STARTO ENTERTAINMENT has announced that its agent contract with the duo DOMOTO will come to an end on July 21. Going forward, the pair will handle the management of their group activities on their own.
The announcement was accompanied by a joint statement from members Koichi Domoto (堂本光一) and Tsuyoshi Domoto (堂本剛), posted on STARTO Entertainment’s official website. “DOMOTO will be managing our group activities ourselves going forward,” the statement reads. “Our circumstances will change significantly, but the feelings we have cherished will not change one bit. We will continue to walk forward, valuing our bond, in a world that is uniquely ours.” The pair also thanked fans for 35 years of support since they first met.
DOMOTO had been operating under an agent contract with STARTO Entertainment since April 2024. Following the end of that contract, Koichi Domoto will individually continue his own separate agent contract with the company, while the group’s management passes to the two members themselves.
The news comes as DOMOTO prepares for a string of concert dates under the title “DOMOTO Concert 2026 – Stay with me,” scheduled for July 15 and 16 at Tokyo Dome and July 22 and 23 at Kyocera Dome Osaka.
Who is DOMOTO?
DOMOTO is a male duo formed by Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto, who began performing together in 1992 and held their first concert at Nippon Budokan in December 1994. They made their official recording debut in July 1997 with the single “Garasu no Shounen” (Glass Boy) and the album “A album.” Every one of the 29 singles they released through the end of 2009 reached number one on the charts, a feat recognized by Guinness World Records. The duo previously performed for many years under the name KinKi Kids before adopting the DOMOTO name in 2025. Alongside their group work, Tsuyoshi Domoto has pursued a solo career releasing CDs and performing solo concerts, while Koichi Domoto has remained active in stage productions, television dramas, and his own recordings.
