SMAP turns down NHK's request for 'Kohaku,' opting for Dec 26 farewell

Dec. 24, 2016 - 05:58AM JST /Japan Today

TOKYO —

SMAP has turned down a request from NHK to appear on the public broadcaster’s famous year-ending music program as they opt for their signature variety show aired by a commercial broadcaster for their final appearance before breakup, their agent said Friday.

SMAP, one of Japan’s most popular and longest-lived pop groups, has decided to make the final episode to be broadcast Dec 26 of “SMAP X SMAP,” a show featuring SMAP singing, cooking and doing a comedy skit, their final appearance as the group.

In a letter addressed to the producers of NHK’s annual music extravaganza, “Kohaku Utagassen,” released the same day by talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc., the members expressed thanks for the request and said “each of us thought hard about how our last stage should be” before their Dec. 31 breakup.

“We came to the conclusion we would like to make ‘SMAP X SMAP’ our last stage because we have worked with its staff for the past 20 years and all five of us have appeared on it regularly,” said the letter dated Dec. 19. 7

However, the “last stage” is likely to be a taped one, as show business sources said the members will not appear live on the final episode of the variety show.

The names of SMAP and its five members—Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori—were written at the end of the letter.

NHK’s public relations department commented that although NHK was disappointed by the decision, the broadcaster is grateful for SMAP having appeared on “Kohaku” 23 times in the past and added excitement to the show.

SMAP X SMAP, which started in April 1996 and has been broadcast every Monday night by Fuji Television Network, has remained popular, often referred to as “Suma Suma.” American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga and Australian model Miranda Kerr were among the guests who appeared on the show earlier this year.

After Johnny & Associates unveiled in August that SMAP will part ways at the end of this year, NHK President Katsuto Momii said, “SMAP is huge. Naturally, I want them to appear” on the annual music extravaganza, “Kohaku Utagassen.” He also said he was willing to personally negotiate with the band’s representatives to make it happen.

A group of the band’s avid fans has collected 373,515 signatures in Japan and abroad to petition SMAP members to change their mind about breaking up.

The group, called “5 SMILE,” submitted the signatures to Johnny & Associates on Dec 11.

In accepting the petition, the talent agency issued a document stating it “will convey, without fail, your wishes to the members” of the now middle-aged boy band formed in 1988.

In the document, the agency also said it had tried to have the members change their mind about disbanding, proposing a “direction for the group’s future activities so it can continue to exist.”

“But we failed to break their determination and made an agonizing decision to accept the fact that the group’s continued existence is difficult,” it said.

SMAP released a greatest hits album Wednesday, 10 days before its planned breakup.

The album, called “SMAP 25 YEARS,” consists of the top 50 songs chosen by fans through two weeks of online voting, out of the more than 400 the group released since its debut album in 1991. “STAY,” a 2006 hit, topped the list.

SMAP shuns NHK ‘Kohaku’ request, opts for signature variety show for band’s final appearance

December 24, 2016 / Japan Times
Kyodo

SMAP, one of Japan’s most popular and longest-lived pop groups, has turned down a request from NHK to appear on the public broadcaster’s famous year-end music program as they opt for their signature variety show aired by a commercial broadcaster for their final appearance before breaking up, their agent said Friday.

SMAP has decided to make the final episode to be broadcast Monday of “SMAP X SMAP,” a show featuring SMAP singing, cooking and doing a comedy skit, their final appearance as the group.

In a letter addressed to the producers of “Kohaku Utagassen,” NHK’s annual music extravaganza and released the same day by talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc., the members expressed thanks for the request and said “each of us thought hard about how our last stage should be” before their Dec. 31 breakup.

“We came to the conclusion we would like to make ‘SMAP X SMAP’ our last stage because we have worked with its staff for the past 20 years and all five of us have appeared on it regularly,” said the letter dated Dec. 19.

However, the “last stage” is likely to be a taped one, as show business sources said the members will not appear live on the final episode of the variety show.

The names of SMAP and its five members — Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori — were written at the end of the letter.

NHK’s public relations department commented that although NHK is disappointed by the decision, the broadcaster is grateful for SMAP having appeared on “Kohaku” 23 times in the past and added excitement to the show.

After Johnny & Associates unveiled in August that SMAP will part ways at the end of this year, NHK President Katsuto Momii said, “SMAP is huge. Naturally, I want them to appear” on the annual music extravaganza. He also said he was willing to personally negotiate with the band’s representatives to make it happen.

SMAP turns down NHK's request to appear on New Year's Eve music show

December 24, 2016 (Mainichi Japan)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- SMAP has turned down a request from NHK to appear on the public broadcaster's signature year-ending music program, their agent said Friday.

The decline means SMAP, one of Japan's most popular and longest-lived pop groups, will likely break up on Dec. 31 without having performed or appeared together live in public since their disbanding was announced in August.

After talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc. unveiled that SMAP will part ways at the end of this year, NHK President Katsuto Momii said, "SMAP is huge. Naturally, I want them to appear" on the annual music extravaganza, "Kohaku Utagassen." He also said he was willing to personally negotiate with the band's representatives to make it happen.

A group of the band's avid fans has collected 373,515 signatures in Japan and abroad to petition SMAP members to change their mind about breaking up.

The group, called "5 SMILE," submitted the signatures to Johnny & Associates on Dec. 11.

In accepting the petition, the talent agency issued a document stating it "will convey, without fail, your wishes to the members" of the now middle-aged boy band formed in 1988.

In the document, the agency also said it had tried to have the members change their mind about disbanding, proposing a "direction for the group's future activities so it can continue to exist."

"But we failed to break their determination and made an agonizing decision to accept the fact that the group's continued existence is difficult," it said.

While keeping silent about the moves by fans or speculation over whether they will appear on "Kohaku," SMAP released a greatest hits album Wednesday, 10 days before its planned breakup.

The album, called "SMAP 25 YEARS," consists of the top 50 songs chosen by fans through two weeks of online voting, out of the more than 400 the group released since its debut album in 1991. "STAY," a 2006 hit, topped the list.

SMAP greatest hits album sells 1 millionth copy

TOKYO, Jan. 10, 2017, Kyodo

"SMAP 25 YEARS," a greatest hits album released by SMAP shortly before the band's breakup at the end of 2016, has sold more than 1 million copies, music information provider Oricon Inc. said Monday.

The album, consisting of the top 50 songs chosen by fans, has sold 1,007,000 copies, less than three weeks after its Dec. 21 release.

The last time an album sold more than 1 million copies in Japan was about a year ago, when "Japonism" by Arashi achieved the mark, according to Oricon.

Arashi is also a five-man pop idol band, similar to the wildly popular SMAP.