Boyz II Men visit Sendai to meet fans, student volunteer workers

3 man? thought there were 4? Boys2Men hisashiburi. Ahhh I remember performing one of their songs at elementary school. Good ol times :)

One left.

Dragged to Tohoku like everyone else. Great PR for them in Japan but when is Japan going to stop this?

Great PR for them in Japan but when is Japan going to stop this?

Why should they? The pain hasn't stopped yet, has it?

shouldn't it be Men-to-Little children now? Boy/girl pop bands..... wow! The McDonalds of musac!

i think they are now called men 2 senior citizen, or more appropriately in j-english, men 2 oyaji..

Makes sense that B2M are in Japan. They released a CD where they cover Japanese pop songs, not too long ago.

You set up quite a few strawmen for me to knock down. First allow me to say, whether you can see it or not, there is still pain and it is recognized and people are trying to help. I cannot understand your need to complain about this. In fact, nothing you wrote contradicts what I wrote. It merely seems to be designed to change the focus of conversation to that which you'd like to talk about. Save it for articles about those issues, huh.

I don't see Thailand, India... all doing the same for their tusnami.

Emphasis on the 'I don't see' as plenty of famous folk went to those places to visit and help out. Former President Clinton, among many others, visited both India and Thailand.

BTW, I don't see many in Japanese crying over the women in Korea who complain about being comfort women either. Perhaps you need your eyesight checked.

Indeed there is Ben. I am not suggesting there isn't. However, I get the feeling Japan is using these people as pawns for sympathy and hopes of more money from others - be it government funding or donations. These famous people are using it as a PR opportunity. Win/win for them but is it a win for the people who are suffering? I don't think it is.

My point exactly - the Japanese aren't giving sympathy to those who are also in pain so... what's good for the gander...

You wrote 'Japan should stop crying'. You meant compaining. I said they were not complaining. Please don't change the topic so much in midstream.

There is nothing wrong with famous people coming to visit victims of the tsunami disaster. Stop trying to make these acts of kindness and this discussion about something that they are not.

It seems you would prefer that everyone ignore the victims because you see other causes that need attention. As I said, try talking about them in discussions that relate to them. Doing it here is like having a meal in a bathtub. It is possible, but does not make much sense.

I thought Boyz 4 Men had gone the way of New Kids on the Block a couple of decades ago?

PS Good on em anyway for lending support!

Educator60,

The article explicitly states that the group said they had wanted to go since March.

Exactly, thumbs up for you. I can never understand why some people have to take a negative perspective on even the most positive of stories.

"Wanted to go" - or saw the PR chances and jumped at them?

Boyz II Men began their career as a quartet, but in recent years the group has become a trio, as the baratone Michael McCary's severe sclerosis has made it impossible for him to meet the travel demands of the group. McCary and the other members mutually agreed that he would leave the group.

Japan is one of the largest music markets in the world outside the US, and the audiences here have always had appreciation for American R&B. So it shouldn't be a surprise that one of the biggest R&B groups in the world would also have a great following. Boyz II Men have been popular in Japan for almost as long as they've been popular in the United States.

Last year they released their second Japanese Pop (J-Pop) cover album, entitled "COVERED -Winter". It featured covers from Utada Hikaru, EXILE, and DREAMS COME TRUE.

Their first cover album, "Winter/Reflections", was released in 2005, and also featured Atsushi of EXILE.

So if anyone is wondering why this group is going around doing positive things for their Japanese fans, I hope this gives you a better understanding.

Who gives a crap! These sympathetic "famous" folks (Tom Cruse, B2M, Brad Pitt........... and the list goes on) are ALL doing it to further THEIR image. They dont really care about Fukushima or anything related, it gives them exposure adn a bump in WHATEVER they are selling. PERIOD!

If it was a pure jesture it would not be tied to the lated movie release, CD or WHATEVER they are PROMOTING!!!!!!

WAKE UP!

boyz to men going on, not too soft not too strong....smooth harmony!

Hurray for 90s artists, people from an age when music was still good.

You all need to do some research! Boyz II Men have been doing great charity work for years and years, including the Boyz II Men House and paying to open a burn center. They have ALWAYS been about giving back, and they love Japan! Follow Shawn Stockman on Twitter as well as the group, and you'll see nothing but love from them. I've followed the group all twenty years they've been in the business, and they never stop speaking the praises of Japan and how much they love the people and culture. It's no surprise to me they wanted to travel to Tohoku. They were not dragged - they are grown men. Not senior citizens, like some have suggested. You might want to pick up their new album, Twenty, and judge for yourself. These guys have more talent in their pinky toe than most of the artists out today because they can really SING. Their live show is amazing, and they can still outdance most 20-year-olds. Sounds like a lot of you don't know they still do about 150 shows a year, and oh, have you seen The Sing Off? Boyz II Men are alive and VERY well. American audiences, true to form, are fickle and just plain mean. Boyz II Men still have a HUGE and loyal following in Japan. They sell out shows every time they're there.

Jeepers, some people are over the top today. If I was famous, I'd want to go to cheer people up with by using my famousness. Then, I would give money and support as much as I could. Just taking my famous self there helps keep the victims and ongoing disaster in the public eye, and that would be my best gift and use of my famousness. So enough of the snipes at famous people. They are doing the right thing by visiting. What have you done?