Igarashi Hiroyuki (五十嵐広行), better known by his stages names HIRO and EXILE HIRO, is a producer, CEO and former performer. He's the leader and former performer of the group EXILE. HIRO is also the founder of the group and the agency they're in, LDH.
Contents
Early Life
Hiroyuki Igarashi was born on June 1st, 1969 in Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture and grew up in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.[1][2][3] He graduated from Yokohama City Hama Junior High School and Yokohama City Kanazawa High School.[3] During his time in high school, he met Matsuura Masato, who was the manager of the rental record store “Tomo & Ai” in Kamiooka at that time. After graduating from high school, Hiroyuki refined his dancing skills while working at Disco Maharaja and Circus in Roppongi.[3]
In 1989, at the age of 20, the circus store manager asked Hiroyuki to advertise the store which led him to participate as the runner-up in the dance contest of the TV program “DADA”. The scout who was watching the contest suggested that Hiroyuki should become part of a dance team from the program, which led to the group LMD being formed.[3]
Career
1989-2001
HIRO started his career in 1989, debuting as member of the coed group LMD a.k.a. ZOO. In 1991, the dance team Japanese Soul Brothers was formed which he was part of. They participated in Bobby Brown's Japan tour.[4]
In 1995, ZOO disbanded. In that same year, HIRO participated as a backup dancer in DREAMS COME TRUE's tour and got support by the group's member Yoshida Miwa, which helped him to change his mind on his own.[5]
In 1996, he joined the group LUV DELUXE but they disbanded the following year.
In 1999, HIRO met MAKIDAI, MATSU and ÜSA, and after discussing with them and avex's CEO Matsuura Max, he created the group J Soul Brothers.
On August 24, 2001, after recruiting two vocalists and one member leaving the group, J Soul Brothers changed their name to EXILE and re-debuted.
2002-2003
On October 17, 2002, EXILE established the agency Exile Entertainment.
On September 18, 2003, the agency LDH was established by the group with HIRO serving as its president.
2013
On April 3, 2013, on the same day of the release of EXILE's 41st single "EXILE PRIDE ~Konna Sekai wo Aisuru Tame~", HIRO announced that he would retire from being a performer at the end of the year and focus on the producer business.[6][7]
On September 27, 2013, during the final concert of EXILE LIVE TOUR 2013 "EXILE PRIDE", he announced the first EXILE PERFORMER BATTLE AUDITION to find a new performer for the group.
On December 31, 2013, at the 64th Kouhaku Uta Gassen, HIRO retired from his position as performer of EXILE but remained as the group's leader and producer.[8]
2015
In March 2015, he became a member of the Tokyo 2020 Culture and Education Commission. Later that year he was awarded the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award by the Japanese Government's Agency for Cultural Affairs for his contribution to Japan's artistic culture.[9]
In July 2015, HIRO formed the creative unit PKCZ® and started working as their producer.
2017
On January 1, 2017, it was announced that HIRO would become the CCO of LDH WORLD.[10] At the same time, he retired from his president position within LDH and became a chairman of the company.[11]
2019
On November 8, 2019, the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) announced the appointment of Exile Hiro as the director of the Tokyo 2020 cultural segment of the Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony. The ceremony, during which the Olympic Flame would be passed from the Hellenic Olympic Committee to Tokyo 2020 representatives, would be held at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on 19 March 2020. After a cultural performance by Greek dancers and entertainers, the host country of Japan would stage its own cultural performance, under HIRO's direction. HIRO himself expressed his goal to center the performance on children, who embody Japan's hope for the future, and to make it the highest priority "that the children will experience something they can take with them for the rest of their lives and to have it be an experience that will inspire them to build a bright future together". The concept for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay would be: “Hope Lights Our Way”.[12]
2020
Personal Life
Family
On September 14, 2012, it was personally announced by HIRO and actress Ueto Aya that they registered their marriage after 2 years of dating.[13][14] They had met through an acquaintance of HIRO who was the dance instructor for the idol group Z-1 of which Aya had been a member in the past.[15][16]
On April 12, 2015, Ueto revealed to be pregnant with the couple's first child.[17] Their first daughter was born on August 19, 2015.[18][19]
On June 12, 2019, it was reported via official news outlets that the couple were expecting their second child.[20] On July 27, 2019, the birth of their first son was announced.[21]
Other
On April 17, 2014, Hiro attended the “Spring Garden Party” hosted by the Emperor and Empress of Japan.[22] On October 6 of the same year, he was invited to attend the wedding reception for Noriko Senge and Kunimaro Senge due to his friendship with the Senge family.[23]
Works
Music
- Producer
- EXILE (2001-present)
- Nidaime J Soul Brothers (2007-2009)
- Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS (2010-present)
- E-girls (2011-2020)
- GENERATIONS (2012-present)
- EXILE THE SECOND (2012-present)
- SAMURIZE (2013-present)
- THE RAMPAGE (2014-present)
- PKCZ® (2014-present)
- FANTASTICS (2016-present)
- BALLISTIK BOYZ (2018-present) (joint with DOBERMAN INFINITY)
- Composition
- Radio
- [2001-2005] OH MY RADIO
Cinema/Television
- TV Shows
- Shuukan EXILE (General Producer)
- Films
- Tatara Samurai (Executive Producer)
- Cinema Fighters (Executive Producer)
- Anime
- Examurai (Planning & Draft)
- Videography
- [2005] ZOO→JSB→EXILE
- TV Dramas
- [2005-2008] Shin Tokyo Hyakkei
Publications
- Books
- [2005] B Boy Salaryman (Bボーイサラリーマン)
- [2009] B Boy Perfectly
- [2014] Bibiri (ビビリ)
- [2018] Hiro in Exile: The Creation of a J-Pop Empire
Manga
- Examurai Sengoku (Planning & Draft)
- Examurai Sengoku G (Planning & Draft)
Magazines
- Gekkan EXILE (Editor-in-chief)
Gallery
- Main article: HIRO/Gallery
Trivia
- Even after his retirement as a performer of EXILE he occasionally appears in the group's music videos.
References
- ↑ https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2013/04/03/kiji/K20130403005536110.html
- ↑ http://www.asahi.com/worldcup/column/theroad/TKY201004090340.html
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 https://natsumikoizumi.com/240
- ↑ http://www.tokyo-dance-magazine.com/people/koji/
- ↑ https://mdpr.jp/music/detail/1405754
- ↑ EXILE HIRO、年内でパフォーマー引退「第四章への新たなスタート」
- ↑ https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2013/04/03/kiji/K20130403005532980.html
- ↑ EXILE・HIRO、満面の笑みでラストパフォーマンス ガッツポーズで締めくくる＜紅白本番＞
- ↑ https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2015/03/30/kiji/K20150330010082130.html
- ↑ https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/2016/10/24/0009606719.shtml
- ↑ https://ldhpictures.co.jp/170603_01/
- ↑ https://tokyo2020.org/en/news/news-20191108-03-en
- ↑ https://beauty.oricon.co.jp/news/2016815/full/
- ↑ https://www.tokyohive.com/article/2012/09/ueto-aya-and-hiro-are-officially-married/
- ↑ https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/2012/09/15/1p_0005380138.shtml
- ↑ https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/p-et-tp0-20120915-1017156.html
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2051468/full/
- ↑ http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/gossip/2015/08/19/0008318309.shtml
- ↑ https://mdpr.jp/mama/detail/1514021
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/music/news/335202
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2141098/full/
- ↑ https://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/olympic/sochi/2014/04/03/0006832444.shtml
- ↑ https://www.news24.jp/articles/2014/10/06/07260739.html
