Former SMAP “Masahiro Nakai” and “Shingo Katori” perform together for the first time in 6 years…Shocked by their “current relationship” revealed after the recording.
Former SMAP members Masahiro Nakai and Shingo Katori’s first collaboration in six years on “Matsumo to Nakai” (Fuji Television Network, broadcast April 30) became the talk of the town, and in the July 2023 issue of “JUNON” magazine (Shufu to Seikatsusha), which went on sale May 22, Katori revealed some of the backstories before and after the show’s recording.
Matsumoto to Nakai” is a talk and performance program featuring Nakai and Downtown’s Matsumoto Hitoshi. Katori appeared on the first episode of the memorable regular broadcast and enjoyed talking with the MCs, and also performed his latest song “BETTING” (Shingo Katori x SEVENTEEN) at the end of the program.
What excited viewers most of all was the current relationship between Nakai and Katori.’ After SMAP’s dissolution at the end of 2004, the only time the two appeared together on TV was in April ’17 on “SmaSTATION! (TV Asahi) in April ’17.
Katori explained in “Matsumo to Nakai” that after the breakup of the group, “the three of us (Katori, Goro Inagaki, and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) were close in the direction that we wanted to try something new. He honestly confided that he and Nakai, who wanted to focus on the TV world, had decided to go their separate ways. It was also discovered that Katori had been sending “daily e-mails” to Nakai, who had been taking a leave of absence due to health problems. Nakai was so concerned about Katori that he told her that he was fine since the new year had already started.
On the other hand, in “JUNON,” Katori said, “Even on the show, he said, ‘I’m feeling much better,
On the other hand, in “JUNON,” Katori said, “I said on the show, ‘I’m feeling much better now, so please don’t contact me too much,’ but he contacted me after the recording, so I returned it.
(Laughs)” (original text in Japanese, same as below).
He said, “At the time I’m talking to you now, it hasn’t aired yet, but we recorded about an hour and a half just for the talk part, so I really don’t know what I’m going to do (laughs). I feel like I’m not ready to go on air (laughs). (laughs). I think to myself, there is no place to cut (laughs).
(laugh). The theme of the “JUNON” interview this time was “emo” (emoish), and he said, “I just want to go back to those days,
I don’t go back to those days and say, “Wow, I miss those days,” or “emo,” but rather, “I’m still the same…. I guess I wasn’t as far away from it in my mind as you might think.
He also candidly revealed his thoughts. He also recounted the events leading up to his decision to appear in the show, and how Nakai and Matsumoto were together on the set.
The first episode of “Matsumo to Nakai,” which has been a big hit with fans and fans alike, was a hit with the younger members of Johnny’s. Kis-My-Ft2’s Taisuke Fujigaya said on the May 20 broadcast of “Taisuke Fujigaya Peaceful Days” on Nippon Broadcasting System, “Nakai’s new program, ‘Matsumo to Nakai,’ has been a real hit with the younger members of the Johnny’s office. The first broadcast of “Matsumo to Nakai” was shivilling. I was sitting on my seat watching it, and my legs were actually shivering too. It was a double shiver. Thank you very much,” he jokingly said. Also, Snow Man Raoul said that he saw the first on-air episode when he appeared as a guest on “Matsumo to Nakai” on the same day,” said an entertainment writer.
In the aforementioned “JUNON,” he said of “Matsumo to Nakai,” “If I had not gone there, maybe I would never have been there again in the future. Katori made a vehement statement, saying, “That’s how far away I was from it.
The collaboration with Nakai this time was made possible by various circumstances and timing, but there must be many people hoping to see the two of them intertwine again. One cannot help but hope for the day when not only Nakai and Katori, but also the former members of SMAP, will get together again.
