SPEED Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Only Hiroko Shimabukuro Active as Upper House Member Eriko Imai Prepares for Comeback
In August and September, a 30th-anniversary live
The ’90s girl group that defined an era, “SPEED,” is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The group consists of leader Hitoe Arakaki (44), Takako Uehara (43), Eriko Imai (42), and Hiroko Shimabukuro (41). Formed in 1995, their debut single “Body & Soul” sold 630,000 copies.
Their fifth single, “White Love,” released in October 1997, was a million-seller with 1.84 million copies sold. The following February, my graduation, coinciding with graduation season, sold 1.47 million copies.
The group disbanded temporarily in March 2000. They reunited for limited periods in 2001 and 2003, then declared a full comeback in August 2008. In 2013, leader Hitoe Arakaki left their agency. In 2015, Shimabukuro (“HIRO”) and Imai formed the duo “ERIHIRO,” releasing one single before Imai won a seat in the House of Councillors the following year, leading to another hiatus.
In 2021, during their 25th-anniversary year, they released a tribute album, “SPEED SPIRITS,” with the jacket design handled by Arakaki, who is now active as a designer. And now—30 years since SPEED’s formation—it’s astonishing to reach such a milestone. What events are planned for this significant occasion?
Currently, only Shimabukuro continues her singing career. On March 7, she announced a 30th-anniversary live, “HIROKO SHIMABUKURO 30th Anniversary Live 2026 -SPEED WAY-,” to be held on August 30 in Tokyo and September 13 in Osaka.
The announcement stated:
“‘This will be a special live composed entirely of SPEED songs.’”
It seems the concert is focused on celebrating the 30th anniversary.
A record company insider commented, “It’s a bit sad that Shimabukuro is the only one performing as a singer for the 30th anniversary. Fans would surely want to see all four SPEED members together, even for just one night.”
In this situation, the one who might step up is now “Teacher” Eriko Imai.
“I want to return to SPEED for just one day”
In an interview with this site, an entertainment production insider familiar with the situation revealed:
“For Imai, SPEED is an irreplaceable presence. It seems she feels it would be a shame for the 30th anniversary to be so low-key. Currently, the members are active individually, but they are not at odds with each other. Seeing Shimabukuro passionately performing as a singer, Imai has reportedly said, ‘I want to help in any way I can if possible.’”
Imai ran as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party in the 2016 House of Councillors election and won. After serving as Parliamentary Vice-Minister in the Cabinet Office, she faced a tough race in the 2022 House of Councillors election but was successfully re-elected.
“According to the same entertainment production insider, she is eager to attend any 30th-anniversary events and perform. Even though she is a current legislator, SPEED is her origin, and she sees it as separate from this role. She has been reviewing the choreography and singing parts of SPEED songs in her spare time.”
However, given her past scandals, a surprise appearance could expose her to criticism from detractors. While the LDP won a landslide in the last House of Representatives election with 316 seats, they are still a minority in the House of Councillors. She cannot afford to give the opposition any leverage.
“The people around her are reportedly restraining her enthusiasm. In today’s social media era, maliciously clipped videos have increased. With the U.S. and Israel attacking Iran and concerns over further domestic inflation, a current legislator engaging in entertainment activities would inevitably stir controversy,” said a political insider.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (65) is known for being warm-hearted and considerate, as seen in the catalog gift issue.
“If Imai were to say, ‘I want to return to SPEED for one day for the fans,’ she might actually be allowed to do so,” said a national newspaper reporter covering Takaichi.
This site contacted Imai’s office asking, “Is there any plan to perform as SPEED?” and “Will she participate in Shimabukuro’s tour?” but did not receive a response by the deadline.
From the fans’ perspective, they would certainly hope for as many SPEED members as possible to come together⁉︎
PHOTO： Takeshi Kinugawa