Shôta Yasuda

Yasuda entered Johnny Associates in 1997 together with fellow members Ryo Nishikido and Tadayoshi Ōkura Also at the audition was Ryūhei Maruyama As a result these members have been close friends for a long time during their Kansai Jr days even before Kanjani8 was formed Yasudas application had been sent in by his older sister In it she had written that Yasudas specialty was that he could do anything nandemo dekiru In 1999 Yasuda was chosen to be a guitarist for VWEST The Kansai Jr band was popular among Jr fans and had its own show Shuukan VWEST Weekly VWEST on Kansai TV On the show the members usually take part in challenges where they have to pick up a new skill and exhibit it at the end of the show During this time true to his sisters claim Yasuda excelled and first earned his nickname Nandemo dekiruko The kid that can do anything After VWESTs first live at Zepp Osaka in 2001 Yasuda and fellow remaining members Hiroki Uchi vocalist and Ryūhei Maruyama bassist were absorbed to form a new Kansai Jr unit Kanjani8 in 2002 The new unit took over An 8th member Tadayoshi Ōkura was added and assigned to the drums as VWESTs drummer had left Johnnys