Many changes have happened at the company formerly known as Johnny & Associates in light of the Johnny Kitagawa sexual abuse scandal. The company is now rebranding to banish references to Kitagawa, including changing group names. One such group is Johnny’s WEST. During a YouTube livestream earlier today, the group revealed its new name is “WEST.”
During the livestream, the group looked back on photos of themselves in the nine years since their debut. At the end of this trip down memory lane, the group revealed it new name. The name WEST. came about after repeated discussions, with group member Akito Kiriyama saying that they listened to feedback from fans who said that they “want the name ‘WEST’ to remain.” Group member Daiki Shigeoka said that he pondered over the group’s new name to death. Group member Junta Nakama explained the period at the end of WEST., saying he was a way of making a point about the group.
WEST. ended the livestream by performing their 2021 single “Shouko.”
The full livestream can be seen below!
