A.B.C-Z

Lore & Background

A.B.C-Z began as the Johnny's Jr. unit A.B.C., formed in 2002 with members Koichi Goseki, Shota Totsuka, Ryoichi Tsukada, Fumito Kawai, and Yoshikazu Toshin. In summer 2008, Ryosuke Hashimoto was moved from J.J.Express to the group, prompting the name change to A.B.C-Z, where 'Z' symbolizes the last member completing the group like the last letter of the alphabet. Shortly after, they held a concert with Kis-My-Ft2. In May 2010, they produced their own concert at Theater Crea in Tokyo for the first time. On July 23, 2011, during the musical PLAYZONE'11, Fumito Kawai broke his left leg and could not appear for the rest of the show. Later that year, Johnny H. Kitagawa revealed a new group of seven, ABC-xyZ, centered on A.B.C-Z, and hinted at a possible debut in 2012. On November 6, 2011, they held their first one-man concert at Yoyogi National Stadium for about 13,000 fans. On December 9, 2011, they announced their debut in 2012 with a DVD, making them the first Johnny's group to do so. The DVD was released on February 1, 2012, under Johnny's Entertainment.

Reader's Guide

A.B.C-Z holds significance as the first Johnny's group to debut with a DVD rather than a CD single, marking a shift in the agency's release strategy. Their name evolution from A.B.C. to A.B.C-Z reflects the addition of Ryosuke Hashimoto, who completed the lineup. The group maintained a strong presence in stage plays, notably the annual ABC-ZA series, and in variety shows such as 'ABChanZoo', which began in July 2012. Their debut DVD reached number one on the Oricon weekly ranking. In 2017, they celebrated their fifth anniversary with the single 'Reboot!!!' and album '5 Performer-z', followed by a tour. In 2018, they collaborated with Tokyo Joypolis for 'A.B.C-Z 5stars CIRCUS in JOYPOLIS'. In 2023, member Fumito Kawai announced he would leave the group on December 21 to pursue a solo career as an MC, remaining under Johnny's. The group's legacy includes pioneering a DVD debut path and maintaining a dedicated fan base known as 'Ebi'.

Did You Know?

• A.B.C-Z was the first Johnny's group to debut with a DVD rather than a CD single.
• The 'Z' in A.B.C-Z symbolizes the last member, Ryosuke Hashimoto, completing the group like the last letter of the alphabet.
• Fumito Kawai broke his left leg during the PLAYZONE'11 musical on July 23, 2011, and could not appear for the rest of the show.
• Their debut DVD 'Za ABC ~5 Stars~' reached number one on the Oricon weekly ranking.

Formation & the Meaning of the Name

A.B.C-Z traces its roots to a Johnny's Jr. unit originally called A.B.C., an acronym for Acrobat Boys Club. The earliest lineup included Koichi Goseki, Shota Totsuka, Ryoichi Tsukada, and Fumito Kawai, with Yoshikazu Toshin joining in 2002. The group's identity shifted dramatically in the summer of 2008 when Ryosuke Hashimoto, previously a member of J.J.Express, was transferred into the unit. This addition prompted a name change to A.B.C-Z, reinterpreted as Acrobatics Boys Club Z, with the letter Z symbolizing the final piece that completes the group the way Z completes the alphabet. The Japanese phonetic rendering of the name — ee.bii.shii.zii — naturally led fans to nickname the group "Ebi," a term that stuck and became their most recognizable shorthand. Under the Starto Entertainment umbrella, the quintet carved out a distinct identity within the Johnny's stable, blending acrobatic energy with theatrical storytelling that set them apart from peers.

Pre-Debut Struggles and the Yoyogi Breakthrough

The years between 2008 and 2011 were a period of hard-won validation for A.B.C-Z. In May 2010, the group was granted permission to stage its own concert at Theater Crea in Tokyo, marking the first time they produced a show independently. Their solo run from May 11 to 19 was followed by performances from other Johnny's Jr. units, stretching the event through May 31. A major setback came on July 23, 2011, when Fumito Kawai fractured his left leg during the PLAYZONE'11 musical, forcing him to miss the remainder of the show. Despite this, Johnny H. Kitagawa appeared at the opening of the subsequent stage play to announce a new seven-member configuration called ABC-xyZ, hinting that momentum could build by 2012 once Kawai recovered. The true turning point arrived on November 6, 2011, when A.B.C-Z filled Tokyo's Yoyogi National Stadium for 26,000 fans at their first one-man concert. Kitagawa publicly suggested a debut was possible the following year, and by December the group had confirmed a DVD release for February 2012, making them the first Johnny's act to debut through a video product.

Debut, Chart-Toppers, and Milestone Anniversaries

A.B.C-Z's official debut on January 31, 2012, at Shibuya AX drew 15,000 fans, and their accompanying DVD, Za ABC ~5 Stars~, claimed the number-one spot on the Oricon weekly chart. The momentum carried into 2013 with the launch of their variety show ABChanZoo on TV Tokyo, and in June 2014 the group starred in its first drama, Magical Boy Cherry's. September 2015 brought another chart-topping achievement with their debut single "Moonlight Walker," also reaching number one on Oricon. Four years after debuting, the group established its official fan club in July 2016. The fifth anniversary in 2017 was marked by the single "Reboot!!!," the album 5 Performer-z, and the A.B.C-Z 5Stars 5Years Tour. In 2018, celebrating ten years since the group's formation, A.B.C-Z partnered with the Tokyo Joypolis amusement park for the "A.B.C-Z 5stars CIRCUS in JOYPOLIS" event, releasing the single "JOYしたいキモチ" for the occasion. The Joypolis collaboration continued into 2019, the same year the group released its sixth album, Going With Zephyr, in August and launched a matching tour.

A Career Spanning Two Decades and a Chapter Closed

By 2023, A.B.C-Z had built a career spanning over two decades of collective activity, from their earliest days as a Johnny's Jr. unit to a fully established five-member act. Their stage play catalogue alone stretches from Shinshun Takizawa Kakumei in 2009 through ABC-ZA Legend of Johnnys' 2018, demonstrating a remarkable consistency in theatrical output. The group also maintained a steady presence across variety television, radio programming on FM NACK5, NHK, and TBS Radio, and even an Australian working-holiday travel show in 2013. On September 22, 2023, Fumito Kawai announced his departure from the group, effective December 21, citing a desire to focus on developing his skills as a MC while continuing his solo career within Johnny's. His exit reduced the quintet to four members — Hashimoto, Totsuka, Tsukada, and Goseki — each associated with a signature color: red, pink, yellow, and blue respectively. Kawai's violet became a memory, a chapter closed on a group whose very name had once signified completion.