On the Eve of the Birth of SMAP: The Real Strength of “Shonen-tai” and “Hikaru Genji,” the Fulfillment of Janie Kitagawa’s Ideal

The “Tanokin Trio” was also a coincidence..!

The next two points are Janney and his sister, Mary Kitagawa.

Johnny’s was established in 1962. Janie Kitagawa trained the talent, and Mary Kitagawa was in charge of management. It was a tripartite arrangement, with Janie producing and Mary managing. This relationship continued for 57 years until Janie passed away in 2019 at the age of 87.

Johnny’s is not truly understood unless it is viewed as an “ellipse” with two centers, Johnny (producing) and Mary (managing).

From the 1960s to the 1970s, progress was made from Johnny’s to Four Leaves and Hiromi Go. However, in 1975, Goh suddenly transferred to the new office in a surprise move. Johnny’s suffered a severe blow and entered a long period of stagnation.

The “Tanokin Trio” of Toshihiko Tahara, Masahiko Kondo, and Yoshio Nomura became popular in the 1980s.

Interestingly, this was not due solely to Janie Kitagawa, as Tahara, Kondo, and Nomura happened to audition for the role of a student in the TBS drama “Kinpachi Sensei: 3 Years B Class”. Without the drama “Kinpachi Sensei,” the “Tanokin Trio” would not have existed. The scene of the heyday of Johnny’s in the 1990s, which led to the Shibukitai and Hikaru Genji, may never have come to fruition.

Janie Kitagawa’s initiative was to select and train members and produce music and stage productions. He does not have the power to book them for TV programs, especially dramas. This is the domain of Mary Kitagawa’s management.

The only way to gain popularity and recognition as an idol is to appear on TV. This was especially true in the Showa period. However, the power of Janie Kitagawa was not yet extended to this point.

At that time, what TV shows and dramas existed depended on current trends and the initiative of TV station staff. The office can only book and manage.

This is where the two centers of “television” and “live stage” emerge.

Torn between America and Japan, the American dream must be realized in Japan. Janie Kitagawa’s goal is to achieve the brilliance of boys’ musical theater like “West Side Story” with high quality. It will require singing, dancing, acting, brilliant staging, and above all, the lively brilliance of the boys.
At the end of the Showa period, at the end of the 1980s, I think this was accomplished.

One of them was Shonen-tai.