KAT-TUN was formed in 2001 with members Kazuya Kamenashi and Jin Akanishi as the lead vocalists, and supporting singers Koki Tanaka, who writes and performs the rapped lyrics, Yuichi Nakamaru, Junnosuke Taguchi and Tatsuya Ueda. The band name was chosen as an acronym of the member's last names.
Prior to their formation, the members were in other Johnny's Jr. groups, however in 2001, the music program "Pop Jam" was in need of back-up dancers, and the six Junior members chosen by Koichi Domoto of Kinki Kids were none other than the members of KAT-TUN. While the arrangement was initially meant to be temporary, due to their surge in popularity, the unit became permanent.
KAT-TUN's future shined brightly as early as 2002, when they held their first concert, Okyakusama wa Kamisama - Concert 55man nin Ai no request ni Kotaete, after receiving overwhelming requests. As a result, KAT-TUN has broken records not only within their own record label but within Japan, as they were the first band on Johnny's Entertainment to hold a concert before an official debut, and in 2002 they held eleven performances in a single day, breaking Japan's standing record.
Even without their formal debut, KAT-TUN continued to grow more popular and between 2003 and 2004 they not only released a photo book, KAT-TUN 1st in New York, and performed on Music Station, but they also released two DVDs, one of which topped Oricon's charts as the best selling in 2005. The DVD Live Kaizokuban's popularity continued into 2006, when they won the best music video of the year award at the Japan Gold Disk Awards.
Kamenashi's debut came a year before the rest of his band mates in 2005, when he released Seishun Amigo with fellow Johnny's member Tomohisa Yamashita under the name Shuji to Akira. The release became the #1 single in Japan, skyrocketing not only Kamenashi's popularity but the hype for KAT-TUN's upcoming debut the next year.
KAT-TUN's official debut was March 22, 2006, with not only the release of their first single, Real Face, but a full album entitled Best of KAT-TUN. Their first debut show was held at Tokyo Dome on March 17th, and shortly after their start date, they went on their first full tour that ran through the spring and included 40 dates. In October, Jin Akanishi went on hiatus from the band to study abroad, but despite his absence, the band remained busy during the remainder of the year and between touring, released two additional singles as well as two DVDs.
Akanishi returned to the band in April of 2007, surprising fans by making an appearance at the final show during their spring tour. After his return, the band continued with the same fervor as the previous year, releasing their second album, Cartoon KAT-TUN II You and two singles. Akanishi and Taguchi also starred in the drama "Yukan Club" in which their single Keep the Faith made its debut nationally in November and won the award for the best theme song at the 17th TV Life Drama Awards. As a result of their hard work, KAT-TUN stole the heart of the Japan Gold Disk Awards in 2007 and landed six awards for their releases, including best single and best music video of the year. The band stayed busy in 2008 not only with individual music activities, but touring and new releases, finishing the year out with a new single.
The members of KAT-TUN are keeping more than a full schedule in 2009, and along with an abundance of TV appearances and acting opportunities, the band is hosting a radio show on Mondays and Wednesdays. Nakamaru starred in the winter drama "Rescue," which aired in January. Subsequentally, KAT-TUN released two new singles, ONE DROP and Rescue in February and March, respectively.
On April 29, the band debuted their new album, Break the Records, which was available in two versions. Afterward, the boys took a well deserved break before resuming live activities on May 15th, where they broke another record in Japan by playing for eight days straight at Tokyo Dome, while adding two more dates for a total of ten due to the overwhelming demand. The band sold out all 440,000 seats for the tour in less than 24 hours. In June, KAT-TUN performed the theme song for the drama "Mr. Brain," and began their summer tour shortly thereafter, before wrapping up the year with a number of TV and movie appearances.
While the early months of 2010 were slow, KAT-TUN quickly picked up the pace with the release of a new single and the announcement of their tour schedule. Fans were surprised to hear that the band would hold not only their nationwide spring tour but their first oveseas tour in Asia without Jin Akanishi, who would instead be performing solo in Los Angeles, California.
In July, it was announced that Akanishi would be leaving the band permanently to pursue a solo career. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that he would hold a series of shows in the US that winter. Despite the loss of one member, the band continued strong, releasing another single and a full album, NO MORE PAIŠ, between their tours; by November, a third single was released entitled CHANGE UR WORLD, which stole the #1 spot on the Oricon weekly chart immediately.
Still going strong as a quintet, KAT-TUN plans to hold another world tour in 2011 to celebrate their fifth anniversary. This new tour will not only feature Asian countries but also expand to the United States in Hawaii.
Being such young entertainers, KAT-TUN has proved their talents by leaps and bounds and continues to top Oricon music charts and amaze their audiences. Fans can continue to expect great things from these young men in the future.
KAT-TUN, one of the groups from the Johnny's Entertainment label, is considered one of the most famous Jpop groups in Japan. The band is comprised of five members who have wooed fans worldwide with not only their vocal and dance talent but also with their acting and good looks.
Their music is a mix of pop-rock splashed with rap, and varies from ballads to rock songs.
