Ryōhei Abe is a Japanese idol and a member of the boy band Snow Man, which is managed by Starto Entertainment. He is also known as a weather forecaster. Abe joined the group's six original members when it was formed in 2012 from a unit that had performed in stage plays since 2009. The group made its official debut in January 2020, and Abe has since appeared in its releases and in the live action film Mr. Osomatsu, where he played a character named Close.
Formation of the group
Abe was one of six members of a Snow Man unit that was formed on May 3, 2012, from a larger group that had appeared in the stage play series Takizawa Kabuki since 2010. The members were regularly used as back dancers for senior groups in the company, and they were often praised for their acrobatic skills. Despite this reputation, the group struggled to secure a debut for several years, and it later gained new members in January 2019.
Debut and later work
Snow Man debuted on January 22, 2020, at the same time as SixTones. The group's debut single sold more than 1.8 million physical copies, and its 2021 single Grandeur became the best-selling release of that year in Japan. In 2021, Abe was cast in the live action film Mr. Osomatsu, which premiered on March 25, 2022, as the original character Close.