Popular Johnny’s Entertainment group, Kanjani8, has been chosen as the main personalities for this year’s 24 Hour Television program on Nihon TV, and this will be their first time serving as the main personalities for this show. With the tragic events of the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, a lot of attention is being put on this program. Members Yokoyama Yu and Murakami Shingo have both experienced the Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, so they feel a lot of responsibility for serving as good personalities this year. With “Love Will Save the World” as their headlining theme, 24 Hour Television started as an annual event in 1978. They have held 24 hour celebrity charity marathons and have attempted many different challenges. Kanjani8 will be following in the footsteps of other Johnny’s Entertainment groups that have served as main personalities for this show. SMAP, TOKIO, Arashi, KAT-TUN, Tackey & Tsubasa, and NEWS have all delivered strong impressions and deep emotion to viewers in the past, so this year will possibly be no different. 24 Hour Television has already been asking for donations for earthquake and tsunami relief, and as of April 5th have already raised 782,805,878 yen (approximately 9.2 million dollars). Up until the airing of the show, Kanjani8 will be campaigning for more donations on TV spots, and member Yasuda Shota will be delivering a message in sign language as well. The group also participated in the recent Johnny’s Entertainment charity event, where they commented, “It’s now our turn to pay the favor back,” referring to the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Tokyohive
