is a Japanese boy band produced by Johnnys' Island Company, a division of Tokyo-based talent agency
Johnny & Associates
is a Japanese talent agency, formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962, which trains and promotes groups of male entertainers known as .
History 1962–1989
In 1962, Kitagawa launched his first group, Johnnys. In its early days, Kitagawa's agency re ...
. They were created on February 26, 2018, by
Johnny Kitagawa
John Hiromu Kitagawa (Japanese name ; October 23, 1931 – July 9, 2019), known professionally as , was an American-born Japanese businessman and talent manager. He was the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for nu ...
, and named after
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...
's 1954 film '' Seven Samurai''. They are known for their dance acumen, band-style performances, and rock covers/remixes of
J-Pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the ...
songs from the older Johnnys' talent catalog, including ''Cinderella Girl'' (original artist:
King & Prince
King & Prince is a five-member Japanese idol group under Johnny & Associates that debuted in 2018. The group was originally a Johnny's Jr. unit, ''Mr. King vs Mr. Prince'' that was composed of 2 separate units: Mr. King and Prince. The units lat ...
), and ''SAMURAI'' (original artist: Takky & Tsubasa).
In addition to appearing regularly as a group in the bi-monthly music and variety show '' The Shonen Club'' (NHK), they are one of eight groups featured on the official Johnnys' Junior
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
Channel, and have posted content every Friday since August 2019. They are also active on the Johnnys' official video site ''Island TV'', where they share vlog-style behind-the-scenes recaps of work and engagements, as well as humorous vignettes, outtakes and original skits.
Various members are also featured regulars and guest stars on Japanese variety TV programs; such as the quiz show ''Torinikutte Nan no Nikui!?'' (TV Asahi) and the sports competition series ''Honoo no Taiikutai TV'' (TBS) for which member Rinne Sugeta is an official part of the in-show "Johnny's Track-and-Field Team" coached by
KAT-TUN
is a Japanese boy band formed under Johnny & Associates (Johnny's) in 2001. The group's name was originally an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name: Kazuya Kamenashi, Jin Akanishi, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, ...
's
Tatsuya Ueda
, is a Japanese idol, singer, and actor from the Japanese idol group KAT-TUN. Born in Kanagawa in Japan, he joined the Japanese talent agency, Johnny & Associates in 1998. In March 2006 he debuted as a member of the Japanese boy band KAT-TUN an ...
. Individual members have also been cast in starring and supporting roles for stage and in scripted television dramas.
Members
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Music
On May 1, 2020, it was announced that they would be receiving their first original song from Johnnys' Island CEO Hideaki Takizawa during a surprise prank video uploaded as one of their YouTube contents. The song had been intended for their solo segment during the annual Johnnys' Ginza spring talent showcase, all of which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The song, called "Samu-dama" (サムダマ), was finally performed in August 2020, during a 2 day/5 show solo segment the group hosted as part of the larger ''Summer Paradise 2020'' livestreamed music festival from Johnny & Associates for the website Johnny's Net Online (JNO). The song is a hard rock number with the title being a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsTokio's 2000 up-tempo rock song "Jumbo".
A second original song, "Siren" (サイレン) was debuted on November 28, 2020, as part of the boys' solo set within the Johnnys' Jr. Island FES music festival, performed alongside additional original songs for fellow Johnnys' Junior performers HiHi Jets and Jr.SP. A third, "SHOUT," premiered during the JOHNNYS' IsLAND THE NEW WORLD new year showcase in January 2022.