Naniwa Boys Ren Nagase and Koji Mukai Attend Behind the Scenes of Kansai Juniors Osaka Shochikuza Graduation Ceremony

The revival of “Naniwa Ooji” and “Rutakoji”

For longtime Johnny’s fans, March 24 was truly a dreamlike day.

At Osaka Shochiku-za, which had been scheduled to close in May (though its closure was reversed on March 31), 92 Kansai Jr. alumni and current members with ties to the theater gathered. The performance title was tongue-twistingly long: “Honma Ookini Osaka Shochiku-za ~ WE are Shochiku-za Danshi. Thank you for your long-time support. The days we faced each other in the tatami dressing rooms during Kansai Jr. times. SUPER A-e! Graduation Ceremony at such a youthful place.~” — and the members who appeared were even more spectacular than the title suggested.

“Starting with SUPER EIGHT, said to have laid the foundation for the current Kansai Jr., as well as members from WEST., Naniwa Danshi, and A-e! group participated. It was also a big deal that Ren Nagase (27) from King & Prince and Koji Mukai (31) from Snow Man came. On top of that, Ryuuta Muro (36) and Daichi Imae (30), who have long supported Kansai Jr., stood on the same stage, which must have been irresistible for Kansai fans,” said a Kansai-based sports reporter.

Among the highlights that excited fans was the revival of the three-member group “Naniwa Ooji”, consisting of Ren Nagase, Ryusei Onishi (24), and Daigo Nishihata (29) from Naniwa Danshi.

“When Onishi-kun said, ‘We’re the former Naniwa Ooji!’ Nagase-kun replied, ‘I’m still a Prince,’ and Nishihata-kun said, ‘We’ve become Naniwa Danshi.’ Their timing and chemistry were perfect. For members who now work in separate groups to come together on stage again across time—it was truly a dream come true,” said a female fan in her 30s.

The presence of Ryuuta Muro

The one-night-only revival of their junior-era group kept fan excitement at a peak. On social media, many messages of gratitude toward Muro appeared, such as:

“Because Ryuuta Muro was there.”

A women’s magazine reporter commented on Muro’s presence:

“When the former members of Johnny’s WEST, Ren Nagase, and Sho Hirano went to Tokyo to debut, Kansai Jr. was said to be a ‘burned-out field.’ Muro, along with Mukai, supported the group during that time. On the show ‘Maido! Johnny~’ (BS Fuji), they served as MCs, greatly boosting the morale of the junior members. For pre-debut Naniwa Danshi and A-e! group members, Muro was literally their emotional pillar.”

In 2020, Mukai debuted as a member of Snow Man. Muro, who had been Mukai’s symmetric partner in Kansai Jr., graduated from the juniors and chose to pursue acting.

The “Osaka Shochiku-za” graduation ceremony brought together members who had gone their separate ways as OBs. For fans, it will forever be remembered as a legendary stage.

[YouTube] On FRIDAY Digital’s Entertainment Reporter Channel, current entertainment reporters discuss the Kansai Jr. “Graduation Ceremony” that became a hot topic, trending #1 on social media, under the title “SUPER EIGHT, Naniwa Danshi, Ren Nagase, Koji Mukai Behind the Kansai Jr. Graduation Ceremony.” They analyze why it became so exciting and provide detailed explanations about the future of former Johnny’s members.