Hi, I notice you are an American teacher in normal Japanese highschools. Are idols really popular in Japan as the mainstream Japanese press love to tell us?
I don't work in high schools but the kids I worth with are definitely aware of the faces that show up on TV all the time. AKB48, Arashi, Exile, whichever comedians are popular at the moment - the kids will talk about them a lot, even imitate whatever they did on TV the night before.
