Tobe (company)

Tobe Co., Ltd. (株式会社TOBE, Kabushiki Gaisha TOBE, pronounced [tə bi]) is a Japanese talent agency based in Hachioji, Tokyo. It was established in March 16, 2023 by Hideaki Takizawa, who also serves as the agency's representative.^[2][3][4]

Tobe Co., Ltd.

Native name	株式会社TOBE
Romanized name	Kabushiki Gaisha Tobe
Company type	Private (kabushiki gaisha)
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	March 16, 2023; 19 months ago (2023-03-16)
Founder	Hideaki Takizawa
Headquarters	2–5 Shincho, Hachioji, Tokyo , Japan[1]
Products	Entertainment
Services	Entertainment
Website	tobe-official.jp

History

Former Johnny and Associates talent and company vice president Takizawa announced on 21 March 2023 on his Twitter the establishment of a new company.^[5] He also said he was to seek new talent for the company.

On 2 July 2023, the first of the talents of the new company was presented to the public. It was revealed on YouTube that former Johnny's and V6 member Ken Miyake was going to be part of the talent.^[6] Almost a week later, on 7 July, a new video was released on YouTube, revealing the newest members, former Johnny's and King & Prince members Sho Hirano and Yuta Jinguji.^[7]

On 14 July, a new video was released on the official YouTube. It was to announce the new members of TOBE, the 7-member group "IMP.". IMP. is the former Johnny's Jr. group called IMPACTors. IMP. consists of members Arata Sato, Takuya Kageyama, Yuki Yokohara, Minato Matsui, Taiga Tsubaki, Shunsuke Motoi, and Taiga Suzuki.^[8] On the video, TOBE's Tiktok was also announced.^[9]

The next artist to be introduced was Ritsuki Ohigashi, another former Johnny's Jr. The announcement was made on TOBE's official Twitter on 16 August 2023.^[10][11]

On 13 September 2023, a new "#TOBECONTINUED" teaser video was released on YouTube. The new artist was to be revealed on the 17, but voices in X (formerly Twitter) were already guessing the identity of the new member, being this person former Johnny's Kis-My-Ft2 member Hiromitsu Kitayama, who had recently left the agency.^[12] On 17 September 2023, Kitayama's identity was revealed, introducing him as the latest member of TOBE.^[13]

On October 15, another former King & Prince member, Yuta Kishi, announced that he joined the agency and reunited with Hirano and Jinguji to form a new group called Number i.^[14]

It was announced on 16 December 2023 that the Tobe artists would have their first concert in Tokyo Dome in March 2024. The announcement was made through the official membership site.^[15] The name of the concert series, to HEROes ~ TOBE 1st Super Live~, as well as the details of the same, were announced on 23 December 2023.^[16][17]

Charity events

Takizawa and his team of artists, led by Ken Miyake, volunteered at a soup kitchen set in Wajima Junior High School on January 4, 2024, following the January 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake. People in the area were surprised to see the likes of Miyake, Number_i's Yuta Jinguji and members of IMP. serving meals, including hamburgers and curry, to around 1000 victims in the disaster area. The action was met with mixed feelings on social media. While one woman in her 70s tearfully thanked the action saying that it was the first hot meal she had in days,^[18] and other comments were of gratitude and surprise for not having made any announcement on social media, many thought their presence that early after the earthquake would hinder the rescue effort^[19][20]

As part of their charity activities, Tobe artists released, as the special unit "to HEROes", the song "Be on your side", composed by Misako Sakazume, Slack Rat and Uno Blaqlo, with lyrics by the members of Number_i^[21] on March 18, 2024 on streaming and download sites, with a CD version being released on May 1st. Proceeds from the sale of the song, both from the download sites as well as the CD, will be destined for the children in the affected area.^[22][23]

Current artists

Recording artists

• Ken Miyake
• Number i
  • Sho Hirano
  • Yuta Jinguji
  • Yuta Kishi
• IMP.
  • Arata Sato
  • Shunsuke Motoi
  • Taiga Suzuki
  • Takuya Kageyama
  • Minato Matsui
  • Yuki Yokohara
  • Taiga Tsubaki
• Ritsuki Ohigashi
• Hiromitsu Kitayama

Trainees

There are currently 28 junior talent trainees, referred to as "Trainees", of which, on March 14, a group of 5 members, with ages ranging from 11 to 13, was chosen.^[24][25][26]

• Wink First
  • Taiga Shimada (center)
  • Shoma Fujishiro
  • Kou Matsuzaki
  • Ruki Kawada
  • Yushi Kosukegawa
• DeePals^[27][28]
  • Keito Hoshi
  • Shuu Takano
  • Ren Takada
  • Taikai Kondou
  • Ren Nakazawa
  • Taiga Yokota

References

1. "TOBE ID – TOBE". tobe-community.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-09-20.
2. "滝沢秀明、"株式会社TOBE"設立しオーディション開催 田村淳ら著名人や実業家も反応". Real Sound｜リアルサウンド (in Japanese). 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
3. "滝沢秀明氏、新会社設立を報告「もう一度、エンターテインメントの人生を歩もうと決意」". ORICON NEWS. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
4. "Former Johnny & Associates VP Hideaki Takizawa creates new talent company". Mainichi Daily News. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
5. "滝沢秀明、"株式会社TOBE"設立しオーディション開催　田村淳ら著名人や実業家も反応". Real Sound (in Japanese). 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
6. "三宅健が滝沢秀明氏と"合流"発表　新会社「TOBE」YouTube生配信で明らかに". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 2 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
7. "元King & Prince平野紫耀＆神宮寺勇太、滝沢秀明氏の新会社TOBEに合流". Natalie (in Japanese). 7 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
8. "元IMPACTors7人が『TOBE』合流 生配信にそろって登場". Oricon (in Japanese). 14 July 2023. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
9. "「TOBE」が公式TikTok開設へ 平野紫耀の"謎のポーズ"に三宅健ら「何それ?」と総ツッコミ". Oricon (in Japanese). 14 July 2023. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
10. "元ジャニーズJr.大東立樹、『TOBE』合流 『ENDLESS SHOCK』などにも出演". Oricon (in Japanese). 16 August 2023. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
11. "滝沢秀明氏TOBE、元ジャニーズJr.大東立樹の加入発表　三宅健、平野紫耀らに続き11人目". Encount Press (in Japanese). 16 August 2023. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
12. "『#TOBECONTINUED_04』17日午後7時から生配信決定 ティザー映像公開で予想合戦「もしかして…」滝沢氏も"匂わせ"". Oricon (in Japanese). 13 September 2023. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
13. "北山宏光、『TOBE』合流でSNS解禁&ファンクラブ開設「みなさまが楽しめることをやれたら」". Oricon (in Japanese). 17 September 2023. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
14. ""新グループ結成"岸優太・平野紫耀・神宮寺勇太、今後の活動について説明「コンサートはマスト」 – モデルプレス". モデルプレス – ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). 2023-10-15. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
15. "滝沢秀明氏「TOBE」来年3月に東京ドームで初コンサート　全所属アーティストが出演！". Sponichi (in Japanese). 16 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
16. "TOBEタレントインタビュー後編　新事務所での日々を振り返り、口にしたファンへの思い". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 23 December 2023. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
17. "to HEROes～TOBE 1st Super Live～". Tobe Community Special Contents page (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
18. "タッキー軍団の炊き出しに涙「神宮寺勇太はお年寄りのためにお餅を細かく…」避難所の中学校教員が明かす". Post Seven (in Japanese). 6 January 2024. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
19. "三宅健、神宮寺勇太、IMP.が被災地で1000人分の「炊き出し」…集まる称賛の声「頭が下がります」". Smart Flash (in Japanese). 6 January 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
20. "滝沢秀明、三宅健、神宮寺勇太ら『TOBE』石川県輪島市で "1000食" 炊き出しに賛否両論「被災地に混乱を招く」問われる支援の姿勢". Shūkan Josei Prime (in Japanese). 7 January 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
21. "to HEROes - Be on Your side (Official Music Video)". YouTube (in Japanese and English). Number_i. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
22. "滝沢秀明「音楽には、心に火を灯し続ける力があります」　TOBE被災地支援プロジェクトへの思い". News NTV (in Japanese). 18 March 2024. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
23. "Number_iや三宅健ら、TOBEアーティスト全員参加の新曲を配信へ　利益は被災地支援に". News NTV (in Japanese). 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
24. "『ＴＯＢＥ』滝沢秀明社長、東京Ｄ公演は「世界に飛び立つ土台」「グローバルに通用するアーティストを作るのが僕の次の課題」". Sanspo (in Japanese). 18 March 2024. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
25. "TOBE、研究生5人による新グループ「wink first」結成". Oricon (in Japanese). 15 March 2024. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
26. "【TOBE】wink firstのメンバープロフィールや魅力を徹底解説". Ticket Jam (in Japanese). 24 March 2024. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
27. "「TOBE」新グループ・DeePals（ディーパルズ）、結成発表 "顔不明"のビジュアル公開 - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
28. "「TOBE」新グループ・DeePals（ディーパルズ）、6人のメンバー発表【プロフィール】 - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-06-13.

External links

• Official website
• TOBE OFFICIAL JAPAN (Japanese) on Twitter
• TOBE OFFICIAL (English) on Twitter
• TOBE OFFICIAL on Instagram
• TOBE OFFICIAL's channel on YouTube