SMAP
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SMAP is a popular Japanese "idol" group, formed by Johnny's Entertainment 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, with only a few groups, like TOKIO, coming close.
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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.
SMAP was started as an idol group by the famous "Johnny's Entertainment" office, 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.
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.
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 [[1] (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fd20030525cs.htm)]. That same year, he was involved in at least four television shows simultaneously, in addition to commercials.
Members
Singing is only a small part of the reason for SMAP's current fame. All of the members of SMAP have acted in numerous television dramas, variety programs commericials, and movies, but each also cultivates a distinctive image and personality.
- Masahiro Nakai (中居 正広) is the "leader" of the group and has hosted numerous television programs through out the years. He is a notorious bachelor and trickster. He is known for his bad singing. He frequently wears a hat and has long hair, although his look changes frequently.
- Takuya Kimura (木村 拓哉) has appeared in many extremely successful television dramas. He has been said to be the "sexiest guy in Japan". He cultivates a heartthrob image, as well of that of a devoted husband. After his breakout role in Asunaro Hakusho, Kimura became the cover boy for many magazines. In 1994, the so-called Kimutaku (a contraction of Kimura Takuya) syndrome shook Japan. Kimura was voted AnAn's favorite guy, Best Jeanist, etc. He was voted Best Jeanist from 1994 to 1999 and became a "forever Jeanist". He is still AnAn's favorite guy, having won the vote 12 times consecutively (as of 2005). In 1995, Kimura acted in a movie called "Kimi wa wasurenai," and was praised by critics and viewers alike. Many of the projects in which he has acted, such as "HERO" and "Beautiful Life," have held records for Japanese viewership.
- Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (草彅 剛) speaks Korean and is known as the best dramatic actor. He has soft features and projects a "sensitive" image. In 2005, he went to Thailand, to learn more about the lives of orphans there, and documented the trip for a television special of SMAP's weekly variety programme SMAPXSMAP.
- Shingo Katori (香取 慎悟) is known for his use of English and even has a guidebook, "English Berabera," published in his name. (English speakers who watch SMAP may dispute claims that he knows the language.) For a while he dyed his hair white, making him stand out in the group.
- Goro Inagaki (稻垣 吾郎) is one of the main vocalists of the group. He has his own late-night variety programme called Goro's Bar, and also acts in television dramas as well as occasional stage plays.
Music
SMAP has released over thirty singles, and two of them, Yozora no mukou (夜空の向こう; "Beyond the night sky") and Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana (世界に一つだけの花) "The only one flower in the world"), have sold more than one million copies. This especially impressive considering that the Japanese market has only half the population of the US, and SMAP's audience is mostly domestic. "The only one flower in the world" was still very popular in Japan more than one year after its release in 2003 and sold over 2 million copies. It was the only single selling over a million copies that year, since CD sales have been falling due to the Japanese economic slump. The song is about individuality, and since it gained fame during the lead up to and aftermath of the 2003 Iraq war, many saw it as a plea for peace. The song made to the number 1 on the Oricon 2003 Yearly Singles Top 100. A line from the end and the beginning of song, NO.1 にならなくてもいい もともと特別な Only one "You don't have to be the best. You're the only one in this world and special as you are," became especially famous in Japan.
Acting
Their variety program "SMAP x SMAP" is notable for showcasing their wide range of talents with segments ranging from cooking, comedy, and games to singing and dancing, often with celebrity guests, even Western ones like David Beckham, Sheryl Crow, and Richard Gere, though most guests are Japanese tarento ("talents").
Almost every season for the past few years, you can see at least one drama on TV with a member of SMAP starring in it. In the first season of 2004, Kimura and Kusanagi each starred in one, both the most popular of the season. Kimura's "PRIDE" was also popular. Inagaki sang the song for Kusanagi's program, selling first place for the first week and on. First, the fact that Inagaki was singing the song was kept a secret, but after numerous fans called "Fuji TV", it was revealed to the public. Nakai's "Mohouhan" (The Copy Cat) was a hit for the cinemas, and Kusanagi's "Yomigaeri" set a record for Japanese DVD sales.
Other projects
Besides singing and acting, the group also manages to be active in numerous forms of media fields as well.
In the year 2003, three of the books ranked in the years best selling 10 books were released by SMAP: Kimura's "First Essay," Katori's "English Berabera," and also Katori's "Diet Shingo".
In 2002, the group released a soft drink called "Drink! SMAP" in order to promote a CD of the same name.de:SMAP (J-Pop) ja:SMAP sv:SMAP zh:SMAP