.

But in no way should Starto/Smile Up be allowed to profit from their performances on the show specifically.

As long as the "talents" of the agency are used that means it will profit, even if not a single yen is paid the agency is being recognized and accepted, getting good publicity and justifying that other companies do business with them, after all the NHK is saying everything is fine.

If the artists' performance on Kohaku is well received, it will help promote their subsequent performances and song sales and result in revenue and profits for the performer and their talent agency. Nothing you can do about that. But regarding the money performers receive on Kohaku, it should be stipulated that this specific talent agency shouldn't receive any revenue from it even a commission. NHK is still a public entity though they would like you to think otherwise. Public tax payers money should not be going to a talent agency as them. In any other country, there would have been criminal charges.

Kohaku doesn't name the talent agencies of performers in the show. A lot of people don't know the talent agency of every performer. 

pretending nobody will know from which agency all these performers belong is beyond naive, specially those that now will find their decisions to support this specific agency has been validated by NHK and can say so when people reasonably complain.

If the artists' performance on Kohaku is well received, it will help promote their subsequent performances and song sales and result in revenue and profits for the performer and their talent agency. Nothing you can do about that.

Of course it can be done, the public can pressure NHK to avoid having those performers until they cut their ties with the agency or the victims publicly say they have been satisfied with how the new management compensated them. That is a perfectly valid option.

But regarding the money performers receive on Kohaku, it should be stipulated that this specific talent agency shouldn't receive any revenue from it even a commission.

Which again is meaningless when the true value from the appearance is the stamp of approval from the NHK that will obviously have a huge effect on how the agency can now use this as an argument to get orders of magnitude more money from future contracts elsewhere.

NHK is still a public entity though they would like you to think otherwise. Public tax payers money should not be going to a talent agency as them. In any other country, there would have been criminal charges.

No part of my argument depends on the NHK to be fully private, in fact it is the opposite. Precisely because of this it has a responsibility to avoid supporting organizations that have such history, money is just the least useful way the renamed Johnny's is going to profit from this. For example, let's say the NHK airs an interview with some criminal (pick the worst you can think of) and gives him one hour to "explain" or "justify" his crimes without even fact checking anything he says, do you think saying "we didn't pay anything to him for the interview" would be a good excuse for doing it?