Editing SMAP (section)

===1996–1997: ''SMAP×SMAP'', Lonvaca phenomenon, Mori's departure, and "Shake"===
{{Main|SMAP×SMAP}}
On March 3, 1996, they released their eighth album, ''SMAP 008 Tacomax'', which peaked at No. 2, with over 500,000 copies sold. Singles "Munasawagi wo Tanomuyo" and "Hadaka no Osama" both peaked at No. 2 on the charts and was certified double Platinum. "Hadaka no Osama" became Mori's last single before his departure from the group. The band released another album, ''SMAP 009'', on August 12, which reached number one. From March to April, they held their last tour as a six-piece.

On April 15, 1996, SMAP launched their self-titled variety show, ''[[SMAP×SMAP]]'', commonly known as "SmaSma" (suma-suma), which was their first program on a prime-time slot.<ref>{{cite web|title=SMAP×SMAP|url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/smapsmap/index.html|website=Fuji TV|access-date=November 10, 2015}}</ref> Along with the band's ability to entertain and their humorous personalities, the distinct format of the program received widespread critical praise.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} The show quickly gained high ratings, as it topped the rankings of annual household share ratings, dominating other existing popular programs. Consisting with an interview/cooking-based segment "Bistro SMAP", sketch comedy series, games, and musical performances by the group and with other musical guests, the program has had countless guests from around the world and is known for being the show with the widest range of guests in Japanese television history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shoji|first=Kaori|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20010829a2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605231945/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20010829a2.html|archive-date=June 5, 2011|title=SMAP: the hardest working easygoing 'boys' in show business|date=August 29, 2001|publisher=[[The Japan Times]]|access-date=August 18, 2016}}</ref> The show ranked No. 1 in the annual household share ratings in 1996, 1997, 1999 – 2002, 2006, and 2016 making it the most watched television show in Japan. The episode aired in January 2002 is currently ranked No. 7 for the most watched Japanese variety show in history, with 34.2&nbsp;million viewers. It is the eighth longest-running prime-time television program in Japan and [[Fuji Television]]'s second longest-running prime-time television program, as of 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=ビデオリサーチ|url=http://www.videor.co.jp/|website=Video Research Ltd.|access-date=August 16, 2016}}</ref>

From April to June 1996, Nakai, Kimura, and Katori each landed a role on a drama television series. Nakai played the main role in ''Shori no Megami'', Kimura in ''[[Long Vacation]]'', and Katori in ''Tomei Ningen''. All three series were successful and gained high ratings. Among the three, Kimura's ''Long Vacation'', which aired Monday nights, became a major success and a social phenomenon. Magazines and other media stated that, "women disappear from the city on Mondays", pointing out the large viewership and how intoxicating the show was for women in Japan. After Kimura playing a young pianist, there was a rapid increase of young men who started taking piano lessons. The cultural impact and influences of the show is commonly referred to as the "Lonvaca (ron-bake) phenomenon".<ref>{{cite web|title=2大伝説恋愛ドラマに共通現象！2014年にロンバケ・やまとなでしこに起こることとは？|url=http://news.aol.jp/2014/04/30/tvdrama/|website=Aol News|access-date=April 30, 2014}}</ref> This was also a breakthrough for Kimura as an actor and helped him gain recognition and a more broad fan base.

In May 1996, Mori's departure from the band was announced.<ref name="smap_bio" /> Mori had always wanted to pursue [[Auto Race (Japanese sport)|Auto Race]], a Japanese version of motorcycle speedway, since he was a child. Due to the fact that there was an age limit of twenty-three for students who wanted to attend school for Auto Race, Mori left the band aged 22. On May 27, a special episode on ''SMAP×SMAP'', dedicated to Mori, was created and aired SMAP's last performance as a six-piece. Nakai said that he had an emotional breakdown after Mori's leave, not wanting to continue as a five-piece, fearing that their popularity will plummet and that he wished for a breakup.<ref>{{cite web|title=中居正広「森くんが辞めた時は...」解散危機を明かす|url=http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/1554821.html|website=Nikkan Sports|access-date=October 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=「辛いことしかなかった」。SMAP・中居、初めての5人旅で涙したワケを語る。|url=http://news.aol.jp/2014/04/30/tvdrama/|website=Excite News|access-date=April 21, 2013}}</ref>

On July 13 and 14, 1996, they hosted the annual twenty-seven-hour long television special, ''FNS 27 Hour Television''. On July 15, 1996, the band released their single, "Aoi Inazuma", the first material released after Mori's departure, which reached number one on the charts. Their subsequent single, "Shake" was released in November, also reaching number one. These two songs were both certified triple platinum and became the band's fifth and fourth best selling single, respectively. "Shake" has surpassed one million copies in terms of shipments. From July to August, they held their second stadium tour, ''Chomugendaisho'', which was the first tour after Mori's departure.

On January 3, 1997, SMAP starred in a TV movie, ''Boku ga Boku de Aru Tame ni''. In February 1997, they released their single, "Dynamite", which peaked at No. 3 in the charts and became the band's eighth best selling single. In May 1997, they released their twenty-fifth single, "Celery", which was a cover of a song first released by singer-songwriter [[Masayoshi Yamazaki]] in 1996. Although Yamazaki's original version did not turn out to be a success, the cover version by SMAP peaked at No. 2 and was certified double Platinum. The band became a catalyst for the recognition of the song, turning it into one of the most popular songs in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|title=山崎まさよし、SMAP存続に感謝！「セロリ」をファンと大合唱|url=http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/20160218/geo16021805030006-n1.html|website=Sanspo.com|date=February 18, 2016|access-date=February 18, 2016}}</ref> On March 26, 1997, the band released its second compilation album, ''Wool'', which peaked at No. 2.

From April to June 1997, Kusanagi landed a role in a drama television series, ''Ii Hito''. The band's single "Celery" became the theme song for the show. Nakai and Kimura made a cameo appearance on the show. Nakai, Kimura, Inagaki, and Katori had played a main role in a television series and with Kusanagi starring in ''Ii Hito'', all five members had become leading man-class actors.

From July to September 1997, the band headlined their third stadium tour, ''SMAP 1997 Su'', which was released through VHS and DVD on December 17, 1997. On August 6, 1997, the band released their tenth album, ''SMAP 011 Su'', which peaked at No. 3 in the charts and was certified Platinum. From this point on, SMAP changed the pace of their releases from two albums per year to one, due to their busy schedules after experiencing individual success, as actors and television personalities. In September 1997, they released a new single, "Peace", which peaked at No. 2. On December 31, 1997, they performed at the annual music show, ''[[Kohaku Uta Gassen]]'', for the seventh consecutive year. While they appeared as the performer for the previous six years, Nakai became the host of the show, which is the most prestigious job for television personalities. Nakai also hosted the program in 1998 and established himself as a highly regarded host on television.