King & Prince member Kaito Takahashi (髙橋海人) is stepping into a new chapter of his career, launching a solo music project under the name KAITO. His debut digital single, “swim?”, drops on October 5.
Takahashi handled every creative element of the track himself, from songwriting and composition to the artwork and music video. A KAITO YouTube channel went live the same day the project was announced, with a teaser for the “swim?” video already posted and the full video set to premiere alongside the single’s release. A TikTok account for KAITO was also launched.
To build anticipation, Takahashi will take part in a livestream relay on October 4 at 18:00 Japan time, moving across four platforms — FAMILY CLUB online, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok — to talk through the inspiration and details behind “swim?” in his own words.
Who is Kaito Takahashi?
Born April 3, 1999, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Takahashi debuted in 2018 as a member of King & Prince, the idol group that bowed with the single “Cinderella Girl” under Universal Music. Since May 2023, King & Prince has continued as a duo with Takahashi and Ren Nagase. The group released its first-ever EP, “So Honey EP”, in September 2026, following 2025’s “STARRING” and a four-venue dome tour earlier this year.
Beyond music, Takahashi has built a career as an actor, with credits including the dramas “Dragon Zakura” and “Daga, Jonetsu wa Aru” — in which he played a young version of comedian Masayasu Wakabayashi — as well as films such as “Black School Rules” and “Dr. Coto’s Clinic”. He has also made a name for himself in the art world, serving as an ambassador for museum exhibitions, creating pieces sold through the luxury brand ETRO, and touring his own solo exhibition, “The Mysterious World of Serroll”.
Author’s Comment
Of course a King & Prince member’s side project isn’t just a song — it’s a song, a music video, a YouTube channel, a TikTok, and a four-platform livestream relay, all inside 48 hours. I love it. Japanese idols don’t get to quietly dip a toe into solo work; they have to launch an entire ecosystem. Takahashi’s been quietly building his ‘serious artist’ credentials for a while now — the exhibitions, the ETRO collabs — so this feels less like a stunt and more like him finally handing you his real business card. Just don’t expect him to actually swim away from King & Prince; in this industry, solo projects are additions, never exits.
