Japanese talent agency Smile-Up., formerly known as Johnny & Associates, said Friday it has chosen the name Starto Entertainment for a new separate entity to manage its performers.

Since rebranding as Smile-Up. it has focused on providing compensation to people who its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa, sexually abused.

The agency had asked its fan club members to come up with a name for the new entity. There were 140,156 entries, 11 of which were related to "Starto."

The agency says the name is derived from star and to, as in "to head toward the future."

Fukuda Atsushi, a consulting firm president, will lead Starto Entertaiment. Board members will include Smile-Up. Vice President Inohara Yoshihiko.

The new agency will act as an agent or manager, according to the performers' wishes. It plans to become fully operational next April.

Smile-Up. President Higashiyama Noriyuki was initially expected to head it. But he will reportedly focus on compensation measures for Kitagawa's victims.