KAT-TUN
Encyclopedia
KAT-TUN is a Japanese boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...

 formed by Johnny & Associates
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...

 (Johnny's) in 2001. The group's name is an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...

 until the departure of Jin Akanishi
Jin Akanishi
is a Japanese idol, singer-songwriter, actor, seiyū, and former radio host. Akanishi is a former member of the J-pop group, KAT-TUN, and was one of the two lead vocalists...

 in 2010. As of 2010, KAT-TUN stands for Kazuya KAmenashi
Kazuya Kamenashi
, often called Kame, is a Japanese idol, singer–songwriter, actor, television personality, producer, radio host and occasional model. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, he joined the Japanese talent agency, Johnny & Associates, at the age of 12 and was drafted as a member and co-lead vocalist of...

, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueda
Tatsuya Ueda
Tatsuya Ueda , born on October 4 1983, is a Japanese singer from the Japanese idol group KAT-TUN. Born in Kanagawa in Japan, he joined the Japanese talent agency, Johnny & Associates in 1998.- Group Participation :* B.B.A.* M.A.D.* B.B.D....

, and Yuichi Nakamaru. Their debut on March 22, 2006 was marked by a tripartite release of a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...

, album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 and music DVD on their exclusive record label J-One Records
J Storm
is a Japanese music and film company owned by Johnny & Associates. It was established on November 12, 2001, initially as a label for the Johnny's group, Arashi, after which it was named ....

. Since then, all of their single, album and music DVD releases have debuted at number one on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

music and DVD charts.

2001–2005: Formation and pre-debut activities

Before becoming KAT-TUN, each member belonged to different trainee units within Johnny & Associates. In 2001, eight members were chosen to become a temporary dancing unit in order to support Koichi Domoto
Koichi Domoto
is a Japanese idol, singer, singer-songwriter, composer, lyricist, television personality, seiyū and actor. Along with Tsuyoshi Domoto , he is a member of KinKi Kids, which is a Japanese duo under the management of Johnny & Associates.- Career :Born in Ashiya, Hyōgo, Japan, Domoto joined the...

 in the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....

 music program, Pop Jam. The eight members were switched around before it officially became KAT-TUN, with the current five members plus Jin Akanishi. Although the formation was only meant to be a temporary support unit, KAT-TUN gained a great deal of attention and became a solid unit.

In 2002, in response to many requests, KAT-TUN held their first concert called , for which 550,000 people tried to get tickets. That same year, they performed eleven shows in a single day. This is the current record in Japan for the most performances in one day. Since then, KAT-TUN has held concerts in Japan almost every season.

In 2003-2004, their popularity rose to that of a debuted group, to the point where they performed on Music Station
Music Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...

 multiple times before debuting. In 2005, KAT-TUN released their first major DVD, , which topped the Oricon yearly chart for the best-selling DVD. At the 20th Japan Gold Disc Award
Japan Gold Disc Award
The Japan Gold Disc Awards for Music sales in the Recording Industry Association of Japan, is major music awards held annually in Japan also released as a CD.- List of the Artists of the Year :************...

s, Live Kaizokuban placed on the Music Video Of The Year list.

2006: Debut and "Real Face"

On March 22, KAT-TUN released their debut single "Real Face", accompanied by an album, Best of KAT-TUN and a DVD Real Face Film. These were released on their own label J-One Records. The group also went on a nationwide tour, Live of KAT-TUN "Real Face", in support of the album. Within the first week, Best of KAT-TUN, "Real Face" and Real Face Film topped all three Oricon weekly charts by selling 556,548 copies, 754,234 copies and 374,202 copies respectively. They became the second artists to do so, the first being Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...

. With these numbers, KAT-TUN holds the record for the highest weekly single debut sales (previously held by Arashi
Arashi
is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii...

 with their debut single "Arashi" of 557,000 copies sold in 1999). In addition, "Real Face" topped the Oricon charts for three weeks straight, becoming the first debut single to do so in Japan in 8 years 8 months since KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....

' debut single "Garasu no Shōnen." The single sold over a million copies in nine weeks, making "Real Face" the highest selling single for the year 2006.

In March 2006, KAT-TUN became the first group to hold their own performances in Japan's most popular stadium, Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...

, before debuting. They performed to 110,000 people over two days and about 630,000 people in total during the tour. About three months after releasing "Real Face", KAT-TUN released their second single, "Signal
Signal (KAT-TUN song)
"SIGNAL" is a song written by Ma-saya, Joker, Joey Carbone, Lisa Huang and Akira for the second single and second studio album of the Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN...

", on July 19. It topped the Oricon weekly chart by exceeding 400,000 in sales.

On October 12, member Akanishi announced a hiatus from the group in order to study linguistics abroad in the United States, leaving KAT-TUN as a five-member group for six months. The remaining members continued activities by releasing their third single, "Bokura no Machi de
Bokura no Machi de
"Bokura no Machi de" is the third overall single by the Japanese boy band KAT-TUN, and the second from their second studio album, Cartoon KAT-TUN II You...

" as the theme song to members Kamenashi and Tanaka's drama, Tatta Hitotsu no Koi
Tatta Hitotsu no Koi
Tatta Hitotsu no Koi or also sometimes known as "Just One Love"is a Japanese drama series, produced and aired in 2006 by NTV. It is a 10-episode drama series that was aired from October 14, 2006 through December 16, 2006.-Synopsis:...

and their second album, Cartoon KAT-TUN II You on December 7.

KAT-TUN is the first group in Japan to have all three singles from debut to exceed 500,000 in yearly sales, taking first, fifth and thirteenth place on the Oricon yearly singles chart.

2007: Cartoon KAT-TUN II You

Under the same name as their second album, KAT-TUN started their second nationwide tour, Tour 2007 Cartoon KAT-TUN II You, still without Akanishi, on April 3. The next day, KAT-TUN began to host their own variety show Cartoon KAT-TUN
Cartoon KAT-TUN
was a Japanese variety show hosted by KAT-TUN, a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The show began airing on April 4, 2007, and ended on March 24, 2010. It aired every Wednesday from 11:55 pm to 12:26 am on NTV for 3 years...

, which aired every Wednesday from 11:55 p.m. to 12:26 a.m.

Akanishi returned to Japan on April 19 and officially resumed work activities on April 20. Akanishi joined the rest of KAT-TUN during their tour on April 21 in Sendai for the encore, marking his official return to KAT-TUN.

On June 6, KAT-TUN released their fourth single, "Yorokobi no Uta
Yorokobi no Uta
"Yorokobi no Uta" is the fourth overall single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and the first from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates...

", as the theme song to Tanaka's drama, Tokkyu Tanaka 3 Go. The single hit number one on the weekly chart.

On November 21, they simultaneously released their fifth single, "Keep the Faith
Keep the Faith (KAT-TUN song)
"Keep the faith" is the fifth overall single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and the second from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates...

", as the theme song to members Akanishi and Taguchi's drama, Yukan Club
Yūkan Club
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Yukari Ichijo. It is serialized in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret. Yūkan Club received the 1986 Kodansha Manga Award for the shōjo category. The manga was adapted into an original video animation by Madhouse Studios...

, and the DVD to their Tokyo Dome Live of KAT-TUN "Real Face" concert. The DVD marked their fifth consecutive release topping the Oricon musical DVD chart, and set the opening week record for the year. KAT-TUN took the annual number one position on the Oricon musical DVD charts for the third time in a row with the release.

After KinKi Kids, KAT-TUN is the second artist to have all singles since debut to exceed 300,000 in sales during their first week.

2008: Queen of Pirates

KAT-TUN released 'Lips', the theme song to Kamenashi's drama based on the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 One Pound Gospel, as their sixth single on February 6. The single topped at number one on the Oricon charts.

KAT-TUN released their seventh single "Don't U Ever Stop" on May 14, which topped the weekly Oricon chart. On May 15, during the MC segment promoting "Don't U Ever Stop" on Music Station
Music Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...

, Kamenashi announced that two shows had been added to their Tokyo Dome tourdates, resulting in a total of four consecutive days at the Dome. This marked a historic event in the Dome's history, as KAT-TUN became the first Japanese artist to hold four consecutive days at the stadium since it opened in 1988. Other Japanese artists, such as SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...

, X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...

 and Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...

 have had three consecutive days at the Dome. The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson have played multiple days at the Dome, but they were not consecutive.

On June 4, KAT-TUN released their third album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates
KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates
KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates is the third studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on June 4, 2008 by J-One Records...

.

On December 3, KAT-TUN released "White X'mas", their first Christmas single. The release consisted of a limited and regular edition, but both would only be sold during the holiday season. The single, with no drama tie-in and no B-side, still sold moderately well with more than 250,000 copies sold in its first week.

On December 21, it was announced that KAT-TUN would release a new single "One Drop
One Drop (song)
"One Drop" is the ninth single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and their third from their fourth studio album, Break the Records: By You & For You. It was released on February 11, 2009 and is the group's ninth consecutive number one single on the Oricon daily and weekly charts.-Single...

" as a tie-in theme song to Kamenashi's new drama, Kami no Shizuku
Kami no Shizuku (TV series)
Kami no Shizuku is a Japanese multi-awards winner television comedy series, based on the manga series Les Gouttes de Dieu. Produced by Nippon Television and featuring Kamenashi Kazuya, Tanabe Seiichi, Naka Riisa, Nozomi Sasaki, and Yuki Uchida, it was first broadcast on January 13, 2009, running...

, just two months after their "White X'mas" single. The release consisted of three versions: Limited Edition w/DVD, Regular Edition (First Press) and a Regular Edition.

2009: Break the Records: By You & For You

On January 1, it was announced that Kamenashi will continue starring in Dream Boys in September for thirty-eight shows. The stage show is expected to continue for six more years. In addition, KAT-TUN released KAT-TUN Live Tour 2008 Queen of Pirates DVD, featuring their last day of four in Tokyo Dome.

On February 11, KAT-TUN released "One Drop". It became KAT-TUN's ninth consecutive number one single since debut, selling 281,359 copies in its first week.

A month later, on March 11, KAT-TUN released "Rescue
Rescue (KAT-TUN song)
"Rescue" is the tenth single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and their fourth single from their fourth studio album, Break the Records: By You & For You...

" for member Nakamaru's drama, Rescue: Tokubetsu Kodo Kyujotai. It became KAT-TUN's tenth consecutive number one single since debut, selling 322,597 copies in its first week. With this achievement KAT-TUN tied with NEWS for the second most consecutive number one singles from debut (Kinki Kids is number one with twenty-eight consecutive number one singles). A week after the release of "Rescue", it was revealed through their official website that KAT-TUN would be releasing their fourth studio album.

On April 1, the title of the album, Break the Records: By You & For You
Break the Records: By You & For You
Break the Records: By You & For You is the fourth studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on April 29, 2009 by J-One Records...

, as well as the track list for KAT-TUN's fourth studio album were released; the album itself released on April 29.

It was announced on January 23 that KAT-TUN would hold seven consecutive concerts at Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...

, Japan's largest and most prestigious arena, making KAT-TUN the first artists in history to do so. However, by the end of March, due to the large number of pre-reserved tickets, KAT-TUN's record breaking concert added extra tour dates. KAT-TUN's 2009 concert scheduled eight consecutive days in Tokyo Dome from May 15 to the 22, three days in Osaka from May 29 to the 31, and two more days in Tokyo Dome from June 14 to the 15, for a total of thirteen concert performances in two cities, and ten days in total for Tokyo Dome.

Sales for KAT-TUN's eight consecutive days in Tokyo Dome concert went on sale on April 4. On the very same day all 440,000 seats were sold out.

On the last of their eight days at Tokyo Dome, it was announced that KAT-TUN would once again embark on another summer tour of Japan starting from July 7.

It was reported on May 24 that Johnny Kitagawa
Johnny Kitagawa
, born , is the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for numerous popular boy bands in Japan. Kitagawa assembled, produced and managed more than a dozen popular bands, including SMAP, Arashi, Kanjani8, Hey! Say! JUMP, V6, NEWS and KAT-TUN. Kitagawa's influence has...

 was after the acknowledgment of KAT-TUN's eight-day concerts at Tokyo Dome by the Guinness World Records company, for the record of the largest number of consecutive concerts at a stadium seating more than 50,000 spectators each day.

2010: International activities and Akanishi's departure

On February 10, KAT-TUN released their first single since March 2009, which was used for Kamenashi's live-action drama adaptation of Tomoko Hayakawa's manga series Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, which premiered January 15 on TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....

. The single, "Love Yourself (Kimi ga Kirai na Kimi ga Suki)
Love Yourself (Kimi ga Kirai na Kimi ga Suki)
is the eleventh single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. It was released on February 10, 2010 by their record label J-One Records. The title track is was used as the theme song for the Tokyo Broadcasting System drama, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, which stars member Kazuya Kamenashi.-Background:In...

", debuted at number one on the Oricon weekly singles chart, resulting in KAT-TUN's eleventh consecutive number one single since their debut. It became KAT-TUN's first single to sell more than 350,000 copies in its first week since the May 2008 release of their single "Don't U Ever Stop", which sold more than 381,000 copies in its first week.

On March 24, Johnny & Associates announced that KAT-TUN will go on their first Asia concert tour as a five-member group while Akanishi will hold his own solo concerts in The United States, making him the first Johnny's artist to perform solo in the United States. KAT-TUN is set to have their Asia Tour from early May to late August and although the majority of the concerts will be held in Japan, KAT-TUN will also be heading to Bangkok on July 31, Seoul from August 6 to 7, and Taipei from August 27 to 28; other sources say that a Hawaii concert is also being considered. Due to his absence from KAT-TUN's Asia concert tour and single promotions, Akanishi did not participate in the recording of KAT-TUN's twelfth single "Going!
Going!
"Going!" is the twelfth single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. It was released on May 12, 2010 by their record label J-One Records. The title track is was used as the theme song for the Nippon Television TV Show, Going! Sports & News, which is co-hosted by member Kazuya Kamenashi.-Single...

" set for release on May 12. Due to the political unrest in Thailand
2010 Thai political protests
A prolonged series of political protests occurred in Bangkok, Thailand in 2010 from March to May against the Democrat Party-led government. The protests were organized by the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship...

, Johnny & Associates announced on May 15 that KAT-TUN's concert in Bangkok would be indefinitely postponed.

KAT-TUN released their first 2010 album, No More Pain
No More Pain
No More Pain is the fifth studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on June 16, 2010 by J-One Records...

, on June 16 in two versions: a limited and regular edition that both include solo songs by each member. The limited edition contains thirteen songs and a bonus DVD with the PVs and making-of's the album's songs while the regular edition contains a bonus track.

Johnny & Associates announced on July 17 that Akanishi would leave the group in late 2010 to pursue a solo career while the rest of the members would continue to work as a five-member group. On July 21, Akanishi himself confirmed through the official Johnny's mobile site, Johnny's Web, that he would leave KAT-TUN to focus on his solo career, although he had not appeared on any event to his fans until October.

KAT-TUN continues as a group of five. On August 28, the last day of their World Big Tour 2010, KAT-TUN revealed about their 2011 tour plan to celebrate their fifth anniversary by performing at industrial complexes in five cities in Japan and expanding its overseas tour to five different countries including Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, China, and Hawaii. The Hawaii concert would make them the first Johnny artist to hold a concert in Hawaii. On October 13, KAT-TUN announced the release of their new single, "Change Ur World" which is KAT-TUN's 13th single and the first single after Akanishi's official departure, was released on November 17. The single debuted at number one on the Oricon weekly singles chart for selling 230,829 copies, resulting in KAT-TUN's thirteenth consecutive number one single since their debut plus all of their 13 singles sold over 200,000 copies in the first week.

On December 29, KAT-TUN released KAT-TUN -NO MORE PAIИ- WORLD TOUR 2010 DVD, featuring their last day in Japan leg of their successful World Big Tour 2010 at Kyocera Dome and more concert footages from their Korea and Taiwan legs.

2011: 5th Anniversary

The group announced a release of their 14th single on 2010's Christmas Eve, "Ultimate Wheels" on February 2, 2011 along with a tie-in CM of Suzuki Solio car that the group endorsed. On January 6, KAT-TUN announced its plan of KAT-TUN Live Tour 2011 during May to October. The tour includes the 5 big dome tour at Sapporo Dome, Tokyo Dome, Nagoya Dome, Yahoo Dome in Fukuoka, and Kyocera Dome in Osaka and a special live event in Kawasaki on July 17–19. KAT-TUN will become the fourth Johnny group to be able to conquer the 5 big domes in Japan after SMAP, Kinki Kids and Arashi. After October, the group will start their Asia Tour that includes Thailand, Taiwan, and Korea. "Ultimate Wheels" became their 14th straight No.1 single since their debut. The total number of copies sold in the first week was over 180,000 copies, reported by Oricon. Early March, KAT-TUN announced three new songs in three days, including "Perfect" for Kamenashi's new Aoki TV commercial, "White" for a Sofina commercial, and "Diamond" as the theme song of NTV telecasts of Yomiuri Giants baseball games.

It was announced on March 29 that Johnny’s Company would start a new charity project called Marching J, a fundraising project for the Tohoku Earthquake victims. The first part of the project started as an event held from April 1 through April 3. From the company, SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...

, Tokio
Tokio (band)
Tokio is a Japanese rock/pop band formed by Johnny & Associates that debuted in 1994. It is made up of five men who were signed with Sony Music Entertainment from 1994 to 2001, with Universal Music Japan from 2001 to 2008, and are now signed under J Storm, a label owned by Johnny & Associates...

, Kinki Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....

, V6, Arashi
Arashi
is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii...

, Tackey and Tsubasa
Tackey and Tsubasa
are a Japanese idol duo consisting of Hideaki Takizawa and Tsubasa Imai from the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates. Takizawa, nicknamed "Tackey" , is best known for his drama works, and Tsubasa for his dancing ability. They have also been musically successful with hit singles such as...

, NEWS
NeWS
NeWS was a windowing system developed by Sun Microsystems in the mid 1980s. Originally known as "SunDew", its primary authors were James Gosling and David S. H. Rosenthal...

, Kanjani8, KAT-TUN, Hey! Say! JUMP
Hey! Say! JUMP
Hey! Say! JUMP is a ten-member Japanese boy band under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates. The name Hey! Say! refers to the fact that all the members were born in the Heisei period and JUMP is an acronym for Johnny's Ultra Music Power...

 and some Johnny’s Juniors participated in this first event. The first event will be held at Tokyo, in front of the first Yoyogi gymnasium. Groups took turns according to their schedule and will have a talk session in front of the fans, also calling out for donations for the earthquake victims.

On May 18, KAT-TUN's 15th single "White" was released with "Perfect" as its coupling song. By this time, they also announced another two new songs, "Cosmic Child" for a Wing TV commercial, and "Run For You" for a New Suzuki Solio commercial. On May 29, KAT-TUN with all its five members joined another Marching J project, "Johnny's Charity Baseball Tournament" with other Johnny artists and juniors at Tokyo Dome, in which the ticket sales would be donated for the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami victims.

It was announced in mid-June that members Kazuya Kamenashi, Koki Tanaka and Yuichi Nakamaru will star in this year's Dream Boy musicals as the leads, shows will commence from September 3rd to 25th. This year's shows will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the venue Imperial Garden Theater
Imperial Garden Theater
The is a Japanese theater located in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan operated by Toho. Opened in 1911 as the first Western-style theater in Japan, it stages a varied program of musicals and operas.-External links:...

, and will also be the last shows for Johnny's long-running Dream Boy musicals.

On September 8 2011, it was confirmed that KAT-TUN will host a new TV show titled KAT-TUN no Zettai Manetaku Naru TV, their first show since Cartoon KAT-TUN
Cartoon KAT-TUN
was a Japanese variety show hosted by KAT-TUN, a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The show began airing on April 4, 2007, and ended on March 24, 2010. It aired every Wednesday from 11:55 pm to 12:26 am on NTV for 3 years...

 ended in March 2010. The new show is scheduled to begin airing on October 18 on NTV. During the broadcast of the first episode, it was revealed that the show will only air for a limited time until the end of December 2011 with a total of 10 episodes.
On September 30 2011, KAT-TUN announced their 17th single "Birth" as the soundtrack to Kamenashi Kazuya's drama "Youkai Ningen Bem" to be released on November 30.

Current members

(born February 23, 1986) (born November 29, 1985) (born November 5, 1985) (born October 4, 1983) (born September 4, 1983)

Studio albums

  • 2006: Best of KAT-TUN
    Best of KAT-TUN
    "Best of KAT-TUN" is the debut album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN, released in Japan on March 22, 2006 by J-One Records. Despite the title, it is not a greatest hits compilation album...

  • 2007: Cartoon KAT-TUN II You
    Cartoon KAT-TUN II You
    Cartoon KAT-TUN II You is the second studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN, released in Japan on April 18, 2007 by J-One Records. It is the group's first album to not feature all six members with Jin Akanishi taking a sabbatical to study overseas six months prior...

  • 2008: KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates
    KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates
    KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates is the third studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on June 4, 2008 by J-One Records...

  • 2009: Break the Records: By You & For You
    Break the Records: By You & For You
    Break the Records: By You & For You is the fourth studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on April 29, 2009 by J-One Records...

  • 2010: No More Pain
    No More Pain
    No More Pain is the fifth studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on June 16, 2010 by J-One Records...


Singles

  • 2006: "Real Face"
  • 2006: "Signal
    Signal (KAT-TUN song)
    "SIGNAL" is a song written by Ma-saya, Joker, Joey Carbone, Lisa Huang and Akira for the second single and second studio album of the Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN...

    "
  • 2006: "Bokura no Machi de
    Bokura no Machi de
    "Bokura no Machi de" is the third overall single by the Japanese boy band KAT-TUN, and the second from their second studio album, Cartoon KAT-TUN II You...

    "
  • 2007: "Yorokobi no Uta
    Yorokobi no Uta
    "Yorokobi no Uta" is the fourth overall single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and the first from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates...

    "
  • 2007: "Keep the Faith
    Keep the Faith (KAT-TUN song)
    "Keep the faith" is the fifth overall single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and the second from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates...

    "
  • 2008: "Lips
    Lips (KAT-TUN song)
    "Lips" is the sixth single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and the third and last song to be commercially released from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates...

    "
  • 2008: "Don't U Ever Stop"
  • 2008: "White X'mas
    White X'mas
    "White X'mas" is the eighth single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and their second from their fourth studio album, Break the Records: By You & For You...

    "
  • 2009: "One Drop
    One Drop (song)
    "One Drop" is the ninth single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and their third from their fourth studio album, Break the Records: By You & For You. It was released on February 11, 2009 and is the group's ninth consecutive number one single on the Oricon daily and weekly charts.-Single...

    "
  • 2009: "Rescue
    Rescue (KAT-TUN song)
    "Rescue" is the tenth single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and their fourth single from their fourth studio album, Break the Records: By You & For You...

    "
  • 2010: "Love Yourself (Kimi ga Kirai na Kimi ga Suki)
    Love Yourself (Kimi ga Kirai na Kimi ga Suki)
    is the eleventh single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. It was released on February 10, 2010 by their record label J-One Records. The title track is was used as the theme song for the Tokyo Broadcasting System drama, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, which stars member Kazuya Kamenashi.-Background:In...

    "
  • 2010: "Going!
    Going!
    "Going!" is the twelfth single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. It was released on May 12, 2010 by their record label J-One Records. The title track is was used as the theme song for the Nippon Television TV Show, Going! Sports & News, which is co-hosted by member Kazuya Kamenashi.-Single...

    "
  • 2010: "Change Ur World
    Change Ur World
    "Change Ur World" is the thirteenth single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. It was released on November 17, 2010 by their record label J-One Records...

    "
  • 2011: "Ultimate Wheels
    Ultimate Wheels
    "Ultimate Wheels" is the fourteenth single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. It was released on February 2, 2011 by their record label J-One Records...

    "
  • 2011: "White"
  • 2011: "Run For You
    Run for You
    "Run For You" is the sixteenth single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. The song "Run For You" is featured in a TV commercial for the Suzuki Solio, while "Cosmic Child" will be used in commercials for Wacoal products. "Diamond" will be used as the "image song" for "Dramatic Game 1844".-Single...

    "
  • 2011: "Birth
    Birth (KAT-TUN song)
    "Birth" is the seventeenth single by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN. The song "Birth" as the theme song for Kame’s upcoming drama, ‘Yokai Ningen Bem‘ ! . -Single information:...

    "

DVDs

  • 2003: Okyakusama wa Kamisama - Concert 55 Man Nin Ai no Request ni Kotaete!!
  • 2005: KAT-TUN Live Kaizokuban
  • 2006: Real Face Film
  • 2006: Dream Boys
  • 2007: Live of KAT-TUN "Real Face"
  • 2007: Tour 2007 Cartoon KAT-TUN II You
  • 2008: KAT-TUN Live Tour 2008 Queen Of Pirates
  • 2009: KAT-TUN Live Break the Records
  • 2010: KAT-TUN-No More Pain-World Tour 2010

The above releases only include group activities. For solo releases, please visit individual members' pages. Note that KAT-TUN has also been prominently featured in other Johnny's groups' concerts and musical releases as well (such as Shock Digest and Dream Boy).

Photobook

KAT-TUN's first official photobook, entitled KAT-TUN 1st in New York (photographer Harumi Yoshimura) was published in December 2003 by Wani Books.

On August 31, 2009, KAT-TUN released their second official photobook entitled KAT-TUN Live Document Photobook: Break the Records, which documents their rehearsals, behind-the-scenes photos and concert photos; it also includes exclusive interviews with the members.

TV shows

KAT-TUN had regularly appeared on NHK's Johnny's Jr.
Johnny's Jr.
is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet officially debuted either with a unit or as a solo act. The juniors are mostly younger than 30, with the exception of Sano Mizuki.- A.B.C-Z : is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet...

 show The Shōnen Club and became the regular hosts and leaders of the show until 2006 when they made their official debut. From 2005 to January 2007, KAT-TUN was a regular participant in the variety show Utawara Hot Hit 10
Utawara Hot Hit 10
was a weekly Japanese music television program broadcast on Sundays 7:58 pm – 8:54 pm on Nippon Television. The series ended its run on January 28, 2007.-Content:...

with Jun Matsumoto
Jun Matsumoto
, often called by the portmanteau nickname , is a Japanese idol, singer, actor and radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi and is best known to Japanese television drama audiences for his portrayal as Tsukasa Dōmyōji in the Hana Yori Dango series, in which he won GQ Japan's Man Of...

. From October 8, 2006, members Tanaka Koki & Nakamaru Yuichi hosted the show YouTachi! YOUたち! together, until the show ended on September 30, 2007.

From April 4, 2007 to March 24, 2010, KAT-TUN hosted their own talk show Cartoon KAT-TUN
Cartoon KAT-TUN
was a Japanese variety show hosted by KAT-TUN, a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The show began airing on April 4, 2007, and ended on March 24, 2010. It aired every Wednesday from 11:55 pm to 12:26 am on NTV for 3 years...

every Wednesday.
Their new TV show KAT-TUN no Zettai Manetaku Naru TV began on October 18 2011, on NTV. During the broadcast of the first episode, it was revealed that the show will only have 10 episodes in total, and will air till the end of December 2011.

As well as hosting their group show, some of the individual members are also hosts and regulars on other shows, member Kazuya Kamenashi is a regular host on the late-night sports news show Going! Sports&News and the baseball show Dramatic Game 1844 both airing on NTV. While member Koki Tanaka is a regular on Bakushou Dai Nippon AKAN Keisatsu airing on Fuji TV, he appears on the show fortnightly. While member Yuichi Nakamaru is a regular on Shuuichi airing on NTV, and it has recently been announced that Tatsuya Ueda will be a regular on Kyoukasho ni Nosetai! airing on TBS.

Radio

The group has 3 different radio shows, each hosted by different members and all have been airing for several years.
Members Koki Tanaka and Junnosuke Taguchi hosts KAT-TUN Style together every Mondays to Thursdays from 11:50pm - 12am. Yuichi Nakamaru and Tatsuya Ueda hosts R-One KAT-TUN every Tuesdays from 12am - 12:30am.
Kazuya Kamenashi has his own radio show called Kamenashi Kazuya - Kase by Kase, and was aired every Fridays from 11:40pm - 12am, it ended on September 20th. He has a new radio show called 'Kamenashi Kazuya - Hang Out' and airs every Saturdays at 10.20am - 10.50am.

Musicals

As a group, KAT-TUN has appeared in Koichi Domoto
Koichi Domoto
is a Japanese idol, singer, singer-songwriter, composer, lyricist, television personality, seiyū and actor. Along with Tsuyoshi Domoto , he is a member of KinKi Kids, which is a Japanese duo under the management of Johnny & Associates.- Career :Born in Ashiya, Hyōgo, Japan, Domoto joined the...

's Shock musical, Summary of Johnnys World with NEWS and Ya-ya-yah
Ya-ya-yah
Ya-Ya-yah is a Johnny's Jr. group from Johnny & Associates, which also produced groups such as KAT-TUN, SMAP, TOKIO, KinKi Kids, Arashi, NEWS and Tackey & Tsubasa. On May 15, 2002, the group released double A-side single "Yūki 100%/Sekai ga Hitotsu ni Narumade." The single debuted at #9 on the...

 and the Dream Boy musicals from 2004 to 2006.
Since 2004, member Kazuya Kamenashi has played the lead role in the Dream Boy musicals consecutively each year, after senior Hideaki Takizawa
Hideaki Takizawa
is a Japanese actor and member of the J-pop duo Tackey & Tsubasa from Tokyo, Japan. In 2002, when he reached the age of 20, he debuted with Tsubasa Imai in the group Tackey & Tsubasa under the record label Avex Trax. That same year, he graduated from Johnny's Junior. Tackey & Tsubasa have released...

 handed down the role to Kazuya.
Kazuya and fellow KAT-TUN member Koki Tanaka paired up to play the lead roles for the shows held in 2007 and 2008. The final shows for the musical will start from September 3rd to 25th 2011, and will star members Kazuya, Koki and Yuichi Nakamaru as the leads.

Concerts

Since their first concert in 2002, granted after overwhelming amounts of fan requests to Johnny's, KAT-TUN regularly holds concerts during almost every season of the year in Japan. This has helped them gain more popularity with their fans. It was considered remarkable for a Johnny's group which had not yet officially debuted to be able to hold its own concerts.

KAT-TUN was the first Japanese artist to perform for four days in a row at Tokyo Dome during their Queen of Pirates tour. The following year, they broke their own record becoming the first artists ever to perform for eight consecutive days at Tokyo Dome during their Break The Records: By You & For You 2009 tour. Now, Johnny & Associates submitted this new record to Guinness Book of World Records for KAT-TUN to be recognized as the Japanese boy band who broke the records in Tokyo Dome performances.

The group (excluding Jin Akanishi) held their biggest ever concert tour in 2010 titled KAT-TUN -NO MORE PAIИ- WORLD TOUR 2010 which consisted of concerts in many major cities across Japan. The tour also included concerts held in Taiwan and Korea; the first time the group has ever toured outside Japan for their official concerts.
Although during their pre-debut years, KAT-TUN had on several occasions toured overseas with their senior groups, while they were still Johnny Jrs.

Commercials

KAT-TUN regularly appeared in TV commercials to endorse for NTT docomo
NTT DoCoMo
is the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan. The name is officially an abbreviation of the phrase, "do communications over the mobile network", and is also from a compound word dokomo, meaning "everywhere" in Japanese. Docomo provides phone, video phone , i-mode , and mail services...

, SKY PerfecTV!
SKY PerfecTV!
SKY PerfecTV! is a direct broadcast satellite service that provides satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services to households in Japan, owned by parent company SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation....

, Rohto
Rohto Pharmaceutical Co.
is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tatsumi-nishi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka, Japan. founded "", the predecessor of Rohto, in Shimizucho, Higashi-ku , Osaka on February 22, 1899.Yamada sold "Rohto Eyedrops" in 1909...

 and Lotte
Lotte (conglomerate)
Lotte Co., Ltd. is a South Korean-Japanese Jaebeol and one of the largest food and shopping groups in South Korea and Japan. Lotte was established in June 1948, in Tokyo, by Japanese-educated, Korean businessman Shin Kyuk-Ho – also known as...

 from 2005 to 2009.
Since 2010, member Kazuya Kamenashi has also been endorsing for Panasonic's 'Lamdash' shaver and 'DOLTZ' electric toothbrush, and AOKI 3D slim suits.
Since early 2011, the group together has also been endorsing for Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...

's SOLIO car, and has sang the theme songs for commercials for Sofina and Wing products.

Events

From August 26 to August 27, 2006, KAT-TUN were the main personality supporters for the NTV 24 Hour Television: "Love Saves the Earth" charity program.

Awards

Years Awards
2006
  • Japan Gold Disc Award
    Japan Gold Disc Award
    The Japan Gold Disc Awards for Music sales in the Recording Industry Association of Japan, is major music awards held annually in Japan also released as a CD.- List of the Artists of the Year :************...

    s: Music Video Of The Year - KAT-TUN Live Kaizokuban
2007
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: Single Of The Year - "Real Face"
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Singles - "Real Face"
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Singles - "Signal"
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Singles - "Bokura no Machi de"
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Albums - Best of KAT-TUN
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best Music Videos - Real Face Film
  • 2008
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Singles - "Keep the Faith"
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Singles - "Yorokobi No Uta"
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best Music Videos - Live of KAT-TUN "Real Face"
  • The 17th TV Life Drama Award: Best Theme Song - "Keep the Faith"
  • 2009
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Singles - "Lips"
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 10 Singles - "Don't U Ever Stop"
  • 2010
  • Japan Gold Disc Awards: The Best 5 Singles - "Rescue"

  • External links

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