Kuroki Keiji

Kuroki Keiji

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Kuroki Keiji黒木 啓司
Kuroki Keiji promoting PHOENIX (2022)
Personal Information
Name	Kuroki Keiji 黒木(くろき) 啓司(けいじ) クロキ ケイジ
Former Stage Name	KEIJI (2006-2014) EXILE KEIJI KJ
Born	January 21, 1980 (age 44)
Birth Place	Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan
Blood Type	B
Height	180 cm (5 ft 10.8 in)?
Zodiac Sign	♒︎ Aquarius
Professional Information
Occupation	Performer, actor
Years Active	2006-2022 (19 years)
Labels	Rhythm REPUBLIC (2007-2009) rhythm zone (2009-2022)
Agency	LDH JAPAN (2007-2022)
External Links
Instagram	@keiji_papa_
Nidaime J Soul Brothers Information
Joined	January 25, 2007
Left	March 1, 2009
Time in Group	2 Years, 1 Month, 4 Days
Position	Performer
Debut Release	"WE!"
Last Release	J Soul Brothers
EXILE Information
Joined	March 1, 2009
Left	October 31, 2022
Time in Group	13 Years, 7 Months, 30 Days
Position	Performer
Debut Release	"THE MONSTER ~Someday~"
Last Release	POWER OF WISH
EXILE THE SECOND Information
Joined	July 1, 2012
Left	October 31, 2022
Time in Group	10 Years, 3 Months, 30 Days
Position	Performer
Debut Release	"THINK 'BOUT IT!"
Last Release	EXILE THE SECOND THE BEST

Kuroki Keiji (黒木啓司), also known by his former stage name KEIJI, is a retired Japanese performer and actor. He is a former member of the groups Nidaime J Soul Brothers, EXILE and EXILE THE SECOND.

He retired from the entertainment industry on October 31, 2022, subsequently graduating from EXILE and EXILE THE SECOND, and leaving LDH JAPAN.

Early Life

Kuroki Keiji was born on January 21, 1980, in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. He has one brother and one sister.

In his youth, he played baseball and aspired to become a professional player. However, when he was a high school student, he was unable to make it to the Koshien (the National High School Baseball Championships). At that time of disappointment, he saw a TV program called Dance Koshien, which inspired him to change his goals and start dancing too. Thus, his dream of becoming a dancer was born when he was 19 years old.

After he started dancing at the age of 19, he moved to Tokyo when he was 23. There, he took dance school and street dance lessons, and formed the dance team "SOUL DEMENTION" with his friends.

Career

2004-2006

In September 2004, he appeared as a dancer in the stage HEART of GOLD ~STREET FUTURE OPERA BEAT POPS~ starring EXILE.

In January 2005, he formed the dance crew "FULCRUM" with KENCHI, TETSUYA, and others in the wake of the previous stage appearance.

In 2006, he started working as an instructor at EXPG and also formed dance crew "BIG DOGGS". In the same year, he made his debut as an actor in the movie Backdancers!.

2007-2016

In 2007, he became a member of Nidaime J Soul Brothers and on May 7, 2008, he made his official debut in the group with the release of the indie single "WE!".

On March 1, 2009, he joined EXILE when all Nidaime J Soul Brothers members were transferred to the group, subsequently disbanding Nidaime.

On July 1, 2012, he was announced as a member of THE SECOND from EXILE, EXILE's first sub-unit.

In July 2014, with the start of the fourth chapter of EXILE, he changed his stage name from "KEIJI" to his real name, "Kuroki Keiji".

In 2016, he started producing a project titled "THE NINE WORLDS" based in and centered on Kyushu.

2022: Retirement

On June 10, 2022, it was announced that Kuroki would retire from the entertainment industry after graduating from EXILE and LDH JAPAN at the end of October after the dome tour EXILE LIVE TOUR 2022 "POWER OF WISH".

Announcement from LDH JAPAN

Notice regarding LDH JAPAN artist Kuroki Keiji Thank you very much for your warm support to LDH JAPAN and our artists and talents. We are pleased to announce that one of our artists, Kuroki Keiji, will leave LDH JAPAN and retire from the entertainment industry at the end of October 2022. We have been discussing about his future activities and future for a long time, and respecting his thoughts on his performance, his determination to get off the stage, and his own future vision, he has decided to terminate his artist activities on the occasion of EXILE's 20th anniversary. We would like to support Kuroki Keiji in various ways as he has made up his mind to take on new challenges. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who have supported Kuroki Keiji for a long time. LDH JAPAN and EXILE will continue their activities to deliver entertainment to many fans, and we would like to ask for your continued support in the future. June 10, 2022 LDH JAPAN

Message from Kuroki Keiji

Thank you for your warm support. I, Kuroki Keiji, would like to announce that I will graduate from EXILE and LDH JAPAN and retire from the entertainment industry after EXILE's dome tour "EXILE LIVE TOUR 2022 "POWER OF WISH"" which will start in July. I am truly grateful to LDH for taking care of me for about 17 years since before I made my debut. At that time, HIRO, all the original EXILE members, and all the staff accepted me, and I was able to make many dreams come true. And being able to meet a large number of fans has been the greatest asset for me. As for when I will retire, I have been thinking about it for several years. While working as a performer, I have always put my life into delivering my best to my fans, but recently I have come to feel the limits of my age and physical strength. I have decided to retire on the occasion of EXILE's 20th anniversary before I can no longer deliver the best performance I want to. And although I have tried to work in various fields such as acting and variety shows, I am a performer of EXILE before being an entertainer, and because of my own passion and pride for it, I felt that if I retire as a performer, it would be the best way for me to pay my respects to my fans and myself by stepping down from all the stages. After retirement, I will continue to support my family and devote myself to contributing to society on a new path, and I hope that you will watch over me warmly. I thought about the timing of my announcement, but I felt that I should convey my feelings to all of you who support me in advance, so I made the announcement before the Dome Tour, the last stage where I will be able to say goodbye to you. Although the next tour will be my last, I would like to enjoy the remaining time with you all and deliver a performance with gratitude, searing every moment in my heart, so I hope you will support me. June 10, 2022 Kuroki Keiji

On September 25, 2022, Kuroki held his last performance as a member of EXILE at the EXILE LIVE TOUR 2022 "POWER OF WISH", being his last activity before his graduation.

On October 31, 2022, he officially graduated from EXILE and EXILE THE SECOND, and retired from the entertainment industry.

2023

On January 14, Kuroki announced that he had opened his own store in Tokyo, a complex of phytotherapy, Pilates, and relaxation.

Personal Life

Relationships

In August 2015, tabloids reported that Kuroki was in a long-term relationship with model Satoumi. His agency commented "We have heard that she is one of his good friends, but we leave his private matters to him.", neither denying nor confirming the reports.

On December 14, 2021, Kuroki announced his marriage with the business woman and model Miyazaki Reika. With this, Kuroki became the stepfather of Miyazaki's two children from her previous marriage, a daughter named "Hanna" and a son named "Yuzan". At that time, it was Miyazaki's third marriage overall while being the mother of three children, having custody of only the two from her second marriage.

On February 19, 2023, the couple announced that Miyazaki was pregnant. On July 7, the they announced that their first biological child and third child overall, a boy, had been born via c-section on the same day. A few days later, they revealed that their son was named "Keilly", and that he had suffered a pneumothorax after birth, but recovered.

Works

Music

Lyrics

• EXILE THE SECOND
  • Story

Filmography

Movies

• [2006] Backdancers!
• [2015] Crossroads (クロスロード)
• [2016] HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE
• [2017] HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE 2 / END OF SKY
• [2017] HiGH&LOW THE MOVIE 3 / FINAL MISSION

Dramas

• [2011] Namae wo Nakushita Megami
• [2011] Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu
• [2011] Akujotachi no Metz
• [2012] Kimi to Boku to no Yakusoku
• [2014] Bitter Blood (ビター・ブラッド)
• [2015] Zannen na Otto (残念な夫。)
• [2015] Wild Heroes (ワイルド・ヒーローズ)
• [2015] HiGH&LOW ~THE STORY OF S.W.O.R.D.~
• [2016] HiGH&LOW Season 2
• [2021] Colorful Love ~Genderless Danshi ni Aisa Rete Imasu~ (カラフラブル〜ジェンダーレス男子に愛されています。〜)

TV Shows

• [2011-2012] Shuukan EXILE

Trivia

• He is the first EXILE member to retire from the entertainment industry entirely.
• He is the second member to officially graduate from EXILE, and first to graduate from EXILE THE SECOND.
• He is a licensed chef, and sometimes shows off his cooking skills in magazines and on TV programs.
• On July 5, 2022, he opened an Instagram account for private use, such as reports on his hobbies and family life.
• On September 22, 2022, TAKAHIRO revealed an unreleased song titled "Chance" in dedication to Kuroki as a surprise gift prior to his graduation from EXILE and retirement from the entertainment industry. The song was produced by TAKAHIRO as one of the examination songs of Kuroki's project THE NINE WORLDS Kyushu Star Hakkutsu Audition, which was planned to be held in 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was cancelled.
• Following his retirement, he deleted both his professional Twitter (@iam_keiji) and Instagram (@exile_keiji) accounts, keeping his personal Instagram account only.
• To a question from a fan if he would ever make a comeback to the entertainment industry in March 2024, he replied that there were still many things he wanted to do and his dreams were endless. His wife had announced her return to the entertainment industry shortly before, on March 5.

External Links

• Instagram