Kirito

It was at the age of 22 that Kirito made his debut in PIERROT as one of the guitarists. HIDELOW departed from the band in 1995 following the release of Kikurui Piero, which later saw Kirito taking the position of vocalist.

In 2005, after celebrating their 10th anniversary, the band decided to start parallel solo careers. Kirito also followed suit and began a solo career. His first single Door was released in July of the same year and in the following month his debut album Hameln (which featured KOHTA on bass) was released.

His first releases were undoubtedly a success. Tickets for his live show sold quickly (the tickets for his concert in Tokyo were sold out in less than an hour). It is safe to say that Kirito had not done things by half and surrounded himself by some of the biggest names in the music industry including Marty Friedman (Megadeth) on guitar or Mick Karn (who has worked with the likes of Kate Bush, Midge Ure and Gary Numan) on bass.

Musically, Kirito's solo career resembles the work of PIERROT and that is not the only similarity. In PIERROT, Kirito was not only a lyricist but equally a composer. Nevertheless, his solo career seems to have opened new ways for his music to become more melodic such as the inclusion of violins in certain songs. With the release of the single Period, Kirito collaborated with the Tokyo New City Symphony Orchestra. His solo career also allowed him to play guitar on his albums and at concerts.

On April 12th 2006, Aiji and Jun wanted to quit PIERROT definitively to concentrate on their other careers. Kirito wanted them to postpone their solo careers to concentrate fully on PIERROT which, ultimately, led to PIERROT's disbandment.

By September 2006, Kirito had released four solo singles, an album and a DVD. He had also contributed to the album Tribute to Mr K (an album released in April 2006 paying homage to Nirvana) and was a special guest on the last album by Marty Friedman (released in July 2006).

In August 2006, Kirito formed a new group with his former PIERROT bandmates KOHTA and TAKEO called Angelo. Their first single was released in November 2006. A few years later, the band expanded to a five member band.

At the moment, Kirito is focusing on Angelo. Whether he will or won't ressurect his solo-career, remains to be seen.