Editing SMAP (section)

===1986–1991: Formation===
In 1986, [[Masahiro Nakai]] (age 14), auditioned to enter [[Johnny & Associates]], a Japanese talent agency that recruits and trains young boys, preteens to teens, to become singers and members of boy bands. Later, in 1987, [[Takuya Kimura]] (age 15), [[Goro Inagaki]] (age 14), [[Katsuyuki Mori]] (age 13), [[Tsuyoshi Kusanagi]] (age 13), and [[Shingo Katori]] (age 10) auditioned individually and joined the agency. In Autumn 1987, twenty boys, from ages ten to seventeen, were put together into a group called The Skate Boys, which was initially created as backup dancers for a famous boy band, [[Hikaru Genji (band)|Hikaru Genji]].<ref name="smap_bio" /> In April 1988, producer [[Johnny Kitagawa]] chose six out of the twenty boys to create a new boy band and named them "SMAP".<ref>{{cite web|title=SMAPの前身「スケートボーイズ」に所属していた豪華メンバーたち|url=http://www.excite.co.jp/News/entertainment_g/20150826/Taishu_17130.html|website=Excite News|publisher=Nikkan Taishu|access-date=August 26, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127041002/http://www.excite.co.jp/News/entertainment_g/20150826/Taishu_17130.html|archive-date=January 27, 2017}}</ref>

While the group continued to work as backup dancers for Hikaru Genji, they spent their early years as actors and television personalities. In 1988, they starred in a weekly variety program, ''Watto Atsumare'', with [[Masataka Itsumi]] and [[Cha Kato]] and appeared regularly until the program ended several months later.<ref>{{cite web|title=武器はテレビ。SMAP怒涛の27時間に挑む|url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/14072627h_pr/|website=27時間テレビ|publisher=Fuji Television|access-date=July 26, 2014}}</ref> In 1989, they started to host their own music show, ''Uta no Big Fight'' and ''Pop City X'', as well as appearing regularly on a variety program, ''Idol Kyowakoku'', from 1989 to 1991.<ref>{{cite web|title=出演者が豪華すぎる!アイドル共和国を支えたレギュラー陣!|url=https://middle-edge.jp/articles/Xg6Eq|website=ミドルエッジ|access-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref> In 1988, SMAP made their acting debut in a drama television series, ''Abunai Shonen III'', playing themselves as the main role.<ref>{{cite web|title=あぶない少年III|url=http://www.tvdrama-db.com/drama_info/p/id-24785|website=テレビドラマデータベース|access-date=September 14, 2015}}</ref> Their first self-titled variety program, ''SMAP no Gakuen Kids'', aired from 1990 to 1991.<ref>{{cite web|title=SMAP、18年ぶりにテレ東出演 デビュー当初の映像大放出|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2034621/full/|website=Oricon Style|access-date=March 1, 2014}}</ref>