7 MEN Samurai

7 MEN Samurai (7 MEN 侍) is a 6 member Japanese pop/rock boy band and Johnnys' Junior group produced by Johnnys' Island Company, a division of Tokyo-based talent agency Johnny & Associates. They were created on February 26, 2018 by the eponymous Johnny H. Kitagawa (b. 1931, d. 2019), and named in honor of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 epic samurai drama film Seven Samurai. They are known for their dance acumen, band-style performances, and rock covers/remixes of J-Pop songs from the older Johnnys' talent catalog, including Cinderella Girl (original artist: King & Prince), and SAMURAI (original artist: Takizawa Hideaki|Takky & Tsubasa). 
In addition to appearing as a group as regulars in the bi-monthly music and variety show The Shonen Club (NHK), they are one of 5 groups featured on the official Johnnys' Junior YouTube Channel, and have posted content every Friday since August 2019. They are also active on the Johnnys' official video site ISLAND TV, where they share vlog-style behind-the-scenes recaps of work and engagements, as well as humorous vignettes, outtakes and original skits (see "Official Media," below).
Individual members are also featured regulars and guest stars on Japanese variety TV programs; such as the quiz show TORINIKUTTE NAN NO NIKU!? (TV Asahi) and the sports competition series HONOO NO TAIIKUTAI TV (TBS) for which member Rinne Sugeta is an official part of the in-show "Johnny's Track-and-Field Team" coached by KAT-TUN's Tatsuya Ueda. Individual members have also been cast in starring and supporting roles for stage and in scripted television dramas (see "Stage & Screen Pursuits," below).
== Members ==
* Reia Nakamura (中村嶺亜) aka "Reia." Born April 2, 1997 (age 23). 
* Rinne Sugeta (菅田琳寧) aka "Rinne" or "RINCHAN." Born May 12, 1998 (age 22).
* Katsuki Motodaka (本髙克樹) aka "Katsuki" or "Daka." Born December 6, 1998 (age 22).
* Taiko Sasaki (佐々木大光) aka "Taiko." Born May 20, 2002 (age 18).
* Taiki Konno (今野大輝) aka "Konpi." Born November 24, 1999 (age 20).
* Rei Yabana (矢花黎) aka "Yabana" or "Bana." Born August 10, 2000 (age 20).
== Music ==
On May 1, 2020 it was announced that they would be receiving their first original song from Johnny's Island CEO Hideaki Takizawa during a surprise prank video uploaded as one of their YouTube contents. The song had been intended for their solo segment during the annual Johnnys' Ginza spring talent showcase, all of which was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The song, called SAMU-DAMA (サムダマ), was finally performed in August 2020, during a 2 day/5 show solo segment the group hosted as part of the larger Summer Paradise 2020 livestreamed music festival from Johnny & Associates for the website Johnny's Net Online (JNO). The song is a hard rock number with the title being a portmanteau of the Japanese words for "samurai spirit," or samurai damashii (侍魂). On September 11, 2020, a self-shot Studio Live music video for SAMU-DAMA was uploaded to the Johnnys' Junior YouTube channel, along with a separate making-of vignette and an encore performance covering TOKIO's 2000 up-tempo rock song JUMBO. 
A second original song, SIREN (サイレン) was debuted on November 28, 2020 as part of the boys' solo set within the Johnnys' Jr. Island FES music festival, performed alongside additional original songs for fellow Johnnys' Junior performers HiHi Jets and Jr.SP.
== Live Concerts ==
 List of live performances
Concert Name 	Dates 	Total Performances	Venue
Johnnys' Ginza 2019 Tokyo Experience 	May 27 ~ June 2, 2019	9 	Theatre Crea
Papa/Mama/Ichiban Hadaka-no-Shonen Summer Festival	August 3 ~ 25, 2019 	33 	Ex Theater Roppongi
Summer Paradise 2020 	August 11 ~ 12, 2020 	5 	Tokyo Dome City Hall
Johnnys' Jr. Island FES 	November 28, 2020 	1 	Saitama Super Arena
== Stage & Screen Pursuits ==
For simplicity, the following lists intentionally exclude Johnny & Associates' talent showcases such as Johnny's WORLD, etc.
=== Reia Nakamura ===
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2019
* SHONEN-TACHI (少年たち), Shochiku, theatrical film release, 2019
* KOI NO YAMAI TO YARO-GUMI (恋の病と野郎組), NTV, television drama, 2019
* SUPERHEROISM, Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club ex, stage play, 2020
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2020
* GEKI KARADO (ゲキカラドウ), TV Tokyo, television drama, 2021
=== Rinne Sugeta ===
* ORE-TACHI OUENYA!! on stage (オレたち応援屋！！ on stage), Nippon Seinen Hall, stage play, 2020
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2020
* Hidamari no Ki, Hulic Hall Tokyo, Stage Play, 2021
=== Katsuki Motodaka ===
* NOUNAI POISONBERRY (脳内ポイズンベリー), New National Theatre, stage play, 2020
* ROCK READING The Happiest Prince (幸福王子), Theatre 1010, stage play, 2020
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2020
=== Taiko Sasaki ===
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2019
* SUPERHEROISM, Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club ex, stage play, 2020
* ORE-TACHI OUENYA!! on stage (オレたち応援屋！！ on stage), Nippon Seinen Hall, stage play, 2020
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2020
=== Taiki Konno ===
* ROCK READING The Happiest Prince (幸福王子), Theatre 1010, stage play, 2020
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2020
=== Rei Yabana ===
* Dream Boys, Tokyo Imperial Theatre, stage play, 2020
== Commercial Sponsorships ==
* Bourbon Corporation Japan's Almond Rush Chocolates, October 2019 ~ January 2020
* ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'s Hada-Labo Skin Care, November 2019 ~ February 2020
* Biofermin, Inc.'s Biofermin VC, January 2020 ~ March 2020
* KAO Corporation's One Day Hair Monster, March 2020 ~ June 2020
* Asleeh, Inc.'s Witch's Pouch Eye Shadow, July 2020 ~ October 2020
* KAO Corporation's Men's Biore, September 2020 ~ December 2020
* Shoei Delicy's Sakuyama-Chokojiro, October 2020 ~ January 2021
* Sun Smile's RISM Moisturizing Face Packs, January 2021 ~ April 2021
== Official Media ==
* SAMU-DAMA Studio Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xXo41UgJ4o
* SIREN Performance @ Johnny's Island FES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JRy0UJ43EA
* Johnnys' Jr. Channel (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/johnnys
* ISLAND TV Channel Page: https://j-island.net/artist/group/id/8
* Johnny's Net Online: https://online.johnnys-net.jp/s/jno/
Japanese people
Category:Japanese bands
Category:Japanese rock bands