"Smile-Up" is the new name of the scandal-embroiled Johnny & Associates talent agency, which it says will compensate the founder's sexual assault victims.
Johnny & Associates is still owned by the sexual assaults perpetrator's family — a far cry from the "dismantling and restructuring" called for by investigators.
The Japanese media shares the blame for failing to report how same-sex assaults on hundreds of minors had been happening inside Johnny & Associates.
The sex abuse scandal calls for serious soul-searching — not only by Johnny's agency but also by the Japanese entertainment industry, media, and government.
Sexual assault allegations against Johnny Kitagawa, a charismatic and somewhat enigmatic mogul of Japan's entertainment industry, date back to the 1960s.
