V6 (band)

V6
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Pop rock
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Avex Trax
Associated acts	J-Friends
Website	www.avexnet.or.jp/v6 Johnny's net
Members	20th Century Masayuki Sakamoto Hiroshi Nagano Yoshihiko Inohara Coming Century Go Morita Ken Miyake Junichi Okada

V6 (ブイシックス Bui Shikkusu) is a six-member Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The group debuted on November 1, 1995 with the single "Music for the People", which was used as the image song for the World Cup of Volleyball in 1995. Their first four singles, including "Music for the People", were all cover versions of the same-titled eurobeat songs composed by Italian producers such as Giancarlo Pasquini, Andrea Leonardi, Alberto Contini, Sandro Oliva.

Similar to their agency seniors Hikaru Genji, the group is separated into two subgroups based on age. For V6, the group is split into 20th Century and Coming Century, which consists of the three oldest members and three youngest members respectively.

History

Name

In an interview on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, the group stated that the "V" in V6 also stood for "Versus" (20th Century versus Coming Century) at first. However, then-president Johnny Kitagawa informed the group that the "V" had multiple meanings, such as "Volleyball", "Vegetable" (as Sakamoto's parents own a green grocers), "Bicycle" ("V" and "B" are indistinguishable in Japanese; Nagano's parents own a cycling store) and "Veteran".^[1]

1995—present

From 1997 to 2008, V6 hosted their own variety show Gakkō e Ikō (学校へ行こう Let's Go to School)^[2] and is hosting Viva Viva V6 since 2001 on Fuji TV.^[3] Along with their group shows, the members also have individual TV shows, dramas or radio programs.

V6 celebrated their tenth year anniversary in 2005, commemorating the event by holding about thirty concerts in sold-out arenas all over Japan, holding 3 major "Thank You Events", releasing the movie Hold Up Down and releasing Musicmind as their new album. They also had a rare "Handshake Session" with hundreds of thousands of fans in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.^[4]

As separate bands, both of them performed the opening song for the anime, Eyeshield 21. Coming Century performed "Breakthrough", the first opening theme song and 20th Century performed "Innocence", the second opening theme song. As V6, they performed "Chain of Power" as an insert song. They also sang "Change the World" and "Brand New World", the 1st opening and 8th ending themes, respectively of the popular anime InuYasha

Members

20th Century (Tonisen)

	Profile	Nickname	Member Color
Masayuki Sakamoto (坂本 昌行 Sakamoto Masayuki) (leader of V6, Tonisen)	born July 24, 1971, Tokyo	Ma-kun, Riidaa (leader)	■ Blue
Hiroshi Nagano (長野 博 Nagano Hiroshi)	born October 9, 1972, Yamato, Kanagawa	Hiroshi, Nagano-kun	■ Purple
Yoshihiko Inohara (井ノ原 快彦 Inohara Yoshihiko)	born May 17, 1976, Tokyo	Inocchi	■ Green

Coming Century (Kamisen)

	Profile	Nickname	Member Color
Go Morita (森田 剛 Morita Gō) (leader of Kamisen)	born February 20, 1979, Kasukabe, Saitama	Go-kun, Go-tsun	■ Red
Ken Miyake (三宅 健 Miyake Ken)	born July 2, 1979, Kanagawa	Ken-kun, Ken-chan	■ Orange
Junichi Okada (岡田 准一 Okada Jun'ichi)	born November 18, 1980, Hirakata, Osaka	Jun-kun, Okada-kun	■ Yellow

Note: Colours based upon the concert Sexy.Honey.Bunny! which are their member colours.

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Album
		Oricon Singles Charts	Billboard Japan Hot 100 [5]
"MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE"	1995	3	—	Since 1995 ~ Forever
"MADE IN JAPAN"	1996	1	—
"BEAT YOUR HEART"		1	—
"TAKE ME HIGHER"		1	—	NATURE RHYTHM
"Ai Nanda" (愛なんだ)	1997	1	—
"Honki ga Ippai" (本気がいっぱい)		1	—
"WA Ni Natte Odorou" (WAになっておどろう)		2	—
"GENERATION GAP"		1	—	A JACK IN THE BOX
"Be Yourself!"	1998	1	—
"Tsubasa ni Nare" (翼になれ)		3	—
"over/EASY SHOW TIME"		1	—	"LUCKY" 20th Century, Coming Century to be continued...
"Believe Your Smile"	1999	1	—
"Jiyuude Aru Tame Ni" (自由であるために)		2	—
"Taiyou no Ataru Basho" (太陽のあたる場所)		3	—	"HAPPY" Coming Century, 20th Century Forever
"MILLENNIUM GREETING"	2000	3	—
"IN THE WIND"		2	—
"CHANGE THE WORLD"		3	—	Volume 6
"Ai no Melody" (愛のMelody)	2001	3	—
"Kiseki no Hajimari/SHODO (Coming Century)" (キセキのはじまり/SHODO)		3	—
"Dasenai Tegami" (出せない手紙)		1	—	seVen
"Feel your breeze/one" (feat. S.E.S. Shoo)	2002	1	—
"Mejirushi no Kioku" (メジルシの記憶)	2003	4	—	∞ INFINITY ~LOVE & LIFE~
"Darling"		1	—
"Cosmic Rescue/Tsuyokunare" (COSMIC RESCUE/強くなれ)		1	—
"Arigatou no Uta" (ありがとうのうた)	2004	1	—	musicmind
"Thunderbird -your voice-" (サンダーバード)		2	—
"UTAO-UTAO"	2005	1	—
"Orange"		1	—	Very Best II
"Good Day!" (グッデイ!)	2006	1	—	Voyager
"Honey Beat/Boku to Bokura no Ashita" (HONEY BEAT/僕と僕らのあした)	2007	1	—
"Jasmine/Rainbow" (ジャスミン/Rainbow)		1	—
"way of life"		1	—	READY?
"Chou" (蝶)	2008	2	3
"LIGHT IN YOUR HEART/Swing!"		1	2
"Spirit" (スピリット)	2009	1	1
"GUILTY"		1	2
"only dreaming/Catch"	2010	1	3	Oh! My! Goodness!
"Sexy Honey Bunny/Takaranoishi" (Sexy.Honey.Bunny!/タカラノイシ)	2011	2	2
"Baribari Buddy!" (バリバリBUDDY!)	2012	2	3
"kEEP oN."		3	4
"ROCK YOUR SOUL"		1	29
"Kimi ga Omoidasu Boku wa Kimi o Aishite Irudarou ka" (君が思い出す僕は 君を愛しているだろうか)	2013	3	3	SUPER Very best
"Namida no Ato ga Kieru Koro" (涙のアトが消える頃)	2014	2	2
"Sky's The Limit"		1	1
"Timeless"	2015	1	1
"—" denotes items which were released before the creation of the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

20th Century

	Date	Title	Peak
1st	1999/11/25	"Wishes ~I'll Be There~/You'll Be in My Heart" (Marsa Sakamoto)	10
2nd	2000/9/20	"Precious Love"	9
3rd	2008/3/26	"Ore Ja Nakya, Kimi Ja Nakya" (オレじゃなきゃ、キミじゃなきゃ)	1

Coming Century

	Date	Title	Peak
1st	1998/5/27	"Natsu no Kakera" (夏のかけら)	2
2nd	2001/9/19	"Get Set Go!/Mimycen"	6

J-Friends

• 1998: "Ashita ga Kikoeru/Children's Holiday" (明日が聴こえる/Children's Holiday)
• 1999: "Next 100 Years"
• 2000: "I Will Get There"
• 2001: "Always (A Song For Love)"
• 2002: "Love Me All Over"

DVD

	Date	Title	Peak
1st	2008/7/30	"VIBES"	1

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Studio albums 1996: Since 1995 ~ Forever 1997: Nature Rhythm 1998: A Jack in the Box 1999: "Lucky" 20th Century, Coming Century to be continued... 2000: "Happy" Coming Century, 20th Century Forever 2001: Volume 6 2002: Seven 2003: Infinity: Love and Life 2005: Musicmind 2007: Voyager 2010: Ready? 2013: Oh! My! Goodness! 20th Century 1997: Road 1998: Attention

Compilation albums 2001: Very Best 2006: Very Best II 2015: SUPER Very best 20th Century 2004: Replay: Best of 20th Century Coming Century 2002: Best of Coming Century (Together)

Mini albums 1996: Greeting 1998: Super Heroes Coming Century 2009: Hello Goodbye J-Friends 1999: People of the World

Videography

DVD/VHS

1996: Live for the People 1997: Film V6: Clips and More 1998: Space (from V6 Live Tour '98) 1999: Film V6 Cct II: Clips and More 2001: Very Happy!!! 2002: Film V6 Act III: Clips and More 2002: Liv6 2003: Hard Luck Hero (movie) 2004: Love & Life (V6 Summer Special Dream Live 2003) 2005: Film V6 Act IV (Ballad Clips and More) 2005: Film V6 act IV (Dance Clips and More) 2005: Very Best Live (1995—2004) 2005: Hold Up Down (movie) 2006: 10th Anniversary Concert Tour 2005: Musicmind 2008: V6 Live Tour 2007 Voyager (Boku to Bokura no Ashita) 2009: V6 Live Tour 2008 Vibes 2010: V6 Live DVD Asia Tour 2010 in Japan Ready? 2011: V6 Live Tour 2011 Sexy.Honey.Bunny! 2013: V6 Live Tour 2013 Oh! My! Goodness! 2015: V6 Live Tour 2015 -since 1995~forever-

20th Century 2009: 20th Century Live Tour 2008 Ore Ja Nakya, Kimi Ja Nakya 2009: 20th Century Live Tour 2009 Honey Honey Honey Coming Century 1997: Sky 1998: Question 2003: Cosmic Rescue (movie) 2009: We are Coming Century Boys Live Tour 2009

Other activities

As a group, the members of V6 have done dramas such as V no Honoo in 1995 and movies such as Hard Luck Hero in 2003 and Hold Up Down in 2005.

Films

V6

• "Hard Luck Hero" (ハードラックヒーロー) (2003)
• "Thunderbirds" (サンダーバード) (2004) (Japanese Dub)
• "Hold Up Down" (ホールドアップダウン) (2005)

Coming Century

• COSMIC RESCUE (2003)

Drama

• "V no Honoo" (Vの炎) (1995, Fuji TV) - all members of V6
• PU-PU-PU- (1998, TBS) - members of Kamisen
• "Shin・Oretachi no Tabi Ver.1999" (新・俺たちの旅Ver.1999) (1999, NTV) - members of Kamisen
• "Shounentaiya(doramaserekushon)『Shinsen~Yoru no Ongaku』" (少年タイヤ（ドラマセレクション）『室温〜夜の音楽〜』) (Fuji TV) - members of Tonisen

Variety Shows

• "Majikaru Zunou Pawaa!!" (マジカル頭脳パワー!!) (1996-1999, NTV)
• "Gakkou e Ikou!" (学校へ行こう!, lit. "Let's Go to School!") (1997 - 2005, TBS)
• "24 Jikan Terebi" (24時間テレビ, 24 Hour Television) (NTV, 1998, 2000)
• "V6 no Moto" (V6の素) (1999 - 2000, Fuji TV)
• "Mahha buiroku" (マッハブイロク, Mach V6) (2000, Fuji TV)
• "Owarai V6 Byoutou" (お笑いV6病棟!, lit. Laughable V6 Hospital) (2000 - 2001, Fuji TV)
• "MyMiCen!" (ミミセン!, short form of "Mysterious Midnight Century") (2001, TBS) - Kamisen
• "Otosen!" (オトセン!, short form of "Otona Century" lit. Adult Century) (2001 - 2002, TBS) - Kamisen
• "Otosen II" (オトセンII) (2002, TBS) - Kamisen
• "Rabusen!" (ラブセン!, short form of "Love Century") (2002 - 2004, TBS)
• "Asuriito Ouen TV! Nippon! Chax3" (アスリート応援TV! ニッポン!チャ×3) (2006 - 2007, TBS) - Tonisen
• "Gakkou e Ikou!MAX" (学校へ行こう!MAX, Let's Go to School!MAX) (2005 - 2008, TBS）
• "VivaVivaV6" (2001 - 2010, Fuji TV)
• "Shinchishiki Kaikyuu Kumagusu" (新知識階級 クマグス) (2008 - 2010, TBS)
• "Misshon V6" (ミッションV6, Mission V6) (2010 - 2011, TBS)
• "Otoko no Hensaachi" (男のヘンサーチ!!, Search for Strange Men) (Oct 2011 - Oct 2012, TBS)
• "Gacha Gacha V6" (ガチャガチャV6, Gacha Gacha V6) (Oct 2012 - Ongoing, TBS)
• "V6 LOVE VICTORY" (ヴィシックスラヴヴィクトリー, V6 LOVE VICTORY) (Apr 2013 - 2 Episodes Aired only TBS)

References

1. KAT-TUN (2006-04-03). Interview with Downtown (in Japanese). Interview with Downtown. Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ.
2. "Class is over for "Gakkou e Ikou!"". Tokyograph. 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
3. "VVV6" (in Japanese). Fuji TV. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
4. "V6's 2005 Timeline" (in Japanese). Johnny's net. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
5. "Hot 100｜JAPAN Charts｜Billboard JAPAN" (in Japanese). Billboard.

External links

• Official site on Avex Trax
• Official site on Johnny's net
• V6 at AllMusic