"Compensation paid to 115 of Kitagawa’s sex-abuse victims," 29 December 2023

Smile-Up Inc., the talent agency formerly known as Johnny & Associates Inc., said it has paid compensation to 115 victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by company founder Johnny Kitagawa.

The company’s website showed that 907 people had applied for compensation as of Dec. 28, saying they were sexually molested by Kitagawa, who died in 2019 at age 87.

The victims’ relief committee established by the company notified 163 of the 907 claimants of the compensation, and 126 agreed to the details.

The company did not disclose the amounts that were paid to the 115 people...