Average 68.2 Years Old! Total Age of 341! Grandpa Idol Group from Kochi "G-POP from Kochi-ke ALL STARS" Releases Music Video for New All-English Song "I Was Young"

5 grandpas plan to rock worldwide! Spreading the message to the world that "Life is Fantas-g-c"

*G means “elderly man” in Japanese.

KOCHI, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“G-POP from Kochi-ke ALL STARS” is an idol group of elderly men formed in February 2016. They have been performing to make Japan “Po-g-tive” from Kochi prefecture, that has the second highest percentage of senior population in Japan.

For their first single, “Banzai Old Age!”, the total number of views on YouTube exceeded five hundred thousand, gaining popularity from fans not only in Japan, but also overseas such as in France, Mexico, Thailand, and South Korea. They have created a new genre of Japanese pop called G-POP and it became a hot topic on TV and social media.

Within this second single, members sing and dance to club music in which the lyrics are all in English, and deliver the message that “Life is Fantas-g-c” to the world.

“G-POP from Kochi-ke ALL STARS” members, who are ordinary grandpas usually working as fishermen or Bamboo Union heads, challenge to make it to the world in order to express how splendid it is to age and live positive every second.

Music Video of “I Was Young” released on 24^th February!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkZUwlMXRD4

Lyrics of “I Was Young” by G-POP from Kochi-ke ALL STARS
ABCDEF G-POP HIJKLMNOP G-POP
QRSTUV G-POP WXYZ G-POP

We are G-POP from Japan
Living in Kochi-Ken
Great fish Great river
Great Sake Great girls
This is my heaven

But time passes fast
How old are you?
60 70 80
Oh My God

I was young I was young
I was young I was young
I was strong I was fast
Wow Wow Wow Wow
No No No No

We are G-POP from Japan
Can not speak English
Sky is blue Don't be afraid
Life is great
Throw your phone into the sea

When was my first kiss
When was it
I totally forgot it
Oh My God

I was young I was young
I was young I was young
I was slim I was beautiful
Wow Wow Wow Wow
No No No No

Life is like a rainbow
Life is like fireworks
Life is like a shooting star
It's short But It's here

I am young I am young
I am young I am young
I am happy more than ever
Wow Wow Wow Wow
Because you are here
Wow Wow Wow Wow
Live until 200

ABCDEF G-POP HIJKLMNOP G-POP
QRSTUV G-POP WXYZ G-POP G

Music Video of “I Was Young” by G-POP from Kochi-ke ALL STARS
It doesn’t matter if you’re old! Have fun with everything! Cars and dancing and singing! Full English lyrics! Expressing how ”Life is Fantas-g-c” to the world.
The concept of this music video is “Life is Fantas-g-c”. To change the stereotype of “old people are only relaxing on their backs on the engawa (Japanese balcony-like place)”, they ride convertible cars and dance with the huge Kochi ocean to their backs. The dance was made with ”G” as a motif, and the local specialty goods of Kochi are hidden in few scenes.

Profiles of the “G-POP from Kochi-ke ALL STARS” members
Average age of 68.2! Total age 341!
Japan’s aging society created a new idol group in which members' ages add up to a total of 341 years old. Members all live in Kochi prefecture, that has the second highest percentage of senior population. However, they are never negative about this and this positivity created “G-POP”. The message of the first single was ”Make Japan Po-g-tive (positive)”, and this time “Life is Fantas-G-c (fantastic)”. They spread “ener-g (energy)” through Japan and to the world in spite of their age. Last year, they even held a concert in Kochi.

Chief of sharing delicious food from the sea and mountain
Noriyasu Tanioka (68) (Chairman of Michi no Eki Ohtsuki Fureai Market exhibitor joint council)
Created and works as a chairman of exhibitor joint council of direct sales store "Fureai Market" in Michi no Eki "Ohtsuki". Joined G-POP thinking about promoting the Michi no Eki and Ohtsuki town and the specialties of the town. You can meet the chief every third Sunday at the "Fureai Market".

Leader of enjoying Okushimanto region
Akira Ohtaka (66) (Senior managing director of Nakatosa-cho Kaminokae fisheries cooperative)
Man of the ocean with a cute smile. Managing “Wakashiya” which you can experience the real fishing and fresh delicious food from the beautiful ocean.

President of bamboo shooting union
Iwao Yamamoto (59) (Kochi-shi Nanatsubuchi bamboo shoot processing partnership president)
The youngest member of G-POP. Trying to make rare bamboo brand “Shihouchiku” famous. Bright, frank and endearing personality.

Fisherman who loves Hiougai (Shellfish) too much
Yoshinori Deki (67) (Fisherman of Nakatosa-cho Hiougai)
Has been fishing Hiougai for 34 years after being fascinated by its unique appearance and splendid taste. He is shy but cannot stop talking when it comes to Hiougai.
Igossou *Fisherman *Dialect of Tosa explaining a spirited man

Eternally full marathon runner
Hidetada Yamada (81) (Kitagawa-mura)
Every year, he runs marathons in and out of Kochi even though he passed 80 years old and he has ran through 47 prefectures. Bright, spirited, and wears jeans very well.

Promotion of Kochi-ke in 2016 “Kochi-ke has positive power”
“Kochi-ke” started in 2013 with the slogan “We are one big family in Kochi”. This describes the open-hearted character of the people in the prefecture who appreciate others as one big family.
This is the 4^th year of this promotion, and Kochi-ke is doing NIPPON POSITIVE PROJECT, which aims to make Japan cheerful with the positive power Kochi-ke has, such as food, nature, and people.

Catch Phrase “Kochi-ke has positive power”
When you get depressed, somebody tells me “It's OK”.
We laugh out loud all the time.
We all take care of one’s suffering.
Kochi-ke has positive power.
Now is the time to make Japan positive with Kochi’s food, nature, and family.
There is something Kochi-ke can do for Japan.