Behind the SMAP x SMAP Public Execution Incident] Johnny’s faced the “beginning of the end” in the form of the SMAP breakup

SMAP was “smashed.”

I would like to begin my story with the fall of the Johnny’s office.

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” (Gibbon) is a classic work that describes the history of the prosperous Roman Empire leading up to its downfall.

In Japan, too, there is “The Tale of the Heike.

The bells of the Gion Shrine echo with the sound of the impermanence of all things.
The color of the flowers of the sarasouju tree shows the inevitable decline of the prosperous.
The luxurious have not been for a long time, but only as a dream on a spring night.

For some reason, people are strongly attracted to the story of the downfall of a huge empire that has reached the height of its prosperity.

When did Johnny’s fall?

Was it because Janie Kitagawa’s sexual assaults became widely known to the public, triggered by reports in the foreign media? No. Was it because the founder, Janney, and then his sister, Mary Kitagawa, died one after the other before that? Or was it because Hideaki Takizawa, who succeeded to Janney’s will and became vice president, left the office?

I think it is neither. I would like to share my thoughts.

Yes, Johnny’s has had its downfall because SMAP broke up.

It was not just a breakup. They were dismantled in an unbelievable manner. It looked as if they had been crushed.

SMAP was a great idol group. No other star group has remained so popular for so long. There is no doubt that they were the best idol group of the postwar era. But it was shattered into tiny pieces.

On the night of January 18, 2016.

Fuji Television’s “SMAP x SMAP” suddenly decided to have the five members appear live at the beginning of the show. They were going to express their own views on the “breakup” issue that had been reported in the sports papers and other media.

It was an odd sight. The five members stood side by side against a dark blue curtain. They were dressed in black suits and ties.

Public Execution” Strikes SMAP

Takuya Kimura, standing in the center of the stage, opens the show.

I thought it was most important for the five of us to get our faces together today and report back to you all, so I took the liberty of taking this time. So I took the liberty of taking the time to do this.”

Kimura was the only one who stood tall. The next four members all bowed deeply with somber expressions on their faces, repeating, “We have caused you trouble,” “We apologize,” and “We will continue to do our best.

Finally, Kimura concluded, ” From now on, no matter what happens, we will just look forward and keep moving forward.

This was a completely incomprehensible press conference. What on earth are they apologizing for and why?
Kusanagi’s words, “Kimura-kun gave us this opportunity to apologize to Mr. Janney, and now we are standing here,” implied all that was going on. Kimura and the other members of the group are split; the four of them plotted to leave the office on their own, and in the end, they probably apologized to Janie Kitagawa, and were dissuaded from doing so. But even so, …….

SMAP x SMAP” has been running for 20 years since 1996. It is a popular Monday primetime show. There is singing, there is comedy. There is Bistro SMAP. There is showtime with a variety of guests. It’s hard to believe that in the heart and soul of SMAP’s hometown, we would be treated to such a wretched and miserable showcase of their wretchedness. It’s hard to believe.

Public execution, they called it.

Perhaps that was when, yes, SMAP “died.

Osamu Suzuki, the broadcaster of “SMAP x SMAP,” wrote a novel about that day (Bungeishunju, January 2023). It is titled “20160118” and the date in question. However, the table of contents of the magazine carried the following headline.

SMAP’s Longest Day in Japan.

This must be a reference to “Nihon no ichiban nagai hi” (“Nihon no ichiban nagai hi”). A Documentary by Souichi Oya, which has been made into a movie. It depicts August 15, 1945. Yes, that is the day Japan was defeated in the Pacific War. So what exactly did they lose the war for on “SMAP’s Longest Day”?

The “Curse of SMAP” struck Johnny’s.

The breakup was then officially announced on August 14 of the same year, and SMAP’s activities continued until the end of the year. However, …….

When the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, died, John Lennon commented.

‘Elvis died when he joined the army.

He probably meant to say that Presley, who represented the rebellious youth, “symbolically died” at that moment when he agreed to serve and became an honorary soldier.

Then, SMAP, the brilliant national idol group that was so free and full of life, seems to have “symbolically died” as well on the night of January 18, 2016.

Johnny’s was the birthplace of SMAP, the greatest idol group in postwar Japan. And then they were cruelly crushed. They were big stars, and they brought great embarrassment to the live broadcast of their signature program.

It stunned many viewers, nay, the nation, and knocked SMAP fans into the depths of despair.

Not only did they not hold a breakup concert, they did not even hold a press conference. The members remained tight-lipped, and SMAP disintegrated and disintegrated in mid-air.

So, what happened next?

Let me try to keep it short.

2016 = SMAP disbanded.
2018 = TOKIO ceases music activities (Yamaguchi Tatsuya leaves; 2021 = Nagase Tomoya leaves).
2018 = Tackey & Tsubasa, disband.
2020 = Issei Nishikori and Kazuhide Uekusa leave the group. Shonen-tai (effectively) disband.
2020 = Arashi will go on hiatus.
2021 = V6 breaks up.

What a surprise. From Shonen-tai, the oldest group, to Tokio, Tackey & Tsubasa, V6, and Arashi (……), the top groups at the core of the Johnny’s office are being forced to break up or go on hiatus one after another.

That’s right. This can only be attributed to the breakup of SMAP. Johnny’s’s empire, which had reached the height of its glory, has come to its lowest point. Isn’t that the reward for having so cruelly crushed that great group?

Let me make this clear. Johnny’s is about to collapse under the “curse” of SMAP.

In the next article, “[On the Eve of SMAP’s Birth] The Fearful Ability of ‘Shonendai’ and ‘Hikaru Genji’ to Fulfill Janie Kitagawa’s Ideal,” we will delve into what was happening just before the formation of SMAP, a national group.