Yamashita aka YamaPi reportedly became interested in starting international activities after NEWS performed overseas in Taiwan in 2007. Now he has finally got his chance to perform on his own for overseas audiences. With Korean pop music currently enjoying a boom throughout Japan and other parts of Asia, Yamashita said that he hopes to show fans "what only Japan's Johnny's can do."
“I’m going to do things like flying. I want to make it a huge performance that will show people the power of Johnny’s,” Yamashita said.
“I want to throw in a few traditional things like Japanese sword fighting, and basically show everyone something that only Japan’s Johnny’s can do,” he said.
“I want people to see me sing and dance. I’ve started to re-learn the basics of dancing, I’ve got three dance coaches to help me, and I want choreograph some sequences as well,” he said.
Yamashita will be just the third Johnny's Jimusho (agency) artist to go on a solo overseas tour, after Masahiko Kondou (Chinese: 近藤真彦; Age: 46) and Jin Akanishi (Chinese: 赤西仁; born July 4, 1984) who has officially left his group Kat-tun to make his solo debut in the United States.
It has been reported that Yamashita said watching fellow Johnny’s star Jin Akanishi (26) embark on a solo US tour had given him motivation.
“I hope we can motivate each other. We never talk about work but I did call him up to say, ‘have fun’,” he said.
Yamashita also said he would like to perform in the US, but has assured fans he will not be leaving NEWS.
“I’ll keep working with NEWS. Please don’t worry. I think they’ll come see me (in concert),” he said.
The tour is currently scheduled to start with two concerts in Hong Kong on January 29-30. Yamashita will take a break in February, presumably to promote the live-action "Ashita no Joe" movie which he stars in. He will then resume the tour in early March with some domestic concerts. Besides Hong Kong, his overseas shows will also be held in Taiwan on March 26-27, Korea (Busan) on April 16-17, Thailand on April 23-24, and Korea (Seoul) at the end of April. It will be the biggest number of overseas venues a Johnny’s artist has performed at to date, and is expected to attract some 236,000 fans. (Why isn't he coming to Singapore and Malaysia? Too bad for the fans, gotta travel overseas to watch "Nama"Pi)
Yamashita released his third solo single titled "One in a million" on July 28, 2010, and currently has plans to release his first solo album in January just before the tour starts. Some songs will be entirely in English, and Yamashita himself is also writing lyrics for some other songs. He also revealed that the music style will be a mixture of club music and R&B.
ASIA TOUR SCHEDULE
Hong Kong @ HITEC Star Hall
>>Sat, Jan29, 2011, 8pm
>>Sun, Jan30, 2011, 8pm
Taiwan @ Taipei, National Taiwan University Sports Center
>>Sat, Mar 26, 2011, 7:30pm
>>Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 7:30pm
Korea @ Busan, KBS Hall
>>Sat, Apr 16, 2011, (show time to be confirmed)
>>Sun, Apr 17, 2011, (show time to be confirmed)
Thailand @ Bangkok, Thunder Dome
>>Sat, Apr 23, 2011, 7pm
>>Sun, Apr 24, 2011, 7pm
Korea @ Seoul
>>Venue, show date & time to be confirmed
Source: Tokyograph, Johnny's International Email Office
