| Hikaru Genji | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Japan |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Years Active: | –1995 |
| Label: | Pony Canyon |
| Past Members: | Hikaru Kohji Uchiumi Mikio Osawa (1987–1994) Genji Kazumi Morohoshi Hiroyuki Sato (1987–1994) Junichi Yamamoto Akira Akasaka Atsuhiro Sato Hidetaka Tashiro |
was a Japanese pop music idol group named after the character Hikaru Genji of The Tale of Genji. They were managed by Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates from 1987 to 1995.
Until the appearance of another pop group represented by Johnny & Associates (Hey! Say! 7) in 2007, Hikaru Genji held the record for the youngest male group to top the Oricon singles charts.[1] In 1988, Hikaru Genji became the second artist in history to monopolize the top three spots on the Oricon singles chart[2] and the third artist in history to dominate the top two spots on the charts.[3] [4] They also won the Japan Record Award in the 30th Japan Record Awards for their song "Paradise Ginga" that same year,[5] making them the second Johnny's artist to win the award after Masahiko Kondo and the last before Johnny & Associates established a policy that would decline all future nominations of awards from organizations such as the Japan Record Awards and the Japan Academy Awards.[6]
In 1994, Mikio Osawa and Hiroyuki Sato left the group and the remaining members formed Hikaru Genji Super 5, which disbanded a year later. Of these five, Kazumi Morohoshi and Junichi Yamamoto have since left the company. Only Atsuhiro Sato and Kohji Uchiumi currently remain with Johnny & Associates as Akira Akasaka was arrested for possession of methamphetamine on October 28, 2007, and was subsequently fired.[7] [8]
Hikaru
Leader
VocalGenji
Center
Vocal
Main Vocal
Vocal
Vocal
|-| 1988| "Paradise Ginga"| Japan Record Award| |-|}
Hikaru Genji won fifteen awards from Recording Industry Association of Japan's annual music awards ceremony, the Japan Gold Disc Awards.[9]
|-| rowspan="5"| 1988| rowspan="2"| Hikaru Genji| New Artist Award| |-| Best 5 New Artist Award| |-| "Glass no Jūdai"| rowspan="2" | Singles Award| |-| "Starlight"| |-| Hikaru Genji| Album Award| |-| rowspan="6"| 1989| Hikaru Genji| Best 5 Artists| |-| rowspan="2"| "Paradise Ginga"| Grand Prix Singles Award| |-| rowspan="3"| Best 5 Singles Award| |-| "Diamond Hurricane"| |-| "Tsurugi no Mai"| |-| Hi!| Album Award| |-| 1990| "Taiyō ga Ippai"| Best 5 Singles Award| |-| 1991| Furikaette Tomorrow| rowspan="3"| Album Award| |-| 1992| 333 Thank You| |-| 1993| Best Friends| |}