While they shine brightly in the glamorous world of idols, they have another side to them. This is the “intellectual” side of the group, which takes their studies seriously with hard work and intelligence as their weapons. The experience and education they have gained at prestigious universities bring depth to their stage expressions and words. In this article, we will introduce five male idols who are carving out new paths by combining their academic backgrounds with their talents. Part 3. (Text by Mariko Nohara)
Ryohei Abe (Snow Man) / Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Sophia University
Ryohei Abe’s mother applied for an open audition for the variety show “Ya-Ya-yah. Although he was unfamiliar with Johnny’s (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT), he passed the screening process one after another and joined Johnny’s Office on August 12, 2004, in the 5th grade. In August 2011, he temporarily suspended his activities to concentrate on his studies. He studied hard, mostly on his own, and after graduating from Tokyo Metropolitan Komaba High School, he was accepted into the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Sophia University through a general entrance examination. In his second year of college, he took the exam to become a weather forecaster, and on his fifth attempt, he passed the exam with a pass rate of only 4%. He became the first Japanese to become a weather forecaster. His passion for studying has not waned since then, and he even participated in the TV program “Quiz! Are you smarter than a fifth grader? he answered all the questions correctly and became the second person in the program’s history to win the entire prize money (3 million yen). Known as the “brains” of Snow Man, he is active in many areas, including quiz shows, election specials, and as a newscaster. His hobbies are studying, quizzes, and English conversation. He is a true intellectual idol, and his special skill is reciting pi. Behind her calm demeanor hides a competitive spirit that challenges everything with all her might, and it can be said that her hard work and inquisitiveness have brought her to her current position.
Mariko Nohara