2PM and 2AM active in Japan this year

The members of 2PM will be releasing their second full Japanese album, “Legend of 2PM,” on Feb. 13. According to representatives at JYP Entertainment, 2PM is also planning to release its third full-length Korean album later this year, which would make it the first Korean release since July 2011.

The boys of 2PM kicked off their 2013 Japan arena tour with opening concerts at the Fukuoka Marine Messe on Friday and Saturday evening. This tour will include 13 concerts throughout Japan, including in Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo and Sapporo, and is expected to attract more than 150,000 Japanese fans. 

The group will also host a two-day solo concert at the famous Tokyo Dome in the spring, April 20 and 21. These two shows alone are also expected to bring in another 100,000 fans, the JYP representatives said.

2PM agency mate 2AM is also attempting to make its mark in Japan. On Jan. 9, the members of the K-pop ballad group released their first full-length Japanese album, titled “The Voice.” Upon its release, the album was ranked No. 1 on Japan’s Tower Records Album Chart, along with ranking at the third spot on the Oricon Chart.

With the success of their debut Japanese album, the four members of 2AM are continuing their promotions in Japan by performing at the “Beat Connection” concert later this month.

“Beat Connection” is a two-day concert event featuring some of Japan’s most popular hip-hop and R&B artists. 2AM will be performing a cover of Japanese R&B artist Toshinobu Kubota’s single, titled “Missing.”

The members of 2AM will also perform a half-hour stage set that was produced by Kubota himself. The concert will be held from Jan. 26 to 27 at the Yokohama Arena. The K-pop rookie idol group Nu’Est will also be performing on opening night.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)