Tadayoshi Okura’s New Company and Shota Yasuda Departure Rumors Stir Fan Anxiety Over Possible SUPER EIGHT Dissolution This Year

On July 29, Tadayoshi Okura (39) of “SUPEER EIGHT” (hereafter referred to as “EIGHT”), formerly “Kanjani Eight,” said he would establish a new company, “J-pop Legacy,” and focus on fostering young talent.

He said, “Since the days of the old Johnny’s office, Matsujun (Jun Matsumoto of Arashi) in the east has been working with Kanto Junior. Since the days of the old Johnny’s Office, Matsujun (Jun Matsumoto of Arashi) in the east has trained Kanto juniors, while Yokoyama (Yutaka) and Okura in the west have trained Kansai juniors and produced their live performances, and it seems that Okura is going to focus more on such work. The ties in Kansai are stronger than in Kanto, and in fact, Yokoyama and Okura have been in charge of the “Ae! group, for which Yokoyama and Okura have been in charge, was able to make its CD debut before HiHi Jets and Bishonen in the Kanto region,” said the desk in charge of “STARTO company” in a sports newspaper.

However, Okura’s new company name is unpopular with some on SNS, saying, “After all, we are going to inherit Johnny’s and Mr. Johnny to future generations,” since it has the symbol of the old Johnny’s office, “J,” in the initial letter and also contains words of legacy meaning “tradition” and “heritage.

But that’s not all. Okura’s establishment of the company has once again raised dissolution theories among fans. When Akihiro Yasuda injured his finger the other day and took a leave of absence, there were rumors that he might be suffering from a different disease or that the brain tumor he had an operation to remove in 2005 might have recurred. Still, many people said that only EIGHT would continue to do well until their 20th anniversary.

While other groups are finding new directions, EIGHT is still stuck in the same old ways.

On July 29, the members of EIGHT appeared on “Shabekuri 007” (Nippon Television Network Corporation).

Yasuda is back, and the five of them appeared together for the 20th anniversary with the intention of setting off fireworks, but even though the MC and the dancers were all comedians, many fans were disappointed that the EIGHT members were all flirtatious. We were also surprised that Okura-kun was happy to talk about “Tori-Kiyori” (a popular izakaya chain run by Okura’s father), which he had never mentioned before.

Recently, he has been asking his friends about the details of running a restaurant, and the “Shabekuri” members often asked him if he was planning to follow in his father’s footsteps. Shingo Murakami also talked about working for an agricultural company, and Yasuda talked about having a matagi master in Hokkaido and doing a talk show with his best friend, a monk. We reporters were a bit puzzled.

Up to now, popular members of “Kanjani Eight” have left the group, starting with vocalist Hiroki Uchihiroki and including main vocalists Subaru Shibuya and Ryo Nishikido. They are highly skilled as a band, but Yasuda is said to be supporting them in terms of singing ability. He is now 40 years old, and Yokoyama, Murakami, and Ryuhei Maruyama are also over 40, except for the youngest member, 39-year-old Okura.

Considering the fact that the five members of Arashi have made various decisions before turning 40, it is safe to say that EIGHT are also in danger of losing their shelf life as idols. Originally, they had a kind of dilemma: ‘Can we call ourselves idols? In addition to “Naniwa Danshi” and “Ae! group,” and the demand for them is expected to increase with next year’s Expo in Osaka, Kansai.

Under such circumstances, it is natural for the members of EIGHT to think, “Our role as idols is over,” and “We want to move on to the next stage individually. Soon the anniversary of their debut on August 25, ’04 will come. At that time, the fans are trembling with fear that an announcement may be made that the group will break up before the end of the year.

Let’s see what will happen. ……

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