Smile Up President Noriyuki Higashiyama Steps Down
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.