SMAP’s Masahiro Nakai just got a lot richer

SMAP leader Masahiro Nakai is known to be the busiest of the group, but his new shows may have boosted his salary to almost 700 million yen (about US$9 million), reports Tokyo Sports and Johnny’s Watcher.

 

It had been estimated Nakai had earned 500 million yen in 2009, but this year the Johnny’s talent has worked on drama series ATARU and been the main reporter for the London Olympics.  On top of this, he has been given two new regular shows this year, プラチナイト (Platinight), which started in April, and ナカイの窓 (Nakai no Mado), which starts in October.

“That means Nakai now has nine regular shows, and if you include TV specials then it goes into double figures.  That’s why they’re saying he’ll make 700 million yen this year with all his TV shows and commercials,” one source said.

 

To make a rough calculation of how much work that is, from March to August this year Nakai has been in:

• 52 shows for TBS, totaling about 99 hours
• 74 shows for Fuji TV, totaling about 78 hours
• 51 shows for Nihon TV, totaling about 44 hours
• 28 shows for TV Asahi, totaling about 29 hours
• 1 show for NHK, totaling 2 hours

 

It has been reported most of Nakai’s shows are variety shows, and there is a reason why the SMAP leader is such a popular pick.

“Of course Nakai is a talented host, but what many people don’t know is that he takes part in meetings where shows are being planned out.  He has a good eye for telling what ideas would be good, and which ones should be thrown out.  Variety shows don’t get high ratings just because Nakai is in it, it’s because he only chooses shows which are likely to get high ratings.  As a result he’s become a popular figure in variety shows, he constantly gets more offers, and his pockets get filled with more gold.  You’ve got to admit it, he’s got talent,” one TV writer said.

Arashi might be this year’s Kohaku music special hosts

Arashi might be picked up to be NHK’s New Year’s Eve music special hosts for the third time, reports Tokyo Sports on September 7.

 

It has been reported NHK producers are beginning to look for potential hosts for Kohaku Uta Gassen’s red (akagumi) female artist team, and white (shirogumi) male artist team.

“A production team for the show has been finalised, and now they’ve begun discussions about what to do this year.  At this rate, Arashi will probably be asked to be the shirogumi hosts for the third straight year,” said one source from NHK.

 

Although no one can definitely say this will happen, there is no denying the fact the group attracted TV ratings of over 40% in their past two Kohaku shows.

 

It has beee reported the most likely candidate for the women’s akagumi host this year will be actress Maki Horikita, who has been playing the main character in NHK’s popular drama 梅ちゃん先生 (Ume-chan Sensei).

TOKIO’s DASH Island adventure begins on September 16

DASH Island is a small island TOKIO will try to transform into a home, it was announced on August 31, reports Chunichi Sports.

 

The preview for the new project was revealed on their September 2 episode of variety show “ザ！鉄腕！DASH!! (The! Tetsuwan! DASH!!)”, and will start on September 16.

 

It has been reported the five members first stepped onto DASH Island on August 29, which is a several-hour plane trip and boat trip from Tokyo.  The island covers about 0.45 square kilometres of land, and its highest peak is 174 metres above sea level.  A few hundred people had lived on the island decades ago, but it has been abandoned since 1965.

 

TOKIO had spent 11 years making DASH Village in Fukushima, right until last year’s Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear accident which had forced the team to evacuate from the area.  The area is part of a planned evacuation zone, which has made  it difficult for the five to even visit the village.

 

Instead, the members will use the skills they’ve learnt over the past 12 years to try and create a mini Japan on their island.

“I’m excited like a little kid being put in this environment which is just teeming with adventure.  There’s no running water, electricity, or area we could use as a base.  We’re really starting from nothing, and I wonder what kind of DASH Island this is going to become…I think we’ll get a lot out of this,” Tatsuya Yamaguchi said.

 

Taichi Kokubun, who explored the island’s coast, said he was excited to find traces of old life.

“I’ve found so many interesting places and things made by the people who used to live here.”

 

Masahiro Matsuoka, who went through the island’s forest, said he was confident there were enough resources to keep the group alive.

“The mountain is quite high and steep.  Around the base it’s like a jungle.  But there are a lot of things in the mountains and the sea that we might be able to eat so I think we’ll be alright.”