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Tone Jewel

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TJ
Background information
Also known asTone Jewel (トーンジュエル) (2012-2014)
Tone Jewel Research Students (トーンジュエル研修生)
OriginTokyo, Japan
Genres
Years active2012-present
Labels
Members
  • Kana Machimura
  • Hinano Takayama
Past members
  • Chihiro Ayase
  • Riko Kayama
  • Kana Sakura
  • Keekihime Yumi
  • Saki Takimura
  • Miyabi Hazuki
  • Momoka Miyashita
  • Moeka Morimoto
  • Ayane Yokoniwa
  • Yūki Itonaga
Websitewww.tjproject.tokyo

TJ (トーンジュエル, Tōn Jueru, previously written as Tone Jewel) is a Japanese idol girl group. The group was originally formed in 2012 by Victor Entertainment and have been performing independently since 2013. To reflect the group's name and concept, the members perform with microphones attached to the jewel on their pinky rings.[1]

The original member line-up made their major label debut with the extended play Kimiiro Note in 2012 and later released the song "Blooming Song" in 2013.

History

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2012–2013: Debut

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Tone Jewel was formed by Victor Entertainment in 2012. To reflect the group's name and concept, the members performed with wireless microphones attached to their pinky rings.[1] With the lineup consisting of Kana Sakura, Riko Kayama, and Keekihime Yumi, Tone Jewel was marketed as a trio of "hardcore otaku" high school girls and built a fanbase on Niconico.[2][3][4] Keekihime, an Austrian native, had been recruited through an online audition held by Victor Entertainment and prior to joining, she was a vlogger on Niconico.[1][5] The group first recorded music independently for a Touhou Project fan project.[1] Their first extended play, Sistars Trip, was sold exclusively at Comiket 82 on August 11, 2012, with the cover artwork drawn by Keekihime.[6] Tone Jewel made their major label debut on August 22, 2012 with the extended play Kimiiro Note,[7][8] featuring "Kimiiro Inryoku" as the promotional track.[2] After the release of the song, Kayama departed from the group.[9] In a 2023 Instagram post, Keekihime states that, after this, Tone Jewel was dropped from Victor Entertainment and they performed as an independent group.[10]

On December 30, 2012, Tone Jewel released their first studio album, Meguru Kiseki, independently and sold it exclusively at Comiket 83, with the album illustration provided by Keekihime.[6] Sana Takimura was later recruited as a second generation member.[9] In 2013, Tone Jewel released their debut single, "Blooming Song", which was produced by Arte Refact.[11]

At the end of 2013, Sakura left the group due to family reasons.[1] Later that year, Keekihime and Takimura also departed from the group due to Keekihime's visa issues, which had limited her performances.[1][12]

2014–present: Line-up and name changes

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Miyabi Hazuki, Momoka Miyashita, and Chihiro Ayase, three girls who had previously been recruited into the group as research students (trainees),[1] began performing under the name Tone Jewel Research Students under independent labels.[13] After several member line-up changes, Tone Jewel was renamed and also established sister groups, such as End of Silence, Twist Jewel, and Tradition Jack.

On March 22, 2024, Chihiro announced that she was retiring from the group.[14]

Members

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Current members

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  • Kana Machimura (町村かな)
  • Hinano Takayama (高山緋奈乃)

Former members

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  • Chihiro Ayase (彩瀬千聖) (2014-2024)
  • Riko Kayama (嘉山璃子) (2012-2013)
  • Kana Sakura (沙倉香奈) (2012-2014)
  • Keekihime Yumi (ケーキ姫☆優海) (2012-2014)
  • Sana Takimura (瀧村咲菜) (2013-2014)
  • Miyabi Hazuki (菜月雅美)
  • Momoka Miyashita (宮下桃歌)
  • Moeka Morimoto (森元萌香)
  • Ayane Yokoniwa (横庭綾音)
  • Yūki Itonaga (糸永有希)

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Year Details Peak chart positions Sales
JPN
Meguru Kiseki (メグルキセキ) 2012
  • Released: December 30, 2012 (2012-12-30)
  • Label: —
  • Format: CD
Track listing
  1. "Meguru Kiseki" (メグルキセキ)
  2. "Winter Holy Days"
  3. "Precious X'mas"
  4. "Awayuki Memory" (淡雪メモリー)
  5. "Ni-jigen Kareshi" (二次元☆カレシ)
  6. "Mayonaka Fanfare" (真夜中ファンファーレ)
  7. "Mayoi Yuki no Sora" (迷い雪の空)
  8. "Haru wa Mijikashi Koise Yo Otome!" (ハルは短し恋セヨ乙女！)
 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Extended plays

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Major

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Title Year Details Peak chart positions Sales
JPN
Kimiiro Note (キミイロノート) 2012
Track listing
  1. "Summer Party!!" (サマー☆パーティー！！)
  2. "Mirai Mirai" (ミライ∞ミライ)
  3. "Kimiiro Inryoku" (キミイロインリョク)
  4. "Sugarless Memory" (シュガーレスMEMORY)
  5. "Yūzora Triangle" (夕空トライアングル)
  6. "Kokoro Note" (ココロノート)
  7. "Girl's Manifesto"
 —[15] —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Indie

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Title Year Details Peak chart positions Sales
JPN
Sistars Trip 2012
  • Released: August 11, 2012 (2012-08-11)
  • Label: —
  • Format: CD
Track listing
  1. "Koika Moyō" (恋花模様)
  2. "Hōkago Kōjō Iinkai" (放課後向上委員会)
  3. "Neverland" (ネバーランド)
  4. "Candy Street"
 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Singles

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Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
JPN
"Blooming Song" 2013 105[16] — Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Idol Industry Exposé: ARAMA! JAPAN Interviews Former Idol Keekihime". Arama! Japan. August 30, 2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Komatsu, Mikikaze (August 16, 2012). "VIDEO: New Otaku Idol Unit Tone Jewel's 1st Single "Kimiiro Inryoku"". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  3. ^ "川越シェフ＆松岡充も降臨！「ニコニコ超パーティー II」". Natalie (in Japanese). March 8, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  4. ^ "3月25日21時ニコ生配信 ニコニコ国際交流とは何だ？【ニコ動今昔物語】". Kadokawa (in Japanese). March 22, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  5. ^ "オーストリア人のガチヲタ女子高生が作ったアイドルユニット・トーンジュエル、メジャーデビュー決定" [Tone Jewel, an idol unit made up of hardcore otaku and an Austrian, makes major debut]. Barks (in Japanese). July 20, 2012. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Tone Jewel CD / Goods". Tone Jewel (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  7. ^ "ガチヲタアイドル・トーンジュエル、メジャーデビュー作品で2次元化". Barks (in Japanese). July 26, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  8. ^ ""ガチヲタ"トーンジュエルが「キミイロノート」を発表" ["Hardcore otaku" Tone Jewel releases Kimiiro Note]. Natalie (in Japanese). July 27, 2012. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Idol Industry Exposé: ARAMA! JAPAN Interviews Former Idol Keekihime (Part 3)". Arama! Japan. August 30, 2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  10. ^ @keekihime (October 7, 2023). "One of the OG members leaving while we were making an album, finding a new member after performing as two for a bit, being more or less dropped from the music label thus going back to indie, performing 3 times a day and generally pretty empty live venues, riding the cheapest night busses between Osaka and Tokyo without getting sleep, and trying our best to grow as a unit without any promotion or advertising budget in a small unknown management" – via Instagram.
  11. ^ "トーンジュエル、ニュー・シングル"BLOOMING SONG"" [Tone Jewel, new single "Blooming Song"]. Tower Records (in Japanese). August 27, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  12. ^ Keekihime Yumi (November 29, 2013). "Soroche Art". Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2020 – via Tumblr.
  13. ^ "Tone Jewel Profile". Tone Jewel (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  14. ^ Chihiro Ayase (March 22, 2024). "TJPChihiro". Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "キミイロノート". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  16. ^ "BLOOMING SONG(Type A)". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
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