Kanjani Eight
Encyclopedia
is a seven-member Japanese boy band
from Japan's Kansai region. They are managed by the multimedia talent agency, Johnny & Associates
, and signed to Imperial Records
. The group was formed in 2002 and made their CD debut in 2004 as "Johnny's modern enka
group", though after the year 2006, their sound and style has become a mix of pop
and rock
. Like the rest of the acts managed under Johnny & Associates, Kanjani Eight also perform in various other areas of the Japanese entertainment industry such as variety show hosting, television, movie, and stage acting, and radio talk show hosting.
, Yuu Yokoyama, Shingo Murakami
, and Ryo Nishikido
were one of the top leading juniors of the time, headlining many Junior hosted programs and acting in dramas. After the debuts of Arashi
and Tackey & Tsubasa, the golden era was suddenly coming to an end and so was their popularity. By the year 2001 all their activity had slowed down to magazine photoshoots.
On the contrary, a new Kansai Junior unit named V. West was taking off in popularity, more so than their eastern counterpart FiVe. The group consisted of Ryuhei Maruyama
, Shota Yasuda
, Hiroki Uchi
, Kiyohito Mizuno, and Tooru Imayama. The group became so popular that by 2001 they had their own television show, Weekly V. West. But, when Mizuno and Imayama left Johnny's & Associates, worry had begun to creep within unit as to their fate within the talent agency. Suddenly, Tadayoshi Ohkura
had been added to the group as a support drummer and then a member soon after.
In 2002, after the end of Weekly V. West, a new program was created to replace it on Kansai TV Channel 8 entitled J3Kansai (prounced as J Cube Kansai). This show brought together the top leading Kansai Juniors of the golden age and V. West creating the new Junior group, Kanjani, a portmanteau of the words Kansai Johnny's. With the success of the stage play, Another, the group became official garnering the name Kanjani Eight. The "8" stood for the channel that the show J3Kansai aired on. Tadayoshi Ohkura was added as an official member in the 9th episode finalizing the group as an eight-member group.
Kanjani Eight, as a newly formed group, held their first concert in December 2002, titled " Kanjani Eight Xmas Party 2002 ". This concert ended up becoming a yearly tradition before ending in 2005. It was also the birthplace of the group's signature act, Kanjani Sentai Eight Ranger
.
In 2003, Kanjani Eight members Nishikido and Uchi were called to go to Tokyo to become a part of NEWS
, another Johnny & Associates group.
Even though there was questions about the group's debut, "Naniwa Iroha Bushi" had risen to the number-one spot on the Oricon
's Enka charts and reaching number-eight on the Oricon's generic music charts. When the single made its nationwide debut on September 22nd, it had hit number-one on both the Oricon Enka and General Music charts.
Much of 2004 activities were Kansai region focused in comparison their fellow acts who had the luxuries of nationwide exposure. Kanjani Eight had become hometown idols with majority of their popularity within the region but outside the area they were almost unknown. The release of their second single, "Osaka Rainy Blues
", further exemplified the fact with the CD single debuting number-nine on the Oricon. To this date, "Osaka Rainy Blues" is the group's lowest single in sales.
2005 had marked the launch of Kanjani Eight's popularity even though it had opened up with the lackluster sales of their second single, "Osaka Rainy Blues". The group had been starring in three regular programs, now being aired nationwide, and were starting to get recognition as a debut Johnny's act. But with growing success came a scandal and in 2005 Hiroki Uchi
was arrested for disorderly conduct and underage drinking, being 18 at the time.
The scandal had a significant impact on Kanjani Eight as well as NEWS, the other group he was active in. Johnny's & Associates removed Uchi from both units and put him under an indefinite hiatus from all activities. Also, the drama special about the WWII Kamikaze
pilots starring the group, Yakusoku, was canceled. Kanjani Eight continued on that year to do their first Osaka-jō Hall
performance with one member less in the summer of 2005.
, the title standing for Kanjani 1: Funky Town Osaka. The album had hit number-two on the Oricon on its debut.
Now known nationally and having an official album release under their belts, Kanjani Eight had begun their first tour. Named after the album's title, the F.T.O.N, Funky Tokyo Osaka Nagoya, concert tour spanned the three cities for six days and twenty performances in total. Soon after the small spring concert tour, the band launched their first nationwide tour, entitled Nationwide 1-St Tour 2006 followed up with a part two winter concert which was appropriately named after the release of their first number-one single, "Kan Fu Fighting
". Both tours were a total of 46 performances.
As with all Johnny's, music and television appearances were not the only thing on the group's active schedule. 2006 had also marked the acting debut leads for Ohkura, Maruyama, and Yasuda. By the end of 2006, the group had been in more than four dramas including the Kansai TV drama special showcasing the entire band in three separate stories.
Kanjani Eight had also be active in several stage plays, returning once again for the third year in a row to headline the popular Johnny's & Associates produced play, Dream Boys, with KAT-TUN
. This year also marked the end of their summer special stage play series with the return of Another as Another's Another. Their final summer special stage play had a total of 58 performances and marked the last time Kanjani Eight would ever perform at Osaka Shochiku-za Theater.
", which was then followed by the release of their second single, "Zukkoke Otoko Michi
". "Zukkoke Otoko Michi" debuted at number-one on the Weekly Charts and number-three for the month of April. The single went later on to be the number-one8 top selling single of 2007. Despite the popularity of the song, it still wasn't as substantial as the success of "Kanfuu Fighting" which had been number-nine on the 2007 yearly charts.
The release of "Zukkoke Otoko Michi" also marked the change of labels from Teichiku Records to its subsidiary, Imperial Records partly due to the change of sound that the band had. Teichiku is an Enka label and the change to Imperial allowed the band to be on a label with a broader sound as Imperial is Teichiku Entertainment's pop/rock label.
June 2007 was the release of their second full-length album, KJ2 Zukkoke Dai Dassō
. The album was a significant departure in sound from their first release, focusing the funk and rock side of things, but still didn't stop record sales as it had debut number-one on the Oricon and number-two overall for the month of June.
Majority of 2007 was spent on the road as the group had opened up 2007 holding a concert series as Kyocera Dome entitled Eh?! Honma?! Bikkuri!! Dome Concert in Osaka (Eh? Really?! Shocking!!). The concert tour was extended to a full-length nationwide tour of the same name, breaking records of being the first pop group ever to perform in all forty-seven prefectures
in the same concert tour. The Eh! Honma! Bikkuri!! Tour 2007 had lasted five months and was a total of 113 performances.
In between all the concert activities, many members in Kanjani Eight were involved in other side projects. Yokoyama had starred in the Fuji TV drama, as well as the drama adaptation of the manga, Yūkan Club
. Nishikido had starred in the Attention Please drama special and in 1 Liter of Tears. Ohkura had a role in the franchise revival of Hissatsu Shigotonin as well as a supporting role in the TBS drama, Utahime. Maruyama also held a role in the TBS special, .
Directly following up the concert was the release of their seventh single, "It's My Soul
". The song had followed the style of its preceding single and album, and managed to hit number-one on the Oricon in its debut week and number-two overall for the month of October. The single managed to hit twenty-second most sold single of 2007.
2007 had ended with the release of the documentary photobook and the concert DVD, 47, which was from the Tokyo Dome performance of their nation-wide 2007 tour. 47 ended up becoming the top selling music DVD of 2008 on the Oricon charts, staying on for a solid 57 weeks.
", met with success reaching number-one on the Weekly Oricon charts, Billboard
Japan Hot 100
, Billboard Japan Hot Single Sales, and reaching number-two7 on the top singles of 2008 (Oricon).
Right after their 4-city, 24-performance spring tour, Kanjani Eight hosted the NTV
special, , a 13-hour television special spreading the awareness of ecology and the impact of energy waste and littering to the planet. Soon after, they hosted the sequel to their variety special, Sore Yuke! Daidaman, Daidaman Z.
Much of 2008 after June was spent with mild activities from the group. After the successful summer tour, the group released their ninth single, "Musekinin Hero
". The single marked a milestone in the group's rising stardom by breaking over 300,000 units sold. The single had reached number-one on the charts and number-eleven on the 2008 yearly charts.
In 2009, Kanjani Eight had released their third album Puzzle after nearly two years since the release of Zukkoke Dai Dassō. Puzzle was a complete departure in sound compared to their previous two albums, containing more of mixture of R&B, rock, and pop songs. The album took only three months to complete and was released in April instantly garnering the number-one spot on the Oricon. The album ended up the number-one1 best-selling album in the first half 2009. After a very successful concert tour, a DVD was released from their Tokyo Dome performance. The DVD had reached number-one on the General and Music DVD Oricon charts.
Their tenth single, "Kyū Jō Show!!
", was released in November after nearly a year since their last single. The CD single hit number-one on the Oricon weekly charts and number-two overall for the month of November, despite the number-one spot, it did not beat the success of "Musekinin Hero".
In December 2009, Kanjani Eight released their eleventh, twelveth, and thirteenth single. "Gift
" was released as three separate singles, white, red and green, with different songs on each one. The single release is the band's first Christmas themed song and is said by the group to be a "Gift to the fans". It was released on the day before Christmas Eve (White), Christmas Eve (Red), and Christmas Day (Green). With these releases, Kanjani Eight became the first (and so far only) group to occupy the top three spots in the Oricon singles chart at once.
becoming involved with the Japanese production of Guys and Dolls
, the president of Johnny & Associates, Johnny Kitagawa
, stated that Uchi has been permanently removed from both Kanjani Eight and NEWS and will instead focus on solo work and acting.
It was announced on July 6, 2010 that the group's fourteenth single "Wonderful World!!" debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly singles chart. Kanjani Eight released their fifteenth single on August 25, 2010, and it went on to top the Oricon weekly singles chart.
to focus on activities with Kanjani8.
SubaruBand – A rock band that is composed of Shibutani (vo), Maruyama (ba), Yasuda (g), and Ohkura (dr). The group made its first appearance in 2002 at the Kanjani Eight Xmas Party. The songs are composed by Yasuda, lyrics written by Shibutani, and arranged by the band. Notable songs are "One", "High Position", and "Down up ↑"
SanKyōDai – An acoustic band as well as a full sounding band with Maruyama and Ohkura on support. Its main members are Yuu (Yokoyama), Chipa (Yasuda), and Baru (Shibutani) and their first appearance was at the 2003 Kanjani8 Xmas Party. Up until the Christmas 2005 show, SanKyoudai had released new song, these songs being, "Purin" (Pudding), "Amechan" (Candy), "Mikan" (Oranges), and "Onigishi" (Onigiri). Lyrics are written by Yuu and songs composed by Chipa.
YamaDa – A manzai
duo created by Maruyama and Yasuda in which Maruyama plays the boke
and Yasuda plays the tsukkomi.
There are also other lesser known subunits that the group has created such as OhYamaDa (band), SanBaka (Shibutani, Yokoyama, Murakami), Yasuba (Yasuda and Shibutani), and others.
Mini albums
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...
from Japan's Kansai region. They are managed by the multimedia talent agency, 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:...
, and signed to Imperial Records
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...
. The group was formed in 2002 and made their CD debut in 2004 as "Johnny's modern enka
Enka
is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...
group", though after the year 2006, their sound and style has become a mix of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. Like the rest of the acts managed under Johnny & Associates, Kanjani Eight also perform in various other areas of the Japanese entertainment industry such as variety show hosting, television, movie, and stage acting, and radio talk show hosting.
Combination of two groups: 2002–2003
Kanjani Eight was the combination of the four top leading Kansai Juniors of the "Junior golden age" and the newly popular V. West (Five West), a rock band Kansai Junior unit. Prior to the creation of the group, Subaru ShibutaniSubaru Shibutani
is a Japanese idol, singer, actor and lyricist. He is also the lead singer of Japanese male idol group Kanjani Eight, which debuted with modern enka. Shibutani was already a singer in his own right before the group's debut, immensely popular among Johnny's Jr. fans as the top Kansai Jr...
, Yuu Yokoyama, Shingo Murakami
Shingo Murakami
, also known as Hina, is Japanese idol, singer, actor and radio host. He is also a member of Japanese boy band Kanjani Eight.-Discography:-Drama:*1999: Kowai Nichiyōbi*1999: Mamachari Detective*2001: Neverland*2004: Hagure Keiji Junjoha...
, and Ryo Nishikido
Ryo Nishikido
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is a member of the Johnny & Associates boy band Kanjani Eight and was a member of boy band NEWS.- Biography :Ryo Nishikido was born in Hyogo on November 3, 1984 and raised in Osaka. He made his major debut in 2004 as an actor and a singer. Nishkido belongs to two...
were one of the top leading juniors of the time, headlining many Junior hosted programs and acting in dramas. After the debuts of 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...
and Tackey & Tsubasa, the golden era was suddenly coming to an end and so was their popularity. By the year 2001 all their activity had slowed down to magazine photoshoots.
On the contrary, a new Kansai Junior unit named V. West was taking off in popularity, more so than their eastern counterpart FiVe. The group consisted of Ryuhei Maruyama
Ryuhei Maruyama
, is a member of the popular Japanese boyband Kanjani8. He is also a morning show co-host on Kansai TV and a TV actor.- Biography :Maruyama's career as a Johnny's idol has interesting beginnings...
, Shota Yasuda
Shota Yasuda
is a member of the popular Japanese male idol unit Kanjani8 of Johnny & Associates. He is the group's guitarist, and one of its main rappers. He was previously guitarist of Kansai Johnny's Jr unit V.WEST before it was absorbed to form Kanjani8.-History:...
, Hiroki Uchi
Hiroki Uchi
is a Japanese idol singer, songwriter, actor and model. He was born in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.-Biography:Uchi Hiroki auditioned for Johnny & Associates on May 1999, at the age of twelve...
, Kiyohito Mizuno, and Tooru Imayama. The group became so popular that by 2001 they had their own television show, Weekly V. West. But, when Mizuno and Imayama left Johnny's & Associates, worry had begun to creep within unit as to their fate within the talent agency. Suddenly, Tadayoshi Ohkura
Tadayoshi Okura
is a Japanese idol, singer and actor. He is from Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan. He's a member of popular boys band under Johnny & Associates called Kanjani8 .-Biography:He respects Go Morita from V6, he is the reason that Okura joined Johnny & Associates....
had been added to the group as a support drummer and then a member soon after.
In 2002, after the end of Weekly V. West, a new program was created to replace it on Kansai TV Channel 8 entitled J3Kansai (prounced as J Cube Kansai). This show brought together the top leading Kansai Juniors of the golden age and V. West creating the new Junior group, Kanjani, a portmanteau of the words Kansai Johnny's. With the success of the stage play, Another, the group became official garnering the name Kanjani Eight. The "8" stood for the channel that the show J3Kansai aired on. Tadayoshi Ohkura was added as an official member in the 9th episode finalizing the group as an eight-member group.
Kanjani Eight, as a newly formed group, held their first concert in December 2002, titled " Kanjani Eight Xmas Party 2002 ". This concert ended up becoming a yearly tradition before ending in 2005. It was also the birthplace of the group's signature act, Kanjani Sentai Eight Ranger
Kanjani Sentai Eight Ranger
is a production produced by the Japanese boyband, Kanjani Eight. The title stands for two things:# The name of their corner on their official Jweb# A series of performances at their concerts, where they assume the roles of real life super heroes....
.
In 2003, Kanjani Eight members Nishikido and Uchi were called to go to Tokyo to become a part of 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...
, another Johnny & Associates group.
Debut: 2004–2005
Although Nishikido and Uchi were already members of NEWS, they went on to also debut as members of Kanjani Eight when the group released their debut single titled "Naniwa Iroha Bushi" in the Kansai area on August 25, 2004. The single became a local hit, capturing the traditional feel of their hometown region through the pop-enka tune. Shibutani had said, in regards to the feel of the song, " The song has a Kawachi Workman's bass, so it's entirely something new. It'd make me happy to see others dancing when they hear it." Despite the release of the CD, their debut was lack luster leaving many to question if the debut actually was real. The members themselves had found out of the debut through a newspaper article; Shibutani had said that he was "very surprised" when he found out.Even though there was questions about the group's debut, "Naniwa Iroha Bushi" had risen to the number-one spot 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...
's Enka charts and reaching number-eight on the Oricon's generic music charts. When the single made its nationwide debut on September 22nd, it had hit number-one on both the Oricon Enka and General Music charts.
Much of 2004 activities were Kansai region focused in comparison their fellow acts who had the luxuries of nationwide exposure. Kanjani Eight had become hometown idols with majority of their popularity within the region but outside the area they were almost unknown. The release of their second single, "Osaka Rainy Blues
Osaka Rainy Blues
is the second single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight. The single is the group's only single not to reach the top five on the Oricon and the poorest performing single sale wise. The single also marks the last official release that former member, Hiroki Uchi, participated in...
", further exemplified the fact with the CD single debuting number-nine on the Oricon. To this date, "Osaka Rainy Blues" is the group's lowest single in sales.
2005 had marked the launch of Kanjani Eight's popularity even though it had opened up with the lackluster sales of their second single, "Osaka Rainy Blues". The group had been starring in three regular programs, now being aired nationwide, and were starting to get recognition as a debut Johnny's act. But with growing success came a scandal and in 2005 Hiroki Uchi
Hiroki Uchi
is a Japanese idol singer, songwriter, actor and model. He was born in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.-Biography:Uchi Hiroki auditioned for Johnny & Associates on May 1999, at the age of twelve...
was arrested for disorderly conduct and underage drinking, being 18 at the time.
The scandal had a significant impact on Kanjani Eight as well as NEWS, the other group he was active in. Johnny's & Associates removed Uchi from both units and put him under an indefinite hiatus from all activities. Also, the drama special about the WWII Kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
pilots starring the group, Yakusoku, was canceled. Kanjani Eight continued on that year to do their first Osaka-jō Hall
Osaka-jo Hall
, or Osaka Castle Hall, is a multi-purpose arena, in the Kyōbashi area, of Osaka, Japan. The hall opened in 1983 and can seat up to 16,000 people...
performance with one member less in the summer of 2005.
KJ1 F.T.O: 2006
After the nationwide exposure and scandal in 2005, Kanjani Eight were pushing forward without looking back. Their late 2005 single, "Sukiyanen, Osaka/Oh! Enka/Mugendai" had shown signs of the group's growing success opening at number-two on the Weekly Oricon charts and in March 2006, the group had released their first nationwide debut album, KJ1 F.T.OKJ1 F.T.O
KJ1 F·T·O is the first full length album released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight.The album features a full 14 tracks that dabble in generic Pop, Rock, and Enka...
, the title standing for Kanjani 1: Funky Town Osaka. The album had hit number-two on the Oricon on its debut.
Now known nationally and having an official album release under their belts, Kanjani Eight had begun their first tour. Named after the album's title, the F.T.O.N, Funky Tokyo Osaka Nagoya, concert tour spanned the three cities for six days and twenty performances in total. Soon after the small spring concert tour, the band launched their first nationwide tour, entitled Nationwide 1-St Tour 2006 followed up with a part two winter concert which was appropriately named after the release of their first number-one single, "Kan Fu Fighting
Kan Fu Fighting
is the fifth single single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight. The single was released with 8 different versions, 7 of them focusing on one specific member and the 8th single being the regular edition...
". Both tours were a total of 46 performances.
As with all Johnny's, music and television appearances were not the only thing on the group's active schedule. 2006 had also marked the acting debut leads for Ohkura, Maruyama, and Yasuda. By the end of 2006, the group had been in more than four dramas including the Kansai TV drama special showcasing the entire band in three separate stories.
Kanjani Eight had also be active in several stage plays, returning once again for the third year in a row to headline the popular Johnny's & Associates produced play, Dream Boys, with KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates in 2001. The group's name is an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name until the departure of Jin Akanishi in 2010. As of 2010, KAT-TUN stands for Kazuya KAmenashi, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueda,...
. This year also marked the end of their summer special stage play series with the return of Another as Another's Another. Their final summer special stage play had a total of 58 performances and marked the last time Kanjani Eight would ever perform at Osaka Shochiku-za Theater.
KJ2 Zukkoke Dai Dassō: 2007
2007 would be marked as the year of Kanjani Eight's success as a group and as a Johnny. The year had opened up with the chart-topping single, "Kan Fu FightingKan Fu Fighting
is the fifth single single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight. The single was released with 8 different versions, 7 of them focusing on one specific member and the 8th single being the regular edition...
", which was then followed by the release of their second single, "Zukkoke Otoko Michi
Zukkoke Otoko Michi
is the sixth single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani8. This single marked the change of labels from Teichiku Records to Imperial Records because the group's sound hand changed from Enka to Pop...
". "Zukkoke Otoko Michi" debuted at number-one on the Weekly Charts and number-three for the month of April. The single went later on to be the number-one8 top selling single of 2007. Despite the popularity of the song, it still wasn't as substantial as the success of "Kanfuu Fighting" which had been number-nine on the 2007 yearly charts.
The release of "Zukkoke Otoko Michi" also marked the change of labels from Teichiku Records to its subsidiary, Imperial Records partly due to the change of sound that the band had. Teichiku is an Enka label and the change to Imperial allowed the band to be on a label with a broader sound as Imperial is Teichiku Entertainment's pop/rock label.
June 2007 was the release of their second full-length album, KJ2 Zukkoke Dai Dassō
KJ2 Zukkoke Dai Dassō
is the second full length album released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight. The album was released with three different versions, two limited editions and one regular edition. The regular edition release of the album and both limited edition releases came with a bonus CD featuring the member...
. The album was a significant departure in sound from their first release, focusing the funk and rock side of things, but still didn't stop record sales as it had debut number-one on the Oricon and number-two overall for the month of June.
Majority of 2007 was spent on the road as the group had opened up 2007 holding a concert series as Kyocera Dome entitled Eh?! Honma?! Bikkuri!! Dome Concert in Osaka (Eh? Really?! Shocking!!). The concert tour was extended to a full-length nationwide tour of the same name, breaking records of being the first pop group ever to perform in all forty-seven prefectures
Prefectures of Japan
The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...
in the same concert tour. The Eh! Honma! Bikkuri!! Tour 2007 had lasted five months and was a total of 113 performances.
In between all the concert activities, many members in Kanjani Eight were involved in other side projects. Yokoyama had starred in the Fuji TV drama, as well as the drama adaptation of the manga, Yūkan 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...
. Nishikido had starred in the Attention Please drama special and in 1 Liter of Tears. Ohkura had a role in the franchise revival of Hissatsu Shigotonin as well as a supporting role in the TBS drama, Utahime. Maruyama also held a role in the TBS special, .
Directly following up the concert was the release of their seventh single, "It's My Soul
It's My Soul
is the seventh single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani8. The song follows the same disco/funk trend that its predecessor and album featured. There were two versions of this single released, with the limited edition single featuring a special double secret sticker.This single also is the...
". The song had followed the style of its preceding single and album, and managed to hit number-one on the Oricon in its debut week and number-two overall for the month of October. The single managed to hit twenty-second most sold single of 2007.
2007 had ended with the release of the documentary photobook and the concert DVD, 47, which was from the Tokyo Dome performance of their nation-wide 2007 tour. 47 ended up becoming the top selling music DVD of 2008 on the Oricon charts, staying on for a solid 57 weeks.
Puzzle: 2008–2009
2008 continued the flow of the band's high-speed activity for the first half of the year. The release of their eighth single, "Wahaha!!Wahaha (Kanjani Eight song)
is the eighth single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani8. The single featured two versions, a limited and regular edition. The limited edition single came with a seven page photobook....
", met with success reaching number-one on the Weekly Oricon charts, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
, Billboard Japan Hot Single Sales, and reaching number-two7 on the top singles of 2008 (Oricon).
Right after their 4-city, 24-performance spring tour, Kanjani Eight hosted the NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
special, , a 13-hour television special spreading the awareness of ecology and the impact of energy waste and littering to the planet. Soon after, they hosted the sequel to their variety special, Sore Yuke! Daidaman, Daidaman Z.
Much of 2008 after June was spent with mild activities from the group. After the successful summer tour, the group released their ninth single, "Musekinin Hero
Musekinin Hero
is the ninth single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani8. The single was the first that featured three separate versions since the release of Kan Fu Fighting. The two limited edition singles featured different B-side tracks and DVDs of their unit and band performs from the 2009 Summer Concert...
". The single marked a milestone in the group's rising stardom by breaking over 300,000 units sold. The single had reached number-one on the charts and number-eleven on the 2008 yearly charts.
In 2009, Kanjani Eight had released their third album Puzzle after nearly two years since the release of Zukkoke Dai Dassō. Puzzle was a complete departure in sound compared to their previous two albums, containing more of mixture of R&B, rock, and pop songs. The album took only three months to complete and was released in April instantly garnering the number-one spot on the Oricon. The album ended up the number-one1 best-selling album in the first half 2009. After a very successful concert tour, a DVD was released from their Tokyo Dome performance. The DVD had reached number-one on the General and Music DVD Oricon charts.
Their tenth single, "Kyū Jō Show!!
Kyū Jō Show!!
is the tenth single released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani8. The single was released in 2009, the first single from the group since the release of "Musekinin Hero" more than a year prior. The single, like its predecessor, was released in three different editions...
", was released in November after nearly a year since their last single. The CD single hit number-one on the Oricon weekly charts and number-two overall for the month of November, despite the number-one spot, it did not beat the success of "Musekinin Hero".
In December 2009, Kanjani Eight released their eleventh, twelveth, and thirteenth single. "Gift
Gift (Kanjani Eight song)
"GIFT" is the triple single release by the Japanese boyband Kanjani8. This release is three singles making up their 11th, 12th, and 13th single. It spanned across three days during Christmas week. Each release two different songs on each one, except for Green which has three songs, with album art...
" was released as three separate singles, white, red and green, with different songs on each one. The single release is the band's first Christmas themed song and is said by the group to be a "Gift to the fans". It was released on the day before Christmas Eve (White), Christmas Eve (Red), and Christmas Day (Green). With these releases, Kanjani Eight became the first (and so far only) group to occupy the top three spots in the Oricon singles chart at once.
8Uppers: 2010
In a news article concerning Hiroki UchiHiroki Uchi
is a Japanese idol singer, songwriter, actor and model. He was born in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.-Biography:Uchi Hiroki auditioned for Johnny & Associates on May 1999, at the age of twelve...
becoming involved with the Japanese production of Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
, the president of Johnny & Associates, 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...
, stated that Uchi has been permanently removed from both Kanjani Eight and NEWS and will instead focus on solo work and acting.
It was announced on July 6, 2010 that the group's fourteenth single "Wonderful World!!" debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly singles chart. Kanjani Eight released their fifteenth single on August 25, 2010, and it went on to top the Oricon weekly singles chart.
Fight: 2011–present
It was announced on October 7 2011, that Ryo Nishikido withdrew from NEWSNeWS
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...
to focus on activities with Kanjani8.
Sub-units
Within Kanjani Eight are several subunits created by the members for various reasons, either for a creative outlet or for other special reasons such as concerts. Out of all the units created between them, only SanKyōDai and SubaruBand have made it onto actual albums.SubaruBand – A rock band that is composed of Shibutani (vo), Maruyama (ba), Yasuda (g), and Ohkura (dr). The group made its first appearance in 2002 at the Kanjani Eight Xmas Party. The songs are composed by Yasuda, lyrics written by Shibutani, and arranged by the band. Notable songs are "One", "High Position", and "Down up ↑"
SanKyōDai – An acoustic band as well as a full sounding band with Maruyama and Ohkura on support. Its main members are Yuu (Yokoyama), Chipa (Yasuda), and Baru (Shibutani) and their first appearance was at the 2003 Kanjani8 Xmas Party. Up until the Christmas 2005 show, SanKyoudai had released new song, these songs being, "Purin" (Pudding), "Amechan" (Candy), "Mikan" (Oranges), and "Onigishi" (Onigiri). Lyrics are written by Yuu and songs composed by Chipa.
YamaDa – A manzai
Manzai
is a traditional style of stand-up comedy in Japanese culture, which usually involves two performers —a straight man and a funny man —trading jokes at great speed...
duo created by Maruyama and Yasuda in which Maruyama plays the boke
Boke
Boke may refer to:* Boké, a city in Lower Guinea* Boke , a district in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia* Böke, a form of Mongolian wrestling* Boke, the "simple-minded" character in a Manzai team, a form of Owarai kombi...
and Yasuda plays the tsukkomi.
There are also other lesser known subunits that the group has created such as OhYamaDa (band), SanBaka (Shibutani, Yokoyama, Murakami), Yasuba (Yasuda and Shibutani), and others.
Discography
Studio albums- 2006: KJ1 F.T.OKJ1 F.T.OKJ1 F·T·O is the first full length album released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight.The album features a full 14 tracks that dabble in generic Pop, Rock, and Enka...
- 2007: KJ2 Zukkoke Dai DassōKJ2 Zukkoke Dai Dassōis the second full length album released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight. The album was released with three different versions, two limited editions and one regular edition. The regular edition release of the album and both limited edition releases came with a bonus CD featuring the member...
- 2009: PuzzlePuzzle (Kanjani Eight album)is the third full-length album released by the Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight. Puzzle was released almost two years after the release of their second album, KJ2 Zukkoke Dai Dassō. There were two versions of this release, a regular edition and a CD+DVD limited edition...
- 2010: 8 Uppers8 Uppersis the fourth studio album released by the Japanese boy band Kanjani Eight. 8 Uppers was released a year and seven months from the release of their third album, Puzzle. There was three versions of this release: a regular edition, a CD+DVD limited edition, and a CD+2 DVD special collector's edition...
- 2011: FightFight (Kanjani Eight album)Fight is the fifth studio album released by the Japanese boy band Kanjani Eight. Fight was announced on September 8th, 2011 as a new untitled album. On October 17th, 2011, it's release date and title was announced. There was three versions of this release: a 2 Disc regular edition and two CD+DVD...
Mini albums
- 2004: Kansha ni Eight
Concerts/Tours
- X-mas Party [Christmas concerts] (2002–2005) at Osaka Shochiku-za
- Osaka-jo HallOsaka-jo Hall, or Osaka Castle Hall, is a multi-purpose arena, in the Kyōbashi area, of Osaka, Japan. The hall opened in 1983 and can seat up to 16,000 people...
Zenyasai 1st Live (Summer 2005) - F.T.O.N. (Funky Tokyo Osaka Nagoya) 1st Tour (Summer 2006)
- 1st Nationwide tour (Fall/Autumn 2006)
- 2nd Nationwide tour (Winter 2006)
- Kanjani8 Dome Concert in Osaka "Eh? Honma?! Bikkuri!"("What! Really!? What a Surprise!!") (February 24–25, 2007) at Kyocera Dome Osaka
- Kanjani8 Nationwide 47 Prefecture Tour "Eh? Honma?! Bikkuri! Tour 2007" (May 3 to September 30, 2007)
- Kanjani8 Live Tour 2008! "8 Da Yo! Zenin Shugo!" (April 3 to May 18, 2008)
- Kanjani8 Live Tour 2008 "Natsu Da! Tsūa Da! Wahaha!" (It's Summer! It's a Tour! Wahaha!) (July 6 to August 31, 2008)
- Kanjani8 Tour 2009 Puzzle (May 10 to July 30, 2009)
- Kanjani8 Dome Concert 2009–2010 (Dec. 30, 2009 to Jan. 1, 2010)at Kyocera Dome Osaka
- Kanjani8 ∞Uppers Live Concert 2010-2011 (Oct. 30, 2010 to Jan. 1, 2011)
Weekly variety shows
- J3 Kansai (Kansai TV, October 2, 2002 – March 26, 2003)
- Urajani (TV Tokyo, April 6, 2004 – March 29, 2005)
- Mugendai no Gimon (TV Tokyo, April 5, 2005 – September 27, 2005)
- Suka J http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/suka-j/ (TV Tokyo, October 4, 2005 – March 27, 2007)
- Honjani (Kansai TV & Fuji TV, June 10, 2003 – April 25, 2007)
- Oishinsuke http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/oishinsuke/ (TV AsahiTV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
, April 23, 2007 – September 10, 2007) - Mucha Buri http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/mucha-buri/ (TV Tokyo, April 3, 2007 – March 25, 2008)
- Can!JaniCan!Janiwas a Japanese TV variety that aired every Saturday on TV Asahi. The show ran from October 4, 2008 to September 26, 2009 for a total of 49 episodes. It had suffered from frequent time changes before settling for the 3:00pm time slot. The show was created after the high success of their two previous...
(TV AsahiTV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
, October 4, 2008 – September 26, 2009) - Kanjani8 no JanibenKanjani8 no Janibenis a Japanese TV show hosted by the members of the group Kanjani8. The show began airing on May 2, 2007, and is broadcast every Wednesday night on Kansai TV from 0:35 AM to 1:30 AM .-Cast:...
http://ktv.jp/janiben/index.html (Kansai TV, May 2, 2007–present, Wednesdays 0:35 AM to 1:30 AM) - Ariehen Sekai http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/ariehen/index.html (TV TokyoTV Tokyois a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
, April 15, 2008–present) - KanpaniKanpaniis a Japanese TV game show where members of the group Kanjani8 tackle different tasks assigned by the unseen president of the company. The show began airing on October 07, 2009, and continues to air every Wednesday on TV Asahi 01:36AM to 01:51AM...
(TV AsahiTV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
, October 7, 2009 – March 31, 2010) - Bōken Japan! Kanjani8 MapBōken Japan! Kanjani8 Mapis a Japanese TV show hosted by the members of the group Kanjani8. The show began airing on April 4, 2010, and continues airing every Sunday on TV Asahi from 09:30 AM to 10:00 AM.- Cast :*Kanjani8...
(TV AsahiTV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
, April 4, 2010–present, Sundays 09:30 AM to 10:00 AM)
Weekly radio shows
- Kanjani Eight Yokoyama You – Murakami Shingo no Recomen! (JOQR 1134, Thursdays 22:00–01:00)
- Kikujani8 (MBS 1179, Saturdays 23:30–24:00)
- Murakami Shingo no Jyukan! Kanjani Tsushin (ABC 1008, Sundays 24:00–24:30)
- Kanjani8's Shibutani Subaru's Subaraji (NACK5 79.5FM, Saturdays 24:00-24:30)
TV dramas
- Yakusoku (Kansai TV, production ended – Fall 2005; Screening undetermined)
- Dive to the Future (Kansai TV, 2006)
- Double (Kansai TV, 2006)
- Kemarishi (Kansai TV, 2006)
- Jitensha Shonenki Jitensha Shonenki (TV TokyoTV Tokyois a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
, 2006)
Stage
- Summer Specials
- Another (2002)
- Dōton Boys (2003)
- Summer Storm (2004)
- Magical Summer (2005)
- Another's Another (2006)
- Magical Musical Dream Boy (2004)
- Hey! Say! Dream Boy (2005)
- Dream Boys (2006)
Soundtrack
- "Mugendai" for RobotsRobots (film)Robots is a 2005 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox, and was released theatrically on March 11, 2005. The story was created by Chris Wedge and William Joyce, a children's book author/illustrator. The two were trying to create a film version of...
OST (Japan release) - "Oh! Enka" for Nintama Rantarou (Ending theme) for Nintama RantarōNintama Rantarois a Japanese anime series based on Sōbē Amako's manga Rakudai Ninja Rantarō. It was produced by Ajia-do Animation Works and originally broadcast on NHK. It is aimed at young children, featuring the adventures of Rantarō and his friends and teachers at Ninja school. The fact that glasses are worn...
(Ending theme)
Photobook
- Kanjani Eight "E! Honma!? Bikkuri!! TOUR 2007 Close-up Document Photobook (released on November 22, 2007)
Manga
-
- Volume 1 released on May 11, 2007
- Volume 2 released on September 13, 2007
- Volume 3 released on June 13, 2008
- Volume 4 released on January 13, 2009
- Volume 5 released on February 12, 2010