KinKi Kids (DOMOTO)

Overview

KinKi Kids is a Japanese male idol duo made up of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto. They were the first duo in the history of Johnny & Associates and the first group made up entirely of members from the Kinki (Kansai) region. Both were born in 1979, though Koichi, born January 1, is one school year above Tsuyoshi. Despite sharing the surname Domoto, they are not related. On July 21, 2025, the group changed its name to DOMOTO. Their record label is ELOV-Label. With more than 30 million physical copies sold, they are among the best-selling acts in Japan, and they hold Guinness World Records for consecutive No.1 singles since debut.

Career

Formation (1991-1993)

The two met on May 5, 1991 at a Hikaru Genji concert at Yokohama Arena, both having been entered into the agency by resumes their older sisters had sent in. In 1992 they were first featured in Myojo magazine as "new students from Kansai." Before getting an official name they were called Johnny's Kansai Group, Domoto Brothers and W Domoto, and were introduced as "Kanzai Boya" on the 43rd Kohaku Uta Gassen on December 31, 1992 as SMAP's backup dancers. On April 4, 1993, on the first episode of Kiss Shita? SMAP, Masahiro Nakai announced the name "KinKi Kids."

Breakthrough (1994-1996)

In 1994 they co-starred in the drama Ningen Shikkaku, and on December 31, 1994 held their first concert at the Nippon Budokan. In 1996 the music show LOVE LOVE Aishiteru began; guided by Takuro Yoshida and Koyunosuke Sakazaki of THE ALFEE, they learned guitar, and the connections they built with musicians strongly influenced their later music. Several new regular programs launched in October 1996, and at that year's Kohaku Uta Gassen they appeared as supporting guests for Masahiko Kondo, singing the opening of "Midnight Shuffle."

1997-1999: Debut and million-sellers

On May 29, 1997 their debut was announced as the first artist of the new label Johnny's Entertainment; the promotional campaign, with the press conference shown on five big screens around Tokyo, cost about 30 million yen. On July 21, 1997 they debuted with the single "Garasu no Shonen" and the album A album, both of which entered Oricon at No.1 and became million-sellers. The single sold 1.78 million copies according to Oricon (2.62 million shipped), breaking a 26-year-old debut-single record held by Rumiko Koyanagi, and ranked second on the 1997 annual chart. It was also chosen as the entrance march of the 70th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament in 1998.

In August 1997 they hosted 24-Hour Television. "Aisareru Yori Aishitai" (1.64 million), "Zenbu Dakishimete/Ao no Jidai" (1.16 million) and "Flower" (1999) made four million-selling singles, and in shipments they topped one million for 11 consecutive singles. Together with TOKIO and V6 they formed the charity group J-FRIENDS, active until March 2003, whose releases all hit No.1. From December 31, 1998 they began holding New Year's Tokyo Dome concerts. They appeared as special guests at the 50th Kohaku Uta Gassen in 1999 with "Flower." With their 9th single "Suki ni Natteku Aishiteku" (March 2000), they became the first Japanese idols to top the Oricon chart with a self-written and self-composed song.

2000s-2010s

The duo's first Asian tour, in Taiwan and Hong Kong, took place in 2000. Both pursued solo careers alongside the group: Koichi in theater, notably the SHOCK series from 2000, and Tsuyoshi as a singer-songwriter after his 2002 solo debut. On January 1, 2002, during a Tokyo Dome concert, they announced that their streak of 13 consecutive No.1 singles had been certified by Guinness, making them the first Japanese artists listed in the music category; the record kept growing. "Ai no Katamari" (lyrics by Tsuyoshi, music by Koichi), included on the 2001 single "Hey! Minna Genki ka?", took first place in a fan vote on the 2007 best album 39. In December 2004 they released "Anniversary" with the best album KinKi Single Selection II, hitting No.1 on both charts. For their 10th anniversary in 2007 they issued the best album 39.

By January 1, 2015 their Tokyo Dome year-end concerts had totaled 51, a record for a solo act. In 2016 they made their official first appearance at the 67th Kohaku Uta Gassen, singing "Garasu no Shonen," and released N album (September) and the single "Michi wa Tezukara Yume no Hana" (November). In 2017, their 20th anniversary, they released Ballad Selection (January), "The Red Light" (July) and the fourth best album The BEST (December 6), their 19th No.1 album; in June, Tsuyoshi disclosed his battle with sudden hearing loss. The January 24, 2018 single "Topaz Love / DESTINY" was their first self-written single in a while, and "Aitai, Aitai, Aenai." (December 19, 2018, written and composed by Toshinobu Kubota) made 40 consecutive No.1 singles since debut, surpassing Westlife's record. By December 2018 they had released 40 singles and 20 albums, with roughly 30 million copies sold. "Hikari no Kehai" followed in December 2019.

2020s

In 2020 they joined Twenty★Twenty, a limited unit formed under the Smile Up! Project, with solo parts on the August single "smile." The 42nd single "KANZAI BOYA," written and composed by Tsuyoshi, came out on June 17, 2020 and extended their No.1 streak to 42, followed by O album in December; 13 works including solo concerts were exclusively streamed on Amazon Prime from October. They released "Un/Pair" (July 2021), "Kojunndo romance" (March 2022) and "Amazing Love" (July 2022). Their official YouTube channel opened on July 17, 2022, with a live stream from the Tokyo Dome seats watched by more than 180,000 viewers. On December 31, 2022 they appeared at the 73rd Kohaku Uta Gassen for the second time, six years after their first, with a surprise message from Tatsuro Yamashita, composer of "Garasu no Shonen" and "Amazing Love." For their 25th anniversary on January 18, 2023 they released "The Story of Us" and made 54 title songs available on TikTok. In December 2023 came P album and the single "Schrodinger."

Tsuyoshi left SMILE-UP. (formerly Johnny & Associates) at the end of March 2024, but the duo announced it would continue; the old fan club closed on April 30. On December 31, 2024, after a concert at Kyocera Dome Osaka, they announced on a YouTube live stream that they would change their name to DOMOTO around summer 2025. On May 5, 2025, 356 songs were made available on streaming and download services, and "Ai no Katamari" and The BEST reached No.1 on Oricon's weekly digital rankings. On July 21, 2025 they announced the change on a 28th-anniversary live stream and became DOMOTO at 24:51 (12:51 a.m. on July 22), a wordplay on Tsuyoshi and Koichi, opening the new fan club at the same time. Their single "Mata ne" (May 5, 2026) made 48 consecutive No.1 debuts. On July 21, 2026 the group's agent contract with STARTO ENTERTAINMENT ended and they became independent, with Koichi retaining an individual agent contract; the official website opened on July 22.

Musical style

Rooted in J-POP and kayokyoku, the duo has recorded a wide range of songs, including signature works composed by Tatsuro Yamashita. Both write their own material, but since launching full-fledged solo careers they mostly release their own compositions on solo works, so original songs under the group name are relatively few. Koichi mainly composes and Tsuyoshi writes more of the lyrics. Learning guitar on LOVE LOVE Aishiteru and their friendships with many musicians had a major influence on their music.