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Johnny & Associates

Johnny & Associates, Inc. (株式会社ジャニーズ事務所) was a Japanese talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962, which managed groups of male idols known as Johnny's (ジャニーズ)  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 sexual abuse allegations directed against Kitagawa, who died in 2019, his niece, Julie Keiko Fujishima, stepped down as president in September 2023. On October 2, 2023, Johnny & Associates announced that they would be splitting into two entities: 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.

1962–1989
In 1962, Kitagawa launched his first group, Johnnys. In its early days, Kitagawa's agency rented an office space owned by Watanabe Productions, operating under its management as well. Six years later, Four Leaves, a boy band created by the agency, became successful. Four Leaves left a lasting legacy to the industry because it was produced as a "Group sounds band that does not play instruments", a product of Kitagawa's taste for emphasizing the attributes, personality and physical abilities of a performer. Kitagawa formed a number of other successful acts, such as Masahiko Kondō, whose song "Orokamono" (愚か者), won the 1987 Japan Record Award, and Hikaru Genji, the first Johnny group with three singles on the Japanese Oricon yearly chart in 1988.

Johnny & Associates played an integral role in the post-war growth of Japanese boy bands and the idol industry. While there were idols since the 1970s who were able to sing and dance at the same time, the agency popularized the idea of performance-oriented idols in the 1980s. Kitagawa himself was credited with pioneering the idol system where trainees (known as Johnny Jr.) are admitted into the agency at a young age to train in singing, dancing, and acting until their debut.

1990–2009
Around the 1990s, Johnny & Associates' marketing strategy changed to include variety show hosting as a specialty in their talents. At the time, the agency focused on marketing the singing and dancing talents of their acts until they would retire around age 25 as they aged out of the industry. Taking note of former Shibugakitai member Hirohide Yakumaru's success as an MC on Hanamaru, Johnny & Associates subsequently trained their more recent groups to have public personas as well.

During the 1990s Johnny & Associates began declining nominations from the Japan Record Awards and the Japan Academy Awards, partly due to a dispute about the musical genre of one of their groups at the 32nd Japan Record Awards. Another reason cited was that the nominations would engender competition among Johnny groups and with other nominees.

In 1997 the agency founded a record label, Johnny's Entertainment. Also, a New Year's Eve countdown concert is held live on Fuji TV from the Tokyo Dome since 1996 known as Johnny's Countdown Live with a different theme each year.

In 2006, Oricon sued journalist Hiro Ugaya when he was quoted in a Cyzo magazine article suggesting that the company manipulated its statistics to benefit certain management companies and labels (specifically, Johnny & Associates). Ugaya condemned the action as a strategic lawsuit against public participation, and it was later dropped by Oricon with no charges filed against the journalist.

In 2007, a temporary Johnny's Jr. group, Hey! Say! 7, broke a record as the youngest male group to ever top Oricon charts, with an average age of 14.8 years. Later that year, Hey! Say! JUMP broke a record as the largest group to debut in Johnny's history, with ten members.

By 2008, Johnny & Associates was known as the "top 3" recording artist companies.

2010–2023
On November 19, 2010, Masahiko Kondo received the Best Vocal Performance award at the 52nd Japan Record Awards; Kondo was the first Johnny recipient since Ninja refused to perform live at the 1990 awards.

On September 18, 2011, Kitagawa received Guinness World Record awards for the most number-one singles (232) and the most concerts (8,419 from 1974 to 2010) produced by an individual. His shows have been attended by an estimated 48,234,550 people.

In 2016, SMAP, which had been active for 30 years and was called a nationally popular group, suddenly broke up. The reason was said to be a feud between the female manager Michi Iijima in charge and Mary Yasuko Fujishima, who was an executive at the office, a sister of Johnny Kitagawa. Iijima later established a new company, and the three members who left the office belonged to her company.

In 2018, Johnny & Associates, especially Kitagawa, who had been previously known for strictly controlling access to their acts, established a YouTube channel for their trainee groups, Johnny's Jr. In January 2019, Hideaki Takizawa was named the president of a new subdivision of the company called Johnny's Island, where he would manage and oversee the debut of trainee group Snow Man. After Kitagawa's death on July 9, 2019, his niece, Julie Keiko Fujishima was made the new president of the agency, while Takizawa and Suguru Shirahase became the vice presidents and Kitagawa's older sister, Mary Yasuko Fujishima, became the executive director. However, Mary Yasuko Fujishima died on August 14, 2021.

After that, Johnny & Associates made their discography available on streaming platforms and opened social media accounts. On November 1, 2022, Takizawa resigned from his position as vice president and departed from Johnny & Associates. Yoshihiko Inohara, a former member of V6, replaced Takizawa as vice president.

On 4 September 2023 it was announced that Julie Fujishima would step down as president of the company and Noriyuki Higashiyama would become president.

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

Starto Entertainment, which takes the place of the entertainment side of Johnny's, started activities in April 2024, with an all-agency concert series, with Arashi's Jun Matsumoto and Super Eight's Tadayoshi Okura as co-directors. Groups Timelesz, Super Eight and West. performed before their fans soon after their respective name change. Under the name of "We are! Let's get the party STARTO!!", the concert series took place over three days, in Tokyo Dome on April 10 and at Kyocera Dome Osaka on May 29 and 30, with appearances of NEWS, Super Eight, KAT-TUN, Hey! Say! JUMP, Kis-My-Ft2, Timelesz, A.B.C-Z, WEST., King & Prince, SixTones, Snow Man, Naniwa Danshi and Travis Japan.

J-Friends
In 1998, Johnny's groups KinKi Kids, V6 and Tokio, formed a special charity-oriented group called J-Friends, to raise funds for the 1995 Hanshin and Awaji earthquake victims. The group continued with several activities, until their disbandment in 2003.

Marching J
The agency continued its fundraising project, now with Marching J, for the Tōhoku earthquake victims in 2011. Its first event was held on April 1–3. Hey! Say! JUMP, SMAP, Tokio, KinKi Kids, V6, Arashi, Tackey and Tsubasa, NEWS, Kanjani8, KAT-TUN and Johnny's Juniors participated in the fundraiser, which included talk sessions and a cappella performances. The agency planned to hold one fundraiser per month for a year. The next event, a baseball tournament featuring Johnny's Jrs., was held on May 29. Johnny & Associates cancelled or postponed 18 concerts, including shows by Tomohisa Yamashita and Tackey & Tsubasa. Generators, trucks and 2000 L of gasoline which would have been used at the concerts were donated to the relief effort.

Smile-Up Project
Charity activities continued as Johnny's "Smile Up! Project". On May 13, 2020, it was reported that 76 of Johnny's artists from 15 groups, including V6, Arashi, News and others, would be included in the temporary unit "Twenty Twenty", as part of Johnny's charity project with support activity to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This group sang the song "Smile", written by Mr. Children's Kazutoshi Sakurai,   which was released as a single in digital form on June 22, and on CD on August 12. Yuya Tegoshi was taken off the grouping, due to reports of his failing to keep orders to stay at home during the emergency situation in April. Later on, it was revealed that his contract had been terminated, and that he had left the company.

Activities continued on the end-of-year period with a new awareness campaign against COVID-19 and the flu, starting on November 24. "Aitsu", the new project, revolves around a series of movies continuing the health measure awareness used from the beginning of the pandemic, like the correct form of washing hands, the continuous use of a mask, among others. The movies were distributed around Japan and were included in the Smile Up! Project's social network accounts.

Even in the middle of the turmoil surrounding the agency, as Smile Up, they posted a new charity event to help out the people affected in the Noto Peninsula earthquake that happened as 2024 rolled in. On January 4, the company announced through its official website that it would set up donation boxes at concert and theater performance venues where its artists would perform, and its XXXXX Pop Up Stores in Shibuya, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka, in order to support the victims. "By conducting this fundraising campaign as part of "Smile Up! Project", we aim to provide continued support. The entire SMILE-UP Group sincerely prays for the earliest possible recovery and reconstruction so that everyone affected by the disaster can return to their normal lives." One day later, they also posted information on the donation of 50 million yen to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund.

Charity activities as Starto
Starto Entertainment continued the charity projects as part of their 2024 activities, with the single "We are", sung by the special unit "STARTO for you", formed by 75 members of 14 groups. The single was released in digital form on April 10, and as CD on June 12, with sales of the single going to Noto Earthquake relief funds. Additional information is expected to be released at a later date.

As of June 5, 2024, the "Smile-Up Project" is no longer, being reborn under the name "Mindful", for which a new company has been established. General Incorporated Association "Mindful" will take over the charity activities, as well as other social contribution activities, like mental health care (which includes the support for sexual assault victims), enrollment support for higher education students in the Nursing field, and others.

Accessibility to talents
The business model of Johnny & Associates has an agency at the center in most areas in which it operates; the company has had its own recording, publishing, producing, filmmaking, merchandising, and advertising arms, a vertical integration that parallels Japanese system, and for most of its history transmitted information directly to fans exclusively through the Family Club, a tightly controlled, membership-based platform on which its artists and their fans can communicate and share information with each other. During the 20th century, the F.C. was largely maintained through mail and fax.

Johnny & Associates has exercised strict control over their talent's likeness, to the point where photographs were initially not even posted on the company's official website and silhouettes were used in place of actual imagery on official websites of films and television in which the talent appeared. The agency began changing their stance on posting photos of their talent on different sites around 2007, with the agency, as well as the fans, keeping a vigilant watch on what was shared, with the latter alerting people against doing it because of the possible consequences. Official events, such as the naming of Hideaki Takizawa as "Japan-UAE Goodwill Ambassador" in 2017, saw full view photographs shared online, while the agency's paid subscription services, like Johnny's Web, shared digital content in limited quantities. While some of the initial "photos" were life-like drawings or paintings, a small amount of authentic photos where being shared by some drama and other TV program websites, with the usage permit for these being cleared, as in the case of SMAP's Goro Inagaki's drama, for example. Even singer Hikaru Utada felt the pressure of Johnny's policy about their artists' photos, when she deleted a photo of an uchiwa fan with the face of Arashi's Sho Sakurai that she had posted on her blog, substituting it with a hand-drawn teddy bear and a written message, and later, with a hand-drawn version of the fan. Apparently, one of the events that started the movement to freeing the images of Johnny's idols online, was NHK's 2009 Kōhaku Uta Gassen, as the agency reached an agreement with the network to air the program in a paid on demand format.

In January 2018, Johnny & Associates lifted their photo ban completely and allowed the press to post approved images of their talent more freely. In March 2018, Johnny & Associates launched a YouTube channel for selected Johnny's Jr. groups. Since Kitagawa's death in 2019, Johnny & Associates have expanded accessibility for their talent. This includes the opening of an official Twitter account for itself (which shares information about Johnny's talent, mostly in English), as well as different social media accounts for the artists.

Original allegations and 2001 lawsuit
Several former acts from Johnny & Associates, including former Four Leaves member Koji Kita in 1988 and former Johnny Jr.'s member Junya Hiramoto in 1996, alleged that Johnny Kitagawa had been sexually abusing several boys at the agency in their books. In 2001, Shūkan Bunshun ran a series of similar sexual harassment allegations along with claims that Kitagawa had allegedly forced the boys to drink alcohol and smoke. Johnny & Associates sued Shukan Bunshun for defamation, and in 2002, the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of Kitagawa, awarding him ¥8.8 million in damages. In 2003, the fine was lowered to ¥1.2 million on the basis that the drinking and smoking allegations were defamatory, while the sexual harassment claims were not. Kitagawa filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Japan. It was rejected in 2004. The case saw minimal coverage in Japan, with many journalists attributing it to Kitagawa's influence on Japanese mass media.

2023 BBC documentary and new claims
On March 7, 2023, the BBC released a documentary centered on the sexual harassment claims against Kitagawa titled Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop. In response, Johnny & Associates released a statement stating that they were working on creating "transparent organizational structures" that will be announced later in the year. Due to the release of the documentary, reports from books and magazines dated back to the 1960s began to surface, with the first report appearing in Weekly Sankei's 29 March 1965 issue.

On April 12, 2023, musician and former Johnny's Jr. member Kauan Okamoto claimed Kitagawa had abused him since he was 15, and that he was not the only victim. As a response, Johnny & Associates stated they were working on transparency from within company and were working with their affiliates, to ensure thorough compliance with laws and strengthen organizational governance. The presidents of television networks Fuji TV, NHK, TV Asahi, and Nippon TV all stated in press conferences that they did not tolerate any kind of sexual violence and were conducting internal investigations. The networks continued to work with talent from Johnny & Associates.

On May 14, 2023, Johnny Kitagawa's niece and company head Julie Keiko Fujishima issued an apology to all talent who had been allegedly sexually abused by Kitagawa and claimed not knowing any other information. She stated was committed to implementing measures addressing the victim's needs. In the following days, more victims came out stating Kitagawa abused the, including former Johnny's Jr. Yasushi Hashida and former Kis-My-Ft2 member Kyohei Iida, the latter of whom stated he left his group due to being repeatedly sexually assaulted.

As of 2 October 2023, 478 people reportely have claimed to have been victimized by Kitagawa and 325 of them sought compensation. Only 150 have been confirmed to have belonged in the company. Updated numbers as of 16 February, mention 957 claimants, 282 notified the details of compensation, 246 have accepted the details, and 201 have been paid. An independent probe established by Johnny & Associates reported the findings of their investigation on August 29, 2023, saying that Kitagawa repeatedly committed sexual abuse from the early 1970s until the mid-2010s. Johnny & Associates held a press conference on September 7 to formally acknowledge Kitagawa's abuse for the first time, while Fujishima resigned as CEO to assume the position as a representative director. Former Johnny's talent Noriyuki Higashiyama took over as CEO. As a response to the investigation's findings, several companies cancelled their contracts with entertainers from Johnny & Associates, including Tokio Marine Nichido, Asahi Group, and Japan Airlines.

Broadcaster response
This led to a particularly divided response among the broadcasters.

NHK
On 8 September, 2023, NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster, said in a statement that they took the matter seriously, and that they would "work harder to ensure that human rights are more respected in the broadcasting industry" when it comes to using performers who best fit program content and production. The public broadcaster added that it did not fully acknowledge the sexual abuse matter despite various weekly magazine articles about the allegations and a Tokyo High Court ruling in 2004. A few weeks later, NHK announced that it would suspend new contracts with Johnny's performers–including for their annual New Year's Eve television special Kōhaku Uta Gassen–until the company has implemented compensation and recurrence prevention measures. On November 15, one of the major changes in programming was announced after a press conference. Hiroo Yamana, NHK's Media Director General, announced that "The Shōnen Club," a long-running program that has continued since 2000 and mainly features trainees from Johnny's, has been renewed with a new title and the inclusion of talent from other agencies. "The Shōnen Club Premium" was also renamed and its content was revised. These programs had been on the air since December, but it was announced that they would be terminated at the end of March 2024. In February 2024, the company announced a strict policy of terminating the appearance of talents formerly affiliated with Johnny & Associates on its programs and not allowing them to appear on new programs after FY2024.

Commercial broadcasters
On the other hand, the four commercial broadcasters with numerous regular programs are taking a flexible stance, allowing the talent to continue appearing on their programs while keeping a close eye on the response from their offices.

Fuji Television
On September 7, 2023, Fuji Television Hideaki Tatematsu, head of the programming and production bureau, responded, “There was no problem with the talent on the program, so we will continue to cast the talent as before. At a regular press conference on September 29, President Koichi Minato stated that sexual assault is unacceptable and asked the company to consider changing the name of the company and separating the company in charge of victim relief from the company in charge of managing the talent. Regarding the future use of the talent belonging to the company in programs, President Minato said, “We will make an appropriate decision while confirming that measures for victims are being steadily implemented. At a regular press conference on February 16, 2024, Toru Ota, the managing director, said, "We have heard that compensation for victims is progressing and that the new company, Starto Entertainment, will officially begin operations in April. For our part, we are willing to cast new talent from the former Johnny's if the compensation issue is progressing".

TBS Television
20 September, 2023, TBS Television (Japan) President Takashi Sasaki stated, “We will continue to closely monitor trends in the improvement of the human rights environment (on the part of Johnny & Associates),” and added, “In the meantime, there will be no change in the current contracted talent who are performing in the future. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, ” he said. Regarding future appointments, he said, “We will make an appropriate decision while keeping a close eye on how the Johnny's will improve human rights and how it will make steady progress in this area. On March 5, 2024, they held a briefing for the press on the April programming lineup and said that it would “continue to solemnly continue” the use of talent belonging to Smile-Up. (formerly Johnny & Associates).

TV Asahi
On September 26, 2023, Hiroshi Shinozuka, president of TV Asahi, announced that he had asked the office to consider changing the company name, compensate the victims, and take thorough measures to prevent recurrence. He also stated that he did not believe that there was any problem with the talent himself regarding his appearance on the program, and explained that there would be no change in the policy of making a comprehensive judgment based on the program's planned content. On March 8, 2024, a briefing on the April reorganization was held, at which Director General Akihiro Okukawa and General Manager Taichi Kono of the Content Organization Bureau took the stage. They said, "We are not aware of any problems with the talent, so we will continue to make a comprehensive judgment based on the content of the project as we have in the past. I believe that Smile-Up. is in charge of compensating the victims, but I would like to ask that you continue to proceed with this matter in good faith and as quickly as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and continue our dialogue with the office".

Nippon TV
On September 25, 2023, Nippon TV president Akira Ishizawa announced that the company had made a verbal request to Johnny's to change the name of the company and reform the organization. He also made a request in writing for the implementation of measures to prevent recurrence and to create an environment that facilitates the activities of the talents belonging to the company, claiming that relief measures for victims are inadequate. At a press conference on November 27, President Ishizawa revealed that regarding the policy of appointing talents to programs, Executive Director Hiroyuki Fukuda expressed his basic opinion, "We will reconsider once we confirm the progress of the case and the response of the other party, but we will not make any new casting or booking in the absence of such a confirmation". On the other hand, regarding the continued use, he said, seeking understanding, “We have also confirmed that Smile-Up is making progress in dealing with the victims. We may have a different way of thinking than NHK.” At the regular press conference on April 22, 2024, President Akira Ishizawa explained that he is continuing dialogue with both Smile-Up and Starto Entertainment. He said that CEO Atsushi Fukuda visited Nippon TV December of the previous year. He then stated that he was aware that the production site had entered the stage of considering new appointments of talents after receiving reports that the situation was progressing steadily.

Establishment of the Victim Relief Committee
On 13 September 2023 was announced on the official site the establishment of the Victim Relief Committee & compensation reception desk. The Victim Relief Committee will be entrusted with determining the amount of compensation based on the contents of the declarations made by the victims, as said on the announcement. The committee is composed of three lawyers with no ties to Johnny's Office, nor to the victims seeking compensation. On 2 October, an external Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) will be appointed to formulate and implement basic policies on human rights and develop internal rules. According to the site, the agency plans to announce more specific measures based on the recommendations of the Special Team for Recurrence Prevention. In addition, the agency promised to not receive remuneration for the talent's program and commercial advertisement appearances for one year, with all income going directly to the artist.

BBC follow-up program
A follow-up program by the BBC aired in 2024, called "Our World: The Shadow of a Predator". On April 25, Smile Up sent the BBC a letter protesting the edition of Higashiyama's words in the interview included in the program, as well as demanding a correction and apology for the problems caused by it to both Higashiyama and the victims who agreed to be interviewed. On May 3, 2024, the BBC refuted Smile-up's claims via X.

Media blacklisting investigation
For years, Johnny & Associates has been suspected of having connections with the mass media to produce extensive and favorable coverage on the company, its acts, and Kitagawa, while reducing coverage on anything perceived to be a threat to their image and sales. An example noted by journalists mention that Kitagawa would threaten to withdraw his talent from certain music programs and channels if they provide unfavorable coverage or invite competing boy bands from other agencies.

On July 18, 2019, Johnny & Associates was investigated by the Fair Trading Commission for potentially violating the Anti-Monopoly Act due to accusations of pressuring the media to reduce coverage on Atarashii Chizu, a group made up of former SMAP members Shingo Katori, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Goro Inagaki. Despite lack of hard evidence, Johnny & Associates received a warning.

Press conference reporter blacklisting
On October 2, 2023, during a press conference addressing sexual assault allegations Johnny & Associates staff were videorecorded holding documents with lists labelled "NG (no good) Reporters," with at least 6 portrait photos and their corresponding seat numbers. According to the NHK the documents were brought in by FTI Consulting, a United States-based consulting company hired by Johnny & Associates to manage the press conference, to blacklist specific media reporters. During the conference each media outlet was allowed one question after being picked by the moderator.

On October 4, 2023, Johnny & Associates denied involvement, stating "No one from our company has seen anything." Inohara on seeing the blacklist during a rehearsal meeting between Johnny & Associates and FTI Consulting staff reportedly pushed back, saying "What does this mean? It's no good if we don't call on everyone." On October 5, 2023, Johnny & Associates issued a press release stating a media blacklist was never produced nor requested by their staff. When asked to issue an apology FTI Consulting allegedly countered that they can only do so once it is cleared by their main office in the US.

On October 5, 2023, FTI Consulting admitted the existence of the 'blacklist' as well as a candidate list of "preferable" reporters. According to the firm the lists were given to the conference moderator. Mutual concerns over reporters who could spend long periods of time talking about their own opinions, or ask thoughtless questions (or remarks) that could be unnecessarily stressful, painful, and/or uncomfortable to the victims who are watching the conference was given as a reason to create the blacklist. Contradicting Johnny & Associates' claims FTI stated both parties confirmed their policy on conducting the press conference.

The press conference attracted criticism from journalists, broadcasters, and politicians at a time when Johnny & Associates was attempting to mend its public image and relationship with the media. Arc Times editor Toshihiko Ogata who was attending commented "As expected, it was a rigged press conference. We also got ahold of this list and are waiting for a formal response. I think it's amazing that the NHK was able to capture that footage." Shūkan Bunshun journalist Ryūtarō Nakamura commented "This is a total out. With this it's obvious that their unscrupulous ways haven't changed. 'We didn't know' or 'a third-party was responsible' is not valid.

At the September 7 press conference attended by Noriyuki Higashiyama, Yoshihiko Inohara, and former president Julie Keiko Fujishima attracted a great deal of public attention and was broadcast live on almost all television stations in the afternoon. The total household viewership of NHK and four commercial broadcasters in the Kanto region, where the press conference was broadcast, exceeded 20%. At this high-profile press conference, Tokyo Shimbun reporter Isoko Mochizuki, who is said to have been on the blacklist, persistently asked Noriyuki Higashiyama if he himself had been victims of sexual assault.

Sociologist Noritoshi Furuichi complained about the question, saying that this was an act of outing in public and an extremely ugly comment based on onlookers' guts that could lead to second rape. Furuichi also criticized the Tokyo Shimbun, saying that if the newspaper is supposed to be a media outlet that respects human rights, but is allowed to violate the human rights of individuals for the sake of the greater good as “that's what reporters do,” then it is no different from the Japanese media during World War II.

Company renaming
Several Japanese news outlets reported on October 1, 2023 that Johnny & Associates was considering creating a new company to manage its performers, while the current Johnny & Associates would change its name and continue to exist for the purpose of compensating abuse victims. It was also reported that Noriyuki Higashiyama, who became the head of Johnny & Associates after the resignation of Julie K. Fujishima, was also expected to head the new company. On October 2, Johnny & Associates held a press conference to outline their plans, announcing that they would be renaming the current company to Smile Up–taking a name that they had used in their 2020 charity project–effective October 17. Smile Up will continue to exist under the ownership of Fujishima and will eventually close down once all sexual abuse compensation requests, which numbered 325 at the time of the announcement, have been processed. On November 22, 2023 the company began to compensate the first 35 victims of the sexual harassment scandal while Smile-Up! received reports from 834 people until November 22, 2023 claiming to be harassed by Kitagawa.

Higashiyama told reporters that performers working under the new, yet-to-be-named management company "will have the freedom to pursue their own career paths without being restricted or entirely dependent on the company." It was also announced that anything bearing the name "Johnny", such as related companies and company sections like Johnny's Island and J-Storm and performing groups such as Johnny's West and Kanjani Eight, would undergo changes to remove any trace of the Johnny's name. Higashiyama said that "all things with the Johnny's name will have to go," while Fujishima, who did not attend the October 2 press conference, said that she wanted to "erase all that remains of Johnny from this world."

It was revealed on December 8, 2023, that the new artist management company would be called "Starto Entertainment", a name fusing the word "star" and the hiragana と (to), with the meaning for the latter to be "toward the future". The name of the new company was decided after reviewing 140,156 fan applications. As said previously, Higashiyama was to replace Fujishima in both the new artist management company, as well as in the presidency of the original, but Higashiyama declined the role in the new one. Atsushi Fukuda, president of a consulting company, will be appointed as president of Starto.

Trainees
Trainees under the former company name of Johnny & Associates were known as Johnny's Jr. and have traditionally performed on Johnny's related variety shows and as backup dancers for the agency's groups. However, in recent years select Junior groups have taken on levels of visibility akin to mainstream senior acts, including national commercial sponsorships, solo concerts, national tours, and starring film and television roles.

Notable trainees

 * HiHi Jets (ja) - formed 2015
 * Bi Shonen (美 少年) - formed 2016
 * 7 Men Samurai - formed 2018
 * Shonen Ninja (少年忍者) - formed 2018
 * SpeciaL (ja) - formed 2018
 * Go!Go!Kids (ja)- formed 2022
 * Lil Kansai (Lil かんさい) - formed 2019
 * Boys be (ja) - formed 2020
 * AmBitious (ja)- formed 2021

Former recording artists

 * Johnnys (1962–1967)
 * Hiromi Maie (1962–?)
 * Osami Iino (1962–1968)
 * Ryo Nakatani (1962–?)
 * Teruhiko Aoi (1962–1967)
 * Four Leaves (1968–1976)
 * Kōji Kita (1966–1989)
 * Takashi Aoyama (1966–1978)
 * Toshio Egi (1966–?)
 * Masao Orimo (1966–?)
 * Eiji Nagata (1966–1977)
 * Hiromi Go (1971–1975)
 * Teruyoshi Aoi (1973–1976)
 * Jo Toyokawa (1975–1979)
 * Little Gang (1975–1976)
 * Mayo Kawasaki (1976–1989)
 * Masahiko Kondō (1977–2021)
 * Toshihiko Tahara (1979–1994)
 * Ippei Hikaru (1980–1985)
 * Shibugakitai (1982–1988)
 * Hirohide Yakumaru
 * Toshikazu Fukawa
 * Masahiro Motoki
 * Shigeyuki Nakamura (1982–1993)
 * The Good-Bye (1983–1990)
 * Hikaru Genji (1987–1995)
 * Mikio Ôsawa (1982–1994)
 * Kazumi Morohoshi (1984–1994)
 * Hiroyuki Satō (1983–1994)
 * Junichi Yamamoto (1986–2002)
 * Akira Akasaka (1987–2007)
 * SMAP (1990-2016)
 * Katsuyuki Mori (1987–1996)
 * Goro Inagaki (1987–2016)
 * Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (1987–2016)
 * Shingo Katori (1988–2016)
 * Masahiro Nakai (1986–2020)
 * Otokogumi (1988–1993)
 * Shoji Narita
 * Kazuya Takahashi
 * Koyo Maeda
 * Ninja (1990–1997)
 * TOKIO
 * Hiromu Kojima (1990–1994)
 * Tatsuya Yamaguchi (1989–2018)
 * Tomoya Nagase (1992–2021)
 * V6 (1995–2021)
 * Coming Century (1995–2021)
 * Go Morita (1995–2021)
 * Ken Miyake (1993–2023)
 * Junichi Okada (1995-2023)
 * Tackey & Tsubasa (2002–2018)
 * Tsubasa Imai (1995–2018)
 * Hideaki Takizawa (1995–2022)
 * NEWS
 * Hironori Kusano (2001–2008)
 * Takahiro Moriuchi (2001–2003)
 * Yuya Tegoshi (2003–2020)
 * Tomohisa Yamashita (1996–2020)
 * KAT-TUN
 * Koki Tanaka (1998–2013)
 * Jin Akanishi (1998–2014)
 * Junnosuke Taguchi (1999–2016)
 * Hey! Say! JUMP
 * Ryutaro Morimoto (2004–2011)
 * Kanjani Eight
 * Ryo Nishikido (2004–2019)
 * Subaru Shibutani (2004–2018)
 * Tegomass (2006–2020)
 * Sexy Zone
 * Marius Yo (2011–2022)
 * Kento Nakajima (2008-2024)
 * King & Prince
 * Genki Iwahashi (2010–2021)
 * Sho Hirano (2012–2023)
 * Yuta Jinguji (2010–2023)
 * Yuta Kishi (2009–2023)
 * Kis-My-Ft2
 * Kyohei Iida (2001–2006)
 * Hiromitsu Kitayama (2002–2023)
 * Shonentai
 * Noriyuki Higashiyama (1979-2023)
 * Kazukiyo Nishikiori (1977-2020)
 * Katsuhide Uekusa (1980-2020)
 * A.B.C-Z
 * Fumito Kawai (entertainer) (1999-2023)

 * Project groups

 * Johnny's Junior Special (1975)
 * Tanokin Trio (1980–1983)
 * J-Friends (1998)
 * Secret Agent (2000)
 * MiMyCen (2001)
 * Ya-Ya-yah (2002)
 * Toraji Haiji (2005)
 * Shūji to Akira (2005)
 * GYM (2006)
 * Kisarazu Cats Eye feat. MCU (2006)
 * Trio the Shakiiin (2007)
 * Hey! Say! 7 (2007)
 * Matchy with Question (2008)
 * The Shigotonin (2009)
 * NYC boys (2009)
 * Snow Prince Gasshodan (2009)
 * Lands (2009)
 * Marching J (2011)
 * A.N. Jell (2011)
 * The Monsters (2012)
 * Hottake Band (2014)
 * Jigoku-zu (2016)
 * Kame to Yamapi (2017)
 * A.Y.T (2017)
 * Twenty Twenty (2020)
 * STARTO for you (2024)

Former actors

 * Nobuhiro Aoyama
 * Keiichi Miyoshi (1982–1991)
 * Mizuki Sano (1991–2019)
 * Kazunari Ninomiya (1996-2023)
 * Toma Ikuta (1996-2023)
 * Shunsuke Kazama (1997-2023)
 * Bunichi Hamanaka (1999-2023)
 * Jun Matsumoto (1996-2024)

Former entertainers

 * Tsuyoshi Domoto (1991-2024)

title: Johnny & Associates


text:
Fruitport

Fruitport may refer to the following places in the U.S. state of Michigan:

 * Fruitport Charter Township, Michigan
 * Fruitport, Michigan, a village within the township

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Fruitport


text:
Fruitvale

Fruitvale may refer to:

Canada

 * Fruitvale, British Columbia

New Zealand

 * Fruitvale Road railway station, Auckland

United States

 * Fruitvale, California (disambiguation), several places
 * Fruitvale, Fresno County, California
 * Fruitvale, Kern County, California
 * Fruitvale, Oakland, California
 * Fruitvale (BART station)
 * Fruitvale Oil Field, underneath Bakersfield, California
 * Fruitvale Bridge
 * Fruitvale, Colorado
 * Fruitvale, Idaho
 * Fruitvale, Tennessee
 * Fruitvale, Texas
 * Fruitvale, Washington

Other

 * Fruitvale (album), a 2007 album by American musician Sonny Smith
 * Fruitvale, original title of Fruitvale Station, a 2013 American independent drama film

title: Fruitvale


text:
Fruitville

Fruitville may refer to:

 * Fruitville, Florida
 * Fruitville, Minnesota
 * Fruitville, Missouri

title: Fruitville


text: User talk:128.250.6.244

title: User talk:128.250.6.244


text: Category:Swedish people by occupation

title: Category:Swedish people by occupation


text:
Galesville

Galesville or Galeville may refer to:

Education

 * United States
 * Galesville University, a defunct college in Wisconsin

Places

 * United States
 * Galeville, New York, unincorporated community in Onondaga County
 * Galeville Military Airport, nearby, defunct, now Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
 * Galesville, Illinois, unincorporated community
 * Galesville, Maryland, unincorporated community
 * Galesville, Wisconsin, city

title: Galesville


text:
Garden Acres

Garden Acres may refer to:

 * Garden Acres, California
 * Garden Acres, Indiana
 * Garden Acres, Texas

title: Garden Acres


text:
Charles Winnans Cox

Charles Winnans Cox (July 7, 1882 - March 28, 1958) was a politician and timber contractor in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the riding of Port Arthur from 1934 to 1943 and the riding of Fort William from 1948 to 1951. He was a member of Mitchell Hepburn's cabinet from 1936 to 1937. He also served as mayor of Port Arthur, Ontario from 1934 to 1948 and again in 1952.

Background
He was born on a farm in Westminster Township, Middlesex County, Ontario and worked as a farm and ranch hand near Nanton, Alberta. In about 1908 he moved to Port Arthur, Ontario. He became one of the largest timber contractors in the Thunder Bay region, then branched into general contracting.

Politics
He was elected as a councillor of Port Arthur in 1932, and became mayor in 1934. He served as mayor until 1948, being re-elected for 15 years.

A supporter of the Conservative Party while they were in power, he sought the Liberal nomination for Port Arthur riding for the June 1934 provincial election, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario with 58.9% of the votes cast. Liberal Premier Mitchell Hepburn named him to cabinet as a minister without portfolio in December 1936.

Any chances of remaining a cabinet minister vanished in February 1937 when one of his love affairs went sour, and a 32-year-old teacher threw acid at him, scarring his handsome face and impairing the sight in his left eye. The scandal did not hurt him locally, and he was re-elected in the October 1937 election, but not re-appointed to cabinet.

He was defeated as a Liberal candidate in the 1943 election, and as an Independent in the 1945 election.

Always an unpredictable and controversial figure, he astonished most observers by running and getting elected in the neighbouring riding of Fort William, Ontario in the 1948 election as a Liberal candidate. That same year, still the retiring mayor of Port Arthur, he brazenly ran for mayor of Fort William, but lost to Hubert Badanai.

He ran in the 1950 Ontario Liberal leadership convention, placing sixth with 24 votes. He was defeated in the 1951 election. His last political victory came in 1952 when he was again elected as mayor of Port Arthur.

The death of his wife in July 1953 marked the end of his political career. He died in March 1958, tending furnace in a building he owned. A reporter for the Port Arthur News-Chronicle observed at his death,

 * An astute if unruly mayor he was once described as a man always in or on the brink of a consummate rage. Under a robust growth of steely-gray hair, his corrugated features approximated those of a truculent bulldog. He had the self-assurance of a man used to victory at the polls and was given to taunting his opponents with a tongue like a flame-thrower. "I can be mayor of Port Arthur as long as I wish", he said not long before his voluntary retirement from that position. "Do you think any other mayor is talked about as much as I am."

title: Charles Winnans Cox


text:
Knocking on wood

Knocking on wood (also phrased touching wood or touch wood) is an apotropaic tradition of literally touching, tapping, or knocking on wood, or merely stating that one is doing or intending to do so, in order to avoid "tempting fate" after making a favorable prediction or boast, or a declaration concerning one's own death or another unfavorable situation.

Origin of use in the English language
There are connections between ancient spirituality and trees influencing fortune. In the pre-Christian beliefs of the Germanic peoples, for example, three Norns send fate up into the universe through a tree. Languages descended from these peoples include concepts such as "knock on wood", "touch wood" or "three times wood", although only the first two expressions are in the descended English language specifically. Meanwhile, the ancient Celtic peoples also believed that the act of touching wood called on spirits or gods of the trees. Christians tie the practice to the symbolism of the wood of the cross of crucifixion. Folklore researcher Steve Roud suggests that the widespread, modern use however derives from a form of tag called "Tiggy Touchwood" in which players are safe from being tagged if they are touching wood.

Similar traditions across the world

 * In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Serbia there is also the habit of knocking on wood when saying something positive or affirmative about someone or something and not wanting that to change. Frequently the movement of knocking on nearby wood is followed by da kucnem u drvo / да куцнем у дрво ("I will knock on wood"), or sometimes by da ne ureknem / да не урекнем ("I don't want to jinx it").
 * In Brazil and Portugal, bater na madeira ("knock on wood") is done physically; three knocks are required after giving an example of a bad thing eventually happening. No verbalization is required, just the three knocks on the closest piece or object of wood. In the absence of wood, someone can say bate na madeira, to prevent the bad thing to happen. People do not actually believe knocking three times on a piece of wood will really protect them, but it is a social habit and it is polite to do so to demonstrate that one doesn't want that bad thing one is talking about to actually happen.
 * In Bulgaria the superstition of "knock on wood" (чукам на дърво chukam na dǎrvo) is reserved for protection against the evil, and is not typically used for attracting good luck. Usually people engage in the practice in reaction to bad news, actual or merely imagined. In most cases the nearest wooden object is used (in some areas, however, tables are exempt); if there are no such objects within immediate reach, a common tongue-in-cheek practice is to knock on one's head. Knocking on wood is often followed by lightly pulling one's earlobe with the same hand. Common phrases to accompany the ritual are "God guard us" (Бог да ни пази Bog da ni pazi) and "may the Devil not hear" (да не чуе Дяволът da ne chue Djavolǎt).
 * In Denmark the saying is 7, 9, 13 / syv, ni, tretten (usually accompanied by knocking under a table), as these numbers have traditionally been associated with magic.
 * In Egypt, إمسك الخشب emsek el-khashab ("hold the wood") is said when mentioning either good luck one has had in the past or hopes one has for the future. When referring to past good luck the expression is usually used in hopes of the good thing continuing to occur via its spoken acknowledgment, as well as preventing envy.
 * In modern day England the expression "touch wood" is more commonly heard than "knock on wood".
 * In Georgia, a ხეზე დაკაკუნება kheze daḳaḳuneba ("knocking on wood") is performed when one mentions a bad possibility that could take place in future. Usually the person knocks three times. It is also done when one experiences a bad omen.
 * In Germany, one finds the expressions "knock on wood" and "three times wood" Dreimal Holz.
 * In Greece the saying χτύπα ξύλο chtýpa xýlo ("knock on wood") is said when hearing someone say something negative in order to prevent it from happening.
 * In Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, when someone is saying bad things, the one that hears it would knock on wood (or other suitable surface) and knock on their forehead while saying amit-amit or amit-amit jabang bayi (Indonesia), choi or tak cun tak cun (Malaysia).
 * In Iran,  when one says something good about something or somebody, they might knock on wood and say بزنم به تخته چشم نخوره bezan-am be taxteh, cheshm naxoreh ("[I] am knocking on wood to prevent [them]/it from being jinxed"). The evil eye and the concept of being jinxed are common phobias and superstitious beliefs in Iranian culture, and Iranians traditionally believe knocking on wood wards off evil spirits.
 * In Israel the saying b'lí 'áyin hará' ("without the evil eye") is said when someone mentions good things happening to themselves or someone else, or even when mentioning a valuable thing they own. This expression is a superstition that is used in the hope that a good thing will continue to occur even after it is mentioned, and as a way to prevent envy (hasad حسد) also known as the Evil Eye, as they believe that envy can harm other people. Ashkenazi Jews around the world use the Yiddish equivalent   keyn eyn hore (or a contracted form  kinehore), followed by imitating spitting three times, as in Assam and Russia.
 * In Italy, tocca ferro ("touch iron") is used, especially after seeing an undertaker or something related to death.
 * In Latin America, it is also tradition to physically knock a wooden object. A variant requires that the object does not have feet (tocar madera sin patas), which rules out chairs, tables and beds.
 * In Lebanon and Syria the saying دقّ عالخشب duqq ‘al-khashab ("knock on [the] wood") is said when hearing someone say something negative in order to prevent it from happening. It is also largely observed when saying something positive or affirmative about someone or something and not wanting that to change.
 * In North Macedonia, "knocking on wood" is a folk belief and people usually do that after someone says something bad to make sure nothing bad happens.
 * In Norway the saying is bank i bordet ("knock on the table"), which usually was made of wood.
 * In Poland, there is a habit of knocking on (unpainted) wood (which may be preceded by saying odpukać w niemalowane drewno; or simply odpukać; – literally meaning "to knock on unpainted wood") when saying something negative – to prevent it from happening – or, more rarely, something positive – in order not to "spoil it". In the Czech Republic, this is often accompanied for stronger effect by knocking on one's teeth, a piece of building stone, or metal, reasoning that these (as opposed to wood) survive even fire.
 * In Romania, there is also a superstition that one can avoid bad things aforementioned by literally knocking on wood (a bate în lemn). Wood tables are exempted. One of the possible reasons could be that there is a monastery practice to call people to pray by playing / knocking the simantron.
 * In Spain tocar madera and in France toucher du bois ("to touch wood") is something that you say when you want your luck or a good situation to continue, e.g. Ha ido bien toda la semana y, toco madera, seguirá bien el fin de semana ("It's been good all week and, touching wood, the weekend will stay good").
 * In Sweden, a common expression is "pepper, pepper, touch wood" (peppar, peppar, ta i trä), referring to throwing pepper over one's shoulder and touching a wooden object.
 * In Turkey, when someone hears about a bad experience someone else had, they may gently pull one earlobe, and knock on wood twice, which means "God save me from that thing".
 * In the United States in the eighteenth century, men used to knock on the wood stock of their muzzle-loading rifles to settle the black powder charge, ensuring the weapon would fire cleanly.
 * In Vietnam a common expression is "trộm vía". It is said when a speaker wants the good/positive aforementioned thing will continue, especially when saying some good things about a newborn because they believe if they did not say the words, negative things would happen later.
 * In Assam in Northeast India as well as in Russia, the expression "thu thu thu" – the onomatopoeic phrase to represent the sound of spitting – is used after making a favourable prediction or commenting on an ongoing favourable occurrence in order to deter misfortune befalling these favourable circumstances. Its use is similar to the use of the phrase "touchwood" in Western traditions.
 * In Russia, Estonia and Ukraine, "Постучать по дереву" ("to knock on wood") has the same meaning. There is also an expression "Тфу тфу тфу" ("Tfu Tfu Tfu") phrase to represent the sound of spitting similar with Assam in Northeast India. The difference, however, is that the person would have to "spit" with his head turned to the left shoulder which represents "spitting away" bad fortune because it is situated on the left (unstable) side of life.

title: Knocking on wood


text:
At Home (store)

At Home is an American big-box retail chain of home furnishing stores. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, At Home operates 262 stores in 40 states. Brad Weston is the Chief Executive Officer, joined At Home in June of 2024. At Home is he Home Decor and Holiday Superstore.

Retail History
At Home was founded in 1979 in Schertz, Texas, as Garden Ridge Pottery and was later renamed to Garden Ridge. Investment firm Three Cities Research became the largest shareholder of Garden Ridge in 1999. Garden Ridge filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2004. After the reorganization, the corporation emerged from Chapter 11 in 2005. AEA Investors acquired Garden Ridge in October 2011. CEO Lee Bird III joined At Home in December 2012. Prior to this, Bird was President of Nike Affiliates for Nike Inc., Chief Operating Officer of Gap, and Chief Financial Officer of Old Navy. In 2014, Garden Ridge converted all stores to the At Home brand and floorplan. The rebranding project changed the use of orange color for advertising to a soft grey and blue, and added a house symbol for the "o" in At Home. The rebranding cost around $20 million. At Home publicly filed an S-1 on September 4, 2015, to go public. In July 2021, At Home was acquired by Hellman & Friedman.

title: At Home (store)


text:
Garden Valley

Garden Valley may refer to the following places:

 * Garden Valley, California, U.S.
 * Garden Valley, Idaho, U.S.
 * Garden Valley High School
 * Garden Valley, Texas, U.S.
 * Garden Valley, Wisconsin, U.S.

title: Garden Valley


text:
Talk:Mata Hari

1985 Film
I came here hoping to find some reference to the 1985 film and its accuracy. Since it stars Sylvia Kristel, famous for her roles in the Emmanuelle series, I have doubt the film's focus was historical accuracy.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089565/

There appears to have been several other renditions of Mata Hari throughout cinematic history, which at least merit mention beside Greta Garbo's.

Further, the page herein seems to be overly abundant with video game refernces that either use Mata Hari's name only, or are genericaly derived from her. There are many real world, literary, and cinematic refernces that are probably much more deserving of mention than these. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.240.34.148 (talk • contribs) 00:27, 3 November 2005

Bias/Poor writing
The word "scapegoat" appears ten times in this short article. Throgmo (talk) 19:49, 15 October 2020 (UTC)

Pop culture reference: War in Hell
I remember she is one of the characters in the 'Heroes in Hell' series of books. However, it's a sort of shared world thing and it's a LONG time since I read it, so I don't remember the details well enough to add it sensibly, like in which of the books or which author, which would be necessary for veracity. (Besides being new to this wikipedia edit thing). If someone has the books at hand and can double check this, please do! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.208.95.71 (talk • contribs) 17:05, 20 September 2006

1970s documents
I just removed the following material:

German documents unsealed in the 1970s proved that Mata Hari truly had been a German agent. In the autumn of 1915, she had entered the German secret service, and on orders of section III B-Chief Walter Nicolai, had been instructed about her duties by Major Roepell during a stay in Cologne. Her reports were to be sent to the Kriegsnachrichtenstelle West (War News Post West) in Düsseldorf under Roepell as well as to the Agent mission in the German embassy in Madrid under Major Arnold Kalle, with her direct handler being Captain Hoffmann, who also gave her the code name H-21.

I removed this because the reference does not support what is started and on at least one point contradicts this material (specifically where she received the code name H-21). If there are other references to the documents released in the 70s feel free to put back in the supported material. I'd love to hear a legitimate summary of what they actually contain. However, until there is a source, given how poor the information is, I'm ready to doubt those documents exist at all, especially since I haven't seen reference to them in other things I've read about Mata Hari.

what is the purpose, exactly of the nude photo of this woman? apart from gratuitous porn of a potentially innocent dead person?
If I saw as many penises as naked women on wikipedia, it would be one thing, but a lot of these seem to be 'gratuitous' depictions that add nothing to their story.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Photographs_of_identifiable_people

While some aspects of ethical photography and publication are controlled by law, there are moral issues too. They find a reflection in the wording of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 12:[7]"No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation." Common decency and respect for human dignity may influence the decision whether to host an image above that required by the law. The extent to which an image might be regarded as "unfairly obtained" or to be "intrusive", for example, is a matter of degree and may depend on the nature of the shot, the location, and the notability of the subject.

The provenance of an image may taint its use irredeemably. A "downblouse" photograph is not made ethically acceptable just because the subject's face is cropped out. A paparazzi telephoto shot of a naked sunbather does not become acceptable merely by pixelating the face.

In the same way as quality newspapers may apply a "public interest" test to doubtful images, the degree to which an image meets our educational project scope may also be considered. When in doubt, there is no requirement for Commons to host any image of a person.

The degree to which a subject is identifiable varies. An image that includes a clear view of the face is highly identifiable. Other features of the person's body, clothing or the location may help with identifying the subject. Outside of the image, clues may be obtained from the image title, description, origin, source url, and meta-data including but not limited to the geolocation and date. The greater the privacy issue with an image, the more weight should be given to the risk of identification by non-obvious means. Whether the person is the clear subject of the photograph or a mere bystander or background detail is another important factor.

The risk of identification can be minimised by not including certain information in the image description. However some details regarding the origin of the image (such as source url and author) may be a requirement of the source image licence or Commons policy, so cannot be removed. It may also be possible to shoot the subject from a different angle or frame it differently.

It is better to obtain consent than to attempt to anonymise an image that may require it. Placing a black band over the eyes was historically used to hide patient identity in medical publications but is no longer considered effective.[8] Pixelated features can sometimes be revealed by squinting one's eyes. Certain seemingly irreversible visual alterations such as applying a "twirl" effect over a subject's face may in fact be reversible.[9] These crude attempts to anonymise images may damage the value of an image to Commons to such a degree that it has limited or no realistic chance of being used.

Where the law forbids taking or publishing a photograph of a person without consent, and consent has not been given, then making the subject hard to identify (such as blurring their face) is unethical: the photograph should not be uploaded to Commons.

The following examples typically require consent

A man and woman talking, entitled "A prostitute speaks to her pimp" (possible defamation) An identifiable child, entitled "An obese girl" (potentially derogatory or demeaning) Partygoers at a private party, unless press is specifically invited (unreasonable intrusion) Nudes, underwear or swimsuit shots, unless obviously taken in a public place – even if the subject's face is obscured (unreasonable intrusion)

 * Answer. Part of the allure associated with this event was the fact she was a well known (and publicly sexualized) figure. Taking professional photographs in the nude was a defining aspect of the cultural movement for which she was famous. See "Must we dance naked?": Art, Beauty, and Law in Munich and Paris, 1911–1913 by EDWARD ROSS DICKINSON in Journal of the History of Sexuality Vol. 20, No. 1 (JANUARY 2011), pp. 95-131 (37 pages), Published By: University of Texas Press,  https://www.jstor.org/stable/40986356

 * This was a professionally produced photograph, clearly created for distribution and public viewing, and with her consent. If you look through the gettyimage catalog ( https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/mata-hari?family=editorial&phrase=mata%20hari&sort=mostpopular ) you will notice that she frequently posed for nude photography or artwork. Similarly, Wall Street Journal (01/16/97, Vol. 229 Issue 11, pA16) describes her as "a notorious nude dancer who was a spy for the Germans during World War I." This was clearly an artform for which she was known.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.34.82.209 (talk) 05:37, 15 October 2020 (UTC)

Possible edit to Popular Culture
Zsa Zsa Gabor Played Mata Hari in the Movie Up The Front (1972) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.172.70.92 (talk) 01:28, 16 October 2020 (UTC)

Allegiance France
The infobox says: Allegiance France. Is that correct? Charles Juvon (talk) 15:45, 7 February 2021 (UTC)

Birth house was not destroyed
This article links to a source that claims that Mata Hari’s birth house was destroyed. This claim is factual untrue but newspapers kept on copying each other’s story.

That fire destroyed two ajactend buildings and the only casualty was in her birth house. However, that person died of smoke inhalation. The fire it self was never in the building. It was just smoke, heat and water damage. The birth house was fully restored in the years after.

Correct Dutch article of regional media outlet (use google translate).

Could someone please remove that note? Sidebart (talk) 23:37, 8 May 2021 (UTC)

Espionage
The Espionage Section is written in a manner which appears inconsistent with regard to Mata Hari's guilt or innocence. Was she a spy for France? Germany? Both? Neither? What is the scholarly consensus? The perspective of the writing appears to support all of these premises at varying points, which is contradictory to say the least. The reader is left confused as to what actually occurred and what was merely accusation. Objectivity, clarity, accuracy, and consistency should be prioritized in a revised version of this section. 66.91.36.8 (talk) 13:47, 2 April 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Mata Hari


text: User talk:67.39.196.172

title: User talk:67.39.196.172


text:
Talk:Great storm of 1987

Untitled
The article isn't consistant about the number of people who died. Is it 18 or 19? Richard W.M. Jones 15:10, 12 Nov 2004 (UTC)
 * Addressed, it is 19 confirmed in England and "at least 4" in France. I put this in the lead. Zerbey 16:56, 12 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Atlantic Hurricanes category
Even though the article states that the storm wasn't a hurricane per se, should this article be placed in Category:Atlantic Hurricanes? --Andrew 20:23, 16 May 2005 (UTC)
 * No, for the reason you stated. It's not a hurricane nor should it be classified as such. Zerbey 20:42, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

Criticism of the Met Office
I think that the section where it says "The Met Office was severely criticised by journalists for failing to forecast the storm correctly.[citation needed]" does not need the [citation needed] in my opinion. --SkylordHedgehog (talk) 18:26, 5 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Found a citation for it, reworded slightly from journalists to national press, changed to most as it seems some publications were more sympathetic to the Met Office (having interviewed the DG).--Lacunae (talk) 19:29, 9 February 2013 (UTC)

Comparable hurricane strength?
This article isn't consistant, comparible to Cat3 hurricane (as stated by air pressure) or, Cat2? --Grand Edgemaster 17:47, 9 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Actually, comparable to a Cat 3 by air-pressure, but by it's mean windspeed of 86mph (recorded at sea) it would rate as a Cat 1. To be honest though, with sustained winds at just over 50mph when it hit land, it doesn't even rate as a hurricane at that point.  Reference for the windspeed comes from the Met Office (http://www.metoffice.com/corporate/pressoffice/anniversary/storm1987.html).  It'd be nice to see this information included and linked properly, and also maybe having the search phrases "October Hurricane" and "October 1987 Hurricane" lead here (although again I do not know how).

 * Actually the wind speeds given by the Met Office are comparable to a low cat 2 hurricane. We don't use the same measurement period as they do at the NHC. Still there is no way it was a hurricane though so it isn't really relevant.

Michael Fish
I have added info about the popular myth that weatherman Michael Fish reassured British viewers that there was "no hurricane on the way". He was talking about Florida when he said that, in a link to a news item. Unfortunately for him, it always gets replayed out of context. 143.252.80.110 10:31, 18 October 2005 (UTC)
 * DOesn't that comment in the article need a citation?--206.165.32.108 14:20, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

I have moved this section beneath "Effects" as it is arguably not as significant.Halsteadk 16:50, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I agree it needs citation. After lots of searching on this, these seem to be Fish's claims but there seem to be no video records available. 213.210.52.122 16:58, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

I am aware that Michael Fish is now making the claim, but I am unconvinced. My recollection was that severe weather had been forecast in France for France and Southern England, and a viewer who had heard the French forecast rang to enquire if it was true. The Met office at that point supposed that the storms would hit Spain, though some time later decided they might have a limited effect in England.Chemical Engineer 16:53, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

No, what Fish says is true. I remember seeing him do that weather broadcast in 1987, and the following day, after the storm and the media claptrap I was saying "but he never said that!" even then StanPomeray (talk) 13:30, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

 * michael fish himself recently issued a podcast about his forecast via netweather.tv Crimsone 00:23, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

 * The tone of this section indicates that Michael Fish's subsequent claims are entirely true - it is more than a possibility that this was just a positive spin after the event. I've therefore edited the paragraph to (hopefully) sound more neutral. Also, I don't think the technicality on the use of the word hurricane is valid, as it may have been referring to hurricane force, which is perfectly valid in the UK. Halsteadk (talk) 20:52, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

Simon LeVay's book, When Science Goes Wrong has an interview with the actual woman who had made that call to the office, Mrs. Anita Hart of Pinner (near London). She was talking about a caravan trip to Wales, not the Caribbean. And when told that Michael Fish insisted it was about Florida, she said, "That's absolute nonsense. That's not true at all.  Obviously his story changed." US ISBN 9780452289321, page 48.

You can judge for yourselves. The forecast is on YouTube. Both at the time, and on looking at the clip now, I don't see how anyone could possibly say he was talking about anywhere other than England. I don't even see why Fish should need to deny. The Met Office (a) predicted strong winds, and (b) undersetimated the actual strength. There's no dispute about that. And Michael Fish's intro to his forecast reflected both aspects. Escoville (talk) 15:28, 24 December 2009 (UTC)

I think the article is right to remain neutral and be left as it is. However, I too am sure on looking at the clip and from memory that Fish was talking about Britain. My mother in law who lives in France phoned us that noght to take care as they had warned of the storm on the French news. If the French knew, why did'nt we. Ok, so that's hearsay, but what should be stated is that it was also the dismissive way that Fish answered the questioner that has not helped his case.

Mystery?
It's no mystery how a low could form that strong, it has happened on occasion, just rare. Also, I do not believe the explanation with the jet stream and Hurricane Floyd is anything but rubbish. -Runningonbrains 05:51, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

 * I was just about to agree with you completely before quickly checking via google. It certainly seems odd that after all this time nobody would have been able to identify the precise reason for the deepening. Unfortunately though, the best explanation I've been able to find is here. It seems that not even the Met Office has an explanation on the site beyond simply saying that it originated in the Bay of Biscay and then deepened. Whether Floyd had anything to do with it is quite questionable being speculative as it is, and the assertion may have its roots (perhaps) in the popular mix-up of the two storms at the time. Being at the ideal position at the Jet Stream though seems like a plausible explanation. The above link at least contains a link to satellite images from formation to dissipation. I guess the only way to know for sure with regards to the relative position of the Jet and the Low would be to look up archived charts for that period - something I don't have immediately available. All in all, I think it right that the section should be disputed, though I don't know if it's nessecarily incorrect. Crimsone 09:48, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

 * Three months on and it seems no-one proposes any correction and that there is, effectively, no dispute. I propose to remove the disputed tag although if any editor reading this can take the point further forward, it would be wonderful if they would edit to do so.  In the meantime, I may have a tinker myself to address the points made above.  Cheers. Chelseaboy 12:55, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Sting Jet
There is a theory emerging that a phenomenon, which is being called a "Sting Jet", may have been responsible for the more intense winds and therefore more disastrous effects of this storm in 1987.

The idea seems to involve very dry air from the stratosphere being drawn into the cyclonic activity which then, by evaporating ice crystals and water droplets, cools further and becomes more dense. As a consequence, it then descends rapidly, possibly aided by jetstream activity, and forms a narrow band of very intense wind at the surface.

Does anyone have access to further information about or research into this phenomenon, in order to provide an appropriate link for this article?

WiffleTree 16:34, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

Thank you, Yorkshiresky

WiffleTree 13:02, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

Hurricane comparison
Oh, come on peeps! I made that edit in the lede for two reasons - one was because any such comparison is grossly inaccurate and misleading, not becoming of an encyclopedic entry. The second was to make sure that it gave the facts about that comparison (and even there I could go further!), which to tell the truth, appears to me as enough to read like a joke were it not for real. I pointed out something that I'm sure would otherwise have been argued over quite fervantly had the point not been correctly made... and yet nobodies seen fit to remove the comparison... The mind boggles Crimsone (talk) 04:20, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

 * Finally, a recent edit trying to address it... unfortunately the way in which it was addressed was not appropriate owing to the fact that the storm was not a hurricane by any definition (even asking the question is a form of weasel wording), even as per stated by the met office in source six... I've (sadly) reverted back to the original prior to that edit, as it is the most factually correct. Ideally, that entire lot about it being "categorty whatever on the saffire simpson scale", and any referece to it being a hurricane because of the beufort scale (which says hurricane force... being quite different) needs to be removed. The alternative, is to explain such references away with material facts per the way the article appears now. Crimsone (talk) 14:36, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Aftermath: Subjective?
Surely "when in hindsight it could have been better to simply let nature re-assert itself." is purely subjective opinion? —Preceding unsigned comment added by JcFxJcFx (talk • contribs) 19:14, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

The Seven Oaks
The association of the seven oak trees on The Vine with the name of Sevenoaks is comparatively late. The fact is that the oak trees on the Vine were planted as recently as 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII, as described in the WP entry for Sevenoaks. I believe it was in the early 1960s that a group of seven oak trees beside the Tonbridge Road were deemed unsafe and were felled and replaced with saplings. There was some fuss locally at the time because there was a body of opinion that these were the relevant seven oaks and that the old trees could have been made safe for many years with comparatively little work. Whatever the truth of that, the erroneous story that the Vine was the site of the seven oaks grew from of journalistic urge to create a story when six of these seven trees were felled in the great storm. It was then reported that Sevenoaks should be renamed Oneoak, this being a far better story than that the actual seven oaks had survived the storm so the version purveyed here gained currency. treesmill (talk) 19:59, 7 April 2011 (UTC)

Derecho? / Remove [citation needed] ?
A question and a thought for the stakeholders of this article:

Q: Would this be what has recently been called a derecho? (Perhaps use of this term by the US NOAA has no relevance to the Met. Office.)

T: Re: "Peak wind velocities were in the early hours of the morning, which probably reduced the death toll.[citation needed]". This is in the nature of a common sense discussion of the topic with the less informed, the author(s) with the reader, by way of giving perspective. I feel this is appropriately encyclopedic. (I feel Wikipedia sometimes goes too far towards term paper / thesis / dissertation rules, sacrificing understandability by lay audiences and the feel of an encyclopedia ["Medieval Latin encyclopaedia course of general education, from Greek enkyklios + paideia education, child rearing, from paid-, pais child" -- http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encyclopedia.) If necessary, this could be weakened to, "Peak wind velocities were in the early hours of the morning, possibly reducing the death toll;" but no cite is needed since this is just discussion, and it is common sense that more people are at home in bed in the early hours--one could add, "See circadian rhythm", but really?

No response needed for either; edit if appropriate. Thank you. Cheers! Laguna CA (talk) 07:04, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

 * This wasn't a derecho which is associated with mesoscale convective systems but a more common, though exceptionally strong, extra-tropical storm with a sting jet.yorkshiresky (talk) 08:22, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

"GREAT" STORM HITTING WHERE MEDIA LIVE MEANS IT WAS EXAGERRATED FOR MUCH OF ENGLAND.
It appears obvious to me that the only reason we're even hearing about this storm over 25 years later is that it cut a swathe through just the areas where the national media live ie London, Surrey, Essex, Kent etc. In much of the rest of the country it was nowhere near as exceptional as is portrayed - it was even completely true of all the South-East qv I was living in Wycombe, south Bucks at the time and it wasn't particularly memorable there. The storm which lasted around 2 days in 1990 was far more damaging and I personally remember watching most of a small wood ot trees blow over mid-morning that year there was nothing like that around there in 1987. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.151.75.48 (talk) 08:08, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Sequel
Deleted this line because it was irrelevant - who cares that there will be another storm, of significantly less power, in 2013? Also, it was phrased in the wankiest fashion ('a sequel is expected'). Twat.87.115.23.197 (talk) 11:26, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Agreed, thanks for the edit. Twat. –  Juliancolton  | Talk 13:24, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Climatological context
I've added a note which I hope makes it clearer why this is considered a "myth". In short it seems like media and even the Met Office took the return period of the winds in this storm to mean a storm of this kind would only occur on average once in 200 years, not as having a 0.05% chance of happening every year (see note and return period) then scoured the history books, and found a storm occurring in a similar area 284 years earlier and decided that this was close enough to 200 years and declared 1987 as the worst storm since, in southern England, Britain, even Europe. -of course there is no adequate reference I have found for this, to make it clearer in the article- But the 1990 storm was certainly more powerful.

Hanley and Caballero (2012) Characteristics of the top 25 most destructive Western Continental European storms for the period 1958-2001 top 10 ranking.
 * 1. Burns' Day storm (Daria) 18-25 January 1990
 * 2. Cyclone Quimburga 12-13 November 1972
 * 3. Vivian 12-26 February 1990
 * 4. Gale of January 1976 02-05 1976
 * 5. Martin 18-27 December 1999
 * 6. Wiebke 18-28 February 1990
 * 7. Lothar 06-26 December 1999
 * 8. Verena 01-14 January 1993
 * 9. Barbara 12-24 January 1993
 * 10 1968 Scotland storm 13-18 January 1968

That this storm only reaches 15th in 40 years of late 20 Century storms, only makes the claim of worst in 200 years seem less likely. Though yes, it did cause a lot of damage in a highly populated region, and caused a lot of media sensation due to the forecasting.Lacunae (talk) 21:39, 4 November 2013 (UTC)
 * 15 Great Storm of 1987 15-16 October 1987

1-in-200 = 0.5% not 0.05% - that would be 1-in-2000. You probably knew that anyway. Murraystrain (talk) 17:26, 21 January 2014 (UTC) Cheers, thanks, my mistake.Lacunae (talk) 21:26, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

Fair use of Michael Fish 1987 forecast/image
I wonder if anyone can advise on whether the fair use policy would cover the use of a still image of Michael Fish's forecast or use of the forecast video on this page?Lacunae (talk) 17:45, 17 October 2014 (UTC)

Storm of 1703 not a myth
I've removed a clause stating that the storm of 1703 was alleged to be a myth. This statement was not contained in either of the sources cited for it. It seems that there was confusion about it being called a "hurricane" (with scare quotes). The quote marks do not indicate that the Guardian doesn't believe it happened, they just mean that the storm (like the storm of 1987) was not a hurricane, as it did not originate in the tropics. There is nothing else in the two sources given that I could see implying the storm was a myth. Quantum Burrito (talk) 15:32, 16 October 2017 (UTC)
 * I think you've misunderstood, the myth was and is that 1987 was the strongest storm since 1703.Lacunae (talk) 15:33, 16 October 2017 (UTC) The Vidal link clearly states "The other 1987 myth was that this was the most powerful storm to have hit Britain since the last great "hurricane" in 1703."Lacunae (talk) 15:39, 16 October 2017 (UTC) I've undone the change, but would appreciate advice in formulating it in better English to avoid confusion.Lacunae (talk) 15:59, 16 October 2017 (UTC)
 * If that's what the sentence is supposed to convey, then I did misunderstand. But I think that sentence needs rephrasing to make that more clear. Something like "It is often considered to be the worst storm since the great storm of 1703, but there have been equally powerful storms in other parts of the United Kingdom" Quantum Burrito (talk) 17:33, 16 October 2017 (UTC)

 * I know these comments are old. But what exactly are we talking about when we say "the worst storm since 1703" being a myth? Are there stronger or more damaging storms to hit the southern UK between 1703 and 1987? None of the articles cited specify that it is the worst storm to hit anywhere in the UK, so you'd think when they are talking about this, they are likely referring to it being the worst storm to hit the area it did, no? Because there are worse storms that happen all around the world, but we don't make that comparison. The storms of 1703 and 1987 both affected the same regions, the Southern UK, so that is obviously the connection they are making, right? KRLA18 (talk) 21:08, 8 April 2019 (UTC)

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Fatality Numbers
So, I noticed that the Great Storm is linked somewhat to the Glanrhyd Bridge collapse that occurred four days later (Due to the rain and winds caused by the storm). Are the four fatalities of the Glanrhyd bridge collapse counted as fatalities of the storm? --2A02:C7D:52C6:3600:70B7:DCD8:5C:59DA (talk) 13:09, 11 June 2020 (UTC)

= Fun fact = I was in Britain at the time and I remember Michael Fish predicting, but minimizing, the storm. That's just my recollection. Also, the comments suggest another one of those misunderstandings between British and American readers: Britons routinely (e.g. the daily "shipping forecast") talk about "hurricane-force winds"; this is not the same as saying there's a hurricane. ("Two great nations divided by a common language.")

I was told that meteorologists were required to sign the Official Secrets Act - by which Brits are sworn to secrecy before being allowed access to restricted information. At the time, this restricted information included the data from the special satellites used by the military and for weather forecasting. At least one Brit of my acquaintance used to joke that this meant that meteorologists weren't allowed to give you an accurate forecast... alacarte (talk) 15:29, 13 December 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Great storm of 1987