“WEST.” Faces Survival Crisis Following the Departure of Ryusei Fujii and Nozomi Kotaki: The Harsh “Different World” That Awaits After an “Idol’s Marriage”

It will be difficult for them to perform as a seven-member group

The seven-member idol group “WEST.” is facing a crisis that threatens its very existence.

Popular members Ryusei Fujii (33) and Nozomu Kotaki (30) announced their departure from the group on August 30. This is reportedly due to the surprise marriage of Daiki Shigeoka (34) and Takahiro Hamada (37), which came to light on the 9th of the same month. Shigeoka also announced that his first child has already been born.

STARTO ENTERTAINMENT stated on its official website:

“While we were holding repeated discussions regarding the future activities of WEST., both Ryusei Fujii and Nozomu Kotaki expressed their desire to leave WEST. and pursue new paths,”

The agency reported this candidly on its official website. In response to Fujii and Kotaki’s request,

“we have held extensive discussions with the other members regarding their wishes, but we have decided to respect their intentions and accept their decision,”

. They were scheduled to perform at the “KAMIGATA EXPO PARK FES 2026,” to be held on October 31 and November 1 at Expo ’70 Commemorative Park in Osaka, but

〈it has been determined that it is difficult for them to perform as the seven-member WEST.〉

, so ticket refunds will be issued. This is according to a sports newspaper reporter covering the entertainment industry.

“WEST. is a group that thrives as a unit of seven. Given that they were formed to complement each other’s shortcomings, the phrase ‘it will be difficult to perform as a group of seven’ carries significant weight. It likely means the differences in direction between the departing members and those remaining are irreconcilable.”

On social media, WEST.’s performance at the “Summer Sonic” outdoor concert held on August 14 has become a hot topic. While the members stood in the center of the stage, interlocking their fingers to symbolize unity, Kotaki showed no sign of joining the circle. Although he eventually joined the others after being pulled in by the other members, his sullen expression has become a major talking point among fans.

Starting with Terufumi Kiriyama (37)’s marriage to former Japanese national volleyball team member Maiko Kano (38) last January, Tomohiro Kamiyama (33) also tied the knot in October of the same year.With the marriages of Shigeoka and Hamada, four out of the five members—excluding the two scheduled to leave the group—are now married.

Marriage Can Reduce Attractiveness to Potential Partners

Junta Nakama (38), the only unmarried member of the group, was also reported last July to be dating former dancer Yui Hayashi—known as the “Jamboree Sister”—and is said to be on the verge of marriage.

An idol’s marriage—

Although attitudes have become more tolerant in recent years, for fans, it remains a major turning point.

“Age is a factor, too; once they hit their 40s, fans tend to be a bit more accepting, thinking, ‘Well, I guess it can’t be helped.’ All the members of WEST. are still in their 30s. It’s no wonder fans get upset,” said a source involved in a news program.

A loss of fans is inevitable. On TV and in movies, where they share the screen with co-stars, they may not fully realize their waning popularity, but at concerts and on stage, they are starkly confronted with “reality.” For example, former “Hey! Say! JUMP” member Yuto Nakajima (33) married actress Yuko Araki (32) in April of this year.He began appearing in the stage play *Death of a Salesman* in late June, but it’s said that there were performances where empty seats were conspicuous.

An entertainment agency insider told this website:

“Talent from STARTO are highly valued because they can ‘draw an audience’ to stage productions, but once they get married, their drawing power drops sharply. When that happens, they lose their advantage as idols, so their acting careers won’t go as smoothly as before. In Nakajima’s case, some insiders even grumbled, ‘If only he’d waited until after the play ended to announce his marriage.’‘A different “worldline” awaits both Shigeoka and Hamada from here on out,’

he said. The agency’s approach will also change.

In August, STARTO announced the CD debut this winter of the five-member junior group “KEY TO LIT (Kiteretsu).” Furthermore, it was decided that “Fo~Yu~,” a four-member group whose members are all 39 years old, will release a CD on November 11 via Imperial Records, a subsidiary of Teichiku Entertainment. A music industry insider

“For ‘Fo~Yu~,’ this CD debut is a long-awaited dream 15 years after their formation. To release a second single, they must either have their debut song’s music video surpass 1 million views or sell 50,000 copies of the single. But given the tremendous passion of fans who have waited 15 years, they should achieve this in no time,”

said a music industry insider.

In June, a new junior group called “Howzit” was formed, consisting of five members: Nao Oriyama, Takuya Nishimura, Mitsuteru Kuroda, Mitsunari Hiyama, and Wataru Vasayega.Despite not having made their official debut yet, they launched a solo live tour on August 8, comprising 35 shows across three cities. They are rapidly gaining fans, particularly among younger audiences.

“Even if WEST. hits a slump, the fact that ‘there are plenty of replacements’ is what makes STARTO so impressive. With new talent emerging one after another, I can’t imagine the agency’s ‘promotional power’ being directed toward WEST., whose members are all married,” says the entertainment industry insider mentioned earlier.

Among fans, whispers of “disbandment” are already circulating, but will it actually happen…?

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