“I Can’t Use the Audio Tracks Anymore…” The “Hurdle of Music Rights Issues” DOMOTO Faces Following the Expiration of His Contract with STARTO

Why the Orchestra Was Included

In July, “DOMOTO” (formerly “KinKi Kids”) held their dome tour, “DOMOTO Concert 2026 ~Stay with me~,” in Tokyo and Osaka.The performances featured a collaboration with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. The audience was reportedly captivated by the grand orchestral performance and the vocals of Koichi Domoto (47) and Tsuyoshi Domoto (47).

However, it seems there were complex circumstances behind the orchestra’s participation—.

DOMOTO made their CD debut as KinKi Kids in 1997. They relaunched under their current unit name on July 22 of last year.As of July 21 of this year, their agency contract with STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (formerly Johnny’s Associates; hereinafter “STARTO”) expired, and going forward, only Koichi will continue his agency contract with the company as an individual.The two commented, “We have decided to manage our group activities on our own,” and “Although our circumstances will change significantly, the values we have cherished remain unchanged.”

“Their first dome tour under the new name was held at Tokyo Dome on July 15–16 and at Kyocera Dome Osaka on July 22–23.Appearing on the radio program ‘DOMOTO no Donna Mon Ya!’ (Bunka Hoso), which aired on July 28 after the concerts, Koichi explained the circumstances behind the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra’s participation in this tour. He revealed, “With the expiration of our contract with STARTO, ‘musical issues and various other problems began to arise.‘For example, we can no longer use the karaoke tracks we’ve used up until now. That was one of the reasons we asked the Tokyo Philharmonic to join us,’ he revealed,” (Sports newspaper entertainment reporter)

While there are reportedly no issues with the band performing live, concerns have arisen, such as “How will he handle singing on TV shows?” Even if a TV station requests the use of karaoke tracks, adjustments will be necessary. On the aforementioned radio program, Koichi stated, “I want to continue singing these songs in the future.”Although DOMOTO has become an independent artist, he likely intends to continue performing his past songs as well.

In response to these radio comments, social media users have reacted with posts such as:

“So they can’t use karaoke tracks…? I’m a little worried about what’s ahead, but it’ll be okay, right?”

“If music shows can’t bring in a band, does that mean even the artists themselves can’t sing songs from their KinKi Kids era using karaoke tracks?”

and similar concerns have been circulating.

The “Legacy of the Former Johnny’s” That Koichi Values

“Koichi has previously addressed the issue of music rights in a series of articles for the magazine *Nikkei Entertainment!* (Nikkei BP).As the former Johnny’s Associates agency was rocked by allegations of sexual abuse involving its founder, Johnny Kitagawa (who passed away at age 87), several talents—including former V6 member Junichi Okada (45)—who primarily focus on acting announced their departure from the agency.

Koichi, who touched on his own contract situation in the magazine’s January 2024 issue, candidly stated, ‘The tricky part is the issue of song rights. Taxes and laws come into play, and for a group like ours that writes many of our own songs, there are an enormous number of factors to consider—it’s incredibly complicated’” (ibid.)

Tsuyoshi left the former Johnny’s Associates (then known as “SMILE-UP.”) at the end of March 2024, but as mentioned earlier, Koichi continues to be under contract with STARTO as an independent artist. This November, he will direct the stage play *Hyakki Yagami* (Tokyo, EX THEATER ARIAKE), which features six Junior members in leading roles, along with *Hey! Say! JUMP*’s Kota Yabu (36),and Shota Totsuka (39) of “A.B.C-Z” also appearing. The play, “Hyakki Yagami” (EX THEATER ARIAKE, Tokyo), is an original story in which modern-day high school students time-travel to the Muromachi period and encounter “oni” (demons).

“Koichi seems to view the ‘ability to create original stage productions’—a skill he cultivated during his time at the former Johnny’s agency—as a major asset. In a serialized column in the August 2026 issue of *Nikkei Entertainment!*, he spoke passionately, saying, ‘I feel that this treasure, which my former agency took such care to nurture, is something I must never lose.’

Koichi himself has served as the lead actor in the original musical series *SHOCK* for 24 years. Perhaps he chose to remain with STARTO as an individual in order to pass this legacy on to the next generation,” said an entertainment agency executive.

After many twists and turns, DOMOTO will mark the 30th anniversary of his CD debut next July. Ahead of this milestone year, will he be able to successfully resolve the difficult issue of song rights?