Johnny’s Idol Persona Constructions and Transcultural Female

Fandom Consumption

Aliah Mansor
Abstract
This chapter aims to explore how Japanese Johnny & Associates functions as a J-
pop manufacturer and to understand how female fans experience the highly
constructed persona of Johnny’s idols. In this chapter, constructed authenticity and
celebrity persona are defined and analysed from a marketing perspective rather
than from cultural theory. The discussion draws upon my ethnographic experience
between November 2013 and March 2014 and eleven in-depth interviews with
members of Johnny’s English-speaking online fan communities on LiveJournal. A
case study was also adopted to identify and assess the information marketing
strategy used by Johnny & Associates to capture the international audience. Firstly,
I provide a discussion of Johnny & Associates’ background and how idols are
recruited. These are discussed in order to understand the dynamics of Kitagawa’s
power relations as the creator of Johnny’s idols. The second part describes various
façades of Johnny’s idols persona. Lastly, I will explore Johnny’s idols as the
perfect female fantasy. This discussion is potentially to fill the knowledge gap of
how constructed celebrity persona by commercial entertainment agencies such as
Johnny & Associates are accepted as the real face of the idol and the tensions
experienced by the idols to remain real.

Key Words: Female fandom, female gaze, Japan popular culture, Johnny &
Associates, marketing strategy, transcultural.

*****

1. Johnny & Associates Star System

Johnny & Associates is a Japanese all-male talent management company run by
Johnny Kitagawa. He was born on 23rd October 1931 in Los Angeles. In a 50-
minute NHK World television documentary, JOHNNYS’ World: Top of the J-Pops,
which first aired on 26th January 2013, he mentioned that his father ran a temple in
Los Angeles. However, his family returned to Japan soon after the Pacific War
broke out.1 His family returned to the United States after the Second World War
ended, and his father resumed running a temple in the same vicinity. Japanese
artists such as Hibari Misora, a legendary Japanese singer often came to the United
States to perform. However, there was still no theatre at that time to enjoy Japanese
style entertainment. So his father’s temple served as a cultural place for the

1Kitagawa did not specify the date when his family returned to Japan in the interview, yet
Pacific War started 7th December 1941 and lasted until 2nd September 1945.
14 Johnny’s Idol
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performances. At the same time, Kitagawa became an interpreter for the artists and
made friends with the stars. This occurrence was probably the reason that sparked
his interest with the cultural industry. Kitagawa later returned to Japan and became
an interpreter for the US military.
In the same documentary Kitagawa described how he created his first group in
Japan in the 1960s. He said that he brought the baseball team he ran when he
worked with the military to watch Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ West Side
Story, the musical film.2 West Side Story is the story of Romeo and Juliet set in the
streets of New York City in the 1950s, in which the lovers are caught between rival
street gangs. Everyone on the team, including Kitagawa, was stunned by the
movie, in which the gangs sang and danced. They taught themselves to sing and
dance to the moves in the film by watching the movie repeatedly, until all of them
memorised the dance moves. They performed their coordinated dance in front of
an audience and were well received especially by the female audience. The four
baseball-loving boys were known as The Johnnys and they became the start of
Kitagawa’s career in the entertainment industry. Intending to capitalise on its
success, he recruited and trained more and more boys to become entertainers.
By the 1980s, male and female idols were mushrooming in Japan’s
entertainment industry. As one of the earliest major players in the industry at that
time, Kitagawa gladly also rode the wave of success in the era that was known as
the Golden Age of Idols in Japan. At that point in time, Kitagawa had already
established a talent management company called Johnny’s Jimusho (which means
office). Johnny’s Jimusho was popularly addressed as Johnny’s Entertainment (also
known as JE) by overseas fans. However, at some point the company underwent
restructuring, and Johnny’s Entertainment maintained its name, but became a
record label subsidiary within its parent company, Johnny & Associates. Therefore,
throughout this chapter, Johnny & Associates is used to represent the management
of Johnny Kitagawa as a whole. As one of the pioneers in the idol industry, Johnny
& Associates and artists under Kitagawa’s management have proven to be highly
influential and indispensable in the contemporary Japanese entertainment industry.
They are collectively known as Johnny’s idols or Janīzu.
As the title of this chapter suggests, the term Johnny’s idols is preferred to the
term celebrity as the term idol probably best fits the context of this popular
subculture. While a variety of definitions of the term idol has been suggested, this
chapter will use the definition first suggested by Hiroshi Aoyagi3 who saw idols as
all-round popular talent who sing, dance, act in dramas, and appear in
commercials. Their performance is often ridiculed as artless or bubble-gum, but

2 West Side Story, dir. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. United States: The Mirisch
Corporation and Seven Arts Productions, 1961, DVD.
3 Hiroshi Aoyagi, Islands of Eight Million Smiles: Idol Performance and Symbolic

Production in Contemporary Japan (US: Harvard University Council on East Asian,

2005),3.
 Aliah Mansor 15
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their popularity is an unmistakable phenomenon in Japanese society. Despite that,
the phenomenal popularity of Johnny’s idols is not an overnight success. It was
built on years of intensive honing of trainable skills such as dancing, singing,
acting, and in particular learning how to please the audience. Since they are trained
to be observant of audience response, they are able to adapt quickly to unexpected
situations by utilising all the resources that are available to them to handle the
situation and further develop their potential. However, the one element which
stands out the most in the course of my observations, my interviews with fans, and
also in my personal experience as a fan, is that the personalities and life
experiences of Johnny’s idols are common to all fans. Consequently, because fans
can relate to these qualities, they idolise the idols for their off-stage attributes
rather than their musical talents.
Johnny’s idols appear in all facets of the Japanese entertainment industry. In
addition to their usual musical activities such as releasing CDs and performing at
live music shows on television and concerts, they act in television dramas, films,
stage plays, variety shows and DJ radio shows, even foraying into the traditional
media by reading the news. Idols such as Tanokin Trio, SMAP and Arashi became
icons among young people of their generation in the 1980s, late 1990s to early
2000s and mid-2000s to the present day respectively. Masahiko Kondo of Tanokin
Trio, SMAP, Arashi and Johnny’s idols in general are also still active with their
music activities.
At the point of writing, there are 14 groups and eight solo talents managed by
Johnny & Associates.4 The longest running career artist to date is Masahiko
Kondo, who has been with Johnny & Associates for 35 years. Kondo first made his
acting debut in 1979 as one-third of Tanokin Trio, and eventually made his singing
debut in 1980. To retain his talent pool, Kitagawa also runs a talent school called
Johnny’s Junior - where he trains numerous young boys on how to dance, sing, and
backup dance for their seniors, before eventually being hand-picked by Kitagawa
himself to have their own debut. Only a handful will make it to A-list status. When
asked in JOHNNYS’ World how he knows which boy to pick for a debut,
surprisingly Kitagawa answered:

No, it’s not like that. I’m not God. That would be impossible. For
example, during rehearsals a long time ago, I asked, “Who want
to learn to roller skate?” Seven boys raised their hands. They
became Hikaru Genji [Johnny’s group that was popular between
1987 and 1995].

4
Johnny’s Net, viewed on 30 January 2015, http://www.johnnys-net.jp/.
16 Johnny’s Idol
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… And I taught them how to skate. Two hours later, they’re able
to move around and were having great fun. That was all it was. 5

All Kondo and Tanokin Trio successors are the product of this star-system.
Kitagawa’s manufactured star-system is believed to mimic the early Hollywood
star-system, and has been replicated in other Asian countries, namely Hong Kong,
Taiwan and South Korea. It may have contributed to the fact that Japanese popular
culture in highly influential in the region. The prevalence of this influence is found
in local re-contextualisations such as the Para Para Dance, which originated in
Japan. It became an instant hit throughout Asia when Hong Kong Cantopop star
Aaron Kwok showcased the dance in his 2001 movie titled Para Para Sakura.
Popular Japanese manga have been adapted in Taiwan where series such as Hana
Yori Dango, Akuma de Sōrō and Itazura na Kiss are made into television idol
dramas. The phenomenal Taiwanese idol group F4, widely popular in Asia
between 2001 and 2003, was formed following the success of one such television
drama adapted from the Japanese manga series Hana Yori Dango. In 2009, the
same series was adapted in South Korea as a television drama.
Johnny & Associates idols’ hierarchical status in the agency is pretty much
vertical. Their positions are determined according to their seniority in the
entertainment industry. Kondo sits at the top of the hierarchy but is not necessarily
the most profitable or the most popular artist in Johnny & Associates. However,
the lifespan of idols is known to be extremely brief, usually between two to five
years. Thus, Kondo’s 35-year career is admirable as well as exceptional. There are
several explanations for his success. Cultural product attributes are experiential
goods. They are, in the words of James P Roberts, ‘non-utilitarian’ products that
audiences use in ‘highly volatile and unpredictable ways’.6 Johnny & Associates
highly attune their product to fan ‘behaviours, preferences, and experiences
because experiences are the essence of what they want to sell’.7 It is possible that
proliferation of Johnny’s idols in the media, who have dramas, singles, album
releases, concerts, magazine appearances, regular television shows shown back-to-
back, allows Kitagawa to respond immediately to the demands of the audience.
Kitagawa claims he never bores his audience:

You mustn’t let the audience get bored even for a minute. Adults
may grit their teeth and watch, but children won’t. They’ll run
around the venue. And you need to be thinking about that as

5 Johnny Kitagawa, JOHNNYS’ World: Top of the J-Pops Documentary, 26 January 2013.
6 James P. Roberts, ‘Producers’ Decision Making during Product Development in the
Entertainment Industry: Addressing the Cognitive Gap,’ International Journal on Media
Management 13.4 (2011): 277-295.
7 Coimbatore K. Prahalad and Venkatram Ramaswamy, ‘The Co-Creation Connection,’

Strategy and Business 27 (2002): 50-61.

 Aliah Mansor 17
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you’re creating something. You have to be always conscious of
that. You can’t take a position that “this is irrelevant to children”,
“this is irrelevant to old people”. Your basic position must be
you’re making something everyone can enjoy. I say, if you’re
bored for even one minute, I’ll refund the cost of your ticket.
That’s my basic thinking.8

This high exposure of Johnny’s idols in the media makes it easier for
transcultural fans to notice them when searching for Japanese popular media text in
general. Unfortunately, the transcultural audience is outside Johnny’s distribution
channels, unlike other Japanese popular cultural exports like manga and anime.
Therefore, as an overseas fan of Johnny’s idols, I am interested to look at
tensions between Johnny & Associates and the fan community in English-speaking
fan audiences. To provide insight into Johnny’s idols subculture in transcultural
audiences, I have conducted eleven in-depth interviews with Johnny’s fans through
a closed community on LiveJournal between November 2013 and March 2014. I
recruited fans who are fan community owners, 9 moderators, fans who regularly
upload, translate or provide subtitles in English to Johnny’s idols television shows
and videos, and organise fan events in their local fan community, to be my study
participants. I have also included close-reading of these fan participants’ personal
LiveJournal accounts, their posts and comments in the community in which they
are participating, and their Twitter accounts.
Of the respondents, Participant Three from America illustrates an example of
the international appeal of Japanese popular culture in general, and Johnny’s idols
in particular. She was already interested in other Japanese popular culture besides
Johnny’s idols, and states that she came across a Johnny’s idols television show
called The! Tetsuwan! DASH!! while watching the show with her host family when
studying at a university in Japan in 2008. She was amused at the comedy television
show’s content and the hosts who she thought were a duo. She continued to watch
the show every Sunday. However, during a visit to Harajuku, she recognized the
duo faces (later she learnt they were Shigeru Joshima and Tatsuya Yamaguchi of
TOKIO) from merchandise displayed in an idol shop, and was confused yet
amazed by her discovery. In the research interview, Participant Three explained
Johnny’s idols as follows:

The first thing I think of when I hear “Johnny’s Idols” isn’t

TOKIO, actually, but the standard singing, dancing, pretty-boy
type of band that the rest of Johnny’s is. I don’t think TOKIO is
8Kitagawa, JOHNNYS’ World Documentary.
9 According to LiveJournal web page, a LiveJournal community is ‘owned’ by the
community owner. In most cases, this is the user who created the community or its current
sole maintainer.
18 Johnny’s Idol
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very Johnny’s-like at all (maybe in their 90s era they were, but
they’ve gotten so far from that image and from the general
Johnny’s image that I barely even relate the two anymore). But if
I think of things that all Johnny’s tend to share, it’s that they not
only make music, but do many other things as well, such as TV,
movies, and the like, and that they’re more than just entertainers,
they promote themselves as being relatable to their fans. So that
fans can feel they’re a part of something. Which is much of what
the appeal is, I think. When fans have so many different ways to
enjoy their idols, they become a bigger part of their life, which is
what keeps their love going strong. 10

Because Johnny’s idols are multi-talented with careers in many areas of the
entertainment business, fans have many ways to enjoy their idols. TOKIO was the
first group of Johnny’s idols to debut as a band. The five members of the band -
leader and guitarist Shigeru Joshima, bassist Tatsuya Yamaguchi, keyboardist
Taichi Kokubun, drummer Masahiro Matsuoka and their front man Tomoya
Nagase, do not have choreographed dance routines to their songs. However,
TOKIO had the same career path as their seniors. Their weekly variety programme
titled The! Tetsuwan! DASH!!, is performed while the five members carry out
labour-intensive work such as carpentry to help the local community with
conservation projects across Japan. On the programme, they wear white crew neck
t-shirts, overalls, wrap their heads with a white towel for wiping sweat away, and
safety helmets. Their image on the show is in sharp contrast to their on-stage
persona where they would dress smartly in power suits. Variety programmes are
quintessential in Japan to market the idols as being relatable to their fans and
general audience. This creates a breed of idols known as real-life idols. This
concept of real-life idols is further discussed in the next section.
Since the 1960s, there has been a constant stream of Johnny’s idols. The
aforementioned Masahiko Kondo has a fan base that is said to be comprised of
individuals who have followed his career since his debut in 1979. This suggests
exactly how Kondo managed to have such an exceptional career. Johnny &
Associates has built an impressive multi-generational fan base as evidence of this
phenomenon. Shinichiro Kaneda from Japan’s business magazine, Nikkei Business,
described Johnny & Associates’ business strategy in the JOHNNYS’ World
documentary thus:

It’s a model that revolutionized the industry. Basically, one

group succeeds, you look for more boys that are good at dancing.

10 Research interview with Participant Three, 13 November 2013. Interview guiding

questions supplied in Appendix.
 Aliah Mansor 19
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Then you make them backup dancers to the first band. Gradually
the fans recognise those kids in the background. You find out
what the fans think of those boys, and you make the fans hungry
to see more of them. Then they’re given a debut. This method
gives you exceptionally good art. The new group debuts with
almost guaranteed success.11

By including young talent as back up dancers for their seniors, Kitagawa is

testing the demand for his new product before the official launch. Over time, this
new group of back-up dancers will slowly build their own fan base. By the time
Kitagawa thinks they are ready to make their debut, they already have loyal
followers. Kitagawa’s business strategy is particularly attractive to advertisers, as
they can immediately tap into the young female market that Johnny’s idols have.12
In addition, Kitagawa might have topped these experiential commodities with West
Side Story’s theatrical recipe that centred on friendship, youth and love themes to
further enhance his product appeal.13 In fact, several of Johnny’s idols such as
Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Jun Matsumoto and Toma Ikuta starred in West Side
Story when it was re-staged for the Japanese audience in 2004.
In various interviews, Johnny’s idols talk about how they joined Johnny &
Associates. The majority of Johnny’s idols and Johnny’s Junior are encouraged by
mothers, sisters or other female family members or friends to send their
applications to Johnny & Associates, and a handful were motivated to apply by
themselves. They would typically receive a letter of invitation to dance classes or
auditions. They would then attend a weekly dance lesson at the company, and soon
become back-up dancers for their seniors on television shows or concerts.
However, there is always an exception. Jun Matsumoto of Arashi was rather
infamous among Johnny’s idols, as he did not go through an audition but was
handpicked to join Johnny & Associates by Kitagawa following his application.
Kitagawa’s gift for talent spotting is said by fans to be largely attributed to his gut
instinct. I do not intend to explore the concept of gut instinct or intuition that is
somewhat black box,14 but rather I am interested in the product image of Johnny’s
brand and how he sustains it. Roberts argues that ‘researchers should pay…
attention to the cognitive processes of decision makers in the entertainment
industry.’15 He also suggests detailed analysis should be conducted to reveal the

11 Shinichiro Kaneda, JOHNNYS’ World, Documentary, 26 January 2013.

12 Kazumi Nagaike, ‘Johnny’s Idols as Icons: Female Desires to Fantasize and Consume
Male Idol Images,’ Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture, ed. Patrick W. Galbraith
and Jason G. Karlin (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), 97-112.
13 Fabienne Darling‐Wolf, ‘SMAP, Sex, and Masculinity: Constructing the Perfect Female

Fantasy in Japanese Popular Music,’ Popular Music and Society 27.3 (2004): 357-370.
14 Roberts, ‘Producers’ Decision Making,’ 277-295.
15
Ibid., 277.
20 Johnny’s Idol
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decision patterns deployed and ‘the factors (personal and institutional) that
influence their development’.16
Between 2011 and 2012, Kitagawa received three Guinness World Records
recognitions including most No.1 singles produced by an individual, most concerts
produced by an individual and producing the most number of artists who claimed
number 1 on music charts, making him one of the most successful music producers
in the world.17 It is evident from this section that Kitagawa is the decision maker in
all aspects of Johnny & Associates’ business, particularly in marketing and
management decisions. However, Kitagawa is reclusive and has only been
photographed by paparazzi. He tends to fit the image of the man behind-the-curtain
in contrast to Hollywood and South Korean media moguls.18 In JOHNNYS’ World,
he said the reason he stays behind the camera is because it is the only way he can
truly think as a producer or creator. He would feel like a star if he were in front of
the camera. Kitagawa’s recognition of the stars before the camera alludes to the
performative and manufactured personas that are presented to fans, bringing into
focus the challenges his Johnny’s idols face to stay real in a competitive industry.
The tensions between staying real and the presentation of idol personas is the focus
of the next section, explored through the examples of Koki Tanaka and Satoshi
Ohno.

2. ‘They can be Close to You, like a Friend Yet They can be Shining on Stage
and Make You Feel That They are Truly the Star’

For me, what I really love about JE [Johnny’s Entertainment] is

the dedication to unironic [sic] entertainment and the desire to
please the female audience. There is something about the
vibrancy and craftsmanship of an A.B.C-Z performance that you
will NEVER find in American pop culture because in the West,
pop culture is not about pleasure it is about “coolness” and
“authenticity.” But I don’t identify with either category. I wasn’t
raised here and I hate things that are “cool” because to me it is
code for “not caring.” And I do care. I care about music and I
care about the beauty in a dance performance and I have come to

16Ibid., 292.
17 Guinness World Record News, ‘Japanese Producer Johnny Kitagawa Produces the Most
#1 Acts by an Individual,’ Guinnessworldrecords.com, 10 December 2012, Viewed on 30
January 2015,
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/12/johnny-kitagawa-most-1-acts-
produced-by-an-individual-46316/.
18 David W. Marx, ‘The Jimusho System: Understanding the Production Logic of the

Japanese Entertainment Industry,’ Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture, ed.
Patrick W. Galbraith and Jason G. Karlin (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), 35-55.
 Aliah Mansor 21
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care about the voices and movements of my favourite idols. I
want them to be healthy and happy and I want them to continue
to do the work they love.19

In the above statement Participant Seven identifies with neither the coolness
nor the authenticity of Western pop culture. In her study of Johnny’s fan
communities, Jinni Pradhan finds that ‘superficial and surface attractions’ lead
transcultural fans to Johnny’s idols.20 She concludes that it is the constructed and
produced images of the Johnny’s idols combined with the ‘humanistic elements of
the idols as individuals with distinct personalities and lives’, which makes the fans
hooked on Johnny’s idols.21 As is alluded by Participant Seven, it is the humanistic
element of Johnny’s idols personas, on the edge of cool and dorky, which appeals
most to these fans.
The majority of study participants encountered Johnny’s idols from the popular
drama, Hana Yori Dango starring Jun Matsumoto of Arashi. Hana Yori Dango is
based on a popular shōjo (girls) manga. Matsumoto who plays Tsukasa Domyōji is
a high-school student from a high-social class family who falls in love with a
student from a working-class family. Tsukasa Domyōji’s naivety and strong
feeling for his romantic interest pique the female audience’s interest in the actor
who plays the character.22 This leads to the discovery of his idol group, Arashi.
From my interview with fans, it is revealed that those who were drawn to the
Japanese popular media text through a television drama, would eventually watch
more and more Japanese drama. This will lead them to further discover Japanese
young actors such as Toma Ikuta, Tomohisa Yamashita and Kazuya Kamenashi of
KAT-TUN. The fans who searched on the Internet for information about these
actors, were all directed to the same outcome - namely Johnny & Associates.
The image of Johnny’s idols in popular dramas is very much constructed by
television producers and a script that is probably agreed beforehand with Johnny &
Associates. This observation is in line with David Marx’s assessment of Japanese
talent agencies and their business principles. He suggests that these agencies ‘exert
strong control over the entertainment’ industry ecosystem. 23 In contrast, variety
programmes have a more laid-back approach when using the idols. For this reason,
it plays a crucial part in showcasing the humanistic elements of Johnny’s idols. A
few examples of variety programmes mentioned by the study participants that

19 Research interview with Participant Seven, 9 November 2013.

20 Jinni Pradhan, ‘It’s My Passion, That’s My Mission to Decide, I’m Going Worldwide:
The Cosmopolitanism of Global Fans of Japanese Popular Culture’ (Master thesis,
University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2010), 37.
21 Ibid., 38.
22 Kerry Ferris and Scott Harris, Stargazing: Celebrity, Fame, and Social Interaction

(London: Taylor & Francis, 2010).

23
Marx, ‘The Jimusho System,’ 35-55.
22 Johnny’s Idol
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attracted them into the fandom are TOKIO’s The! Tetsuwan! DASH!! and V6’s
Gakkō e Ikō. In fact, Johnny & Associates has its own in-house production that is
aired twice a month by the NHK television channel called The Shōnen Club. In
1998, Hideaki Takizawa of Tackey & Tsubasa, the leader of the Johnny’s Junior
faction at that time, kick-started the programme. Today, The Shōnen Club features
the most recent Johnny’s group to make their debut and Johnny’s Junior. They
generally sing from an enormous track list of their seniors and compete against
each other in variety-like game segments. From these variety programmes, fans
would learn the humanistic side of the idols. Likewise, the idols are not afraid to
show their emotionally vulnerable sides. A few examples are Sho Sakurai of
Arashi who is afraid of heights, Ryuhei Maruyama of Kanjani Eight battles with
weight gain, A.B.C-Z (a less popular group) comparing itself to another Johnny’s
group of the same age, Kis-My-Ft2. Additionally, all interviewees testify that they
encountered Johnny’s idols during sad or difficult phases of their lives. The fans
faced serious problems, such as the death of loved ones, work and college troubles.
They pointed out that Johnny’s idols made them happy and felt that the idols were
close to them and played a large part in their lives. These idols’ real-life struggles
are relatable to many fans. In addition, the fans describe the idols as inspirational.
The quote below shows Participant Nine’s interpretation of what Johnny’s idols
mean to her:

For me Johnny’s Idols is a hard worker. They’re being tied in

young age with the agency. Must following some rule, losing
their childhood. Being in the entertainment world that sometimes
really harsh on you since kid is very exhausting, but they can
show they can live with it. They’ve showed me how to struggle
with your ups and down. Johnny’s Idols is truly inspirational.24

From this excerpt, it can be seen that Johnny’s idols signed up as Juniors when
they were between six and twelve years old. From the fans’ point of view, the idols
lose their childhood or it seems that they experience a different and difficult
childhood from the one the fans have. This view of working hard from an early age
and eventually debuting as a Johnny’s idol is truly an inspiration for fans. The
majority of the fans encounter Johnny’s idols in their early 20s while they are in
college. As soon as they start working, they claim that they use Johnny’s idols’ life
experiences and work ethic as a point of reference to overcome their workplace
difficulties and real-life situations. The transition from college life to working life
makes them feel that they are growing up with their idols. Jason Karlin draws our
attention to a distinctively ‘motherly gaze’ of Johnny’s idols Japanese fans because

24
Research interview with Participant Nine, 12 November 2013.
 Aliah Mansor 23
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they have been following the idol’s career since the idol was still a Junior.25 As a
result, the fans adopt these idols into their family. In contrast, my study
participants are overseas fans, with one stating:

Hmmm.... I would say that ABC-Z I view as “equals” almost. I

would love to sit down for beers with them and talk about their
art and how they view the world. With Sexy Zone, it’s more like
watching cute puppies. It’s not “motherly” because I’m too
young (except Marius!!) but definitely an older sister feeling. 26

All of these fans’ feelings of being equals, motherly or older sisterly are
attributed to the construction of a real-life type of idol.
Johnny’s real-life idols persona is a clever interplay of boy-next-door image
and star image. Firstly, their boy-next-door image construction comes as a result of
joining Johnny & Associates, starting their career with Johnny & Associates and
emerging in the Japanese entertainment industry from a very young age. This
results in idols having strong shōnen (boys) image that are, particularly, free of
sexual connotations. They are expected to maintain their shōnen image throughout
their career.
Another crucial aspect of Johnny’s idols constructed persona is the element of
‘groupism’.27 Johnny’s idols usually debut as a group. There are members who
play the older brother whilst another plays a younger brother(s) in the group. The
two youngest members of Sexy Zone, So Matsushima and Marius Yo would
always mention ‘we want to make our elder brother proud’ in various promotional
interviews for their summer concerts. Both of them hold summer concerts
separately from the other three members of the group, whom they refer to as their
elder brothers. Nakai Masahiro and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi of SMAP, as well as
Hideaki Takizawa are frequently portrayed as mentors to younger Johnny’s idols
and Johnny’s Junior.28
Johnny’s idols also play with the intertextual nature of Japanese media, and
would guest star on each other’s shows. Recent promotional material of another
Johnny’s idols group, Kanjani Eight involved showcasing their friend-enemy
connection with Arashi. The members of Kanjani Eight and Arashi belong to a
similar age group and were from the same generation of Johnny’s Junior.

25 Jason G. Karlin, ‘Through a Looking Glass Darkly: Television Advertising, Idols, and the
Making of Fan Audiences,’ Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture, ed. Patrick W.
Galbraith and Jason G. Karlin (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), 72-93.
26 Research interview with Participant Seven, 20 November 2013.
27 Kazumi Nagaike, ‘Johnny’s Idols as Icons: Female Desires to Fantasize and Consume

Male Idol Images,’ Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture, ed. Patrick W. Galbraith
and Jason G. Karlin (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), 97-112.
28
Darling‐Wolf, ‘SMAP,’ 357-370.
24 Johnny’s Idol
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However, Arashi debuted and shot to popularity earlier than Kanjani Eight. On the
contrary, Kanjani Eight plays the role of dasai (uncool) Johnny’s idols in
mainstream media. As part of Kitagawa business strategy to focus on regionalism
in the domestic market, Kanjani Eight is the first Johnny’s group trained in Osaka,
the western part of Japan. People from Osaka are associated with being loud and
rude compared to their Tokyo counterparts. You Yokoyama and Shingo Murakami
of Kanjani Eight often stated that the selling point of the group is their smooth-
talking and come-back jokes on television shows.
They are bold in expressing topics that would not usually be discussed by idols
on television such as their collection of pornography, their sexual fetishism, and
incomes. You Yokoyama openly states that he earned less than Johnny’s idols
from Tokyo on various television variety show interviews. For this reason, the
group Arashi, now at the peak of its popularity in the Japanese entertainment
industry, would shed light on helping friends in difficulties. Producers consciously
construct Japanese idols as a close-knit circle of friends. This helps the idols to
connect with the Japanese society in a wider context.29 However, Johnny &
Associates’ aggressive intertextual nature was humorously ridiculed by Shingo
Katori of SMAP in a midnight comedy-skit programme, YOU Conte Shichainayo
that was aired on 1st January 2014, where he played a popular drama producer. He
was pressured by an imaginary president to cast members of Johnny’s group Kis-
My-Ft2 and Johnny’s Junior before he could cast Goro Inagaki of SMAP as a lead
in his new television drama. Thus, during the skit Katori passed a satirical
comment on Johnny & Associates’ aggressive marketing strategy and dominance
in Japanese media.

3. Johnny’s Idols as the Perfect Female Fantasy

The success and popularity that Johnny’s idols enjoy with the female audience
is no doubt attributed to their looks and sex appeal. In terms of looks, Johnny’s
idols are often labelled by the fans and Japanese media as ikemen (pretty boy).
They occasionally have long hair, are clean cut, and have lean bodies. In concerts,
they wear costumes that often cross gender boundaries, such as form-fitting suits,
with huge flowers, feathers, and sparkles attached to their costumes. One of the
most notable Johnny’s jokes among fans and the idols themselves is Arashi’s
transparent costume, which is made from clear plastic, under which the group wear
only white shorts. They wore the costumes when promoting their debut single
A•RA•SHI between 1999 and 2000. In another case, Shingo Katori of SMAP has a
recurring character of Shingo Mama – a heavily made-up, short-skirted female
version of the singer – who appears at most concerts and occasionally on
television. Similarly, Yuya Tegoshi of NEWS stated that his hobby was cross-
dressing. He wore female dresses on many television appearances and concerts.

29
Ibid., 357-370.
 Aliah Mansor 25
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This androgyny image oddly makes them a fashion reference for their fans. Fans
are interested in imitating the fashion, style and hair colour of the idols. In fact,
Takuya Kimura of SMAP and Jun Matsumoto of Arashi both endorsed female
cosmetic brands.
The idols are aware that they are viewed as sex objects and often play upon this
construction. Almost every year, one of Johnny’s idols pose nude for appearances
in an-an, one of Japan’s most popular woman’s magazines. The feature is sexually
explicit, incorporating staged sex positions with female, Caucasian models,
fondling of the female breasts and posing in shower photo shoots, to name a few.
In addition, their dance routine is also choreographed so the fans can enjoy the
idols’ bodies.30 In many Johnny’s idols television dramas, scenes in which they are
taking showers are one of the most anticipated scenes by fans. Johnny’s idols are
allowed to cross boundaries such as posing nude for the magazine as well as
showing their sex appeal on television as long as the act is authorised by Johnny &
Associates. The management had terminated the contract of Koki Tanaka, a former
member of KAT-TUN in October 2013, when a photo of him posing frontal nude
made the tabloids’ front cover. Before his contract was terminated, Tanaka played
a bad boy image in the group. However, the reality of his bad boy act was not well-
received by the management.
Even though they are aware that they serve as fan fantasies, not every Johnny’s
idol is comfortable being sexualized. In the variety show Himitsu no Arashi-chan
that aired on 10th May 2012, Satoshi Ohno of Arashi stated that for his 2008 Maō
television drama, he was required to have two shower scenes in the script, and he
hated doing the scenes. He also made references to another member of the group,
Jun Matsumoto, who usually acted as a leading man in romantic dramas such as
Hana Yori Dango as being much more adept in doing the shower scenes. Ohno,
who is very reserved in terms of his actions and words, constructed an authentic
persona unique among Johnny’s idols. In a different television programme, Arashi
ni Shiyagare aired on 13th November 2010, the other members of Arashi expressed
having a difficult time adjusting to being alone at home after having performed in
front of 70,000 fans in Tokyo Dome a few hours earlier. Ohno said that he feels the
most real when he is at home, absorbed in his drawing, and says that television
appearances are a sharp contrast to his actual life and that it feels like a dream.
Ohno is an example of tensions that exist between what Johnny & Associates
wants the idol to be and their struggles to stay real.
One way or another, both of their manufactured and real selves have created a
complex relationship between the idols and their fans. The intensity of Johnny’s
fans association with their idols is similar to the relationship of many East Asian
celebrities with their fans. Hong Kong celebrity Jackie Chan was marketed by his
former talent agency as everybody’s Jackie especially to his Japanese female

30
Ibid., 357-370
26 Johnny’s Idol
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audience.31 Chan, who is a popular star in action movies was not involved in any
romantic movie projects until his contract with his former agency ended and he had
established his own production company. While Renata Iwicka provides in-depth
discussion of sasaeng fans, excessively obsessed South Korean fans who enter
idols’ houses, steal their possessions, take photos, leave letters written with blood,
and chase after idols’ cars.32
Kimura Takuya of SMAP has often said that he is public property.33 As public
property in East Asian celebrity culture, if the celebrity is dating or getting
married, fans are entitled to a refund. There is always uproar by fans following a
marriage announcement. The youthful shōnen image that they have built from their
adolescence is supposedly free from sexual connotations. As a result idol-fan
relationships are connected to availability and are highly complex. Takuya himself
married a fellow female Japanese idol in 2000. His marriage announcement also
included news of his girlfriend’s pregnancy. However, he never mentions his wife
or children in media interviews. With the exception of Takuya, all other Johnny’s
idols get married after they have passed the peak of their popularity. Their
marriage would not be announced by their agency. It is also never mentioned in
their biography on the Johnny & Associates official website. Usually, the celebrity
and their spouse will hold a press conference to announce the news to the media.
After the marriage, they also do not mention their marriage during events or
concerts to remain or at least to look like they are not involved in any romantic
relationship. The fans know about the marriages, but choose not to think about it.
The idols maintained a very private life outside work and their romantic
relationship is typically revealed by Japanese tabloids.
The Japanese tabloids in general rave about secret rendezvous of Johnny’s idols
with their female love interests or Johnny’s idols who attend gōkōn (group blind
dates). There is disparity between how Johnny’s idols are being represented in the
Japanese media and how they really live. Johnny’s idols are expected to remain (or
seem to remain) single and available for fan fantasies. However, it is not only
exclusive to Johnny’s idols to have a scandal-free image in Japan. The most
extreme case in Japan’s idol scene was when AKB48’s Minami Minegishi shaved
her head to apologise to fans when the news of her dating another celebrity leaked
in January 2013. Head-shaving symbolises an act of penance in Japanese culture.
Still, her acts caused much stir as it was uploaded to AKB48’s official YouTube

31 Lori Hitchcock Morimoto, ‘Trans-Cult-Ural Fandom: Desire, Technology and the

Transformation of Fan Subjectivities in the Japanese Female Fandom of Hong Kong Stars,’
Transformative Works and Cultures 14 (2013): np, viewed 30 January 2015,
http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/494/399.
32 Renata Iwicka, ‘Every Breath You Take: Sasaeng Fans,’ this volume.
33 Patrick W. Galbraith and Jason G. Karlin, eds., ‘Introduction,’ The Mirror of Idols and

Celebrity (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), 1-32.

 Aliah Mansor 27
__________________________________________________________________
channel where she apologised to her fans. It is rumoured among the AKB48 online
fan communities that Minegishi’s action was suggested by her management.
The most intense reactions following marriage scandals for Johnny’s idols was
Jin Akanishi’s marriage in February 2012. His marriage scandal is an indication of
how tightly Johnny & Associates management controls their image. Jin Akanishi
married a fellow Japanese actress in 2012. However, he failed to notify Johnny &
Associates and Kitagawa about his marriage. Akanishi was punished by the
agency, which cancelled his United States music activities and Japanese tour. He
resumed his activities in August 2013, however eventually left Johnny &
Associates in March 2014, when his contract ended.
In Japan’s entertainment industry, idols are regarded as someone who sells a
dream. As dream sellers, Johnny’s idols are linked to this imaginary commodity by
the desiring female fan audience’s consumption. The following further illustrate
how the intensity of Johnny’s idol-fan relationships formed. Firstly, one of the fans
asked one of the idols, Yuya Takaki of Hey! Say! JUMP in the JOHNNYS’ World
documentary how he regarded his fans to be: his response was ‘as my girlfriend’.
Johnny’s idols always have pet names for their fans and the names are only known
among the fan’s circle. For instance, Subaru Shibutani has named Kanjani Eight
fans as eighter although this is not to be mistaken with the official Johnny’s idols
fan club, Johnny’s Family Club. Likewise, Junta Nakama of Johnnys’ WEST often
writes to an imaginary fan named JasMine on his blog on Johnny’s Web (Jweb),
Johnny’s mobile site.
In idol magazines such as duet and Wink Up, as well as television interviews,
Johnny’s idols are often asked questions such as their type of women, ideal dates
and questions to show their romantic side. On television programmes and concerts,
Kazunari Ninomiya of Arashi often flashes flirty winks to appeal to the female
audience. Although the majority of Johnny’s idols songs are based on love themes,
each group has at least one serenade song often dedicated to their fans such as
Hey! Say! JUMP’s Romeo and Juliet.

4. Conclusion
This chapter has explained how celebrity persona is consumed by fans in the
context of Japanese Johnny & Associates. It traced the career of Johnny Kitagawa
and Johnny & Associates’ star system, and identified the multi-persona of Johnny’s
idols and tensions that the idols experience to stay real with what the management
imply and expect from them. The final section discussed Johnny’s idols as female
fan fantasy, along with the complex relationship between the idols and their fans.
One of the more significant findings to emerge from this chapter is how the
tightly managed commercial agency carefully constructed and manufactured the
image of its idols as an important marketing device. This highly constructed image
is to encourage the fans’ consumer demand and consumption of their product.
28 Johnny’s Idol
__________________________________________________________________
They commodify elements of youth (shōnen), and real-self authenticity to further
capitalise on the emotional intimacy between fans and the idols.

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30 Johnny’s Idol
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Appendix

Interview Guiding Questions

1. General background question. Tell me a bit about yourself. How old are you?
What is your gender? What is your current occupation?

2. Tell me your Johnny’s story. How do you fall into Johnny’s fandom? Why are
you still a Johnny’s fan? Feel free to be as detailed as you want.

3. In your journal, you talked about why [favourite idol] from [idol group] is your
favourite. Can you elaborate more on that?

4. Tell me about a typical day in Johnny’s fandom for you. Are there places in the
Internet you go/things you watch/people you talk frequently that are to do with
being a fan of Johnny’s

5. What do you get out of being a fan of Johnny’s idols? There are plenty of
reasons to like them but are there any benefits from being a Johnny’s fan for you?
To what extent do your idol(s) influence your everyday life? Can you tell me more
about that?

6. You translate/subbing video/write fan-fiction/share video/ information. What

make you interested in doing this?

7. You bought CD/DVD/magazines/re-sell Johnny’s merchandise? Why do you do

that? How much have you spent? What benefits do you get from collecting these
items?

8. In your journal, you share about meeting other Johnny’s fans? What make you
interested in doing this? Why do you like meeting them?
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