- Kanjani Eight
articleissues
cleanup = February 2007
unreferenced = September 2007Infobox musical artist
Name = Kanjani Eight
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Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|JapanKansai region ,Japan
Genre = Pop,enka
Years_active = 2004–present
Label = [http://www.teichiku.co.jp/artist/kan8/ Teichiku/Imperial Records]
URL =
Current_members =Yu Yokoyama Subaru Shibutani Shingo Murakami Ryūhei Maruyama Shota Yasuda Ryo Nishikido Tadayoshi Ōkura Hiroki Uchi (suspended)
Former_member =nihongo|Kanjani Eight|関ジャニ∞|Kanjani Eito| or Kanjani∞ is a rising Japanese seven-man music & entertainment group hailing from the country's
Kansai region. One of the many top idol units under the talent agency,Johnny & Associates , and signed to the record label, [http://www.teichiku.co.jp/ Teichiku] They were moved to the Teichiku's more pop-oriented sub-label, [http://www.teichiku.co.jp/imp/ Imperial Records] , starting from their 6th single.] . This group was formed in 2002 and made its CD debut in 2004 as 'Johnny's modernenka group'. While their releases continue to be classified underenka and consistently break enka-related sales records, they actually exhibit a diverse range of styles including pop, rock, ballad, blues, funk, jazz and even comedy – for example, Sukiyanen, Osaka, a trademark single, incorporates "konto" (comical skits) which are always ad-libbed.Kanjani Eight project a strong image of being funny and loud – traits stereotypically connected with people from Kansai, or more specifically,
Osaka (six members are from Osaka). In fact, 'Osaka' is a recurrent theme in many of their songs – Sukiyanen, Osaka proclaims their love for the city, while in ∞saka Obaachan Rock, they sing about Osaka older ladies/mothers. While fulfilling the Johnny's-idol prerequisites of being able to sing and dance, the individual members also exhibit a broad range of talents including speaking, hosting TV shows, song-writing, acting, playing musical instruments, and evenManzai .Members
*
Yu Yokoyama (横山裕, Yokoyama Yū?, May 9, 1981)
*Subaru Shibutani (渋谷 すばる, Shibutani Subaru, September 22, 1981)
*Shingo Murakami (村上信五, Murakami Shingo, January 26, 1982)
*Ryūhei Maruyama (丸山 隆平, Maruyama Ryūhei, November 26, 1983)
*Shota Yasuda (安田章大, Yasuda Shōta, September 11, 1984)
*Ryo Nishikido (錦戸 亮, Nishikido Ryō, November 3, 1984)
*Tadayoshi Ōkura (大倉 忠義, Ōkura Tadayoshi, May 16, 1985)Former member
*
Hiroki Uchi ub-groups
Kanjani Eight has several sub-units within the group. Most came about organically as the members collaborated and meshed their talents together:
*V West ("five-west") – Uchi, Maruyama, Yasuda, Ōkura
**Pre-existing band from their Jr days (more info under History)
*Manzai:
**Yamada – Maruyama (boke), Yasuda (tsukkomi)
**Matsubara kazuhiro – Shibutani (boke), Murakami (tsukkomi)
***Both acts have been performing since their junior days, in concerts and TV shows like Shounen Club and Ya-Ya-yah TV show.
***Murakami-Shibutani combo have also performed forDowntown (owarai) onHey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ .
*Subaru Band – Shibutani (vocals, guitar, lyricist), Yasuda (guitar, composer), Maruyama (bass), Ōkura (drums)
** The band performs during Kanjani Eight concerts, original songs penned by Shibutani and Yasuda: "ONE," "High Position," "Down Up↑"
**"ONE" has been recorded into Kanjani Eight's first full-album, KJ1 F.T.O.
**Subaru Band wants to compose more original songs and fulfill a dream of performing in 'live houses' one day
*Kanjimi3 "(Kanjimi Three)" /OhYamada – Yasuda, Maruyama, Ōkura
**Due to their relative lack of participation on the show Mugendai no Gimon, they were teasingly dubbed Kanjimi3 ("jimi" – Japanese slang for plain) which was later 'switched' to OhYamada (an acronym for their names)
**Coincidentally, the trio is also Kanjani Eight's core-band for their concerts
**Song: "Ashita," "Monaco Blues"
*** Performed at 2005 Osaka-jo Hall 1st live, and 2005 X-mas Party, respectively*SanKyoudai (three brothers) – Yu (Yokoyama), Chipa (Shota), Baru (Shibutani)
**Anacoustic music group.
**Yu writes the lyrics and Chipa composes and plays the guitaraccompaniment to the songs, which Baru sings.
**Songs: "Purin," "Ame-chan," "Mikan," "Onigishi"
**"Purin" and "Onigishi" have been released (as part of Kanjani Eight's first full-album, KJ1 F.T.O.).
*nihongo|Kanjani Sentai Eight Ranger|関ジャニ戦隊∞レンジャー|Kanjani Sentai Eitorenjā
**Kanjani Eight's latest 'sub-group', akin to "Super Sentai "/"Power Rangers ", they are Kanjani Eight's alter-ego who appear in the Kanjani Eight original musical-"konto" (comical skits) segments that are incorporated into all their concerts
**First appearance was in Kanjani Eight Xmas Party 2005
** Eight Ranger have their own introductorytheme song
** Each Ranger is referred to by the color of his costume:
*** "Black" – Yokoyama
*** "Red" – Shibutani
*** "Nasu" ("Nasu" = eggplant) for Purple – Murakami
*** "Green" – Ōkura
*** "Orange" – Maruyama
*** "Blue" – Yasuda
*** "Yellow" – Nishikido
**According to the group, Yokoyama is generally responsible for writing the Eight Ranger "konto". However,ad-libs and impromptu script-revisions are mainstay features, keeping the "konto" fresh, and the audience entertained, each time. The members want to continue featuring Eight Ranger "konto" in all their concerts.History
Most of Kanjani Eight entered Johnny's and became
Kansai Johnny's Jr s around 1996–1997. They were part of the 'golden era' of Jrs. It was the height of popularity and activity forJohnny's Jr s, then led by top juniorHideaki Takizawa (Takki ).Among the big names of that era of
Johnny's Jr s were fourKansai Johnny's Jr s (future Kanjani Eight members) in particular:
*Subaru Shibutani – He stood out for his impressive singing and intriguing persona. He rose straight to the top and, at his peak as a Jr., it was "Takki of the East (Kantō), Subaru of the West (Kansai )". He wrote the lyrics to many original songs that became his solos.
*Yu Yu Yokoyama – His comic talents (he was seen as a natural boke) and gift of the gab emerged early. He also received many acting jobs.
*Shingo Murakami – He too became popular with the Jr fans, with his likeable personality and a talent for speaking. His sharp follow-ups were developing into the 'tsukkomi' skills he is known for today.
*Ryo Nishikido – He was singled out early on for many singing opportunities showcasing his clear high-pitched voice. He became known as Ryo-chan ('chan' = little/kiddo) not least due to his prolonged tiny stature. It is a nickname that has endured to today.Since work was mostly in
Tokyo , they had to commute to and from there regularly. To facilitate a rising career, Shibutani moved toTokyo . He was later followed by Yokoyama and Murakami.A little after Hiroki Uchi entered
Johnny & Associates in 1999, a new Kansai Jr unit was formed; a band called V West ("five-west"). The members were:
*Hiroki Uchi = vocals
*Shota Yasuda = guitar
*Ryūhei Maruyama = bass
*Kiyohito Mizuno = guitar
*Toru Imayama = drumsV West had a regular TV show, "Weekly V West", shown on
Kansai TV . The band was also popular enough to hold its own live concert. Toru Imayama and later, Kiyohito Mizuno, left V West, quitting Johnny's for other pursuits, before Kanjani Eight was formed.Tadayoshi Ōkura, the 8th Kanjani Eight member, had actually been chosen to be a part of V West before its formation. His interest being in dancing and thinking that an instrument would tie him down, he declined the position, a move he would later regret. He was a member of Johnny's unit MAO for a while. Later, he got a second chance when Johnny Kitagawa wanted an 8th member to form Kanjani8 who could also be the drummer for V West. Not knowing how to drum but eager to try, Ōkura began intensive lessons a month prior to the formation of Kanjani Eight.
Circa 2001, Kansai Jrs suffered a period of neglect. Before they knew it, their activities had dwindled to a trickle. Shibutani, Yokoyama and Murakami returned to Osaka. It was a difficult period and future prospects seemed very dim. They got part-time jobs elsewhere. Shibutani later admitted to being lost, but it was also during this time that he managed to subsequently reaffirm his passion and calling for singing. In the same boat was Nishikido, who was once on the super-elite Johnny's course. Reflecting on his past faults, he regretted taking previous opportunities for granted. It seemed already too late. Still, they all persisted.
"Another", 2002
"Another" is a stage play/musical the Kansai Jrs put on in the summer of 2002. Nishikido once said in a later interview that he had been contemplating quitting from Johnny's when "Another" came along, saving him from making a decision. The play that brought the Kansai Jrs back was a success. Since then, Kanjani Eight, supported by the Kansai Jrs, have put on a summer stage play every year until 2006. However, it would be two more years before they are finally able to sell out their shows.
Soon after "Another", the top Kansai Jrs got to host their own TV show – "Weekly V West" was reborn as J³Kansai "("Jcube Kansai")". In December 2002, two big announcements were made on the show; they introduced Tadayoshi Ōkura and announced that he was to be the 8th member of a new official Johnnys's unit they were going to form – Kanjani8. The story the members like to tell goes this way; J³Kansai aired on
Kansai TV 's Channel 8 – the producers, thinking that having an eight member group on the show would be an interesting gimmick, relayed the idea to Johnny Kitagawa, and that was how Kanjani8 came to be.The happy 'comeback' year ended resoundingly with a Christmas concert, another event Kanjani Eight will go on to hold at [http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/shochikuza/index.html Osaka Shochiku-za Theater] every year, until 2005.
NEWS
Although Kanjani Eight was still a new unit, the many years working together as Jrs as well as the bleak period of 2001, made them a tight-knit and ever more determined group. They were already developing bonds closer than most Johnny's units. Then, in 2003 came the unexpected news, or rather NEWS. Without prior indication, two Kanjani Eight members Ryo Nishikido and Hiroki Uchi were suddenly called away to
Tokyo to be part of this new Johnny's unit. Each member was naturally unsettled by this turn of events and worried about the future of Kanjani Eight. However, they accepted the change and the rest supported the pair who would now have to shuttle back and forth between two groups.2004 – 2005
While there was no shortage of work for the Kanjani Eight boys now, their activities were still largely concentrated in the
Kansai region. The [http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/shochikuza/index.html Shochiku-za] became somewhat of a 'home' venue. In the thousand-odd-capacity theater, they charmed their cozy audiences and built a loyal Kansai fanbase that would soon spread.Kanjani Eight were performing at the annual Yagura Dance
Bon Odori festival event in Osaka-jo Hall for the first time in 2004 when Yokoyama and Murakami heard from Johnny Kitagawa that the group would debut, in theenka direction. The other members found out about it later from a newspaper article.August 25 ,2004 saw the Kansai-limited release of Kanjani Eight's debut single, Naniwa Iroha Bushi. The song was a hit and reached #8 on the Oricon singles chart on the strength of Kansai sales alone. Thus onSeptember 22 ,2004 , Naniwa Iroha Bushi was released nationwide. It re-debuted on theOricon weekly singles charts at #1 and became the firstenka #1 single in seventeen years . The nationwide release marked the official debut of this two year old unit, which was announced in a simple press conference on the rooftop of their record-company building, far-removed from the grand fanfare typically surrounding the debut of Johnny's groups.Kanjani Eight held their first
Tokyo live, 'Kansha ni Eight in Tokyo' concert, onNovember 11 ,2004 .On
December 15 ,2004 , Kanjani Eight released their first mini-album Kansha ni Eight. Their Christmas concert that year was filmed and released as their first concert DVD (Excite!!) the following year.In 2004, Kanjani Eight also appeared in the musical "DREAM BOY" that starred
Hideaki Takizawa and also featuredKAT-TUN . The two groups headlined the musical in its subsequent runs in 2005 and 2006.By 2005, the group had made big strides and were picking up more momentum. Their singles continued to make respectable sales despite the lack of publicity their stablemates enjoy as a matter of course. Osaka Rainy Blues, their second single was released on
March 2 ,2005 with first-week sales of more than 160,000 copies, debuting near the top of theOricon charts.On
September 14 , their third single, Sukiyanen!Osaka was released and debuted at #2 toAyumi Hamasaki on the Oricon weekly chart.However, 2005 was a bittersweet year for Kanjani Eight. That summer, for the first time as a unit, the boys would finally hold a big arena concert – the
Osaka-jo Hall Zenyasai . It was a definite milestone for this group that had become inseparable. But they had to do it with one member less.Hiroki Uchi
On
July 15 ,2005 Hiroki Uchi was detained for public disorder under the influence of alcohol. Apparently he had been invited out to drink by an olderFuji TV presenter. Being eighteen and underaged for drinking at that time, he was promptly 'suspended from the public eye'.Due to
Johnny & Associates strict enforcement of Uchi's punishment, "Yakusoku", a drama special starring all the members of Kanjani Eight together for the first time, was not aired onKansai TV as scheduled, although filming had already ended.Uchi was also staring as one of the main characters in "Ganbatte Ikimasshoi" at the time of the 'suspension'. He was only there for the first two episodes and was replaced by KAT-TUN's Junnosuke Taguchi for the remainder of the series.
Although they were not allowed to even mention his name in public, Kanjani Eight managed to let Uchi, and the fans, know that they were always "waiting for him"; through veiled comments, 'coded' messages, album/singles' cover illustrations, and gestures like leaving a gap between two members during the group-bow at the end of concerts.
2006
Kanjani Eight first full-album, KJ1 F.T.O. (Funky Town Osaka), was released on
March 15 ,2006 . This album contained many new songs with a new, slicker feel and a poppier sound. Following that, the boys released another single, ∞saka Obachan Rock (with the long-awaited fan concert favorite, Osaka Romanesque on the B-side) onJune 6 . It debuted at #2 on theOricon chart (losing out toB'z ). In December, with their 5th single, Kanfuu Fighting, Kanjani Eight finally landed their first Oricon debut week #1 ranking.2006 was a year of concerts for Kanjani Eight. They held their first ever concert tour during the spring; F.T.O.N. (Funky Tokyo Osaka Nagoya). It spawned "Heat Up!", a 3rd concert DVD as well as a tour extension. In the fall, they had their 1st Nationwide Tour , holding thirty-six shows in eleven cities. That was soon followed up by a 2nd Nationwide Tour in the winter (
December 2 – 29) which featured sixteen shows in six cities.Six members also held solo concerts in this year; Ryo Nishikido held his in January at
Yokohama Arena andOsaka-jo Hall . Subaru Shibutani and Tadayoshi Ōkura held theirs together as 'Subaru Shibutani with Ōkura Band' in August with shows later added in September due to overwhelming response in ticket balloting. In December, Shota Yasuda, Ryūhei Maruyama, and Shingo Murakami held their respective solo concerts for three days each at the [http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/shochikuza/index.html Osaka Shochiku-za Theater] in the midst of Kanjani Eight's on-going 2nd nationwide concert tour. Ticket ballots for the solo concerts of the three members collectively came up to 900,000 while the [http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/shochikuza/index.html Shochiku-za] can only seat 1003.Kanjani Eight's members, individually as well as collectively, have also acted in drama series, most notably [http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Nishikido_Ryo Ryo Nishikido] . Tadayoshi Ōkura made his acting debut in the drama special "Cinderella ni Naritai". Both
Yu Yokoyama and Tadayoshi Ōkura starred in their own four part [http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Gekidan_Engimono Gekidan Engimono] series. Ryūhei Maruyama and Shota Yasuda co-starred in "Jitensha Shounen Ki", a J-dorama specialAt the close of the year, Kanjani Eight members starred in
Kansai TV Kanjani Eight Winter Break Drama Series that consisted of three separate J-dorama specials aired over three consecutive days
* "Dive to the Future" – Shingo Murakami, Shota Yasuda, Ryo Nishikido
* "Double" – Subaru Shibutani, Ryūhei Maruyama, Tadayoshi Ōkura, Shota Yasuda
* "Kemarishi" – Yu Yokoyama, Tadayoshi Ōkura, Ryo NishikidoThis drama series was released the following year in a special DVD box-set (with a bonus Making-of video) on
August 15 ,2007 that debuted at the top spot on the Oricon overall DVD chart – the first local drama box-set to reach #1, in six and a half years.2007
Tour
While nationwide activities in 2006 were keeping Kanjani Eight busy away from their home-ground,
Osaka remained on their minds and the members regularly expressed their wishes to do something special for the fans back home. They were pleasantly surprised with the opportunity to do so whenJohnny & Associates announced the "Eh?Honma?!Bikkuri!"("What! Really!? What a surprise!!") Kanjani Eight Dome Concert in OSAKA, their first dome concert. It was held in the 48,000 capacityOsaka Dome for two days on February 24–25, 2007. During the concert, Kanjani Eight thrilled their fans with more good news: the release of a new single and a new album, plus a major tour for 2007.Kanjani Eight have embarked on their third nationwide tour, the Kanjani Eight Nationwide 47-Prefecture "Eh!Honma!?Bikkuri!! Tour 2007". What was initially planned to be a 30-prefecture tour was expanded, at Kanjani Eight's request, to span all 47 prefectures of Japan; a first in the history of
Johnny&Associates . The tour kicked off inYokohama onMay 3 ,2007 and the group performed in venues of varying sizes, from the 1000-capacity venue inYamanashi to the 55,000-capacityTokyo Dome . Additional dates for Okinawa were added after the announcement of the tour. The tour had 113 shows all in all, with an estimated total attendance of 650,000. It is reportedly the biggest tour planned for 2007 of any act in Japan. The Tour ended with its last show inOkinawa onSeptember 30 ,2007 .TV
True to their promise in 2006, Kanjani Eight have had more TV appearances in 2007, starting with a regular spot in TV Asahi's program "Oishinsuke", hosted by top comedian
Shinsuke Shimada , on which they rotated in pairs or alone. However, the show was canceled in September, and Shimada continued with a new one, titled "Megami no Antenna", with Shingo Murakami as a representative for Kanjani Eight. SinceMay 3 ,2007 , Ryūhei Maruyama has become a regular every Tuesday onKansai TV 's daily morning show "Tsuukai Everyday" on which he hosts his own corner, "Nanjani Kanjani".In the drama scene, Yu Yokoyama appeared in
Fuji TV 's winter J-dorama series [http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Haikei,_Chichiue-sama Haikei, Chichiue-sama] , alongside friendNinomiya Kazunari (Arashi ) and earned favourable reviews. Ryo Nishikido starred in the a drama special spin-off of his 2005 drama "Ichi Rittoru no Namida (One Litre of Tears)". Ryūhei Maruyama acted in a drama special "Wachigaiya Itosato~Onnatachi no Shinsengumi " that aired onTBS in September starringAya Ueto andHideaki Ito .Tadayoshi Ōkura appeared in the drama special remake of the classic "Hissatsu Shigoto-nin", alongside his J&A seniors, Higashiyama Noriyuki (Shounen-tai) and Matsuoka Masahiro (
Tokio ). He also appeared in his first drama series that fall, "Utahime " starring hissempai , Tomoya Nagase (Tokio ) ,Saki Aibu andRyuta Sato .Yu Yokoyama is was one of the lead actors of the popular comic-turned-drama series "
Yukan Club " alongside co-johnny's talentsAkanishi Jin andTaguchi Junnosuke .Uchi
After nearly two years of absence from the entertainment scene, Hiroki Uchi made his first public appearance since his suspension in July, acting in Shounen-tai's stage show " [http://www.johnnys-net.jp/kouen/butai/playzone07.html Playzone] ". His return had been announced earlier in the year, as a 'trainee' (reportedly lower in level than a
Johnny's Jr ).Johnny & Associates have indicated in ambiguous terms that no activities are in place for Uchi after the play's run ends in September as yet nor is it likely that he will be returning to either his groups (Kanjani Eight and NEWS). In a speech written into the play, Uchi apologizes to the members of both his groups, and specifically thanked and apologized to Ryo Nishikido. He vowed to work hard to make amends and thanked everyone that had supported him for giving him a chance to be active again.It was announced during Kanjani Eight's Tokyo Dome concert that a live DVD of the entire concert tour will be released by years-end. During the second encore of their second (and last) Tokyo Dome show on
August 5 ,2007 , Ryo Nishikido pulled a surprise guest on to stage – Hiroki Uchi, who himself was shocked. Members and fans alike showered the suspended member with love, while Uchi made his way around the dome and expressed his apologies and thanks to the audience for their support.Music
Their sixth single, Zukkoke Otokomichi was released on
April 11 and debuted on the Oricon chart at #1, followed by the release of their second album KJ2 Zukkoke Daidassou on June 6, also debuting at the top spot.Kanjani8 was one of the 16 artists and groups invited to be part of a tribute album in celebration of iconic Japanese composer,
Ryoichi Hattori 's 100th anniversary. They sang a funk-inspired remake of 'Kaimono Boogie'. The album was releasedOctober 17 ,2007 .Released on the same day was their seventh single, "It's My Soul", debuting at #1 on Orion's weekly chart.
Yokoyama You put on a Johnny Kitagawa-presented solo show at the Osaka [http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/shochikuza/index.html Shochiku-za] over 6 days (December 17 - 23) with a total of 11 shows.
Others
The group's "1st" photobook, a picture-documentary of their 47-prefecture tour, was released on
November 22 2007 . Hiroki Uchi appeared in it. And it turned out to be the best selling photobook of 2007 according to Oriconcite web | url=http://career.oricon.co.jp/news/50737/ | title=Japan Book of the Year 2007 ] .
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