Latest news with #JohnnyAndAssociates
Malay Mail
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
J-pop megaband Tokio ends 30-year run after member's alleged misconduct, says trust lost
TOKYO, June 26 — A popular Japanese pop group hired to be the poster boy of disaster-hit Fukushima has announced it is disbanding following the latest scandal to hit the country's embattled entertainment sector. Five-member Tokio emerged in 1994 from Japan's now notorious boyband empire Johnny and Associates, which unravelled in 2023 following revelations about its late founder's decades-long sexual abuse of young boys. Recent years have seen Tokio trimmed to a trio, and in a final death blow, it declared itself defunct yesterday after it emerged that one of its members had engaged in unspecified misconduct. Details surrounding the alleged misbehaviour of Taichi Kokubun, 50, are scarce, with official statements vaguely describing it as a 'violation of compliance protocols'. A few mainstream media outlets in Japan, including Kyodo News, cited 'behaviour that could be considered sexual harassment,' quoting unnamed sources. 'We have decided it's no longer possible for Tokio to regain the trust and support of everyone', the group's statement, released Wednesday, said. Aside from its music success, Tokio for long had another face: the ambassador for Japan's Fukushima region, hit in 2011 by a huge earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Tokio's relationship with Fukushima predates the disaster, but afterwards it deepened even more with its members tapped to promote the region's reconstruction efforts and food safety. Fukushima's prefectural government even has the 'Tokio Department', a division tasked with collaborating with the musicians to communicate the region's attractiveness. 'For many years, Taichi Kokubun has aligned himself close to us and spread word' of Fukushima, its local government said in a statement, describing Tokio's disbandment as 'extremely regrettable'. 'Tokio's contributions to our prefecture's reconstruction are significant', it added. Kokubun's fall in disgrace is just the latest in a recent series of bombshell scandals to rock Japan's showbiz industry. Johnny & Associates, which has since changed its name, admitted in 2023 that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted teenage boys and young men for decades. More recently, high-profile celebrities have found themselves entangled in sexual assault allegations, including J-pop megastar-turned-TV host Masahiro Nakai, who announced his retirement earlier this year. The Nakai saga shed the spotlight on the toxic culture of young women being pressed into attending dinners and drinking parties with powerful industry figures. — AFP
South China Morning Post
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Arashi, J-pop mega group, to disband after final tour, prompting outpouring from fans
J-pop mega group Arashi, wildly popular in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, say they will end their activities as a band following a final tour next year. Advertisement After debuting in 1999, the five-member boy band rocketed to stardom with their catchy, chart-topping music to become the face of Japan's now-defunct boy-band empire Johnny and Associates, before going on a hiatus in 2020. Fans have since been anxiously awaiting news of their return to the spotlight, and on May 6, the group said in a bittersweet announcement that they would perform once again next spring – but that it would be their final act. 'In the last year before our hiatus, we couldn't perform in front of you due to the pandemic', Arashi's official X account said. 'The five of us will now reunite.' It said the idols, now in their forties, would start preparing for a concert tour scheduled for around spring next year, 'and that tour will end our activity as Arashi'.
Malay Mail
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Arashi's last storm: J-pop icons to reunite for farewell tour in 2026
TOKYO, May 7 — J-pop mega-group Arashi, wildly popular in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, said they would end their activities as a band following a final tour next year. Since debuting in 1999, the five-member boyband have rocketed to stardom with their catchy, chart-topping music to become the face of Japan's now-defunct boyband empire Johnny and Associates, before going on a hiatus in 2020. Fans have since been anxiously awaiting news of their return to the spotlight, and on Tuesday, the group said in a bittersweet announcement that they will perform once again next spring — except that will be their final act. 'In the last year before our hiatus, we couldn't perform in front of you due to the pandemic', Arashi's official X account said Tuesday. 'The five of us will now reunite', it said, adding the idols, now in their 40s, will start preparing for a concert tour scheduled for around spring next year. 'And that tour will end our activity as Arashi'. An outpouring of gratitude and lamentations soon inundated social media, with the prospect of the group's disbandment dominating Japanese news programmes for much of Wednesday. 'Their dissolution is immensely sad and my brain can't quite process the information yet, but thank you so much for creating one last opportunity for us to see you all', one fan wrote on X. Even Japan's top government spokesman offered a tribute, describing Arashi as the 'national idol group that has commanded a big presence with their numerous hit songs'. 'They have also taken on the role of promoting Japanese cultures overseas, and collaborated multiple times with the Japanese government to this end', Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. Arashi's former talent agency Johnny and Associates admitted in 2023 that its founder and music mogul Johnny Kitagawa — who died aged 87 in 2019 — had for decades sexually molested teenage boys and young men under his tutelage. — AFP
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
J-pop mega-group Arashi to disband after final tour
J-pop mega-group Arashi say they will disband after a farewell tour next year (Kazuhiro NOGI) (Kazuhiro NOGI/POOL/AFP) J-pop mega-group Arashi, wildly popular in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, said they would end their activities as a band following a final tour next year. Since debuting in 1999, the five-member boyband have rocketed to stardom with their catchy, chart-topping music to become the face of Japan's now-defunct boyband empire Johnny and Associates, before going on a hiatus in 2020. Fans have since been anxiously awaiting news of their return to the spotlight, and on Tuesday, the group said in a bittersweet announcement that they will perform once again next spring -- except that will be their final act. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "In the last year before our hiatus, we couldn't perform in front of you due to the pandemic", Arashi's official X account said Tuesday. "The five of us will now reunite", it said, adding the idols, now in their 40s, will start preparing for a concert tour scheduled for around spring next year. "And that tour will end our activity as Arashi". An outpouring of gratitude and lamentations soon inundated social media, with the prospect of the group's disbandment dominating Japanese news programmes for much of Wednesday. "Their dissolution is immensely sad and my brain can't quite process the information yet, but thank you so much for creating one last opportunity for us to see you all", one fan wrote on X. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Even Japan's top government spokesman offered a tribute, describing Arashi as the "national idol group that has commanded a big presence with their numerous hit songs". "They have also taken on the role of promoting Japanese cultures overseas, and collaborated multiple times with the Japanese government to this end", Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. Arashi's former talent agency Johnny and Associates admitted in 2023 that its founder and music mogul Johnny Kitagawa -- who died aged 87 in 2019 -- had for decades sexually molested teenage boys and young men under his tutelage. tmo/mtp
