3776
| 3776 | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Shizuoka, Japan |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Natural Make |
| Past members |
|
3776 (pronounced Minanaro) is a Japanese idol group themed after Mount Fuji, Japan's tallest mountain. The name is derived from the height of the mountain: 3,776 meters.
The group has received critical acclaim for their musicianship and DIY ethos.
Inspired by AKB48, Akira Ishida - who would later become the producer of 3776 - decided to launch a local idol group. Ishida sent e-mails to city offices all over Japan. One of the cities he included in his letters was Fujinomiya, a city in Shizuoka prefecture. A city official in Fujinomiya, which was celebrating its 60th anniversary, had already been considering creating an idol group under the project name Waga-Machi-No-AKB (Our town's AKB) in commemoration of the town when he received Ishida's letter. Upon receiving the letter he requested a demo of Ishida's music. After hearing the demo he promptly requested that Ishida become the producer of his idol group. Auditions were held to determine the group's lineup: Wagamachi-no-AKB audition participants were judged on dancing to a song by AKB48. After the audition 24 members were selected to make up the group, which Ishida named TEAM MⅡ after NMB48's Team M.
TEAM MⅡ debuted on June 2, 2012 with the debut song "Yappari-Kimiwa-Sousa-Bacchirisa". Because it was created by the city office, many limitations were placed on the group.They were allowed to perform only in Fujinomiya City, and weren't allowed to sell any goods or CDs. From the beginning their contract was only for one year, after which they were to disband.
For one year Ishida worked to create 9 songs, 8 of which were performed. The city office stopped Ishida from performing the song "Yu-Rei-Shoutengai" (Ghost Shopping District) since they felt that the song's title and lyrics were inappropriate, and asked Ishida to change the name to "Gambare-Shoutengai" (Cheer Up! Shopping District). Because Ishida refused to amend his song, "Yu-Rei-Shoutengai" was not even practiced by the members. The theme of the song is actually satirical and sympathetic to the situation of Fujinomiya's shopping district, which began to decline after the large shopping retailer AEON opened in 2001, forcing many stores in Fujinomiya to close.
TEAM MII disbanded on March 24, 2013. 3 EPs, "Yappari-Kimiwa-Sousa-Bacchirisa", "Minna-No-Fujinomiya-Yakisoba", and "Wakatteyone-Sensei" were released on April 27, 2013 after they had already parted ways.
Once their contract was terminated, some of the members desiring to continue the idol group asked Ishida to continue as their producer. In response to their requests Ishida started 3776 on July 22, 2013 when Mt. Fuji was registered as a world heritage site. The group's name was derived from the altitude of Mt. Fuji, 3776 meters. The group consisted of 7 members; Mari Mitsumoto, Seina Hara, Yuika Taki, Rena Mochizuki, Sakura Suzuki, Rina Nakahara, and Hina Saito, all of whom were former TEAM MⅡ members.
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