ShuenrokuAn archive of musicians' final live performances

Final in retrospectUmeda Arts Theater Main Hall

Shonentai's last stage together: the final PLAYZONE, Umeda Arts Theater, Osaka, August 31, 2008

On August 31, 2008, at the Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall in Osaka, Kazukiyo Nishikiori, Noriyuki Higashiyama and Katsuhide Uekusa of the Japanese trio Shonentai played the closing performance of Shonentai PLAYZONE FINAL 1986–2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change, the last run of the musical they had headlined every summer since 1986. It had been decided that their 23rd summer would be their last in the lead, and that the PLAYZONE name would pass to younger performers the following year. The show looked back over 23 years of scenes and songs. On the video release, it moves through a solo corner for each member, a medley of past PLAYZONE numbers sung with Johnny's Jr., and a 14-song medley of hit singles that ends with their 1985 debut, "Kamen Butōkai," before closing with the encore "Baby Baby Baby." The night was never billed as the group's farewell. Yet as far as the record shows, it was the last time the three stood on a stage together. Nishikiori and Uekusa left their agency at the end of 2020; the name Shonentai was kept and the group has not broken up, but the three have not resumed working as a group (as of November 2026).

By Shuenroku Editorial TeamPublished

Illustration of an empty theater stage under a proscenium arch, with three slightly overlapping pools of light from above at center, many small pools of light gathered near the right wing, and rows of seats in shadow in the foreground
IllustrationThree pools of light at center stage, and small ones gathering by the wing.
Date [11][18][19]
VenueUmeda Arts Theater Main Hall (Osaka)
EventShonentai PLAYZONE FINAL 1986–2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change (closing performance, Osaka) (少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986～2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change) [18][11]
Tourthe Shonentai musical PLAYZONE (1986–2008) [11][1]
All dates UnverifiedIndividual performance dates are unverified. The pre-run announcement gave the periods as Aoyama Theatre, Tokyo, July 6 – August 8, and Umeda Arts Theater, Osaka, August 26–31 (Theater League). Theater League gives 42 scheduled performances; Japanese Wikipedia (for reference) gives 45 performances and 55,335 attendees.[11][32]
CategoryFinal in retrospect
Why it endedHiatus [1][14][16]
LineupKazukiyo Nishikiori, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Katsuhide Uekusa [11][19]
Attendance UnverifiedNo attendance figure for the day has been found. The Main Hall seats 1,905 (Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau).[17]
Last song performed“Baby Baby Baby” UnverifiedThe DVD's main feature ends with the encore "Baby Baby Baby" (track list). Whether the August 31 closing performance ended with the same song has not been verified against reports of the day.[22]
Songs performed45 songs (46 performances)See the setlist ↓
Video releaseYes [18][19]

About the artist

Shonentai is a trio of Kazukiyo Nishikiori, Noriyuki Higashiyama and Katsuhide Uekusa[1]. They made their recording debut on December 12, 1985, with the single "Kamen Butōkai" ("masquerade ball")[1][2]. Nishikiori, born in Tokyo in 1965, had joined Johnny & Associates at 12[3]. A video titled simply Shōnentai had come out on May 21, 1984, more than a year before the record debut[1]. According to Nishikiori, the three were assembled by Johnny Kitagawa, who decided the group's direction entirely; the members never sat down to set it themselves[4].

In 1986 Shonentai won the Best New Artist award at the 28th Japan Record Awards[5] and made the first of their appearances on NHK's year-end Kōhaku Uta Gassen, opening for the White team with "Kamen Butōkai." The White team captain, Yuzo Kayama, introduced the song as "Kamen Rider," a clip NHK aired again on New Year's 2023[6]. Later singles included "Kimi Dake ni" ("only for you") and "Futari" ("the two of us")[2].

That same summer, their own musical, PLAYZONE, opened at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo. The first production was PLAYZONE'86 MYSTERY[1], and a new one followed every year until 2008[3]. Nishikiori recalls that the theater had opened in 1985 near the agency's dormitory and that Kitagawa was delighted when it was finished[4]. The titles changed each year, from TIME-19 (1987) and SHOCK (1991) to KING & JOKER (1995) and Goodbye & Hello (1999)[1]. Nishikiori began directing the shows himself in 1995. He says that in those days he had to act ideas out in front of agency staff, because argument alone would not persuade them. He has also said he was never sure the praise the group received was for the songs themselves, comparing the trio to the toy that comes free in a box of Glico caramels; what he wanted, he says, was to make a good caramel[7]. Over the years, he notes, more and more parents came with their children[4]. In 1994 the group received the theater grand prize at the 31st Golden Arrow Awards[2].

They toured as well. A New Year concert at the Nippon Budokan in 1987, spring tours in 1990 and 1992, a tenth-anniversary run in 1995–96 and two nights at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater on January 16 and 17, 1998, were all released on video[1].

Why this was the last show

Twenty years in, PLAYZONE was still the trio's summer fixture. The 2006 production, Change, told of three former industrial spies, pulled back together by a mysterious young man, who set out to steal what they had failed to take a decade earlier, when a botched job cost a younger comrade his life[8]. The single "Sō SOH" came out on its opening day, July 9[9][10]. The 2007 show was titled Change2Chance[1].

In April 2008 came word that the coming summer would close the Shonentai chapter of PLAYZONE. According to Theater League's stage news of April 28, the members met on April 24 and agreed that Shonentai would "graduate" and make way for younger performers. The decision looked sudden, the report said, but it had been under consideration for two or three years. The PLAYZONE name would stay, carried on by young talent from the next year. The final production, billed as PLAY ZONE FINAL Change 1986〜2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series, was scheduled for 42 performances: July 6 to August 8 at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo and August 26 to 31 at the Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka. Johnny Kitagawa directed, a different guest was planned each day, and the show would gather scenes and songs from past productions. If all went to plan, the series would reach 957 performances and a total audience of 1.38 million[11].

Looking back years later, Nishikiori called it something of a miracle that they kept going past 40, but said they really should have stepped aside sooner, and that he had long felt they ought to give the stage to younger performers[4].

What was announced in 2008 was the end of PLAYZONE with Shonentai in the lead, not the end of the group[11]. Nishikiori became widely known as a stage director from around 2009[3], and each member went his own way. In the sources checked for this article, there is no record of the three appearing together before an audience after the summer of 2008.

On September 20, 2020, the agency announced on its website that Nishikiori and Uekusa would leave on December 31[12], in the group's 35th-anniversary year[13]. Shonentai would not be dissolved[14]: respecting the members' wish to preserve the group itself, the agency would keep it on its roster under the same name. At the same time, it said there were no plans for activities as Shonentai after the two left[12][1]. In their statements, Nishikiori thanked the company; Uekusa called his departure a "graduation" and described his two bandmates as irreplaceable; and Higashiyama, who stayed, said the three had spent 35 years closer than family and called the other two his best comrades in arms[13].

In September 2023, Higashiyama became president of the agency and said he would retire from entertainment by the end of the year[15].

On October 21, 2024, Uekusa said on a Fuji TV program that Shonentai has not broken up, while adding that the members rarely find time to meet[16]. The summer of 2008 was never presented as the group's last stage. With no breakup announced and no joint work since, it has become their last stage in retrospect.

What is known about the day

The Umeda Arts Theater stands in the Chayamachi district of Umeda, in central Osaka; its Main Hall seats 1,905[17]. The 2008 PLAYZONE opened at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo on July 6, finished its Tokyo run on August 8 and moved to this theater on August 26[11]. August 31 was the last day in Osaka and the closing performance of the 23-year Shonentai PLAYZONE[11][18].

The cast was led by the three members[11], and the video release also features Tomoyuki Yara and members of Johnny's Jr., the agency's trainee performers[19][20]. Daily guests were planned[11]; who appeared on August 31 has not been confirmed.

The shape of the show can be traced from the DVD released the following spring, although the listings do not say which performance the main feature was filmed at, so it is not certain that the closing night's running order was identical[18][21].

On the video, an overture leads into "Romanchikku Taimu" and "The longest night." The trio's numbers follow, among them "Maitta ne Kon'ya," "bite the LOVE," "Let's Go To Tokyo" and "KING & JOKER," and Uekusa's corner includes a tap version of "Super Star." Then comes a medley of past PLAYZONE songs with Johnny's Jr., running from "Secret Agent Man" to "Purimavera ~Shakunetsu no Megami~." After Nishikiori's corner and a talk segment, Act 1 ends with "Hoshi no Shinfonī," "Kimi Dake ni" and "PGF"[22][20].

Act 2 opens with Higashiyama's corner: "Jōnetsu no Ichiya," "Andarushia ni Akogarete" and "Kowagaranaide, Enjeru." After two "PLAYZONE favorites," "Be a man" and "HOLD YOU TIGHT," an MC segment and "Meguriyuku Natsu," the show launches into a 14-song medley of hit singles that starts with "FUNKY FLUSHIN'" and arrives, at the end, at the 1985 debut "Kamen Butōkai." The finale, "fin.," gives way to a second "The longest night," the song that opened the evening, and the main feature closes with the encores "Hoshikuzu no Supankōru" and "Baby Baby Baby"[22].

What happened after the curtain is on the DVD too. Besides backstage footage from rehearsals through the Osaka closing performance and interviews with the trio, it includes the surprise events held after the final shows in Tokyo and in Osaka, and messages from senior and junior colleagues[18][19]. No report of the day describing the surprise or the members' closing words could be checked for this article.

If the run went as announced, the Shonentai PLAYZONE ended that summer with 957 performances and a total audience of 1.38 million[11]. When the curtain fell on August 31, the trio's time in the lead, begun in 1986, was over.

What the show left behind

On March 4, 2009, the final production came out on DVD as Shonentai PLAYZONE FINAL 1986–2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change, in a limited first edition and a regular edition[20][18]. It had been announced before the run as a summation of 23 years, with backstage footage from rehearsals to the closing night and interviews[11], and it remains on sale under a new catalog number[21].

Some of the performers who came after them name Shonentai's PLAYZONE as their starting point. On the night of September 20, 2020, the day Nishikiori and Uekusa's departure was announced, Koichi Domoto of KinKi Kids spoke about the trio in his curtain-call remarks at Endless SHOCK -Eternal-, which was playing at the Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall. According to Daily Sports, Domoto explained that SHOCK grew out of Shonentai's PLAYZONE, that he had watched PLAYZONE and dreamed of musicals before he ever joined the agency, and that Higashiyama and Uekusa had appeared in SHOCK while Nishikiori had given him advice. Without Shonentai, he said, there would be no SHOCK and no Koichi Domoto as he is now; they were great seniors he wanted to keep chasing. Mentioning the PLAYZONE DVD box due in December, he joked that any junior joining SHOCK should study it first[23]. He was speaking in the same theater where Shonentai had played their last closing night twelve years earlier. In a 2021 interview, Domoto said that whenever he hits a wall as a creator, he expects he will go back to PLAYZONE, as he always has[24].

Masahiro Nakai, too, said on a television program on October 4, 2020, that he joined the agency after watching Masahiko Kondo and Shonentai on TV, and that no one since had surpassed Nishikiori as a dancer[2].

On December 12, 2020, the 35th anniversary of their debut, two collections were released: the best-of Shonentai 35th Anniversary BEST and the DVD box Shonentai 35th Anniversary PLAYZONE BOX 1986-2008. The best-of combined singles with PLAYZONE songs, solo numbers and unreleased tracks, in a made-to-order limited edition (five CDs and seven DVDs) and a regular three-CD edition. The 22-disc box gathered productions from 1986's MYSTERY onward, and its 22nd and last disc was the 2008 PLAYZONE FINAL[1]. The limited edition and the box were made to order only, with no reissue planned[25]. The best-of reached No. 3 on Billboard Japan's weekly album sales chart dated December 21[26].

The three have gone their own ways. Nishikiori works as an actor and director, and in March 2023 Shinchosha published his book Shōnen Taimu Kapuseru ("boyhood time capsule")[3]. Uekusa founded his own company in 2021 and continues as a singer, giving solo concerts and dinner shows; on television in 2024 he said that standing on stage alone feels lonelier than it did with the other two[16].

The curtain came down on 23 summers in Osaka. Twelve years later, in the same theater, one of their successors called that stage the place where he began.

Context for readers

Johnny & Associates was the Tokyo agency that managed male pop groups such as Shonentai, SMAP and KinKi Kids; its talent-management business is now run by STARTO ENTERTAINMENT[16][2]. Johnny's Jr. was its pool of trainee performers, who often danced behind the senior groups on stage. Such groups typically combined pop singles and television with stage work, and PLAYZONE, staged every summer at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo and also in Osaka, ran for 23 summers with Shonentai in the lead[11][1]. In Japanese theater, the last performance of a run is called senshūraku, and the series' final production ended with the senshūraku in Osaka. NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen, on which the trio first appeared in 1986, is NHK's annual year-end music program[6].

Watch / buyPR

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  • 少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986～2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change

    少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986～2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change

    Coverage unverifiedDVD · Released March 4, 2009 · Cat. no. LCBN-77/8

    The main feature of the 2008 final production (two discs, 80 and 97 minutes), plus backstage footage from rehearsals to the closing performance in Osaka, interviews, the surprise events after the final Tokyo and Osaka performances, and messages from senior and junior colleagues[^src_billboard_playzonefinal_jebn77][^src_neowing_lcbn77][^src_rakutenbooks_lcbn77]. The listings do not say which date the main feature was filmed. First issued on March 4, 2009, in a limited first edition (JEBN-75/6) and a regular edition (JEBN-77/8)[^src_billboard_playzonefinal_jebn75][^src_billboard_playzonefinal_jebn77]; currently sold under the ELOV-Label catalog number LCBN-77/8[^src_rakutenbooks_lcbn77].

    CDJapanAmazon.co.jp楽天市場

These are not recordings of this show, but releases mentioned in the article and key works by the artist.

  • 少年隊 35th Anniversary BEST

    少年隊 35th Anniversary BEST

    CD · Released December 12, 2020 · Cat. no. LCCN-608/10

    The regular edition (three CDs, 39 tracks) of the best-of released for the 35th anniversary on December 12, 2020, discussed in the article, including "Kamen Butōkai" and the 2006 single "Sō SOH." Not a recording of this show.

    CDJapanAmazon.co.jp楽天市場

  • SHONENTAI PLAYZONE 2006 Change

    SHONENTAI PLAYZONE 2006 Change

    DVD · Released October 24, 2006 · Cat. no. LCBN-48/9

    Video (two discs) of the 2006 PLAYZONE, the production that introduced the title "Change," discussed in the article. Not footage of this show.

    CDJapan楽天市場

Supported by Rakuten Developers

Setlist

45 songs (46 performances) Unverified[22][20]
1. オーバーチュア2. ロマンチックタイム3. The longest night4. Put On a Happy Face5. まいったネ 今夜6. bite the LOVE7. Let's Go To Tokyo8. 千年メドレー（short version）9. KING & JOKER10. Believe11. Super Star（TAP version）12. Secret Agent Man13. 1998～星の彼方へ～14. GA・GA・GA15. やったるぜ！16. グロッキーとクッキー17. 誘われてEX18. プリマヴェラ～灼熱の女神～19. 巨龍的誕生20. 見果てぬ夢を21. 星のシンフォニー22. 君だけに23. PGF24. 情熱の一夜25. アンダルシアに憧れて26. こわがらないで、天使27. Be a man28. HOLD YOU TIGHT29. めぐりゆく夏30. FUNKY FLUSHIN'31. デカメロン伝説32. STRIPE BLUE33. サクセス・ストリート34. ABC35. EXCUSE36. Oh!!37. What's your name？38. ふたり39. じれったいね40. Super Star41. バラードのように眠れ42. 湾岸スキーヤー43. 仮面舞踏会44. fin.45. The longest night46. 星屑のスパンコール47. Baby Baby Baby

Main set Encore Last song

  1. オーバーチュア “Ōbāchua” (overture) · Act 1 opening; not counted as a song. From the track list of the DVD; whether August 31 followed the same order has not been verified.
  2. ロマンチックタイム “Romanchikku Taimu” (romantic time)
  3. The longest night · First time.
  4. Put On a Happy Face · Shares one track with "Maitta ne Kon'ya" on the DVD (the trio's numbers).
  5. まいったネ 今夜 “Maitta ne Kon'ya” (I'm done for tonight)
  6. bite the LOVE
  7. Let's Go To Tokyo
  8. 千年メドレー（short version） “Sennen Medorē (short version)” (thousand-year medley)
  9. KING & JOKER
  10. Believe · Uekusa's solo corner.
  11. Super Star（TAP version） · Uekusa's corner, tap version (first time).
  12. Secret Agent Man · Start of the PLAYZONE medley with Johnny's Jr.
  13. 1998～星の彼方へ～ “1998 ~Hoshi no Kanata e~” (beyond the stars) · Medley.
  14. GA・GA・GA · Medley.
  15. やったるぜ！ “Yattaru ze!” (I'll do it) · Medley.
  16. グロッキーとクッキー “Gurokkī to Kukkī” (groggy and cookie) · Medley.
  17. 誘われてEX “Sasowarete EX” (invited (excellent)) · Medley.
  18. プリマヴェラ～灼熱の女神～ “Purimavera ~Shakunetsu no Megami~” (Primavera, goddess of scorching heat) · End of the medley.
  19. 巨龍的誕生 “Kyoryū-teki Tanjō” (birth of a giant dragon) · Nishikiori's solo corner.
  20. 見果てぬ夢を “Mihatenu Yume o” (toward an unreachable dream) · Nishikiori's corner, followed by a talk segment.
  21. 星のシンフォニー “Hoshi no Shinfonī” (symphony of stars) · End of Act 1.
  22. 君だけに “Kimi Dake ni” (only for you) · End of Act 1.
  23. PGF · Last song of Act 1.
  24. 情熱の一夜 “Jōnetsu no Ichiya” (a night of passion) · Act 2: Higashiyama's solo corner.
  25. アンダルシアに憧れて “Andarushia ni Akogarete” (longing for Andalusia) · Higashiyama's corner.
  26. こわがらないで、天使 “Kowagaranaide, Enjeru” (don't be afraid, angel) · Higashiyama's corner. 天使 is read "enjeru" (per Natalie's track listing of the 2020 best-of).
  27. Be a man · "PLAYZONE favorites."
  28. HOLD YOU TIGHT · "PLAYZONE favorites," followed by MC.
  29. めぐりゆく夏 “Meguriyuku Natsu” (the summer that comes around)
  30. FUNKY FLUSHIN' · Start of the hit-singles medley (14 songs through "Kamen Butōkai").
  31. デカメロン伝説 “Dekameron Densetsu” (the Decameron legend) · Medley.
  32. STRIPE BLUE · Medley.
  33. サクセス・ストリート “Sakusesu Sutorīto” (success street) · Medley.
  34. ABC · Medley.
  35. EXCUSE · Medley.
  36. Oh!! · Medley.
  37. What's your name？ · Medley.
  38. ふたり “Futari” (the two of us) · Medley.
  39. じれったいね “Jirettai ne” (it's so frustrating) · Medley.
  40. Super Star · Medley (second time).
  41. バラードのように眠れ “Barādo no Yō ni Nemure” (sleep like a ballad) · Medley.
  42. 湾岸スキーヤー “Wangan Sukīyā” (bayside skier) · Medley.
  43. 仮面舞踏会 “Kamen Butōkai” (masquerade ball) · End of the medley; the 1985 debut single.
  44. fin. · Finale.
  45. The longest night · Second time.
  46. Encore星屑のスパンコール “Hoshikuzu no Supankōru” (stardust sequins) · Encore.
  47. Baby Baby Baby · Last song of the encore and of the main feature on the DVD; not verified as the last song on August 31.

Another final curtain

Every group comes to an end in its own way.

TimelineCareer span, final show and later events, limited to what sources confirm.
1990200020102020December 12, 1985 Recording debut with the single "Kamen Butōkai."1986 Their own musical, PLAYZONE, opens at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo (first production: PLAYZONE'86 MYSTERY). They win the Best New Artist award at the 28th Japan Record Awards and make their first appearance on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen.1994 Win the theater grand prize at the 31st Golden Arrow Awards.July 9, 2006 The single "Sō SOH" is released on the opening day of PLAYZONE 2006 Change (through August 5).April 24, 2008 The members agree that Shonentai will "graduate" from PLAYZONE after the 2008 run and hand it to younger performers from the next year (reported April 28).July 6, 2008 The final production, Shonentai PLAYZONE FINAL 1986–2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change, opens at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo (through August 8).August 31, 2008 Closing performance at Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall, Osaka (the Osaka run began August 26), ending PLAYZONE with Shonentai in the lead.March 4, 2009 The DVD of the final production is released, with backstage footage up to the Osaka closing performance and interviews.September 20, 2020 Kazukiyo Nishikiori and Katsuhide Uekusa's departure from the agency at year's end is announced. Shonentai keeps its name and is not dissolved, but there are no plans for group activities.December 12, 2020 35th anniversary of the debut. The best-of Shonentai 35th Anniversary BEST and the 22-disc Shonentai 35th Anniversary PLAYZONE BOX 1986-2008 are released.December 31, 2020 Nishikiori and Uekusa leave the agency.March 1, 2023 Nishikiori's book Shōnen Taimu Kapuseru ("boyhood time capsule") is published by Shinchosha.September 7, 2023 Noriyuki Higashiyama, who became president of the agency on September 5, says he will retire from entertainment by the end of the year.October 21, 2024 On television, Uekusa says Shonentai has not broken up.August 31, 200820002020December 12, 1985 Recording debut with the single "Kamen Butōkai."1986 Their own musical, PLAYZONE, opens at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo (first production: PLAYZONE'86 MYSTERY). They win the Best New Artist award at the 28th Japan Record Awards and make their first appearance on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen.1994 Win the theater grand prize at the 31st Golden Arrow Awards.July 9, 2006 The single "Sō SOH" is released on the opening day of PLAYZONE 2006 Change (through August 5).April 24, 2008 The members agree that Shonentai will "graduate" from PLAYZONE after the 2008 run and hand it to younger performers from the next year (reported April 28).July 6, 2008 The final production, Shonentai PLAYZONE FINAL 1986–2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change, opens at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo (through August 8).August 31, 2008 Closing performance at Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall, Osaka (the Osaka run began August 26), ending PLAYZONE with Shonentai in the lead.March 4, 2009 The DVD of the final production is released, with backstage footage up to the Osaka closing performance and interviews.September 20, 2020 Kazukiyo Nishikiori and Katsuhide Uekusa's departure from the agency at year's end is announced. Shonentai keeps its name and is not dissolved, but there are no plans for group activities.December 12, 2020 35th anniversary of the debut. The best-of Shonentai 35th Anniversary BEST and the 22-disc Shonentai 35th Anniversary PLAYZONE BOX 1986-2008 are released.December 31, 2020 Nishikiori and Uekusa leave the agency.March 1, 2023 Nishikiori's book Shōnen Taimu Kapuseru ("boyhood time capsule") is published by Shinchosha.September 7, 2023 Noriyuki Higashiyama, who became president of the agency on September 5, says he will retire from entertainment by the end of the year.October 21, 2024 On television, Uekusa says Shonentai has not broken up.August 31, 2008
  1. Active years (December 12, 1985 – August 31, 2008)
  2. Recording debut with the single "Kamen Butōkai."
  3. Their own musical, PLAYZONE, opens at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo (first production: PLAYZONE'86 MYSTERY). They win the Best New Artist award at the 28th Japan Record Awards and make their first appearance on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
  4. Win the theater grand prize at the 31st Golden Arrow Awards.
  5. The single "Sō SOH" is released on the opening day of PLAYZONE 2006 Change (through August 5).
  6. The members agree that Shonentai will "graduate" from PLAYZONE after the 2008 run and hand it to younger performers from the next year (reported April 28).
  7. The final production, Shonentai PLAYZONE FINAL 1986–2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change, opens at Aoyama Theatre in Tokyo (through August 8).
  8. Final show
  9. Closing performance at Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall, Osaka (the Osaka run began August 26), ending PLAYZONE with Shonentai in the lead.
  10. The DVD of the final production is released, with backstage footage up to the Osaka closing performance and interviews.1 year later
  11. Kazukiyo Nishikiori and Katsuhide Uekusa's departure from the agency at year's end is announced. Shonentai keeps its name and is not dissolved, but there are no plans for group activities.12 years later
  12. 35th anniversary of the debut. The best-of Shonentai 35th Anniversary BEST and the 22-disc Shonentai 35th Anniversary PLAYZONE BOX 1986-2008 are released.12 years later
  13. Nishikiori and Uekusa leave the agency.12 years later
  14. Nishikiori's book Shōnen Taimu Kapuseru ("boyhood time capsule") is published by Shinchosha.15 years later
  15. Noriyuki Higashiyama, who became president of the agency on September 5, says he will retire from entertainment by the end of the year.15 years later
  16. On television, Uekusa says Shonentai has not broken up.16 years later

Sources

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  3. 錦織一清 | 著者プロフィール — 新潮社 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  4. 錦織一清「真の僕を見てもらえるときがやっと来た。これからは好きに生きていく」 — めざましmedia, August 11, 2022 (accessed 2026-11-14)
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  8. SHONENTAI PLAYZONE 2006 Change — 楽天ブックス（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  9. 想（JECN-101） — Billboard JAPAN（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  10. SHONENTAI PLAYZONE 2006 Change（JECN-107） — Billboard JAPAN（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  11. 少年隊「PLAY ZONE」23年の歴史に幕 — シアターリーグ（演劇ニュース）, April 28, 2008 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  12. 少年隊 錦織一清と植草克秀がジャニーズ事務所を退所へ、今年いっぱいで — デイリースポーツ online, September 20, 2020 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  13. 錦織、植草が退所【コメント】錦織「退所」植草「卒業」東山「２人は最高の戦友」 — デイリースポーツ online, September 20, 2020 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  14. 少年隊・錦織一清と植草克秀、年内でジャニーズ事務所退所 解散せず今後も「その名を残す」 — ORICON NEWS, September 20, 2020 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  15. 東山の突然の降板に共演の浅尾美和、声震わせ「すごく驚いている」「９０歳まで続けたい、と話していた」 — デイリースポーツ online, September 7, 2023 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  16. 植草克秀、少年隊復活の可能性に言及「解散はしていないです」 — モデルプレス, October 21, 2024 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  17. 梅田芸術劇場 — 大阪観光局（OSAKA-INFO） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  18. 少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986～2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change（JEBN-77/8） — Billboard JAPAN（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  19. 少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986〜2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change[DVD]（LCBN-77） — ネオウィング 楽天市場店（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  20. 少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986～2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change（JEBN-75/6） — Billboard JAPAN（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  21. 少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986〜2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change — 楽天ブックス（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  22. 少年隊 PLAYZONE FINAL 1986～2008 SHOW TIME Hit Series Change（JEBN-77） — ブックオフオンライン（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  23. 光一「追い続けたい偉大な先輩」錦織と植草の退所発表受け…少年隊への思い語る — デイリースポーツ online, September 22, 2020 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  24. 「いきなり自分たちの武器を奪われた」…堂本光一が明かす「SHOCK」20年の想いと、少年隊への思慕 — MOVIE WALKER PRESS, February 11, 2021 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  25. 少年隊『35周年記念ベスト』で有終の美も、ファンが悲鳴上げる“10日間縛り” — 週刊女性PRIME, December 17, 2020 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  26. 【ビルボード】福山雅治『AKIRA』が13.3万枚でALセールス首位 Mr.Children/少年隊が続く — Billboard JAPAN, December 14, 2020 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  27. 楽天市場「LCBN-77」の検索結果 — 楽天市場 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  28. 楽天市場「LCBN-48」の検索結果 — 楽天市場 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  29. 少年隊／少年隊 35th Anniversary BEST（LCCN-0608/10） — 紀伊國屋書店（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  30. 少年隊 35th Anniversary BEST — 楽天ブックス（商品情報） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  31. 楽天市場「LCCN-608」の検索結果 — 楽天市場 (accessed 2026-11-14)
  32. PLAYZONE — Wikipedia（日本語版） (accessed 2026-11-14)
  33. 少年隊 — Wikipedia（日本語版） (accessed 2026-11-14)

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