By Ivana E. Morales
Photos courtesy of LAPONE Entertainment
As a new chapter in their journey begins, Japanese pop group JO1 are setting their sights beyond the skyline, aiming to break new ground. Members Sho Yonashiro, Ren Kawashiri, and Junki Kono delve into the group’s collective vision, which drives their approach to both music and performance.
For Japanese pop group JO1, the question “WHERE DO WE GO” – posed as the central theme of their eponymous ninth extended play – is a bold declaration of how they’re charting their way forward. It’s not about grappling with hesitation but the conviction that unfolds with every move. “JO1’s music was always about exploring and adventuring a new world, and trying to find where we actually stand,” says Ren Kawashiri. “But for ‘WHERE DO WE GO,’ we are more confident on the path we’re moving towards, and the direction is more certain.”
When asked how they view their current reality, their response is refreshingly straightforward: “Stay hungry.” This idea recurs throughout the entire conversation, acting as a reminder of their beginnings and progress, yet never settling for past accomplishments. To “stay hungry,” they explain, means refraining from falling into a state of contentment.
“We always need to have lunch,” Junki Kono says, his spontaneous sense of humor shining through, conveying their initiative with levity. He’s seated between Ren and Sho Yonashiro – the group’s eldest member and leader – who joined this video call from their label’s headquarters in Tokyo. Afterward, they will head to the practice room with their group mates to fine-tune upcoming performances. “There are times when we go beyond the genres, and the producers we work with say that we’re too greedy,” Ren extends candidly.
“We desire a little bit of everything, but it’s about being honest in wanting to reach [the audience] through better music.”
This frame of mind is a team effort sharpened by the 11 members of JO1, who, despite their diverse temperaments, have learned to thrive together. Their origin, after all, was anything but conventional. Sho, Junki, and Ren, along with Ruki Shiroiwa, Keigo Sato, Takumi Kawanishi, Shosei Ohira, Syoya Kimata, Sukai Kinjo, Shion Tsurubo, and Issei Mamehara, were essentially a group of strangers thrust into the spotlight, selected by the audience who witnessed their formation on the survival show Produce 101 Japan in 2019.
They had to reconcile their differences to align their newfound destiny. “At the time [of our debut], we couldn’t connect,” Sho says with a subtle smile as he recalls those days. Their hearts were eager, but far from beating in sync. “I became the leader of JO1, so I had to change this situation. I started communicating with simple phrases like ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good afternoon,’ and by doing these little things, the atmosphere within the group changed.”
Sho tends to look over at Junki and Ren to make sure they’re on the same page before sharing his thoughts. His presence is effortlessly soothing – no wonder he became the stabilizing force of the group. “He’s not an aggressive type of leader, where he tries to [steer] the pack in the front,” Junki says of Sho’s guidance. “But every member truly adores him, and he’s always accepting everybody and catching them if they fall off.”
At the end of 2021, a pivotal moment deepened JO1’s bond. As the group was gearing up for their first live concert, “Open The Door,” in Chiba, Japan, Sukai was diagnosed with adjustment disorder and decided to pause his activities. The situation didn’t just lead them to rearrange their choreography and vocal lines – it spurred them to repurpose their determination, both for themselves and in support of Sukai’s eventual return. “We were cornered [to do well],” Sho explains.
“We were under a lot of pressure…but all knew we had one goal. It was truly the start of us coming together.”
“But these days, we’re always fighting,” Junki says in English, eliciting laughter, and while he speaks, a handmade bangle on his left wrist slips into view from beneath his sleeve. The accessory, a gift from the group’s leaders to all the members during that transitional period, symbolizes their commitment – a promise that has since borne fruit. “However, we don’t carry the fight for a long time…we keep it within the day,” Junki continues. “We all have a million directions, so it’s fun. Everybody has their way towards success, and we’re fighting every day, but it’s nice to communicate with each other.”
Today, that symbiosis is stamped in the caliber of their live performances – no matter the venue or crowd – where they deliver energy and precision. Ruki pulls you in with his compelling presence, Keigo channels a multifaceted artistry, and Sukai owns a voice filled with soulful depth. Shosei is versatile, quickly adapting to any concept, while Syoya brings out a lively aura through his rap abilities and dancing, and Shion creates an impression with his resonant timbre. “What we consider our greatest strength is when fans want to come back to our concerts,” Sho says. “If they enjoy the music and want to see us perform it live – that’s what matters to us.”
“You must be your own person and give your best on stage,” asserts Junki, whose role as the vocal leader enriches JO1’s sound and streamlines their presentations. “I’m definitely one of the members who gets the crowd going, but when the energy gets too heightened, the performance can go the wrong way,” he says.
“I’m still learning as I go through the experience, but it’s always difficult.”
For one, Ren explains that when Junki, Issei, and Takumi are at the vanguard revving up the audience, the rest of the group unites to strengthen the atmosphere. “When that happens, there’s a shared image that everybody is conscious of,” he says. “The vision is basically not an individual one, but more about how we [do] as a team and which character shines the best in the song we’re performing.”
During the interview, Ren laughs easily, revealing an enchanting charisma. But on stage, he transforms, his eyes alight with fire. He likens his role to that of a conductor, continually striving to introduce a surprise element to maintain the electric flow. “When we are having a party-like ambiance, I’d like to keep that going, or if someone says something funny, I will laugh through the microphone,” he shares, emphasizing that even if there are mistakes, he’ll ensure to turn them into something fun, but correct them the next time. “I’m always aware of what’s going on and try to [seize] the moment to make the best of it.”
As the performance leader, Ren draws from the wisdom he gathered as a professional backup dancer before debuting in JO1. It allowed him to curve the pressure when rehearsing, all while lending a hand to his group mates. “I was trying to get the knowledge out for the members who needed my experience,” he says. “But it’s been five years, and every member has experienced the stage, and they’ve built their characters and colors. I don’t teach or give them instructions – I believe in them.”
“And which member has shown the most growth?”I ask.
There’s a meditative silence among the trio, who cast a look at one another in search of consensus. Sho runs his hand through his hair as Junki does, while Ren lowers his gaze to contemplate before suggesting, “Takumi,” which results in nods of agreement. “[Takumi] is always having the most fun on stage, and artistically he is very authentic, not trying too hard and just being himself,” Sho observes. “How he performs has changed drastically.”
Takumi, once a baseball player and buggy engineer, was one of the least experienced members under the lights, but now he dazzles as a well-rounded performer. “He’s in love with himself,” Ren adds jokingly, provoking another wave of laughs. “But only on stage because he’s usually shy,” Sho clarifies. They also mention Issei Mamehara (or Mame, as they fondly call him). Although still a teenager at the time of JO1’s debut, he showed great potential out of the gate. “Mame has chilled out quite a bit,” Ren notes. “He’s the youngest member, but he’s been in movies and dramas and has had solo performances. He has gone through so many different experiences, and he’s more relaxed now.”
Achieving this present state has been a long, steady journey. And with countless hours of rehearsals, pushing themselves to the limit, and pouring their hearts into it daily, the rewards have come. From renting practice studios around Tokyo to eventually owning one, from performing without audiences during the pandemic to their first tours and headlining concerts at the massive Kyocera Dome in Osaka.
That’s why their latest extended play embodies their stride, revealing the tomorrow that lies beyond the skyline. The path may be unpredictable, but it’s always worth pursuing.
“We have gradually built our careers,” Sho says. “It wasn’t like a life-changing smash hit that changed our lives, but more like with every song we’ve released, we’ve gotten one step better.”
This spirit runs through B-sides like “Cross the line,” “Maybe Next Time,” and “Believe in You,” communicating messages of resilience and hope. However, there’s also the ambiguity of “ICY,” which, in Sho’s words, breaks away from the usual tone embedded in JO1’s discography. (He also shares that this song is the closest to his heart due to the challenges it presented.) “The story behind it is about someone you were in love with, and you get turned off because of how they [behave],” Sho explains. “The choreography and everything is very different from what we’ve done — not necessarily weird, but a little bit more mysterious.”
Everything intersects in the lead single “Where Do We Go,” a composition dotted with playful whistles that conjure a sense of uplifting freedom, capturing the record’s pulse. “Hey, let me know / Where should I go?” they sing in the opening verses. “I’ll leave that to the wind / until a more colorful future / Okay, I’ll make it in my own style.” It’s only fitting that some of the first performances of this song took place in new frontiers for JO1 — at KCON Germany in Frankfurt, marking their debut on European soil.
The group’s set was met with enthusiasm (according to Junki, “we didn’t practice” — he quips, but in reality, the preparatory process took around two weeks), as fans from different countries, many of whom had waited years, finally had the opportunity to see JO1 perform live. “European people are really kind and very welcoming,” Sho says, reflecting on his impressions from the event. “They love music, so there was already an atmosphere of acceptance, and it was really fun for us.”
“The way I see it, the more pressure and the farther we are from home, the better we perform,” he continues. “We need to keep up with the crowd’s passion and be full of energy. Next year, we have our world tour…” Sho then stops mid-thought, noticing the subtle reactions from Junki and Ren, possibly realizing he let slip a small (or not so small) piece of information that, at the time of this chat, was still not publicly known. So, he corrects himself a bit. “If we have a world tour, we must catch up with the feeling and the audience’s vibe. It’s necessary.”
During the inaugural date of their current concert series in Japan, which began in the Kanagawa Prefecture on November 23, JO1 surprised their fans by announcing their highly anticipated world tour JO1DER SHOW 2025: ‘WHEREVER WE ARE.’ The group will visit six major cities – Taipei, Bangkok, Los Angeles, New York, Beijing and Seoul – to expand their global reach.
It will be an encore that ushers in a new phase of their journey, reaffirming that while “Where Do We Go”posits the crossroads and twists of life, JO1 are more grounded than ever. “Now that I’m actually the one providing music as my profession, sometimes it can be a weight on myself under certain pressure,” Junki says.
“But, in the end, what saves me is also music. Nothing has changed, and if anything, [that sentiment] has become a bigger part of myself.”
Right from the start, JO1 has made the phrase “Go To The Top” a cornerstone of their story. It evokes a vast potential; however, as with all things, change often occurs. So, what does it mean right now? A few years ago, Ren expressed it as follows: “It’s about resolve. If you try to cut corners, it makes you look bad. Once you’ve spoken, you can’t back down.” You might have thought that his perspective evolved, but even now, he tells me that his “answer is the same.” They all reiterate it’s about “staying hungry.” “There is no defining place where we feel is the top,” Junki concludes. “We have to continue saying it in the promise that we’ll keep heading towards more, and there is no limit to that.”
Make sure to follow JO1 on Instagram for more updates.
JO1 WORLD TOUR JO1DER SHOW 2025 ‘WHEREVER WE ARE’ TOUR Dates
- FEB 15 – Taipei
- FEB 22 – Bangkok
- MAR 1 – Los Angeles
- MAR 4 – New York
- MAR 23 – Beijing
- MAR 29-30 – Seoul