Johnny & Associates

Johnny & Associates, Inc. was a Japanese talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962, which managed groups of male idols known as Johnny's. The company had a significant impact on pop culture with male idols and boy bands in Japan since the 1980s. Until 2019, the company was known for its strict policies regarding music distribution abroad and its strict control over the right of publicity to using the likeness of idols under its management.

In the wake of continuing child sexual abuse cases directed against Kitagawa, who died in 2019, his niece, , stepped down as president in September 2023. On October 2, 2023, Johnny & Associates announced that they would be splitting into two entities: The existing company would be rebranded to Smile-Up, a firm focused on reparations for Kitagawa's sexual abuse cases, and Starto Entertainment, a talent agency managing the acts that had been managed under Johnny & Associates.