SMAP may split as boy band bolts from management feud

　　by Tomohiro Osaki, Staff Writer　　　Jan 13, 2016, The Japan Times

　　　　　　　　　　解説はページ下部へ

It looks like it may be splitsville for the princes of Japanese showbiz.

SMAP, one of Japan’s most successful male idol groups, appeared on the verge of disbanding Wednesday as the fantastic five’s management agency acknowledged reports that the lads are considering going their own ways.

“There have been some news reports that members of SMAP are considering flying solo. . . . Debate and negotiation are indeed underway over the matter,” Daisuke Yuki, a lawyer representing artist agency Johnny & Associates, said in a statement delivered to The Japan Times on Wednesday.

Japan woke up Wednesday to the shocking news scooped by two tabloids — Nikkan Sports and Sports Nippon — that members Masahiro Nakai, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori were eying leaving Johnny & Associates after being ensnared in a feud within the agency. Takuya Kimura alone intends to stay, the papers said.

They said the split comes after the group’s female manager — credited with turning the dance troupe into the huge TV presence it is today — was pressed to resign amid personal problems with a Johnny & Associates executive. SMAP members regard her as their mentor.

“Few scoops I’ve encountered in 20 years of my career as a showbiz reporter are as surprising as this one,” Kosuke Abe, Sports Nippon chief of a department in charge of entertainment news, said. Abe said the group’s disbandment would represent a “huge loss” for the domestic TV industry as well as markets overseas, such as in China and Taiwan, where SMAP is recognized as a “symbol” of Japan.

Not a day goes by in Japan without the quintet’s middle-aged, but still strikingly suave, members appearing on TV and radio and in commercials.

They have a strong following in Asia, with a sell-out concert in Beijing in September 2011, reportedly drawing a crowd of 40,000.

SMAP’s apparent demise is likely to have repercussions across a range of industries that have come to count on the group’s male magnetism.

Showbiz journalist Yuji Watanabe, for one, theorized that the four members, without Kimura, would face an uphill battle in surviving the entertainment industry if they really quit — and thus antagonized — Johnny & Associates. TV stations and commercial sponsors may start shunning the four to maintain a good relationship with the artist agency, home to many other popular boy bands such as Arashi.

“So after all, the four may decide to stay with Johnny & Associates,” Watanabe said.

Still, nationwide on Wednesday fans were in shock. Voices of grievance and disbelief inundated online message boards, with “SMAP” topping a list of the most frequent subjects on Twitter most of the day.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the word had appeared in more than 1 million tweets.

“Somebody please tell me it’s a lie,” devastated Twitter user @j6tol8mo1 said.

SMAP has been a veritable cash machine with a string of smash hits.

The group’s most famous numbers include “Yozora no Muko” from 1998, “Lion Heart” from 2000, and “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana” — the last of which sold more than 2 million copies after its 2003 release.

After languishing for years in relative obscurity, SMAP soared into stardom when its members began to experiment with comedy skits on variety shows.

Their popularity was fueled by the TV program “SMAP X SMAP,” which first aired in 1996 and showcases the members’ cooking, dancing, singing, acting and comedic skills.

Information from Kyodo added




*解説、スラッシュリーディング*

SMAP may split /as boy band bolts from management feud

*split=分裂する、分裂させる、分裂、破たん
*bolt=突然動く、逃走する=hurry away 　*feud=ふｭｰﾄﾞｩ=確執
スマップは分裂するかもしれない。/男性グループ[←男子の一団]が、管理の確執から逃走する時に。

It looks like/ it may be splitsville /for the princes of Japanese showbiz.

*splitsville=ｽﾌﾟりﾂびる=《形・米俗》離別状態で　*prince=王子、第一人者
*showbiz=ｼｮｳﾋﾞｽﾞ=show business=芸能界
(次)のように見える/離別状態になるかもしれない/日本の芸能界の第一人者が[←にとって]


SMAP,/ one of Japan’s most successful male idol groups,/appeared on the verge of disbanding Wednesday/ as the fantastic five’s management agency acknowledged reports/ that the lads are considering going their own ways.

*on the verge of ～=～寸前で　*disband=解散する　*fantastic=空想的な、すばらしい
*management agency=事務所[←経営・管理代理店]　*lad=《略式》若者、男
スマップは、/日本の最も成功した男性アイドルグループの1つであるが、/水曜日、解散寸前であるように見えた。/素晴らしい5人の事務所が、（次の）報道を認めたように/若者たちは、彼ら自身の道を進むことを考えていると。


“There have been some news reports/ that members of SMAP are considering flying solo. Debate and negotiation are indeed underway/ over the matter,” Daisuke Yuki,/ a lawyer/ representing artist agency Johnny & Associates,/ said in a statement/ delivered to The Japan Times on Wednesday.

*underway=《形・副》進行中の[で]=in progress
*Johnny & Associates＝ジャニーと仲間達[組合員](←事務所の英語表記なので、正確な訳は不明）→ジャニーズ事務所
「いくつかのニュース記事が出てきています。/スマップのメンバーは、単独で飛行することを考えているという(記事が）。　　討論と交渉は本当に、進行中です。/その件に関して」と、ユキダイスケ/弁護士/アーティストの事務所のジャニーズ事務所を代表する（弁護士）は、声明書の中で述べました。/水曜日にジャパンタイムスに届けられた（声明書）。


Japan woke up Wednesday/ to the shocking news/ scooped by two tabloids/ — Nikkan Sports and Sports Nippon — /that members Masahiro Nakai, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori/ were eying leaving Johnny & Associates/ after being ensnared in a feud/ within the agency. 　Takuya Kimura alone intends to stay, the papers said.

*eye>eying=～を注意深く見る
*ensnare A in B=AをBに陥れる　　*tabloid=ﾀﾌﾞろｲﾄﾞｩ=大衆紙→スポーツ新聞

日本は、水曜日、目覚めた。/衝撃的なニュースに/二つのスポーツ新聞によってスクープされた（ニュース）/-ニッカンスポーツとスッポーツニッポン-/メンバーの中居正広、稲垣吾郎、草なぎ剛、香取慎吾が、/ジャニーズ事務所を去ることを注意深く見ていたという（ニュース）/確執に陥れられた後に/事務所内で。　木村拓哉は一人、とどまる意向である。/と、記事は述べた。


They said/ the split comes after the group’s female manager/ — credited with turning the dance troupe/ into the huge TV presence/ it is today —/ was pressed to resign/ amid personal problems with a Johnny & Associates executive. 　SMAP members regard her as their mentor.


“Few scoops I’ve encountered in 20 years of my career as a showbiz reporter are as surprising as this one,” Kosuke Abe, Sports Nippon chief of a department in charge of entertainment news, said. Abe said the group’s disbandment would represent a “huge loss” for the domestic TV industry as well as markets overseas, such as in China and Taiwan, where SMAP is recognized as a “symbol” of Japan.

Not a day goes by in Japan without the quintet’s middle-aged, but still strikingly suave, members appearing on TV and radio and in commercials.

They have a strong following in Asia, with a sell-out concert in Beijing in September 2011, reportedly drawing a crowd of 40,000.

SMAP’s apparent demise is likely to have repercussions across a range of industries that have come to count on the group’s male magnetism.

Showbiz journalist Yuji Watanabe, for one, theorized that the four members, without Kimura, would face an uphill battle in surviving the entertainment industry if they really quit — and thus antagonized — Johnny & Associates. TV stations and commercial sponsors may start shunning the four to maintain a good relationship with the artist agency, home to many other popular boy bands such as Arashi.

“So after all, the four may decide to stay with Johnny & Associates,” Watanabe said.

Still, nationwide on Wednesday fans were in shock. Voices of grievance and disbelief inundated online message boards, with “SMAP” topping a list of the most frequent subjects on Twitter most of the day.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the word had appeared in more than 1 million tweets.

“Somebody please tell me it’s a lie,” devastated Twitter user @j6tol8mo1 said.

SMAP has been a veritable cash machine with a string of smash hits.

The group’s most famous numbers include “Yozora no Muko” from 1998, “Lion Heart” from 2000, and “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana” — the last of which sold more than 2 million copies after its 2003 release.

After languishing for years in relative obscurity, SMAP soared into stardom when its members began to experiment with comedy skits on variety shows.

Their popularity was fueled by the TV program “SMAP X SMAP,” which first aired in 1996 and showcases the members’ cooking, dancing, singing, acting and comedic skills.


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