[7][8] In the wake of continuing sexual abuse allegations directed against Kitagawa, who died in 2019, his niece, Julie Keiko Fujishima, stepped down as president in September 2023.

Four Leaves left a lasting legacy to the industry because it was produced as a "Group sounds band that does not play instruments", a product of Kitagawa's taste for emphasizing the attributes, personality and physical abilities of a performer.

[5] Kitagawa formed a number of other successful acts, such as Masahiko Kondō, whose song "Orokamono" (愚か者, Fool), won the 1987 Japan Record Award,[14] and Hikaru Genji, the first Johnny group with three singles on the Japanese Oricon yearly chart in 1988.

Kitagawa himself was credited with pioneering the idol system where trainees (known as Johnny Jr.) are admitted into the agency at a young age to train in singing, dancing, and acting until their debut.

[17] Taking note of former Shibugakitai member Hirohide Yakumaru's success as an MC on Hanamaru, Johnny & Associates subsequently trained their more recent groups to have public personas as well.

[27][28] The reason was said to be a feud between the female manager Michi Iijima in charge[29] and Mary Yasuko Fujishima, who was an executive at the office, a sister of Johnny Kitagawa.

JUMP, SMAP, Tokio, KinKi Kids, V6, Arashi, Tackey and Tsubasa, NEWS, Kanjani8, KAT-TUN and Johnny's Juniors participated in the fundraiser, which included talk sessions and a cappella performances.

This group sang the song "Smile", written by Mr. Children's Kazutoshi Sakurai,[59][60][61][62] which was released as a single in digital form on June 22, and on CD on August 12.

Even in the middle of the turmoil surrounding the agency, as Smile Up, they posted a new charity event to help out the people affected in the Noto Peninsula earthquake that happened as 2024 rolled in.

[72][73] The business model of Johnny & Associates has an agency at the center in most areas in which it operates; the company has had its own recording, publishing, producing, filmmaking, merchandising, and advertising arms, a vertical integration that parallels Japanese keiretsu system, and for most of its history transmitted information directly to fans exclusively through the Family Club, a tightly controlled, membership-based platform on which its artists and their fans can communicate and share information with each other.

[83][84][85][86] Apparently, one of the events that started the movement to freeing the images of Johnny's idols online, was NHK's 2009 Kōhaku Uta Gassen, as the agency reached an agreement with the network to air the program in a paid on demand format.

[5][16][93][94] Johnny & Associates sued Shukan Bunshun for defamation, and in 2002, the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of Kitagawa, awarding him ¥8.8 million in damages.

[116] An independent probe established by Johnny & Associates reported the findings of their investigation on August 29, 2023, saying that Kitagawa repeatedly committed sexual abuse from the early 1970s until the mid-2010s.

[117] Johnny & Associates held a press conference on September 7 to formally acknowledge Kitagawa's abuse for the first time, while Fujishima resigned as CEO to assume the position as a representative director.

[9][118] As a response to the investigation's findings, several companies cancelled their contracts with entertainers from Johnny & Associates, including Tokio Marine Nichido, Asahi Group, and Japan Airlines.

The public broadcaster added that it did not fully acknowledge the sexual abuse matter despite various weekly magazine articles about the allegations and a Tokyo High Court ruling in 2004.

[127] A few weeks later, NHK announced that it would suspend new contracts with Johnny's performers–including for their annual New Year's Eve television special Kōhaku Uta Gassen–until the company has implemented compensation and recurrence prevention measures.

[132] At a regular press conference on February 16, 2024, Toru Ota, the managing director, said, "We have heard that compensation for victims is progressing and that the new company, Starto Entertainment, will officially begin operations in April.

[133] 20 September 2023, TBS Television (Japan) President Takashi Sasaki stated, “We will continue to closely monitor trends in the improvement of the human rights environment (on the part of Johnny & Associates),” and added, “In the meantime, there will be no change in the current contracted talent who are performing in the future.

[135] On September 26, 2023, Hiroshi Shinozuka, president of TV Asahi, announced that he had asked the office to consider changing the company name, compensate the victims, and take thorough measures to prevent recurrence.

On 2 October, an external Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) will be appointed to formulate and implement basic policies on human rights and develop internal rules.

[33][34] An example noted by journalists mention that Kitagawa would threaten to withdraw his talent from certain music programs and channels if they provide unfavorable coverage or invite competing boy bands from other agencies.

[34][94] On July 18, 2019, Johnny & Associates was investigated by the Fair Trading Commission for potentially violating the Anti-Monopoly Act due to accusations of pressuring the media to reduce coverage on Atarashii Chizu, a group made up of former SMAP members Shingo Katori, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Goro Inagaki.

[33][145][146] On October 2, 2023, during a press conference addressing sexual assault allegations Johnny & Associates staff were videorecorded holding documents with lists labelled "NG (no good) Reporters," with at least 6 portrait photos and their corresponding seat numbers.

[151] Mutual concerns over reporters who could spend long periods of time talking about their own opinions, or ask thoughtless questions (or remarks) that could be unnecessarily stressful, painful, and/or uncomfortable to the victims who are watching the conference was given as a reason to create the blacklist.

[151] The press conference attracted criticism from journalists, broadcasters, and politicians at a time when Johnny & Associates was attempting to mend its public image and relationship with the media.

[163][164] At the September 7 press conference attended by Noriyuki Higashiyama, Yoshihiko Inohara, and former president Julie Keiko Fujishima attracted a great deal of public attention and was broadcast live on almost all television stations in the afternoon.

[166] At this high-profile press conference, Tokyo Shimbun reporter Isoko Mochizuki, who is said to have been on the blacklist,[167] persistently asked Noriyuki Higashiyama if he himself had been victims of sexual assault.

[168] Sociologist Noritoshi Furuichi complained about the question, saying that this was an act of outing in public[169] and an extremely ugly comment based on onlookers' guts that could lead to second rape.

"[10] It was revealed on December 8, 2023, that the new artist management company would be called "Starto Entertainment", a name fusing the word "star" and the hiragana と (to), with the meaning for the latter to be "toward the future".