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Johnny & Associates facts for kids
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Headquarters in Minato, Tokyo (2018-present).
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| Private (kabushiki gaisha) | |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Successor | Starto Entertainment |
| Founded | June 1962 |
| Founder | Johnny Kitagawa |
| Headquarters |
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Japan
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Key people
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| Owner | Julie Keiko Fujishima |
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Number of employees
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130 |
| Subsidiaries |
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Johnny & Associates, Inc. was a Japanese company that managed male idols. It was started by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. The company was famous for creating many popular boy bands and male idols in Japan, especially from the 1980s onwards.
For a long time, Johnny & Associates had strict rules about how their music could be shared outside Japan. They also controlled how their artists' images could be used.
After Johnny Kitagawa passed away in 2019, his niece, Julie Keiko Fujishima, became the new president. She stepped down in September 2023. Then, in October 2023, the company announced it would split into two new parts. One part is called Smile-Up, which focuses on charity work. The other is Starto Entertainment, which is a new talent agency that manages the artists.
History of Johnny & Associates
Starting the Company: 1962–1989
In 1962, Johnny Kitagawa created his first music group, Johnnys. At first, his company shared office space with another big agency, Watanabe Productions. Six years later, another boy band called Four Leaves became very successful.
Four Leaves was special because they were a "Group Sounds band that does not play instruments." This showed Kitagawa's idea of focusing on the performers' personalities and dancing skills. He then formed other popular acts, like Masahiko Kondō. Kondō's song "Orokamono" won a big award in 1987. Another group, Hikaru Genji, was the first Johnny's group to have three songs at the top of the Japanese music charts in 1988.
Johnny & Associates played a huge part in making Japanese boy bands and the idol industry popular after World War II. While some idols in the 1970s could sing and dance, Johnny & Associates made the idea of performance-focused idols very popular in the 1980s. Kitagawa was known for starting the "idol system." In this system, young trainees (called Johnny's Jr.) join the agency. They learn singing, dancing, and acting for years before they officially debut as a group.
Growing and Changing: 1990–2009
Around the 1990s, Johnny & Associates changed its marketing plan. They started training their artists to also be good at hosting variety shows. Before this, artists usually retired around age 25. But the company saw that former group member Hirohide Yakumaru was very successful as a TV host. So, they began training new groups to have strong public personalities too.
During the 1990s, Johnny & Associates stopped accepting nominations for some big awards, like the Japan Record Awards. One reason was that they didn't want their own groups to compete against each other or other artists for awards.
In 1997, the company started its own music label called Johnny's Entertainment. Also, since 1996, they have held a special New Year's Eve concert called Johnny's Countdown Live. It's broadcast live from the Tokyo Dome on Fuji TV every year.
In 2006, a company called Oricon sued a journalist. The journalist had suggested that Oricon might change its music charts to help certain companies, like Johnny & Associates. The lawsuit was later dropped.
In 2007, a temporary group of Johnny's Jr. called Hey! Say! 7 set a record. They were the youngest male group to reach the top of the Oricon charts, with an average age of 14.8 years. Later that year, Hey! Say! JUMP debuted with ten members, becoming the largest group to start in Johnny's history.
Recent Years and Changes: 2010–2023
On November 19, 2010, Masahiko Kondo won the Best Vocal Performance award at the 52nd Japan Record Awards. He was the first Johnny's artist to win this award since 1990.
In 2011, Johnny Kitagawa received two Guinness World Record awards. He got them for producing the most number-one singles (232) and the most concerts (8,419 from 1974 to 2010). His shows were seen by an estimated 48 million people!
In 2016, the very popular group SMAP, which had been active for 30 years, suddenly broke up. This was due to disagreements among people working at the company. Three members later left the agency.
In 2018, Johnny & Associates started a YouTube channel for their trainee groups, Johnny's Jr. This was a big change, as the company was known for being very strict about online access to their artists. In 2019, Hideaki Takizawa became the president of a new part of the company called Johnny's Island. He was in charge of managing and helping trainee groups like Snow Man debut.
After Johnny Kitagawa passed away in July 2019, his niece, Julie Keiko Fujishima, became the new president. Takizawa became a vice president. However, Takizawa resigned from his position in November 2022. Yoshihiko Inohara, a former member of V6, took his place as vice president.
After Kitagawa's death, Johnny & Associates also started making their music available on streaming platforms and opened social media accounts. This made it easier for fans around the world to enjoy their music. On September 4, 2023, it was announced that Julie Fujishima would step down as president. Noriyuki Higashiyama became the new president.
New Beginnings: 2023-Present
On October 2, 2023, Johnny & Associates announced a big change. They would split into two new companies. One is called Smile-Up, which is a charity project. The other is Starto Entertainment, which is a new talent agency that manages all the artists.
Starto Entertainment officially started its activities in April 2024. They held a series of concerts called "We are! Let's get the party STARTO!!" in Tokyo and Osaka. Many popular groups performed, including NEWS, Super Eight, KAT-TUN, Hey! Say! JUMP, and Snow Man.
Charity Work
Johnny & Associates has a long history of helping others through charity projects.
J-Friends
In 1998, three Johnny's groups—KinKi Kids, V6, and Tokio—formed a special group called J-Friends. They raised money for the victims of the 1995 Hanshin and Awaji earthquake. The group continued their charity work until 2003.
Marching J
The agency continued its fundraising efforts with "Marching J" in 2011. This project helped victims of the Tōhoku earthquake. Their first event was held in April, with many Johnny's groups and Juniors participating. They held talk sessions and sang without instruments. The agency also donated generators, trucks, and gasoline to help with the relief efforts.
Smile-Up Project
Charity activities continued with the "Smile Up! Project." In May 2020, 76 Johnny's artists from 15 groups formed a temporary unit called "Twenty Twenty." They sang a song called "Smile" to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The song was released digitally and on CD.
Later in the year, they launched a new campaign to raise awareness about COVID-19 and the flu. This project, called "Aitsu," included a series of videos. These videos reminded people about important health measures, like washing hands and wearing masks.
Even during big changes at the agency, Smile Up continued its charity work. In January 2024, after the Noto Peninsula earthquake, they announced they would set up donation boxes at concerts and stores. They also donated 50 million yen to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund.
Charity as Starto
Starto Entertainment is continuing these charity projects. As part of their 2024 activities, they released a single called "We are." This song was sung by a special unit called "STARTO for you," made up of 75 members from 14 groups. Sales from this single will go to the Noto Earthquake relief funds.
As of June 2024, the "Smile-Up Project" has become a new organization called "Mindful." This new group will continue charity activities and also focus on other social contributions. This includes mental health support and helping nursing students with their education.
Company Renaming
Headquarters in Minato, Tokyo (2018-present) prior to the renaming.
On October 2, 2023, Johnny & Associates held a press conference to explain their future plans. They announced that the company would be renamed Smile Up, effective October 17. Smile Up will continue to be owned by Julie K. Fujishima.
Noriyuki Higashiyama, who became the head of Johnny & Associates, said that artists working under the new management company would have more freedom in their careers.
On December 8, 2023, the new artist management company was named "Starto Entertainment." This name combines "star" with the Japanese word "to," meaning "toward the future." The name was chosen after reviewing over 140,000 suggestions from fans! Atsushi Fukuda, a consulting company president, was appointed as the president of Starto Entertainment.
Current Artists
Recording Artists
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Actors and Entertainers
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Trainees: Johnny's Jr.
Trainees at Johnny & Associates were known as Johnny's Jr.. They often performed on TV shows and as backup dancers for the main groups. In recent years, some Junior groups have become very popular. They have gotten sponsorships, held their own concerts, and starred in movies and TV shows.
Notable Trainee Groups
- HiHi Jets (formed 2015)
- Bi Shonen (formed 2016)
- 7 Men Samurai (formed 2018)
- Shonen Ninja (formed 2018)
- SpeciaL (formed 2018)
- Go!Go!Kids (formed 2022)
- Lil Kansai (formed 2019)
- Boys be (formed 2020)
- AmBitious (formed 2021)
See also
In Spanish: Johnny & Associates para niños
- List of record labels
- Hadaka no Shōnen