Japanese duo DOMOTO announced on July 10 that it will end its group agency contract with STARTO ENTERTAINMENT on July 21, according to a statement posted on the agency’s official website.
The announcement was made jointly by the two members, Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto. While the group’s contract with STARTO ends this month, Koichi will continue his own individual agency contract with the company. Going forward, the duo’s group activities will be managed under the two members’ respective individual production companies rather than through STARTO.
Tsuyoshi had already left STARTO on an individual basis in March 2024 and has been operating independently since then. According to reports, the two have emphasized that their group activities as DOMOTO will continue despite the change in management structure.
Who is DOMOTO?
DOMOTO is the unit name used by Koichi Domoto (堂本光一) and Tsuyoshi Domoto (堂本剛), both 47, who first rose to fame as members of the duo KinKi Kids, one of the longest-running acts to come out of the Johnny’s (now STARTO Entertainment) talent agency. The two have pursued extensive individual careers in music, television, and stage acting in addition to their work as a pair.
No further details on the future structure of their group activities have been disclosed at this time.
