SMAP

SMAP is a popular Japanese "idol" group, formed by Johnny & Associates Inc. office. Current members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori. (Please note, names are given here in Western personal name-family name order.) The members of SMAP have dominated the Japanese pop cultural landscape from their musical debut in 1991 until the present time (as of 2005), showing incredible longevity for a manufactured group. They produce not just numerous hit singles, but also star in numerous television variety shows, dorama, commercials, movies, etc. They are almost unrivaled in their immense popularity among younger, and especially female, Japanese.

History

SMAP was first formed in 1988, though their debut single came in 1991. SMAP officially stands for the English words "Sports and Music Assemble People". SMAP originally consisted of the current five members plus Katsuyuki Mori (森 且行) who left in May 1996 to pursue a career in auto racing.

Related Topics:
1988 - 1991 - Katsuyuki Mori - Auto racing

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SMAP was started as an idol group by the famous "Johnny & Associates Inc.", a conglomerate known for its "cute boys only" policy. The SMAP members met each other in 1987 and were called "Skate Boys." They were backup dancers for Hikari Genji (光GENJI), which was a popular idol group at the time. In 1988, they formed SMAP. Nakai, the oldest, became the group's leader. Their debut in 1991, in a time when there weren't many music programs, was not immediately successful. SMAP's popularity was the worst among the Johnny's groups. Since SMAP was so unsuccessful, Nakai asked Johnny's office to let SMAP to have a variety program in order to make people laugh with their unique personalities.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The program was called "I love SMAP." Through this program, SMAP slowly gained popularity. 1993 was a year of opportunities for SMAP. They had a hit single, and SMAP member Takuya Kimura was in a dorama called 'Asunaro Hakusho," in which he played Osamu Toride, a shy cute boy. Asunaro was a big hit and Kimura's popularity soared. At the same time, SMAP also provided the opening ("Egao no GENKI") and ending songs for the anime Hime-chan's Ribbon, and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi appeared in multiple episodes both as himself as the voice of a regular character.

Related Topics:
1993 - Dorama - Hime-chan's Ribbon - Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After that SMAP members starred in movies both individually and as a group, and SMAP continued to release new hit singles. Their song "Yozorano Mukou" is now in some Japanese textbooks.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1996, SMAP started their own variety program called SMAP X SMAP (also called S x S or SmaSma). On S x S, they cook, perform in comedic skits, play games, sing, dance, and so on. S x S has been one of the most well-known TV programs in Japan since it started. They tried their best at everything, including mountain climbing and other things that other idols never did, and so they won popularity of a new range in Japanese TV society. As "the super idol group that does anything", they began starring in many wide ranging programs from live stages to music, dancing, hosting programs, acting in movies, commercials, etc.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2001, Inagaki was involved in a traffic altercation. There were allegations of wrong doing on his part, and he briefly retreated from the public spotlight following the incident. However, the ultimate result of the incident was to put SMAP in the public eye once more, which only increased their popularity. Inagaki has since returned to full involvement, and starred in a 2004 drama about a fictional Japanese investment banker killed in the events of September 11.

Related Topics:
2001 - 2004 - September 11

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SMAP members are said to be the most famous stars in Japan. Though a comparison to American groups like The Backstreet Boys is not entirely musically inaccurate, even at the peak of their popularity, no American boy band has come close to the pervasiveness of SMAP. To give a sense of the popularity (and ubiquity) of SMAP, note that in 2003, SMAP leader Nakai was identified as the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan by the Japanese National Tax Bureau . That same year, he was involved in at least four television shows simultaneously, in addition to commercials.

Related Topics:
The Backstreet Boys - Boy band - 2003

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although there were speculation on the disbanding of SMAP after Takuya Kimura announced his marrage in 2001, after the traffic incident of Goro Inagaki and in 2004 which they did not even release a single, the popularity of SMAP is still overwhelming. This is reflected in the charts, where both their newest album and single (017 SAMPLE BANG! and BANG BANG! ????!) topped the respective daily charts just moments after their release.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~