Smile Up President Noriyuki Higashiyama Steps Down
The agency handling compensation for Kitagawa's victims is handing its presidency to its compliance lawyer, a signal the remaining work is legal and administrative rather than managerial.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Smile Up announced Monday that President and Representative Director Noriyuki Higashiyama and Managing Director Akira Abe will step down when their terms expire on October 1. Lawyer Masayuki Yamada, currently an executive in charge of compliance, becomes President and Representative Director, with Takayuki Jin as Managing Director. The board cited anticipated legal procedures and decisions. Smile Up continues handling compensation for victims of late founder Johnny Kitagawa, and will shut down once those measures finish.
Both exits take effect October 1, when the terms of Higashiyama and Managing Director Akira Abe expire. Masayuki Yamada, a lawyer now serving as an executive in charge of compliance, takes over as President and Representative Director; Takayuki Jin becomes Managing Director.
The board said the restructuring is appropriate given legal procedures and decisions it expects to face. The company still handles compensation for victims of late founder Johnny Kitagawa, a process that began in November 2023, and it plans to shut down once that work is complete.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News Smile Up President Noriyuki Higashiyama Steps Down