My Interview With Jankenpon

 

Jankenpon photo copyright SPIRAL MUSIC 2026.  Used with permission.

The second of my two interviews with SPIRAL MUSIC idol groups is with Jankenpon, a charming kid’s group.  Jankenpon (“Rock-Paper-Scissors”) debuted in July 2025 with four members.  By the end of September, a fifth member joined.  Their debut single, “Jankenpon”, was released on August 25, 2026.  Once again, the translation I got from Copilot included some name misspellings and rephrasing of my original questions.  I had to correct the names, change the questions back to the way I wanted them and make some minor edits here and there.  I have done my best to preserve the natural language of the interview participants and their personalities.  Finally, sometimes one or more of the girls didn’t answer a question.    

 

Please introduce yourself and, if you want, tell me your age. 

Maikawa Yuno (pink costume): I’m Maikawa Yuno, also known as Yunopino!  I’m the pink member of Jankenpon and an 11-year-old sixth grader.

Seki Nanaco (red costume): I’m Seki Nanako, the red member of Jankenpon.  I’m 11 years old.

Hirara Kii (yellow costume): I’m Hirara Kii, and I'm 12 years old.  I’m from Okinawa.

Anzai Miori (light blue costume): I’m Anzai Miori, Jankenpon’s light-blue member!  Everyone calls me “Miorin”.  I’m a fourth-grade elementary school student and I’m 9 years old.  I love singing, dancing, and cute clothes.  Nice to meet you!

Shiratori Sophie (purple costume): I’m Shiratori Sophie, and I’m 11 years old.  I’m one-quarter American and one-quarter Japanese.  [Note: I believe Sophie means she’s half American and half Japanese.] 

Who is the leader, and what does your role as leader involve?

Yuno: I’m the leader.  My role is to help bring the group together and keep everyone united.

What inspired you to become an idol?

Yuno: At first, I wanted to become a model and was already taking lessons.  Then I was scouted. When I went to observe an idol performance, the idols looked so bright and dazzling that I started thinking, “I want to become an idol like that too.”

Nanaco: I wanted to stand on a sparkling stage and become an idol who could bring smiles to everyone. 

Kii: I’ve always loved singing and dancing, and I wanted to stand on a stage that people admire. 

Miori: I’ve loved singing and dancing since I was three years old, and I’ve always loved wearing cute outfits and costumes.  When I saw idols performing on stage in sparkling costumes, I thought, “I want to be like them someday!”  That's what inspired me.  Even now, I’m so happy every time I get to wear a cute costume and perform on stage.

Sophie: I was scouted, and since I already loved singing and dancing, it felt like the perfect fit for me.

Please tell me about your first audition.  

Yuno: The Best Kids Audition when I was one year old.

Nanaco: My first audition was the Star Scout Grand Prix, where I won the Runner-Up Grand Prix award.  I was nervous, but I had so much fun!

Miori: My first audition was Kirachalle when I was in first grade.  I entered both the model division and the vocal division.  I reached the second round in vocals and the final round in modeling.  I was disappointed with the results, but it was a wonderful experience and made me want to challenge myself again. 

Did you have any experience singing or dancing prior to this?   

Yuno: I started dancing when I was in preschool and began singing lessons in kindergarten.

Nanaco: I had experience in cheer dance, but I had never sung before.

Miori: I’ve been taking dance, ballet, and piano lessons since I was three years old, and I’ve always loved singing and dancing.  I’m still trying lots of new things while working toward my dreams.

Sophie: I was taking dance lessons before I auditioned.

What does being an idol mean to you?

Yuno: An idol is someone who brings happiness and energy to people.

Nanaco: It means giving energy to others while also receiving energy from everyone and continuing to shine.

Kii: It means making people smile through music and dance and giving them even a little bit of energy and happiness.

Miori: To me, an idol is someone who can make people smile and cheer them up.  When fans call out my name or wave light-blue penlights at our concerts, I think, “I'm so glad I became an idol!”

Can you tell me about a special memory of performing on stage?   

Yuno: My birthday event, where so many people came to celebrate with me.

Nanaco: Going on tours and making our CD debut.  There were so many first-time experiences, and I’ve made so many wonderful memories.

Kii: Releasing a CD, visiting many places on tour, celebrating birthdays, and participating in events.  I’ve made so many wonderful memories.

Miori: Jankenpon’s first anniversary concert.  I was so happy to celebrate our first year together with everyone who supported us.  Seeing all the fans from the stage made me want to work even harder.

Sophie: Performing at Design Festa for the first time.  It was a live show on a big stage, which made it really special.

What song do you enjoy performing the most?

Yuno: “Yakusoku” (“Promise”).  The lyrics are filled with so many emotions, and it’s a beautiful song.

Nanaco: “E-Jan!” and “No.1.”

Kii: “Yakusoku” and “Kirakira Pikapikarin Rin Rin Rin”.

Miori: My favorite is “Jankenpon”!  It’s the same as our group’s name, and it’s so much fun to perform live.  I especially love how it brings the fans and members together.  I hope even more people will discover Jankenpon and sing and dance along with us. 

Sophie: “No. 1”. 

What did you do on your last day off? 

Yuno: Most school holidays are spent doing live performances.  Recently, though, I had a rare day with no school, concerts, or work, so I went to Disneyland with my family and close friends.  It was so much fun!

Nanaco: Honestly, most of my days off are spent performing with Jankenpon. 

Kii: Making bead art and looking for capsule toy machines!

Miori: I love shopping!  I enjoy looking at cute clothes and accessories and could do it all day.  When I buy something new, I get excited about wearing it at our casual-clothes events.  Shopping is one of my favorite things to do.

Sophie: I recently went on a date day with my mom in Jiyugaoka.

Do you think you will continue to be an idol for years to come?  Why or why not?  

Yuno: Yes, because I love being an idol.  At the same time, I’d also like to work as a model, actress, and multi-talent entertainer in the future.  I want to challenge myself in many different fields.

Kii: Yes.  I want to keep improving my singing and dancing and become an idol who can continue bringing smiles and energy to everyone.

Miori: Absolutely!  I want to become better at singing and dancing and introduce even more people to both Jankenpon and Miorin.  My dream is to stand on a huge stage someday and perform at Tokyo Dome.

Sophie: Yes!  I want to become an idol who can perform around the world, just like K-Pop idols do.

Was there a personal challenge you had to overcome to become a better idol? 

Yuno: I’ve always wanted to improve my singing and dancing.  That’s been a goal since I joined, and it’s still something I continue striving for every day.

Miori: I’ve been dancing since I was little, but singing is still difficult for me sometimes.  Singing while dancing is even harder, but I’m working hard in both my vocal and dance lessons so I can give great performances.  I want to keep improving little by little, even in the areas I’m not confident about.

Sophie: I want to work harder on social media so more people can discover our group. 

Sophie, you’ve done some traveling outside of Japan.  Out of the places you’ve been to, what was the most special to you? 

Sophie: A cruise between Florida and Mexico, and my grandpa's house.

Do you have a special message for your fans in America?

Yuno: Hello!  My name is Yuno.  I like pink!  My special skill is doing a standing backbend.
Nice to meet you!  To everyone in America, thank you so much for supporting me from so far away.  It makes me really happy.  I hope you’ll continue getting to know more about Yuno in the future!  Thank you for your support! 

Nanaco: I want to keep growing and bringing smiles to even more people.  Thank you for your support! 

Miori: Hello everyone in America!  I'm Miorin from Jankenpon!  It would make me so happy if people in America could get to know Jankenpon, even from so far away.  I’d love to perform in America someday!  When that day comes, please join us and shout “Jankenpon!” together with us!  Thank you for supporting us! 

Sophie: Thank you for discovering JKP!  I’d be so happy if you continue to support us.  I’d love for us to visit America someday, so I’ll keep working hard.  Please support JKP! 

 

Special thanks to Noguchi Masato of SPIRAL MUSIC for arranging this interview.  As always, thanks for reading my blog!  

My Interview With Harajuku LAND

 

Harajuku LAND photo copyright SPIRAL MUSIC 2026.  Used with permission.

I have been a fan of Japanese idols since 2009.  One of the things I have always wanted to do is interview my favorite groups and soloists.  I realized too late in June 2014 when I attended Idol Matsuri in Silverdale, Washington that I could’ve interviewed Aither had I asked.  Since then, I have fantasized about interviewing many other groups.  Since I don’t speak Japanese and I didn’t know anyone who did who could help me contact the idol companies that created the groups I listen to I felt that interviewing idols would never happen.  Well, I recently used an AI program named Copilot that I have on my Windows computer to contact SPIRAL MUSIC in Tokyo.  I told them that I’d like to interview two of their groups, Harajuku LAND and Jankenpon.  I wasn’t sure that I’d get permission to interview the groups since I wasn’t positive of how effective Copilot was.  It turned out to be effective enough that I have now successfully translated my wishes to interview both groups!  Below is the first of the interviews, this one with Harajuku LAND.  The translation I got from Copilot included some name misspellings and rephrasing of my original questions.  I had to correct the names, change the questions back to the way I wanted them and make some minor edits here and there.  I have done my best to preserve the natural language of the interview participants and their personalities.  I hope the interview is understandable to all as well as entertaining.   

Please introduce yourself and, if you want, tell me your age. 

Aoyama Nanako (red costume): I’m Aoyama Nanako, a 16-year-old first-year high school student!

Sato Momo (pink costume): I’m Sato Momo, a 15-year-old first-year high school student!

Amahisa Mao (white costume): This is Amahisa Mao.

Kato Rea (light blue costume): Hello!  I’m Kato Rea, a 14-year-old third-year middle school student!

Kurumi Moa (yellow costume): I’m Moa Kurumi, a 15-year-old first-year high school student!

Akimoto Hinata (green costume): I’m Akimoto Hinata, a 13-year-old first-year middle school student!

Who is the leader, and what does your role as leader involve?

Nanako: I am!  I help bring all the members of Harajuku LAND together and keep the group organized.

Momo: Nanako.  She watches over the members carefully and does a great job bringing everyone’s opinions together.

What inspired you to become an idol?

Nanako: When I was scouted, I wanted to challenge myself with something new.  I was nervous because idols are all so cute and sparkly, and I felt like I couldn’t be like that.  But I wanted to become someone who could make others smile, so I decided to start.

Momo: I was scouted and decided to give it a try.

Mao: At first, I actually admired fashion models.  But after receiving a Spiral Music business card on Takeshita Street, I started wanting to become an idol.  I remember seeing idols and thinking how sparkly and cool they looked.

Rea: I was scouted on Takeshita Street in Harajuku, and that’s what made me want to become an idol.

Moa: Ever since I was little, I watched lots of idol shows and anime about cute girls, so I always knew my dream was to become an idol.

Hinata: When I was scouted, I thought I’d like to try it.  I couldn’t really imagine what it would be like to become an idol, so I was a little nervous.  But I wanted to become someone who could make people smile.

Please tell me about your first audition. 

Nanako: I was so nervous that I couldn’t answer the questions very well.  It ended quickly, and I remember not being able to say everything I wanted to say.

Momo: I was extremely nervous. I sang a song, and my heart was pounding the whole time.

Mao: I practiced my self-introduction and self-promotion a lot at home.  I was very nervous during the audition, but once it started, I had a lot of fun.

Rea: I actually didn’t really audition!

Moa: I was very nervous and so shy that I couldn’t even look the interviewer in the eyes.

Hinata: I was extremely nervous.  I’ve always been shy and not very good at talking, so I barely spoke before it was over.  During the singing portion, I was so nervous that I could hardly sing.

Did you have any experience singing or dancing prior to this?  

Nanako: I’ve been doing hip-hop dance since I was three years old!

Momo: No.

Mao: I had experience with several styles of dance since around third grade.  However, I had no singing experience at all.

Rea: I had never done singing or dancing before.

Moa: None at all!!! 

Hinata: I didn’t sing before, but I took K-pop dance lessons.

What does being an idol mean to you?

Nanako: It means being someone who can bring smiles and energy to many people.

Momo: I want to make people all over the world smile.

Mao: It’s important to me that lots of people get to know “Maorin”.  Through social media, hairstyles, and fashion, I try to express my individuality.  I want people to think, “I like her because she’s Maorin!”

Rea: It’s an important life experience for me and a valuable way to bring happiness and energy to others.

Moa: It means being someone who can add a little happiness and energy to someone’s everyday life.

Hinata: It means becoming someone who can bring smiles and become a source of joy in people’s everyday lives.

Can you tell me about a special memory of performing on stage?    

Nanako: My birthday event!  Everyone got excited and celebrated with me. It’s a truly precious memory.

Mao: My first time performing on stage.  I was so nervous that my self-introduction sounded awkward, and I struggled with dancing and positioning.  Looking back, it’s a little embarrassing, but it’s a precious memory because it's where my idol journey began.

Rea: The first time I saw penlights in my own member color!  I had so much fun throughout the entire concert.

Moa: At an outdoor show, I got a nosebleed and didn’t even notice it, so I kept performing the whole time!  (lol)

Hinata: Having so many people celebrate my birthday event.  After becoming an idol, being celebrated by so many people made me incredibly happy, and it’s a treasured memory.

Do you think you will continue to be an idol for years to come?  Why or why not?

Nanako: Yes, I do!  I want to become someone who can bring smiles and happiness to people all around the world.

Mao: Although balancing school and idol activities can be difficult, I want to keep going.  I want to grow as an idol and help even more people get to know Maorin.

Rea: Definitely!  Honestly, being an idol is my number one priority now.  I enjoy it so much and find it incredibly rewarding.

Moa: As long as I'm cute, I’d love to be an idol forever!  I want to become someone people are glad they supported and someone who remains in their memories forever.

Hinata: Absolutely!  Being an idol has allowed me to meet so many people, and it makes me happy to be someone important to them.  I want to keep doing this and reach even more people.

Was there a personal challenge you had to overcome to become a better idol? 

Nanako: There have been many!  My singing wasn’t very good, and while everyone else was thin, I felt I was overweight, so I worked hard on dieting.  I was also bad at smiling, so I practiced in front of a mirror.

Mao: Singing!  I still don’t have much confidence in my singing, but I practice hard to improve. Even if something is difficult, I believe you can get better with practice.

Rea: I want to improve my dance expression and singing ability.  I’d also like to improve my facial expressions during performances, so I don’t accidentally look expressionless.

Moa: I’ve always had terrible rhythm, so learning to sing on pitch and perform dance steps was very difficult.  I was also bad at smiling, so I practiced in front of a mirror every day.  Now I can smile naturally!

Hinata: I’m very shy.  When I first met people, I couldn’t make eye contact or keep conversations going during merchandise events.  It was difficult to overcome, but as I talked with more people, I’ve gradually become much better at it. 

Which one of your songs best represents your group?

Nanako: “Welcome to Harajuku LAND!”  Everyone in Harajuku LAND is full of energy, so I think this song represents us best.

Momo: “Sugary Youth.”  It’s a sweet-and-sour song about youth, and because we’re experiencing those feelings right now, I think it suits us perfectly.

Mao: “Welcome to Harajuku LAND!”  It’s energetic, playful, and fun, just like all of us.  I think it perfectly captures the bright and cheerful atmosphere of Harajuku LAND.

Rea: “Sugary Youth.”  It was our first original song, and it’s packed with everything that makes us who we are.

Moa: “Sugary Youth.”  It’s a song about honest feelings that are sometimes hard to express. Since we’re all experiencing youth ourselves, we’re able to put genuine emotion into it.

Hinata: “Sugary Youth.”  It’s our original song and represents a sweet youthful feeling.  Each member’s strengths shine through in it.  For example, one member sings a falsetto harmony part, which really highlights her individuality.

Nanako, you have a younger sister who’s an idol (Haruka of Merry Go Round Fantasy), right?  Do you give your sister advice about being an idol?  

Nanako: Yes!  Since we’re both leaders, I hope she can become even better at bringing her group together.  I want us to stay close, cooperate, and support each other.

Momo, you’re a wrestler.  How did you become interested in doing this?

Momo: Takagi-san scouted me.  Honestly, at first, I thought wrestling looked scary and painful. But he told me it’s better to regret trying something than regret never trying it.  So, I decided to give it a chance.  After officially debuting, I became more interested in professional wrestling.
  

Do you have a special message for your fans in America? 

Nanako: Thank you so much to everyone in America for supporting us!  Thank you for taking the time to read this interview.  I hope it helps you get to know Harajuku LAND better.  I would be very happy if you continue to support us!

Momo: Thank you for always supporting me.

Mao: Thank you so much for supporting us from America!  Thank you for taking the time to read this interview.  I hope you’ll get to know more about Harajuku LAND and Mao through it.  I would be very happy if you continue supporting us!  Thank you for your continued support!

Rea: Please continue supporting Harajuku LAND in the future!

Moa: I’d be happy if this interview makes you interested in us!  We have many dreams we want to achieve, and I hope we can see many amazing sights together.  I’ll continue giving everything I have so I can live up to everyone’s expectations.  Please support us!

Hinata: I’m so happy that you’re supporting Harajuku LAND as we continue to grow and evolve! Thank you so much, and please keep cheering for us! 

Special thanks to Noguchi Masato of SPIRAL MUSIC for arranging this interview.  My second interview will be posted soon, so please keep an eye out for that.  Thank you very much for reading my blog!  

 

The SPIRAL MUSIC Shuffle

Lots of things have been happening with SPIRAL MUSIC groups in the past few months.  So much so that I can’t figure out what all is happening or why. 

Harajuku LAND (July 2026)

My favorite SPIRAL group in the past few years has been Harajuku Gakuen.  After Amakawa Mio, Akizuki Rio and Takanashi Miku graduated on March 22, 2026, Aoyama Nanako and Sato Momo performed as the group until April 19.  On April 25, Nanako and Momo debuted with their new group Harajuku LAND, who continue to perform Harajuku Gakuen songs.  Other founding members of Harajuku LAND include Amahisa Mao, my favorite member of NYAAANYA, who had been transferred to this new group.  Three girls who were all new to me were the other members.  One of those members, Serino Nazuna, was in the group for a whole five days before disappearing.  Then on June 6, former leader of NYAAANYA, Ii Iroha, joined the group.  This was followed by Akimoto Hinata, another NYAAANYA member, joining on July 5.  Just when you thought that this seven-member lineup of Harajuku LAND would last for a while, Iroha suddenly left on July 31.  A girl named Mira, although the Japanese characters of her name translates as Umi Sakura, joined on August 13.  Who knows if this lineup will last, or if someone will graduate or join later?    

NYAAANYA (July 2026)

And what of NYAAANYA?  When they debuted in May 2023 they had four members.  At their peak in 2025 they had eleven members!  Now they are down to four again, but Kanda Punam, my other favorite member, is graduating on August 23.  It seems that NYAAANYA will be renaming themselves Merry Go Round Fantasy on August 29 and will include new members along with the three girls who aren’t graduating.  At least, that’s what I think.  It’s kind of sad that NYAAANYA haven’t released any singles yet and probably won’t now.  They have a few good songs such as “Idol Rock ’n’ Roll”, “NYAAANYA” and “Thank You”.  Much like SPIRAL MUSIC’s refusal to release many Harajuku Gakuen songs that they have performed live on CD, the same has happened to NYAAANYA.

Matsuda Karen (November 2025)

Remember Matsuda Karen, formerly of Harajuku Gakuen?  She renamed herself Angel Yawn on January 1, 2026, and tried to be a soloist.  She joined SPIRAL GIRLS and later High-Speed Ferris Wheel, two groups I haven’t paid much attention to.  Well, on June 1 she suddenly announced on her X account that she was taking an indefinite hiatus from idol activities.  Both of her former groups have had a lot of members leaving and new members joining. 

With so many girls being shuffled around and being in two or three groups simultaneously, I have no clue as to whether these groups and their members will remain active in the near future or just disband.  Only time will tell. 

Thanks again for reading my blog.  I hope you have a great day!     

Tenjin Musume and RE:mee

Things have changed a lot in the past few months in the Tenjin Musume camp and it’s about time I told you about the changes.  Tenjin Musume debuted with eleven members, and even though there was one graduation followed by a new member joining they still rarely performed with all eleven girls.  I suppose schedules clashed or perhaps other reasons kept this from happening.  Well, more graduations have happened and a new group with two former members has debuted.  

Reise and Sakuraba Mei graduated from Tenjin Musume on March 22, 2026, and simultaneously debuted as RE:mee on the same day.  RE:mee sing old Japanese pop songs.  Here’s a fan video of their first live.  

Neneha and Futaba Hinano and Nanami all graduated on April 11.  Neneha is no longer an idol, but the Futaba sisters are dancers for another company.  Here’s a fan video of “Sekachu” (“Second Kiss”) from their last live with the group.  This is the song that I wanted to include a video for last year’s Japanese Idol Year In Review but couldn’t find a decent quality version.  This isn’t perfect quality, but it’ll have to do.  Love those keyboards! 

Tenjin Musume are now performing as a six-member group, but unfortunately, Luna has announced that she will graduate on August 30. 

Thanks again for reading my blog!                

Some Really RAD Idols

I thought that my 2025 Japanese Idol Year In Review was perfect the way it was published, but then later I discovered a few mistakes and omissions.  I wanted to include the two videos from Aoyama Nananko and Amakawa Mio that were also in my October 2025 article about Harajuku Gakuen.  I also neglected to add a video that I wasn’t sure I liked the first time I watched it but later decided I did.  And since I published the Year In Review on December 9, more videos were uploaded to YouTube in December that I might have included as well.  Well, I’m going to write about a group that I should have included some info about back in December. 

RAD SUPERIORS is a five-member idol group based in Totsuka Ward in Yokohama created by Harmonize Company in 2022.  They were apparently a group derivative of lil’ superiors, who I never paid attention to before they disbanded.  RAD SUPERIORS have released four singles plus two singles in collaboration with Sakura Bloom Superiors, which now go by the collected name of P☆ STAR CHILD (POP STAR CHILD).  Two members of RAD SUPERIORS, SARA and COCO, are sisters. 

My favorite song from RAD SUPERIORS is “RAD”, from December 2024.  Here’s the video. 

The first collaboration single from RAD SUPERIORS and Sakura Bloom Superiors was “Pistachio Alien”, from July 2025, which was followed by the ‘sequel’ song, “Pistachio Heels”, from December 2025.  Apparently a third ‘Pistachio’ song will follow sometime in 2026.  Here are the two videos released so far. 

I think these girls are pretty fun, much like the other Harmonize groups.  I hope you will like them too.  

Once again, thank you for reading my blog.

      

2025 Japanese Idol Year In Review

Yep, another year has gone by and it’s time for my annual Japanese Idol Year In Review!  Last year’s Review was very brief, and I should’ve said more.  I’m going to try to make up for that this year. 

Harmonize Company was formed in 2021.  They created a few idol groups all with the word “superiors” in the name: white superiors, BLACK SUPERIORS, RAD SUPERIORS, lil’ superiors and, most recently, Sakura Bloom Superiors.  Two of them, BLACK and lil’, are now disbanded.  I’ve been following white superiors since March 2022 but never really listened to much of their music until this year.  There were two songs released by white superiors in 2025 and my favorite is a Halloween song titled “Pop in Ghost”.  Although there are six members in the group three of them are currently on hiatus due to school. 

The second of the Harmonize groups that released a song in 2025 is Sakura Bloom Superiors.  Their debut song “SAKURA BOOM!!!!” has the catchiest chorus I’ve heard from a song in a long time!  All four members are very talented, especially singers miko and sa-ra who sing that chorus so well.  Of course, I can’t forget to mention sana and nami, who are terrific dancers. 

She’s a Rainbow is a 1960s-style singing group that I think formed in February 2025.  The members are all from the SPIRAL MUSIC groups Harajuku Gakuen and ww.  Their CD “Pinky Fluffy” was released on March 28, although SPIRAL didn’t release it.  All the songs are terrific, and most of them are sung in English, but the title track is my favorite song on the CD.  This video shows the CD cover while you hear the audio.  

Rabi Rabu IDOL School has been one of my favorite groups since the summer of 2021.  They’ve had quite a few lineup changes since then.  However, I’m disappointed that they haven’t released any new songs since January 1, 2023.  I was hoping to hear something new when the members of Rabi Rabu Baby’s were added to the main group.  Tanahara Yuume became the leader on March 3, 2024, and she became my favorite in the newer lineup.  Sadly, Yuume graduated on November 5, 2025.  Originally, I thought that being a singer and dancer as well as a student took its toll on her.  Those who look at Yuume’s Instagram will notice that she loves to dance to K-Pop as well as being a ballet dancer.  As it turned out, though, Yuume injured her leg.  Because of this Yuume must stop all activities.  I’m very sorry to hear about Yuume-chan’s injury and I hope she heals soon.  She’ll always be a great idol, singer and dancer to me!  

Tanahara Yuume (August 2025)

Other than Yuume, Miyagi Rea graduated on March 30.  New members that joined this year include Tanahara Yuua (Yuume’s sister), Uchihara Mahina, Sasaki Mano and Kaho (all on February 15), Yamamoto Yuina (September 13) and Hanashiro Yuno (November 5).  They seem very popular, having 33.6K followers on X!   

Rabi Rabu IDOL School (November 2025)

Did you ever play the game musical chairs?  Well, here’s the idol version of that.  Angel Dessert debuted on March 2, 2025.  Their members were Ayase Moe, Megu, Orihara Kotori and Yanagibashi Sakura.  They were active until June 7, although Megu had left before this.  In the meantime, ULTRA-C was going through changes.  Watanabe Arisa and Hananashi Rin graduated on March 30.  On June 8 the group split in half, with Kawai Riri, Sarasa and Momoi Aya joined with Kobayashi Leona and Yanagibashi Sakura as the new ULTRA-C.  Onda Mahina and Marika were transferred to a new group named Jingu Shojo with Moe, Kotori and Sakuragai Yuna.  Moe was announced as the leader on June 19.  On August 10 Kurosaki Hana joined Jingu Shojo.  Then it was announced that Moe and Kotori were to debut as a duo named Izon’ai Bat Doll.  Their pre-debut was August 31, and their debut was September 27.  Marika graduated from Jingu Shojo on October 13.  ULTRA-C disbanded on October 18.  Mahina and Yuna graduated from Jingu Shojo on October 19.  On October 25, Sakura joined Jingu Shojo along with Iseto Raru.  At this point three of the former Angel Dessert girls were reunited.  However, on December 30 both Moe and Kotori will be graduating from Jingu Shojo and Izon’ai Bat Doll will be disbanding.  Kotori will be leaving SPIRAL MUSIC while Moe will still be a part of the company.  Did everyone keep up with all that?    

Ayase Moe & Orihara Kotori of Izon’ai Bat Doll

ULTRA-C (October 2025)

Harajuku Gakuen has had a somewhat disappointing year.  While the group does have several songs that haven’t been released on CD there weren’t any new singles for 2025.  Actually, I was hoping they’d release an album.  Matsuda Karen graduated on November 3, 2025.  On November 19 it was announced on X that Amakawa Mio, Akizuki Rio and Takanashi Miku are graduating on March 22, 2026.  This isn’t the sort of news that I was hoping for.  I’m not sure what will become of the group after March 22. 

The mixed heritage group ww disbanded on August 31, 2025.  They haven’t been very active, so I wasn’t too surprised.  The only good news is that Lin Oberndorff and Kokoa are still in She’s a Rainbow.  Also, Kokoa is releasing a single featuring the songs “Little China Girl” and “Katakoto no Koi”.   

As I mentioned in my September 4 article, Marble Angel disbanded on August 31, 2025.  They released a new CD with songs sung by the final four members, but one of those songs, “Melty Heart”, was performed live when they had five members.  

A friend of mine was chatting with me and shared this next video.  The group is named Hime Love, and the song is “100% Love”.  I was surprised when I first saw it because the center girl, Riripi, is pink from head to toe!  Her hair is dyed pink, she has pink makeup on her face, her nails are long, plastic pink and she’s wearing pink clothes.  I’ve seen other idols with pink hair and clothes, but Riripi takes her love for the color pink to a whole new level!  The song itself is very cute, and the video is in fullscreen rather than widescreen.  At least this is different.   

Suzuki Hiyori graduated from Jumping Kiss on September 8, 2024, something I should’ve reported last year.  

Suzuki Hiyori (July 2024)

In November 2024 four new members were added: Sakurai Lisa, Yumesai Nanami, Hirakawa Sae and Yukimoto Kohaku.  It took the group until October 13, 2025, to release the first new song with the new lineup, “I Love It, Love It, Love It”.  It seems, however, Akizuki Kanna and Yamada Riara are doing most of the singing while the new members are only singing backup and dancing.   

Manaka Emina graduated from Culumi on August 9, 2025.  She was a member of Culumi from November 2017 until her graduation, along with being a member of subunit Hoshi☆Gumi from August 2018 until its disbanding in December 2020.  Emina was also a member of Iroha Sakura from April 2021 to March 19, 2023, and a member of Twinkle Troupe from February 2025 until August 9, 2025.  

Manaka Emina (August 2025)

Tenjin Musume is the first idol group created by SPIRAL MUSIC WEST, located in Fukuoka.  They debuted in May 2024 and for a while were mostly singing old Konyanko songs.  I’ve only been following this group for a little over a year, and it was their original song “Sekachu” that made me like them.  I tried finding a good video of Tenjin Musume performing this song but many of the videos I watched were either poor quality or had performance mistakes.  

Tenjin Musume (2024 / 2025)

Tenjin Musume member Hanapanman is partially managed by studio fluke and has an original song titled “YOU&I”.  Here’s the video.   

Last year I discovered a new song by Nono Aimi on her YouTube channel and liked it.  I wanted to include it as part of my Year In Review only to discover that it had been uploaded to another YouTube channel in 2023.  Thankfully, I’m pretty sure that the song “Hand in Hand ~Mirai e no Uta~” is a song that Aimi released in 2025.  It’s a mid-paced, sweet song with Aimi sounding really good. 

There’s been many changes in the LuCheers camp this year.  They’re currently in their third generation with nine members.  “Nijiiro Days” is their latest single, a very nice ballad to play when you want to relax. 

LuCheers member Ogura Miori, the youngest girl in the group, has started an acting career.  She has appeared in not just one, but two short horror films on YouTube.  There aren’t any English subtitles for this channel, so I can’t say how scary they are to most people. 

RICORIRI is a new pop duo created by Nicola, a fashion magazine for teens.  Former Rabi Rabu IDOL School member Sakihama Riko (or Rico) and idol newcomer Nakase Riri sing on their debut single, “Pure pop”.  The B-side to the single is titled “Ring★Ring★Ring” and the total time for the CD is a whopping five minutes and fourteen seconds!  No joke! 

Finally, I come to Hoshi Runa’s debut single “LUNA”.  Those who have been following Runa know that she is a model who also sings cover songs.  Her first original single has lyrics written by Runa herself and she possesses a very pretty voice.  I hope that she will gain new fans from this.  The video features a drawing of Runa that has blinking eyes and hair that waves while various things including the moon appear in the background and lyrics appear on the top.  This sort of limited animation video reminds me of the videos that Aoshima Momo did in 2022.  It’s not a bad thing, but I’d prefer a video of Runa herself instead of this.   

I hope everybody has had a great year and that 2026 proves to be even better.  Once again, thank you very much for reading my blog! 

Harajuku Gakuen’s Three Day One-Man Lives

Harajuku Gakuen, my current favorite idol group, has been busy lately.  Leader Aoyama Nanako and Amakawa Mio both released solo singles on September 23.  They’re really good songs too!  Then on October 3 to 5 the group performed three one-man lives with all six members - Nanako, Mio, Matsuda Karen, Akizuki Rio, Sato Momo and Takanashi Miku - for the final time.  This is because Karen will be leaving the group on November 3.

I’d first like to share the music videos for Nanako’s and Mio’s singles.  I need to let you all know about something before you watch Mio’s video, though.  YouTube has been auto dubbing select Japanese and Korean videos for a few months now.  What that means for most overseas fans is that you need to turn this feature off to properly hear the music.  If you don’t then you will hear an AI (artificial intelligence) voice that translates the lyrics while the music is muted.  You can turn this off in your channel’s settings.  Thankfully, Nanako’s video isn’t affected by this.  Here are the videos. 

Seeing Harajuku Gakuen perform all the songs that they knew before Karen’s send-off was a bittersweet experience.  In all, the group sang sixty-five songs over the course of three days!  It was announced by SPIRAL MUSIC that all the songs that they were performing would be original songs, which I guess is true.  I thought that meant Harajuku Gakuen were performing only the songs that were written for their group.  As it turned out, they performed songs written for other SPIRAL groups, including Negaigoto, Omatsuri Shoujyo, and Runup!!, as well.  The three concerts didn’t go off without a hitch, either.  On the first day Karen became ill and left the stage early.  On the second day Miku had a hair malfunction and Karen had one on the third day.  Despite the problems, I enjoyed watching the videos.  Sure, it would have been nice if everything went perfectly, but then again, when does that ever happen?  Here are the three concerts. 

I’m really going to miss Karen when she leaves.  I have become attached to all six members of this wonderful and underrated group.  They have some of the best, most exciting songs that I’ve heard.  Harajuku Gakuen may not be very well known, and they may never be extremely popular, but they sure hit the right spot when it comes to independent Japanese idol groups.  I hope you’ll think so too.

Once again, thank you for reading my blog.