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Johnny & Associates Agency Changes Name to Starto Entertainment

The talent agency previously known as Johnny's and Associates announced on Friday that it is changing its name to STARTO ENTERTAINMENT. The company's new president is Atsushi Fukuda, who was previously the vice-president of Sony Pictures Entertainment and also previously the president and CEO of Sony Digital Entertainment.

The company commented on the name:

The name is derived from STAR and TO, as in "to head toward the future," in addition to being the Japanese phonetization of the word "to start" (スタートする). It is an expression of our commitment to all our artists current and yet to come; with whom we inaugurate a new era in accordance with their individual talents and personal goals.

STARTO is, without any doubt, an entertainment team that represents the pride of Japan. Be it song, dance, or stagecraft, the first-class contents and national treasures of Japan have left an indelible mark around the world and mandate continued effort to meet the appropriately high expectations of their passionate fans.

STARTO ENTERTAINMENT stated that in addition to the company's current services, it will launch three new initiatives: establishing a music streaming platform, "[increasing] global openness and overseas outreach," and entering the Metaverse.

Johnny's & Associates president Noriyuki Higashiyama announced in early October that the agency was changing its name to Smile Up starting on October 17, as part of the company's "vision" to earn back fans' trust.

Smile Up is responsible for handling the compensation measures for sexual abuse victims of the agency's late founder Johnny Kitagawa, and started that process in November. The company will shut down after the compensation measures are completed. Higashiyama is still listed as the president of Smile Up.

The October announcement stated it would establish a separate new entity to oversee talent management operations. That is the agency that will now be known as STARTO ENTERTAINMENT.

After the October announcement, idol group Johnny's West announced they have changed their name to "WEST." (with a period), removing the "Johnny's" from their name.

The former Johnny's and Associates agency publicly admitted for the first time in September that Kitagawa did sexually abuse a large number of aspiring pop star teenagers from the 1970s to 2010s.

In September, then-president Julie Keiko Fujishima stated she was retiring as president, but will remain the representative director and owner of the company. The agency stated it is taking measures to compensate for the damage caused and prevent reoccurrences.

Sources: Email correspondence, Oricon News