Tokyo International News Agency

Neru Nagahama, an actress and former member of Keyakizaka46, has announced her affiliation with the major talent agency FLaMme. This decision comes at a significant 10-year milestone in her entertainment career, drawing attention to her serious commitment to her acting career going forward. Neru Nagahama's official staff X (formerly Twitter) account stated the reasons for the transfer and future aspirations: “We will cherish her past experiences and work together to guide her toward the path she envisions, as she wishes to further dedicate herself to acting.” Nagahama herself also expressed gratitude to her previous agency, where she had been for 10 years. FLaMme, her new agency, is a major firm known for representing many top-tier popular actresses such as Erika Toda, Kasumi Arimura, and Riho Yoshioka. Regarding Neru Nagahama's transfer, numerous comments like “FLaMme is too strong, lol” and “The FLaMme strongest theory might be true” have appeared on social media, expressing ...

Popular comedy duo Cream Stew, talent Matsuko Deluxe, and freelance announcer Yuko Udo have announced the establishment of their new entertainment agency, "Chatterbox Inc." The new agency's official website lists Cream Stew, Matsuko Deluxe, and Yuko Udo as affiliated talents, along with Kotobuki Tsukasa and Eightbridge. This marks a new beginning as all affiliated talents have become independent from their previous agency, "Natural Eight." The background to this independence points to financial troubles involving the former president of Natural Eight, which were reported in January this year. The talents have explained that the reason for establishing the new agency is to create an "environment where individual talents can feel secure and thrive," indicating a move towards a healthier operational structure. The new agency, "Chatterbox," bringing together these figures who have been active at the forefront of various fields for many years, is ...

Kotoko Sasaki, a former member of Nogizaka46 and active voice actress, announced on her SNS that she will be leaving her agency, Style Cube, as of June 30, 2025. Sasaki wrote, "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me thus far. I will redouble my efforts and would be grateful for your continued support. I look forward to your ongoing encouragement," expressing her thanks to fans and showing strong determination for her future activities. This sudden announcement prompted numerous comments of surprise and support on social media. Comments included "Kotoko left Style Cube?" and "It's so surprising, given it was the agency of her admired Kaori (Ishihara Kaori)," as well as speculation about her future base and direction, such as "Where will she go?" and "Perhaps she found something she wants to pursue, even if it means changing agencies." The topic garnered significant attention, with "Style Cube" quic...

On July 1st, popular voice actor Junya Enoki announced on his official X (formerly Twitter) account that he has departed from Atomic Monkey, the voice acting agency he had been with for many years, and has joined the newly established agency "Athleben." Enoki is a popular voice actor known for roles such as Yuji Itadori in the anime "Jujutsu Kaisen." Similarly, it has been revealed that voice actors Ruriko Aoki and Kotomi Aihara have also left Atomic Monkey and transferred to Athleben. These three individuals are particularly beloved by many fans for their work in "The Idolmaster" series. The new agency, Athleben, is a newly established entertainment agency founded in 2024, and it has garnered attention on social media with comments like "It's clearly stated as a newly established agency." Regarding these transfers, many fans and industry insiders have speculated, "Does this mean it's like a spin-off, since the president was the re...