J Friends

J-FRIENDS was a collaborative project formed by Johnny & Associates' bands TOKIO, V6, and KinKi Kids in 1997, aimed at raising funds for schools impacted by the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. Their music featured contributions from several renowned international artists, including Michael Jackson, Elton John and Diane Warren. The group’s debut single, "Ashita ga Kikoeru/Children's Holiday" (Can You Hear Tomorrow/Children's Holiday), released on January 21, 1998, topped the charts and sold over a million copies. Their EP, People of the World, also released that month, quickly rose to Number 1 on the Oricon charts and earned a 2x Platinum certification. Over the following years, J-FRIENDS continued top the charts with covers of Bon Jovi’s “Next 100 Years” (1999), Boyz II Men’s “I Will Get There” (2000), “Always (A Song for Love)” (2001) and “Love Me All Over” (2002), the latter of which was written and produced by Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire. The group disbanded in 2003, having contributed over 800 million yen in donations.