GENIC, a 7-member co-ed dance and vocal group

Seven years walking together as a group of seven, with GENImin, we will see sights we have yet to see.

GENIC, a 7-member co-ed dance and vocal group
Atsuki Masuko, Tei Nishizawa, Sho Amemiya, Mao Nishimoto, Mariya Kanaya, Ryuki Koike, Yurari Ui

■ Profile
This seven-member co-ed dance and vocal group was formed in 2019 and made their major debut in 2020, following the a-genic PROJECT, a new group development project that inherits the DNA of avex.
Last November 2025, marking their 5th anniversary since their debut, they held "GENIC 5th Anniversary Live at Nippon Budokan," and from April 2026, they completed their largest-ever tour, "GENIC LIVE TOUR 2026 -TIMES-," consisting of 13 performances in 9 cities nationwide. Looking ahead, they are planning to release a new trilogy of songs digitally, and will hold "GENIC LIVE TOUR 2027" from January 2027, visiting 24 performances in 6 cities nationwide.

GENIC toured the country for about five months starting in April of this year.“GENIC LIVE TOUR 2026 -TIMES-”Through their largest-scale challenge to date and their first conceptual stage, the seven members shared their experiences of growth, their bond with GENImin, and, as they celebrate their 7th anniversary, spoke about GENIC's strengths and the future they aim for.

■Looking back on "GENIC LIVE TOUR 2026 -TIMES-", what are your thoughts?

Kanaya: It went by so quickly. The fans' reactions were different in each region, and I think I enjoyed it even more because we had the wonderful opportunity to reflect on the tour while having dinner together after each performance.

Nishizawa: This was GENIC's biggest tour ever, so it was a huge challenge for us. To be honest, we weren't able to sell out every show, so there are some things we're disappointed about. But I also think that the experience we had together, including that, will be beneficial for our future activities, and it made me want to see the venues completely filled with our fans. This tour made us feel even more determined to work hard together as GENIC from now on.

Masuko: This tour started in April of this year, and since it's a long tour, we've been going out to eat together more than ever before... Also, this might be something I shouldn't say, but...

Everyone: What is it? What is it?

Masuko: The male members gather in a hotel room... Isn't that against the law?

Everyone: That's great! (laughs)

Masuko: Because of that (laughs), I think this tour was a chance for us all, including the fans, to raise the level of our bond as a whole.

Koike: This was our first tour since the "GENIC 5th Anniversary Live at Nippon Budokan." I think it was a tour where we were able to carefully consider what we wanted to do in terms of creating live shows in the future, while making use of what we learned and what we reflected on.

Amemiya: Even if we use the same setlist on tour, there are things that can only be expressed on that particular day, and the audience changes depending on the region, so I feel like we were cherishing the "present moment" even more on this tour.
Furthermore, I felt an even greater sense of care, passion, and gratitude towards our fans during this tour, and I think the sense of unity between us and GENImin (the name of our fans) has grown even stronger. This tour made me feel that I want to continue this positive cycle and expand the bonds and connections with even more people.

Nishimoto: This time, instead of a tour to promote an album, it was our first tour where we focused on a concept, so we had a lot of anxieties about how it would turn out. But with each performance, all the members' understanding of the concept and setlist deepened, and we felt like the range of expression we could do expanded. Also, I think it was a tour where we really felt the exchange of energy with everyone.

Ui: This time, there was a song on the tour that was allowed to be filmed for the first time. GENImin shared the videos that were filmed on various social media platforms, so I think it really strengthened the feeling that we were "doing the tour together." The atmosphere and vibe were different in each city, but I think there was a warmth that was common throughout the tour, and it was a five-month period where I thought, "I'm so glad GENImin was GENImin."

■Please tell us about the unique strengths and appeal of GENIC that you felt throughout the tour.

Kanaya: On this tour, I realized that having strong individual personalities is our strength. Each person has a completely different character, and I think that the aspects we ourselves find appealing, as well as the aspects others see as appealing, are all strengths. I feel that if we continue to understand each other's strengths and work together going forward, we can become an even bigger and more brilliant team.

Nishizawa: As you can probably tell from what we've been talking about, there are a lot of members who seem reliable but aren't really (laughs). I think that's our strength. People who are too perfect on the surface can be hard to approach or get along with. Of course, they have their reliable sides, but when they're MCing, they'll talk about really silly things with such enthusiasm (laughs). I think this gap is what makes GENIC so great.

Masuko: I think one of our strengths is that we have a lot of kind and considerate people. There are a lot of harsh people out there (laughs), so I hope the members of GENIC will continue to be the kind people they are. In terms of performance, when all seven of us dance together, it creates a sense of depth and dimension, so I think that's a unique strength of our mixed-gender group.

■You will be celebrating your 7th anniversary this November. Please tell us the secret to how you've been able to continue your activities without a single member leaving.

Koike: We've been through a lot, but I think the reason we've been able to keep going is because, in a good way, we don't interfere with each other too much, and we all have a good sense of distance from one another while still maintaining our own individual strengths. When the seven of us are together, we shine as a group of seven, and when we're working on individual projects, each of us is incredibly powerful. I think that's the secret to why we've been able to work together as a group of seven.

Amamiya: We have a lot of discussions. After each show on this tour, we had a discussion, and we were able to create a space where we could all honestly express what we were thinking, and I realized how important that is. Having been together for about seven years, I understand how difficult it is to keep a group going, and because each of the seven of us has our own way of thinking, if we don't share those thoughts properly, we'll end up clashing. I think we're able to stay together as a group of seven because we've been able to come up with answers to "what should we do from now on" by sharing our opinions and moving forward.

Ui: I think it's because everyone has kindness at their core. As we were just talking about, we've had a lot of discussions. Even when our opinions clash, we're all conscious of how we say things and when we communicate, taking the other person's feelings into consideration. Because we all have kindness, even when we have big arguments, we never end up saying, "I don't want to work with you anymore," and we've been able to continue our activities together for so long.

■Please tell us your next goal.

Nishimoto: The GENIC LIVE TOUR 2027 will begin in January of next year. We will be touring various locations and releasing new songs along the way, and we want to go back to basics and confront the questions of what we can deliver to the world now, who we are, and what we can leave behind.
Through this "GENIC LIVE TOUR 2026 -TIMES-", I truly felt that I want to reach the dome with all the members and GENImin, without a single person missing. The dome is just one example; I want to see many more different sights with these members and GENImin in the future.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 29, 2026 by Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University

The bond forged between GENIC and GENImin on their largest tour to date showcased an electrifying stage performance.

On August 29th, the seven-member co-ed dance and vocal group GENIC held their "GENIC LIVE TOUR 2026 -TIMES-" at SGC HALL ARIAKE. This report covers the first day of their Tokyo performance.

Since April of this year, the group has been touring the country with their largest-ever hall tour, consisting of 13 performances in 9 cities. The tour's theme is "TIMES," as indicated in its subtitle.
This time, the content is particularly conceptual, with a story in which the "Shining Stone" that GENImin (the name for the fans) gave them after their Budokan concert last year is stolen by an evil organization, and the seven members of GENIC who are searching for the Shining Stone are falsely accused and imprisoned.

As the house lights dimmed, GENIC appeared behind a sheer curtain covering the stage, dressed in orange prisoner uniforms, to the applause and cheers of the audience.

The live show kicked off with "THE TIMES," a powerful song that symbolizes the current state of GENIC, and which was produced by Tei Nishizawa specifically for this tour, utilizing projection mapping.
With Atsuki Masuko's shout of "Shout, Tokyo!", the energy in the venue instantly soared, leading into "Locus".

The atmosphere changed dramatically with the next song, "New Game!!," as the call-and-response section energized the crowd and united the entire venue.

During "BURNIN' BURNIN'," the seven members' energy levels rose along with the use of lighters and flames in the performance.
At this point, news was broadcast, and a set featuring Trump and a bed appeared. In "My Baby," the performance by Mariya Kanaya and Yurari Ui created a different atmosphere from the previous excitement and captivated the audience.

Next, the stage transformed into a bar atmosphere, and they launched into "STEP BY STEP!!". Masuko's cry of "We'll work even harder, so keep up with us!" was met with a chorus of "Keep going!!" from the audience. It was a heartwarming moment that showed the bond between GENIC and GENImin, and how they will surely soar to even greater heights.

After "IT'S SHOWTIME," a song in the middle of the live performance where filming was permitted, the tension suddenly eased during the MC segment, and a relaxed atmosphere prevailed.
After the MC segment, they performed "GradatioN" and "MOON LIGHT," and with a change in costumes, the atmosphere on stage completely transformed again as they moved on to "U&I." The singing of Atsuki Masuko, Tei Nishizawa, Sho Amemiya, Mao Nishimoto, and Ryuki Koike shone brightly.

In the following song, "Running into the Moonlight," Kanaya and Ui take the lead, and Masuko, Nishizawa, Amemiya, Nishimoto, and Koike gradually gather around them. These seven have walked this path together for about seven years without a single member missing. Their presence conveyed the feeling that "this is GENIC."

Then, they moved from "SUN COMES UP" to the MC segment. The members' lighthearted banter elicited laughter from the audience, and a warm atmosphere spread across the stage. The audience was filled with smiles as they watched the members' genuine personalities shine through during the MC segment.

After the MC segment, they moved into a medley section starting with the upbeat "Jirijiri SUMMER." The members' images were captured on security cameras, entertaining the audience.

They twirled towels during "LifE!!", followed by "We Gotta Move" and "Blue Sky", and then, after Koike shouted, "Tomorrow's the final, so we're not going to conserve our energy, right?", they launched into "Shaky Shaky".

For "Unstoppable," the final song of the main set, the audience raised their penlights, uniting the venue as one. The stage and the audience became one, and amidst the excitement, the words "Thank you GENImin" were projected, bringing the main set to a close.

After the main performance ended, the call for an encore, "GENIC!!", rang out. In response, the seven members reappeared to the tune of "PARADE!!", and a huge cheer erupted from the audience. Their strong bond was evident as they jumped off the stage and ran through the audience.

During the following MC segment, Kanaya, representing GENIC, reflected on the tour.
Kanaya puts into words what he received from GENImin throughout the tour that began in April.
"I've been thinking about what I want everyone to take home with them, and I think the most important thing is joy," she said, adding with conviction, "As Mariya of GENIC, I want to do my best to raise everyone's joy and happiness levels as much as possible."
He then added, "There's one person I want to thank the most. The first person that came to mind was our fans. There were also the team staff, etc. But when I thought about who it really was, I realized it was definitely the members. I want to express my gratitude to all of you for being in GENIC without a single person missing, so please watch." He then called the members over and expressed his gratitude to them.

Masuko then said, "Unlike Mariya, I'm the complete opposite; I'm the type who just charges ahead with the attitude that if things are good now, everything is fine. Because of that, there's a lot I can learn from her, and if we can push each other to improve, I think we can go all the way to the end of our dreams together," which drew laughter from the audience.

Nishizawa also said, "I used to be the type of person who couldn't understand the idea that 'if things are good now, everything is fine,' but I think if you only look up, you'll forget what you're seeing now," and expressed his gratitude to the members, saying, "You can't be happy without both the ability to aim higher and the ability to be content with the present. GENIC has a good balance of both, so I felt that the seven of us are one unit."

Then, they expressed their gratitude to GENImin once again, and performed "Mawarimichi" in a venue filled with a warm atmosphere.

In the final song, "Gyutto," the seven members huddled together, embracing one another.

After the song ended, Masuko shouted to the members, "Let's never forget this view, each and every one of you GENImin, and all the staff and everyone involved. Let's never forget this view, and let's definitely become successful!!"
At that moment, GENImin could be seen in the audience with tears in his eyes.
It sounded like a strong determination to continue moving forward as a group of seven, carrying with them all the time they've spent together so far. The weight of their shared memories was also evident in GENImin's gaze as he watched the seven of them. And the way these seven looked straight ahead to the future, saying, "Let's definitely become successful," made me feel that they are going to even bigger places in the future.

He further added, "I want to bring more smiles to each and every one of your faces, so I hope we can continue to enjoy this together next year, and for 100 years... no, even 1000 years!" This was met with loud cheers.

And finally, he called out, "Please repeat what we said!" and then added, "This tour, which started in April," "is now," and "is about to come to an end."

"Every region was great," "but today was the best!" As the excitement in the venue reached its peak, he said, "And tomorrow," "we'll put an end to this tour," "and we won't have the luxury of enjoying ourselves more than we did today!" to which the other members retorted, "You should enjoy it!" and the venue erupted in laughter.
He vowed, "I'll do it even if my body falls apart tomorrow," and "I'm going to have fun!" He then expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much to everyone who came today! And to everyone at GENIC!"

The members bowed deeply and left the stage. Finally, Nishimoto bowed deeply alone, and the audience gave him a big round of applause.

And so, the first day of the Tokyo performance of "GENIC LIVE TOUR 2026 -TIMES-," which GENIC and GENImin had been running together since April, came to a close.

Student Newspaper Online, August 29, 2026 Interview with Akari Yoshimatsu, 4th year student at Musashino University

Haruna Shoji (4th year, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences) / Hinano Shinoda (3rd year, Tokyo Kasei University) / Rurika Abe (3rd year, Showa Women's University) / Yurie Watanabe (3rd year, Josai International University) / Mayuna Yoshimatsu (4th year, Musashino University) / Reina Inomoto (1st year, Kyoto University of the Arts)