Shonentai

For the Boshin War Shonentai, see Nihonmatsu Shonentai.
Shonentai
少年隊
From left to right: Nishikiori, Higashiyama, Uekusa.
Background information
OriginJapan
GenresJ-pop
Years active1985 (1985)–2020
Labels
Past membersNoriyuki Higashiyama
Kazukiyo Nishikiori
Katsuhide Uekusa

Shonentai (少年隊, Shōnentai, lit. "Regiment of Boys") were a three-member Japanese boy band created by entertainment company Johnny & Associates, now rebranded to Starto Entertainment. They debuted on December 12, 1985. They were one of Japan's leading Japanese idol groups of the 1980s.[1] The group led the annual musical Playzone from 1986 to 2008 for about 957 performances with a total attendance of over 1.38 million people over the course of 22 years.[2][3]

On September 20, 2020, it was announced that Nishikiori and Uekusa would leave Johnny & Associates by the end of the year.[4] The group name will be retained in accordance with the members' desire to preserve their past achievements and Shonentai itself, but there are no plans for future activities, and the group has effectively been placed on hiatus.[5][6]

In September 2023, since Johnny Kitagawa sexual abuse scandal came to light, Higashiyama succeeded to the presidency of the Johnny's and retired from entertainment activities at the end of the same year,[7] but there is currently no mention of the continuation of the name as a group after Higashiyama's retirement, so it is unclear.[8][Note 1]

  1. ^ "シブがき隊、少年隊、光GENJI…80年代に活躍、ジャニーズのグループアイドルを徹底分析「なぜ成功したかがわかる」" [Shibukitai, Shonentai, Hikaru Genji...Active in the 80's, a thorough analysis of Japanese group idols: "I can see why they were successful."]. jocr.jp (in Japanese). RADIO Kansai, Ltd. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ "不惑の少年隊がラスト舞踏会…集大成だ" [40-year-old Shonentai's last ball... a culmination.]. daily (in Japanese). 2008-07-07. Archived from the original on 2008-08-03. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  3. ^ "少年隊ミュージカル 23年の歴史に幕" [Shonentai Musical Ends 23 Years of History]. daily (in Japanese). 2008-04-28. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  4. ^ "Shonentai's Nishikiori Kazukiyo and Uekusa Katsuhide to leave Johnny's & Associates". Tokyohive. September 20, 2020. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  5. ^ "少年隊 錦織＆植草が年内でジャニーズ退所 グループ名は存続「活動予定はないが後輩たちの道標に」" [Shonentai Nishikiori and Uekusa to leave Johnny's by the end of the year, but will keep their group name “as a guidepost for younger members, although there are no plans for activities."]. Sponichi Annex. Sports Nippon Newspapers. 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  6. ^ "少年隊の錦織一清、植草克秀がジャニーズ退所…残留の東山紀之とグループは存続" [Kazukiyo Nishikiori and Katsuhide Uekusa of Shonentai leave Johnny's, group survives with Noriyuki Higashiyama, who remains with the group.]. hochi (in Japanese). 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  7. ^ "Johnny & Associates Names Noriyuki Higashiyama New President, Apologizes for Sex Abuse Scandal (Update 1)". The Japan News. The Yomiuri Shimbun. September 7, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  8. ^ "東山紀之　ファンクラブ設立から3ヵ月で引退表明…「少年隊はどうなるの？」今後にファン絶句" [Noriyuki Higashiyama Announces Retirement Three Months after Establishing Fan Club... “What Will Happen to Shonentai?" Fans are saddened by an invisible future.]. jisin (in Japanese). Kobunsha Co., Ltd. 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2024-07-23.


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