The Identity of the “Traitor” Who Drove SMAP to the Edge of the Cliff Immediately after Their Debut

The “amateur manager” who reached out to them

SMAP was formed in April 1988 and released its debut song in September 1991. What exactly happened during those three years and five months?

◎September 1989: “The Best Ten” broadcast ended.
◎October 1990: “Night Hit Studio” ended.

I see…this is it. The Best Ten” was broadcast on TBS for 11 years from 1978. Night Hit Studio” was a long-running program that had continued for 22 years since 1968. The two major primetime singing programs came to an end one after the other during this period.

All of the older groups, including the Tanokin trio, Shibukitai, Shonen-tai, and Hikaru Genji, gained nationwide popularity by showing up to sing and dance on both shows. But ……. By the time SMAP debuted, that stage had faded away. NTV’s “The Top Ten” had also ended earlier (in March 1986). Around this time, singing programs disappeared one after another, depriving idol singers of the opportunity to make their debut. It was also called the “Idol Winter Era.

It was in the midst of such a winter period that SMAP, of all groups, started out as an idol group. It was bad luck, one can only say.

SMAP had been ruthlessly abandoned by the times.

They were abandoned by Janie Kitagawa, by their hits, and by the times. It was a triple whammy. They were the down-and-out group of the office. They are unsuccessful idols. There was no sign that they would ever become popular.

It was no surprise that they disappeared without a trace of success. The values of the Johnny’s office up to that point, the production of Johnny Kitagawa and the management of Mary Kitagawa – even with the power and shrewdness of these two wheels, it would have been extremely difficult for them to make it. It seemed obvious.

Let’s put it simply: SMAP is the disqualified group of Johnny’s idols.

They were about to be completely discarded.

……That’s when it happened.

A woman, unable to bear to look on, spoke up.

I want to do something about SMAP. I want to help these kids.

I am not a creator. Not even a manager. She was a clerk at the Johnny’s office.

He was Michi Iijima.

The people around him looked at him coldly.

What in the world can an unsuccessful idol and an amateur clerk do?

It was only natural that they would think so. But fate is a funny thing. In the darkness of the bottom, a ray of light eventually shines through like a miracle.

In the next article, “[From B-grade idol to a completely different person] The ‘historic shift’ made by manager Michi Iijima on the eve of SMAP’s breakthrough,” we will take a look at the unexpected work that SMAP did before their big break and the path they took on their way up the ladder.