Kat-Tun

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KAT-TUN is a six piece pop group from Johnny & Associates. The group's name is an acronym formed by the members' surname initials. KAT-TUN not only sing and dance, but the members also act and star in commercials. They are one of the most popular talent idol groups in Japan.

In 2001, KinKi Kids member Koichi Domoto picked six Johnny's Jr. members to be his backing dancers in the NHK music program, Pop Jam, and gave them the name KAT-TUN. The group gained a great deal of attention so the formation was kept.

KAT-TUN has appeared in numerous musicals, most famously SHOCK. In 2004, they backed Hideaki Takizawa in his first solo musical, DREAM BOY. In 2005, KAT-TUN became a regular participant in the show Utawara HOT Hit 10, with another Johnny's member, Jun Matsumoto. They also host the Shonen Club on NHK. In 2006, Nakamaru Yuichi and Tanaka Koki pioneered the show YOU!tachi and continue to host the show every Sunday.

KAT-TUN made a conert tour of Japan in 2006 and followed it with the release of their single Real Face in March 2006, an album, Best of KAT-TUN, and the DVD Real Face Film, on the same day. Best of KAT-TUN debuted with sales of 556,548 copies and Real Face debuted with 754,234 copies sold in the first week. KAT-TUN topped all three weekly Oricon charts. They hold the records for the highest weekly single debut sales. Real Face topped the Oricon charts for three weeks and sold over one million copies in nine weeks.

Akanishi Jin went on hiatus from the group in late 2006 to study English in America, leaving KAT-TUN as a five member group for six months.