Johnny & Associates

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Johnny & Associates
Type Public
Genre Talent agency
Founded 1962
Founder(s) Johnny Kitagawa
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Industry Music & Entertainment
Products Music & Entertainment
Services Music & Entertainment
Subsidiaries Johnny's Entertainment
J Storm
J-One Records
Website www.johnnys-net.jp

Johnny & Associates, Inc. (株式会社ジャニーズ事務所 Kabushikigaisha Janīzu Jimusho?), formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962, is a talent agency that trains and promotes groups of male idols in Japan.

The first group Johnnys debuted in 1962, but their debut was before Western boy band movement. The agency was originally formed to train Japanese broadway theatre actors for musicals similar to West Side Story, when Japanese authority hated Japanese new musical movements, especially the rock and roll music.[1]

Masahiko Kondo's song "Orokamono" won the grand prix award at the 29th Japan Record Awards in 1987. Hikaru Genji's song "Paradise Ginga" also won the grand prix award at the 30th Japan Record Awards in 1988. The agency produced even rock band Otokogumi. Otokogumi's debut single "Day Break" was released in 1988.

In recent times, however, they have rejected the nominations of Japanese awards. One of the reasons was that their band Ninja's music genre was categorized as "rock/pops" in the 32nd Japan Record Awards in 1990, though Johnny & Associates thought that its music genre was "enka/kayōkyoku".[2] Another reason was that the nominations could make competitions between Johnny's groups.[2]

After debuting the talents, Johnny's & Associates would then arrange for them to be signed to record labels such as J Storm, Johnny's Entertainment or labels owned by other companies such as Avex Trax. Regardless of the labels the groups are assigned to, the members and their respective groups would still be bound to their talent agency, Johnny's & Associates.

Contents

[edit] Artists

[edit] Debuted groups/ soloist

[edit] Subgroups / Temporary units

[edit] Special Group

Members of groups, who already disbanded are put together

[edit] Johnny's Jr. units

Johnny's Jrs. are trainees who have yet to debut. They would often perform their seniors' songs on variety shows such as The Shōnen Club as "training". They also serve as back up dancers for groups that have already debuted.

[edit] Females and the Jimusho

In the 1980s, females were accepted into the agency and through JOHNNY'S Junior Special as a side project called Orange Sisters. The five females (Yoshitake Kayoko, Sakai Tae, Emil Seres, Andrea Nilsson and Yoshikawa Kiyomi) were considered as Female Juniors, yet nothing happened with the unit. Today, there has not been a single woman accepted into the agency since then.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "J-Pop's dream factory". The Guardian. 2005-08-21. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2005/aug/21/popandrock3. Retrieved 2009-09-04. 
  2. ^ a b (Japanese) "キムタクが日本アカデミー賞辞退". Nikkan Sports. 2006-12-20. http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/cinema/p-et-tp1-20061220-132636.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Johnny & Associates
Current Artists
Temporary Units
Trainees
Official Site: http://www.johnnys-net.jp
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_%26_Associates"