Shibutani Subaru to Leave KANJANI∞ and Johnny's Entertainment

It has been announced that KANJANI∞ member Shibutani Subaru will leave the group and Johnny's Entertainment within the year.

At a press conference held with all of the group's members except for Yasuda Shota, Shibutani stated that he is leaving because he feels that, at 36 years old, he has reached the halfway point of his life, and he wishes to devote the second half fully to pursuing music. He also stated that he feels that the best way to achieve that goal is by venturing overseas to study. The remaining members tearfully spoke of their respect for his determination and expressed their motivation to continue activities with KANJANI∞.

Known for his distinctive voice, Shibutani is generally regarded as the seven-member group's strongest singer. He first joined Johnny's Entertainment in 1997 and made his CD debut with KANJANI∞ in 2004. In 2015, he made his solo debut, releasing the single Kioku / Kokoro odoreba, which was tied up with a film he starred in titled "Misono Universe". He released a cover album titled Uta in 2016.

KANJANI∞ will be releasing a best-of album titled GR8EST on May 30th, and they will be supporting it with the nationwide dome tour KANJANI's Entertainment GR8EST, which will kick off on July 15th. The tour will still go ahead, but Shibutani will not be participating in any of the dates.