, better known as Gackt (stylized in

all caps In typography, text or font in all caps (short for "all capitals") contains capital letters without any lowercase letters. For example: All-caps text can be seen in legal documents, advertisements, newspaper headlines, and the titles on book co ...

), is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. Born in

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

to a Ryukyuan family, Gackt learned the piano at a young age and was raised on

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

and

enka is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...

before becoming interested in

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

while attending high school. He has been active since 1993, first as the frontman of the short-lived independent band Cains:Feel, and then from 1995 the now-defunct

visual kei , abbreviated , is a category of Japanese musicians that have a strong focus on extravagant stage costumes that originated in Japan during the early 1980s. Koji Dejima of '' Bounce'' wrote that visual kei is not a specific sound, but rather it " ...

rock band Malice Mizer. Gackt started his solo career in 1999 with debut

mini-album A mini-LP or mini-album is a short record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini- ...

'' Mizérable'' and first full-length album ''

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

'' (2000). He has released nine studio albums and, with forty-eight singles released, holds the male soloist record for most top ten consecutive singles in Japanese music history. They are mostly conceived around two conceptual stories "Moon Saga" (''

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

'', ''

Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hindu iconography, Hind ...

'', '' Diabolos'', '' Last Moon'') and "Requiem et Reminiscence" (''

Rebirth Rebirth may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film * ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film * ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film * ''Rebirth'', a 2011 documentary film produced by Project Rebirth * '' ...

'', '' Re:Born'') which are performed live in uniquely elaborate concerts. His single " Returner (Yami no Shūen)" (2007), is his first and only single to reach the number one spot on the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...

charts. As a solo artist, Gackt has sold over 10 million records. In 2007 became a founding member of S.K.I.N., a Japanese visual kei rock supergroup, and in 2010 formed his own band project Yellow Fried Chickenz. Besides being established in the modern entertainment industry and considered a pop icon, Gackt's music has been used as theme songs for video games ('' Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII''), video game films ('' Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker''), anime series/films ('' New Fist of the North Star'', '' Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'', '' Texhnolyze'' and ''

Trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherw ...

'') and television series (''

Kamen Rider Decade is a Japanese television show and the 2009 installment of the long-running ''Kamen Rider'' series of tokusatsu dramas. ''Decade'', as its title suggests, is the tenth anniversary series of ''Kamen Rider''s Heisei era, and the final installment ...

''). In addition to his music career, Gackt has voice acted (including characters inspired by him in video games like in '' Bujingai'' and

Genesis Rhapsodos '' Final Fantasy VII'', a role-playing video game developed by Square, now Square Enix, and originally released in 1997, features many fictional characters in both major and minor roles. ''VII'' has been followed by multiple sequels and prequels ...

in '' Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII''), and live acted in a few films, including a film he wrote, '' Moon Child'', his international debut ''

Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of the 17th century, which is still performed in the modern day. Three kinds of performers take part in a performance: the or (puppeteers), the (chanters) ...

'', Japan Academy award nomination performance for Best Actor in '' Fly Me to the Saitama'', and TV series most notably as

Uesugi Kenshin , later known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (magnate). He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period ...

in the

NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

drama '' Fūrin Kazan''. He also performed live in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

stage plays, '' Nemuri Kyoshiro Buraihikae'' and a duology he has written, composed, and directed '' Moon Saga: Mysteries of Yoshitsune I & II''. He also provided the voice samples for Internet Co., Ltd.'s first

Vocaloid is a singing Speech synthesis, voice synthesizer software product. Its signal processing part was developed through a joint research project between Yamaha Corporation and the Music Technology Group at Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona. The s ...

, Gackpoid.

Early life

Gackt was born on July 4, 1973, as the second of three children in a Ryukyuan family, in

of the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. His father was a music teacher, who primarily played the

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

, and his mother was also a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

. Gackt has an older sister and a younger brother. He lived in Okinawa until he was 7 years old (with short periods when was 16 and 26), because of his father's job, living in many different cities on

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

and

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

islands in addition to Okinawa: Yamaguchi,

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, Shiga,

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, and

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. He studied in the Moriyama High School in Shiga, and was enrolled in the Kyoto Gakuen University. Gackt's musical education began at age three when his parents initiated his classical

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

education. At age seven, continuing his classical piano education became more difficult because of time spent at

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

and the repeated change of instructors due to relocating from city to city. It would take another four years until his parents allowed him to quit lessons. However, after losing a piano competition to a boy he met in the

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

, Gackt voluntarily returned to his piano studies, even writing orchestral scores. He has credited the classical pianist and composer

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...

with being "the one who taught me the beauty, depth, fun, sadness, the kindness of music; that music could grant people courage, and the meaning of the layers of sound. It isn't an exaggeration to say Chopin is the foundation of my music". Since his father played the trumpet, Gackt is also familiar with brass instruments. Having only listened to classical music and enka while growing up, he did not become interested in rock music until high school, and went on to master modern percussion.

Music career

1993–1998: First musical efforts and Malice Mizer

In the early 1990s, Gackt was working as a

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...

and

dealer Dealer may refer to: Film and TV * ''Dealers'' (film), a 1989 British film * ''Dealers'' (TV series), a reality television series where five art and antique dealers bid on items * ''The Dealer'' (film), filmed in 2008 and released in 2010 * ...

in a casino, while also being an assistant drummer for an amateur band. At the time he wanted to become more serious about his music activity but had a negative perspective on life. While at the casino, he met a businessman who inspired him to find a purpose in life, that being music. About a year later he left the band and he found himself working multiple jobs, among them as a sound technician at a studio where he could practice drums. When Gackt was twenty-years old, he met guitarist You Kurosaki, his future solo career support guitarist, at a music

live house A is a Japanese live music club – a music venue featuring live music. The term is a Japanese coinage ( wasei eigo) and is mainly used in East Asia. It most frequently refers to smaller venues, which may double as bars, especially featuring ...

in Kyoto. They formed the band, Cains:Feel, whose name had biblical reference to the story of

Cain and Abel In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices, each from his own fields, to God. God had regard for Ab ...

. The group lacked a vocalist, so Gackt became the

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

, and the band went to record a demo tape before disbanding. In 1995, he was introduced to the visual kei band Malice Mizer which was on hiatus due to the departure of their frontman Tetsu. Gackt moved to Tokyo and joined them in October 1995. As their vocalist, pianist and primary lyricist on studio albums '' Voyage Sans Retour'' (1996) and '' Merveilles'' (1998), he also contributed three songs in their catalog, "Regret", "Hamon" and "Le Ciel", the latter being their most successful single as a band. During this time, the band's fame soared; and, after four years and two studio albums, in January 1999, it was officially announced that he left the band. According to his interviews and autobiography, the issues with the management office, members' differences, and his isolation from the band led to his departure.

1999–2001: Solo debut, ''Mizérable'', ''Mars'', and ''Rebirth''

Gackt launched his solo career on January 1, 1999. After completing his recordings, his first gig as a solo artist was the 99 Gackt Resurrection tour held in 11 locations across Japan. It was followed on May 12 with his debut release, the

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

'' Mizérable'', released by

Nippon Crown is a Japanese record label established as Crown Records on 6 September 1963. It is a spin-off of Nippon Columbia and is owned by karaoke maker Daiichikosho. The record label singles which topped the Oricon Singles Chart are Kaze's "22-Sai no ...

. The album peaked at number two, spending 12 weeks on the Oricon charts. It spanned the same-titled single " Mizérable", which peaked at number three, spending nine weeks on the charts. In July, he performed at Shock Wave Illusion in Osaka and

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. On August 11, Gackt released his second single, "

Vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). ''Vanilla'' is not Autogamy, autogamous, so pollination ...

". It peaked at number four, spent 10 weeks on the charts, and enjoyed considerable success. It was certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pro ...

(RIAJ). In 2000, on February 9 and 16, the third and fourth singles were released, "

Mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...

" and "

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment His fifth single was released on March 8, " Seki-Ray", which peaked at number seven, charting for six weeks. At the beginning of the year, Gackt was joined by support guitarist and associate producer Chachamaru. For Caparison Guitars, Gackt designed two guitars, named "Marcury" and "Venus", which he occasionally uses in his live performances. On April 26, his first full-length studio album, ''

'', was released. It peaked at number three, spent five weeks on the charts, and was certified gold by RIAJ. The following day Gackt went on a nationwide tour ''Mars Sora Kara no Homonsha -Kaisō-'', which included 16 concerts, and on July 1, he performed the final concert at

Yokohama Arena is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five-minute walk from the ...

. On August 30, the sixth single, " Saikai (Story)", was released. It peaked at number seven, spending six weeks on the charts. The seventh single, " Secret Garden", was released on November 16; it reached number ten, and charted for five weeks. On December 16, 2000, Gackt released the first in the series of '' Platinum Boxes''. In 2001, on March 14, Gackt released his eighth single, " Kimi no Tame ni Dekiru Koto", which peaked at number six, and charted for 18 weeks, Gackt's longest-charted single until 2009. On April 25, the second studio album, ''

'' was released. It was Gackt's first concept album, conceived around a fictional narrative during the time of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, named "Requiem et Reminiscence". The album includes previously released singles "Seki-Ray" and "Secret Garden". It peaked at number three, spent 21 weeks on the charts. On May 3, Gackt went on the ''Requiem et Reminiscence'' tour, which included 18 concerts at fourteen venues. The final concert was held on June 23 at the Yokohama Arena. His ninth single, " Another World" was released on September 5. It was Gackt's first single to reach number two spot on the charts, spent 17 weeks on them, and managed to sell over two hundred and fifty thousand copies. After the events of

September 11th, 2001 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Hijackers in the September 11 attacks#Hijackers, Nineteen terrorists hijacked four com ...

, in New York, Gackt wrote a song for a world peace. It was released December 2001 as a single, " Jūnigatsu no Love Song". It peaked at number five and charted for nine weeks. From 2001 to 2004, the single was recorded in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, which were all released before Christmas. In the same month on TV performed in duet with

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer-songwriter and producer. Nicknamed the "Empress of Pop" on account of her influence throughout Asia, she is widely recognized for her versatile music production, songwriting, and live performances. Hamasaki is the List of ...

the B'z's popular song " Itsuka no Merry Christmas", and again with

Namie Amuro Namie Amuro ( ; ; born September 20, 1977) is a retired Japanese singer. She rose to prominence as a Japanese idol, teen idol, and transitioned into a leading Pop music, pop artist due to her versatility across music styles and visual presentatio ...

the next year. On

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...

, Gackt's performance of "Another World" was his first participation at the annual music show, the 52nd ''

Kōhaku Uta Gassen , more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...

''.

2002–2003: ''Moon'' and ''Crescent''

In the second half of 2001, during the release of "Another World", Gackt started his second concept, project "Moon Saga". In 2002, on April 24, he released his eleventh single " Wasurenai Kara". It peaked at number four, spending five weeks on the charts. On June 6, Gackt went on the nationwide live house tour which represented his new concept and included nine concerts at eight venues. The final concert was held on July 10, at Zepp Sendai. On June 16, the third studio concept album ''

'' was released. It is Gackt's best-selling album, reached number two on the charts, and was certified gold by RIAJ. On September 22, 2002, at the Beijing Worker's Gymnasium, in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, a large musical event "China-Japan: Holding Hands, Moving Together" was held as part of "Japan-China Diplomatic Relations Normalization 30th Anniversary Commemoration", and Gackt was among the handful who represented his homeland. On October 14, he continued the concept with the nationwide tour , which included 22 concerts among fifteen venues. The final concert was held on December 24, at the Yokohama Arena. On New Year's Eve, Gackt performed "Jūnigatsu no Love Song" at the 53rd ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen''. On March 19, his thirteenth single, " Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume", was released, which is the second of five to reach number two on the charts, spending 10 weeks on them. It was certified gold by RIAJ. On May 4 the nationwide tour was launched, continuing the concept of the previous one, and included 13 concerts at eight venues. On June 11, the fourteenth single, " Tsuki no Uta", was released and was ending theme for anime '' Texhnolyze''. It peaked at number three, and it was certified gold by RIAJ. On July 6, the final concert of the tour was held at the Yokohama Arena. On August 16 headlined the

All Night Nippon is a Japanese radio program broadcast by Nippon Broadcasting System and other radio stations. DJs The day of the week below are for the evening preceding in Japan, i.e. day in UTC. * Mondays – Thursdays, 13:00 UTC – 15:00 UTC wi ...

summer festival organized by Nippon Broadcasting System. On September 26, Gackt released his autobiography . On September 27, he performed as a special guest at the

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...

45th anniversary commemorative "Kingdom Rock Show". On October 2, Gackt performed the

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

song "

Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

", at the "Dream Power: John Lennon Super Live" concert organized by

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...

Saitama Super Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Chūō-ku, Saitama (city), Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum capa ...

. Besides the film and musical recordings for the project, in October he published a novel . On November 12, the sixteenth single, " Last Song", was released and peaked at number five. It spent 13 weeks on the charts and was certified gold by RIAJ. On December 3, the fourth studio concept album, ''

'', was released. It also peaked at number five, through 11 weeks on the charts, and was certified platinum by RIAJ. It included his movie '' Moon Child'' theme song which sang with co-star Hyde (singer of L'Arc-en-Ciel). On New Year's Eve, Gackt performed "Last Song" at the 54th ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen''.

2004–2005: ''The Sixth Day'' and ''The Seventh Night'', ''Love Letter'', ''Diabolos'' and Tokyo Dome

In February 2004, his first compilation album, '' The Sixth Day: Single Collection'' was released. It peaked at number three, spent 23 weeks on the charts, and was certified platinum by RIAJ. On April 29, Gackt went on the nationwide tour ''The Sixth Day & Seventh Night'', which included 15 concerts in eight venues. In May, Gackt released another compilation album, '' The Seventh Night: Unplugged'', containing the acoustic arrangements of previously released songs. It peaked at number five, spent eight weeks on the charts, and was certified gold by RIAJ. On July 4 was held the final concert of the tour at the Yokohama Arena. In October, the eighteenth single, " Kimi ni Aitakute", was released. It peaked at number two, spent 17 weeks on the charts, and was certified gold by RIAJ. In December, he appeared and performed at the M.net/Km Music Video Festival, where he received the award for " Best Asian Rock Artist". On New Year's Eve, Gackt performed "Kimi ni Aitakute" at the 55th ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen''. In January 2005, Gackt released the single " Arittake no Ai de", which peaked at number seven, and his fifth studio album, '' Love Letter'', on

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

. It peaked at number five, spent 13 weeks on the charts, was certified gold by RIAJ, and was re-recorded in Korean and released in June for the Korean market. In April he returned to dark rock style and "Moon Saga" with the single "

Black Stone The Black Stone () is a rock set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, the ancient building in the center of the Masjid al-Haram, Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is revered by Muslims as an Islamic relic which, according to Muslim tradi ...

". The single peaked at number three and was certified gold by RIAJ. In May, his twenty-second single, " Metamorphoze", was used in the movie '' Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam''. It was his fourth single to reach number two, spent 13 weeks on the charts, and was certified gold by RIAJ. In August, Gackt released his twenty-third single, " Todokanai Ai to Shitteita no ni Osaekirezu ni Aishitsuzuketa...". It peaked at number three and was certified gold by RIAJ. In September, his sixth studio album, '' Diabolos'', was released. Conceptually, it was a prequel to the previous "Moon Saga" albums. It reached number four on the charts and was certified gold by RIAJ. Gackt launched his nationwide tour, ''Diabolos ~Aien no Shi~'', including 36 concerts across Japan, which ended with a final Christmas Eve spectacle at the

Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium (whose former site is now occupied by the Tokyo Dome Hotel and a plaza for this stadium). In Japan, it is often us ...

, in front of more than forty-two thousand people and costing 500 million Yen (roughly $4.3 million).

2006–2007: First solo tours in Asia, international releases and S.K.I.N.

In 2006, he continued his tour with a concert on January 14, in Korea, at Fencing Stadium in Korean Olympic Park, which was his first Asian solo concert. In the same month his twenty-fourth single, " Redemption" was released, which included theme songs "Redemption" and "Longing" of the

Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...

game, '' Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII''. On February 28, he appeared at the graduation of the Maiko High School in

Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...

. Besides the words of encouragement, he performed an unreleased song especially written for the graduation. It was released the following year on February 7, as " No ni Saku Hana no Yō ni". Since then he continued to appear in graduation ceremonies, with 16 performances by 2025. In August, at an

Otakon Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to the Walter E. Washing ...

conference, it was publicly announced that he would form a rock supergroup, S.K.I.N., with

X Japan is a Japanese Rock music, rock band from Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki (musician), Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi (musician), Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power metal, power/speed metal band with ...

drummer Yoshiki,

Luna Sea Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of makeup and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most successf ...

guitarist Sugizo, and guitarist

Miyavi , better known by his stage name MIYAVI (雅, ''Miyabi'', stylized in all caps), is a Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor known for his finger- slapping style of playing a guitar. He has been active since 1999, f ...

. The group had an ambitious vision to be the first Asian band to conquer the world charts. On December 24, Gackt went on a small nationwide fan club tour ''Training Days – Dears Reserved Unique Gackt (D.r.u.g./Drug) Party'', which also continued with four concerts in Korea and Taiwan in January 2007. The tour, being his first livehouse tour since going solo, had a specific theme as while performing rock songs embraced an all-out androgynous style approach. On June 20, Gackt released his twenty-seventh single, " Returner (Yami no Shūen)", which was the first in his career (both solo and as a member of a band) to reach the number one spot on the Oricon charts. Its music and video were inspired by the NHK Taiga drama '' Fūrin Kazan'' in which Gackt played

. The supergroup S.K.I.N. made debut performance on June 29, 2007 at

Long Beach Arena The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center is a convention center located in Long Beach, California. Built on the former site of the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the venue is composed of the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach A ...

, California, but no further activities were announced. On 10 October, he held a press conference at the

Apple Store The Apple Store is a chain of Retail, retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell, service and repair various Apple products, including Macintosh, Mac desktop and MacBook laptop personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad ta ...

Ginza Ginza ( ; ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo ...

, Tokyo, where besides advertising the first

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

, Gackt announced he would have his entire back catalog, with new, previously toured, live song recordings, put up on the iTunes Store, as well as that " The Greatest Filmography" would be released on October 9 in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. His album ''Diabolos'' was released on October 26 in eighteen European countries. On November 17 and 27, he performed at M.net/Km Music Video Festival in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

as a special guest star, and he appeared and performed at the 2007 Japan-China Cultural Exchange Grand Concert Final in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

where sang "Jūnigatsu no Love Song" in Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin. On December 19, Gackt released a compilation album, '' 0079–0088'', including songs used in the ''

Gundam is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ...

'' franchise. Gackt also performed at the '' 58th Kōhaku Uta Gassen''.

2008–2009: Requiem et Reminiscence II tour and ''Re:Born''

In December 2008, Gackt returned to the story of "Requiem et Reminiscence", releasing his twenty-eighth single "

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

". It peaked at number seven, spending 10 weeks on the charts. On December 14, Gackt went on his longest nationwide tour, ''Requiem et Reminiscence II -Saisei to Kaikō-'' (Requiem et Reminiscence II -再生と邂逅-, -Rebirth and Reunion-), which included over 60 concerts in more than 45 cities, reaching an audience of over 210,000 spectators. On January 28, 2009, his twenty-ninth single "

Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

" was released, and peaked at number six on the charts. On May 18, Gackt was scheduled to perform a concert in South Korea at Seoul's Olympic Hall, but due to the effects of the

global recession A global recession is a recession that affects many countries around the world—that is, a period of global economic slowdown or declining economic output. Definitions The International Monetary Fund defines a global recession as "a decline ...

, the sponsors of the concert withdrew their support. In commemoration of his 10th anniversary as a solo artist, Gackt released four singles: " Koakuma Heaven", " Faraway", "

Lost Angels ''Lost Angels'' (also known as ''The Road Home'') is a 1989 independent drama film directed by Hugh Hudson and written by Michael Weller, known for his work on Ragtime and Hair. The film stars Donald Sutherland and Adam Horovitz, best known as a ...

", and "

Flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

", one week after another, starting from June 17 and ending on July 1. They all managed to enter the top ten on the charts. On June 13, Gackt began the arena part of the tour, and on July 4 held a fanclub concert to celebrate his birthday at the Yoyogi National Stadium. On July 11 and 12, he held the final concerts at the Saitama Super Arena. As both Gackt and the

Kamen Rider Series The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until '' Decade'' and except Thailand), is a Japanese superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. ''Ka ...

Heisei period The was the Japanese era name, period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his 2019 Japanese imperial transition, abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the ...

run had its 10th anniversary, he became involved in the 2009 edition of the franchise, ''

'', to perform its theme songs. These are the first singles that were not written by him, and were released by

Avex Trax is a record label owned by Japanese entertainment conglomerate Avex Inc. The label was launched in September 1990, and was the first label by the Group. History Two years after Max Matsuura began a career distributing studio albums from othe ...

and Avex Entertainment. In March, his thirtieth single and the series' opening theme, " Journey Through the Decade", was released, peaking at number two and spending 25 weeks on the charts, and certified platinum by RIAJ. In August, he released the second theme single for the ''Kamen Rider Decade'' film '' All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker'', " The Next Decade". It peaked at number four and spent nine weeks on the charts. He also appeared in the film as ''Decade''s iteration of the character Jōji Yūki. The collaboration finished in January 2010 with the release of the final single, " Stay the Ride Alive", which charted the same as his previous one. In September, he performed as a representative of Japan at the

Asia Song Festival Asia Song Festival, A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE) and features artists from Asian countries. Participating a ...

Seoul World Cup Stadium The Seoul World Cup Stadium (), the Sangam Stadium, is a stadium used mostly for association football matches. The venue is located in 240, World Cup-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened on Nov ...

in Korea. In September he also participated in the 2009 Animelo Summer Live concert. In October, Gackt performed as the main artist in the Wow Live! Thanks For Music show held in Yoyogi National Gymnasium, in Japan. On December 2, he released his seventh studio album, '' Re:Born'', which also featured RR II story related

audio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

. It reached number nine on the charts. On December 9 was released his thirty-six single " Setsugekka (The End of Silence)/Zan", it reached Top 5 on the charts. On December 12, he held a fanclub cover concert conceptualized around fictional school, "Camui Gakuen", at the Saitama Super Arena.

2010–2011: ''The Eleventh Day'', move to Avex Group and Yellow Fried Chickenz

In 2010, on February 14, Gackt participated as a representative of Japan at the Asia Pops Festival held in Niigata, in homage for the victims of 2007 Chūetsu earthquake. On March 6 and 7, he performed the theme songs " Setsugekka (The End of Silence)/Zan" at the festival organized by Koei to promote their new Wii game, '' Samurai Warriors 3'', at the Saitama Super Arena. On April 17, he officially announced that he transferred from Nippon Crown to

Avex Group Avex Inc. ( kabushiki gaisha , commonly known as Avex and stylized as avex) is a Japanese Conglomerate (company), entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J- ...

's recording conglomerate. Prior to the transferring to Avex, he organized a band project Yellow Fried Chickenz, whose name refers to human cowardice, that included Chachamaru and Shinya Yamada. Besides the nationwide tour in June and August, from July 16, he made his first appearance touring Europe, performing sold-out dates in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, and

Bochum Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...

. On July 21, Nippon Crown released '' The Eleventh Day: Single Collection'', a compilation of Gackt's singles from the second half of his tenure with Nippon Crown. In July and August 2011, Gackt toured Europe for the second time with Yellow Fried Chickenz, and later toured across Japan. In Europe, he visited 9 countries and performed 14 shows, starting on July 20–21 at Bataclan in Paris, including also first time performance in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, and ending on 11 August at Ray Just Arena,

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. They gathered an audience of 20,000 people. On July 4, 2012, at a concert at the

Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wres ...

, Yellow Fried Chickenz disbanded.

2012–2014: Best of the Best tour, and move to independent G&Lovers

On March 18 and 19, 2012, Gackt appeared at the Gala party for FilmAid Asia, and the 6th Asian Film Awards, where he also performed, as part of

Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is one of Asia's oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies and filmmakers from different countries, and takes place in Hong Kong. HKIFF screens ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. On March 29, Gackt performed the national anthem

Kimigayo is the national anthem of Japan. The lyrics are from a ' poem written by an unnamed author in the Heian period (794–1185), and the current melody was chosen in 1880, replacing an unpopular melody composed by John William Fenton in 1869. W ...

at the

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

season opening game in Tokyo Dome. It was his fourth time performing the national anthem. On December 15, he performed at the 45th anniversary concert of

, at the Yoyogi National Stadium. In the same month, on December 19, his 43rd single, " White Lovers (Shiawase na Toki)", was released. In 2013 his first national tour in four years was announced, titled ''Best of the Best Vol. I'', which started on May 11, and ended with three consecutive shows on July 7 at the Yokohama Arena. It had an attendance of 80,000 people. In July, it was accompanied with the release of two compilation albums, '' Mild and Wild'', including two new songs "Claymore" and "Sakura Chiru...". On December 22, the final concert of the fourth festival of cover concerts was held, which conceptualized around a fictional school, "Camui Gakuen". On December 26, a special live concert was held where Gackt performed along with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2014, since February 12, with the release of his forty-fourth single " P.S. I Love U", his records were released by his independent record label G&Lovers (G-PRO), distributed by Crown Tokuma. In August 2014 was released second novel related to the story of "Moon Saga" (also Gackt's theatre play). On October 1, Gackt released his forty-fifth single, " Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)". On December 26, the second live concert with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra was held.

2015–2017: ''Last Moon'' and Last Visualive tour

In celebration of Gackt's 15th anniversary on July 1, 2015, the remix album titled, ''Gacktracks -Ultra DJ ReMix-'', was released. It contained club remix versions of his songs done by Japanese DJs, including DJ Koo, Taku Takahashi, Tomoyuki Tanaka (FPM), Jazztronik, Marc Panther and many others. Gackt stated he personally would not decide to do the project from a musical perspective because he was not fond of EDM. He chose the DJs on a first-come, first-served basis, and, because of the great interest for participation, he believed in a second collaboration in the near future. He also expressed his concern on the decline of originality and growing irrelevance of music in modern daily life. On July 3 a release party was also held. On October 7, 2015 his forty-sixth single, "

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

" was released. In the same month, he embarked on another small tour of cover concerts conceptualized around a fictional school, "Camui Gakuen", and with it performed on Hyde's band Vamps "Halloween Party" at

Makuhari Messe is a convention center in Chiba (city), Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, located just outside of Tokyo. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Transportation in Greater Tokyo#Railway and subway, Tokyo's commuter rail system. ''Makuha ...

, and on

Niconico , known before 2012 as , is a Japanese video sharing service based in Tokyo, Japan. "Niconico" or "nikoniko" is the Japanese sound symbolism, Japanese ideophone for smiling. As of 2021, Niconico is the 34th most-visited website in Japan, accordi ...

Super Party at the Saitama Super Arena. His solo live tour in almost seven years, ''Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon–'', started with a fanclub only concert on March 19, 2016 at Misato City Cultural Hall in Saitama, with the first public show being held on March 21 at the Colany Hall in Yamanashi. The tour ended on July 3 with two consecutive shows at the Saitama Super Arena. Overall, a total of 42 concerts in thirty cities were held, with an audience of about 120,000 people. There were planning talks about holding a world tour. The eighth studio album '' Last Moon'' was released on April 27, 2016. The 48th single , conceptually related to the latest album, was released on March 22, 2017.

2018–2022: 20th anniversary and temporary hiatus

On July 4, 2018, the "Last Songs" concert was held in celebration of his 45th birthday at Shinkiba Studio Coast, Tokyo, which was broadcast live via

NicoNico , known before 2012 as , is a Japanese video sharing service based in Tokyo, Japan. "Niconico" or "nikoniko" is the Japanese sound symbolism, Japanese ideophone for smiling. As of 2021, Niconico is the 34th most-visited website in Japan, accordi ...

Live. Between October 11 and 25, eight live performances of the "Camui Gakuen" event were held. On December 31, Gackt sang the national anthem of Japan for the Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa before his bout with American boxer

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. (né Sinclair; born February 24, 1977) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed between 1996 and 2017. He list of undefeated boxing world champions, retired with an undefeated record a ...

at the Saitama Super Arena. He also joined the live broadcast of Fuji TV as a special guest commentator for the main and semi-final matches. On March 22, 2019, Gackt participated as a representative of Japan at the Hong Kong Asian-Pop Music Festival. On July 4, 2019, a concert was held in celebration of his 46th birthday and 20th anniversary of solo career at

Pacifico Yokohama Pacifico Yokohama (パシフィコ横浜, ''Pashifiko Yokohama''), officially known as , is a convention center, convention and exhibition center in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan. The center located ...

. The 20th anniversary national tour ''Khaos'' started at Grand Cube Osaka on January 11 and ended at Fukuoka Sunpalace on February 29, 2020, a total of 20 performances in eight cities in total, with an audience of about 60,000 people. In the late 2020 provided theme song "Exterminate" for the theatre play ''Road59''. In June and July 2021 held a live tour "Last Songs 2021" with South Korean singer-pianist K. On September 8, 2021 it was announced that Gackt would go on an indefinite hiatus for a medical treatment of prolonged neurological disorder from childhood which caused severe

dysphonia A hoarse voice, also known as dysphonia or hoarseness, is when the voice involuntarily sounds breathy, raspy, or strained, or is softer in volume or lower in pitch. A hoarse voice can be associated with a feeling of unease or scratchiness in the ...

, a neurological vocal condition that prevents him from singing and other activities. In his promise of recovery vowed to make a new album and tour in the future. On May 17, 2022, it was announced that he was not fully recovered but will resume activities by the end of the year, and in January 2023 stated to feel at "80%".

2023–present: Resume of activities and 25th anniversary

On January 28, 2023, Gackt sang the national anthem at the

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...

retirement ceremony in honor of Hakuhō Shō. In March started a live tour "Last Songs 2023" with South Korean singer-pianist K with whom collaborated two years ago, performing ballads and other songs in arrangements with strings and piano. In September 2023 made a surprise appearance and talk show at the "Thai-Japan Iconic Music Fest" held at Iconsiam in Bangkok, Thailand. In November published his second autobiography , and expressed desire to perform worldwide. In February 2024, Gackt collaborated with Japanese band

Tube Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a Japanese rock band * Tube & Berger, the alias of dance/electronica producers Arndt Rör ...

on the single "Sayonara no Kawaii ni", which performed together at Gackt's "Last Songs 2024 feat. K" tour. It peaked at number nine on the charts. On November 10, was reformed band project, now named as Gackt Yellow Fried Chickenz, with new members and performed on Kishidan Expo at

, announcing band's limited five year revival, with concerts at Zepp Haneda on December 24 and 25, and plans to tour in Asia, Europe and South America. In 2025, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Gackt's solo career, in March were distributed digitally live music recordings from '' nine*nine'' (2008) collection of his live tours 2000–2006 as live albums, with official live videos of " Kimi no Tame ni Dekiru Koto" (2001), " Last Song" (2004) and " Another World" (2006). In March until early April was held "Last Songs 2025 feat. K" tour, and on 13 April two performances of rock orchestral concert "Gackt Philharmonic 2025" supported by his band Yellow Fried Chickenz and Grand Philharmonic Tokyo orchestra at Sumida Triphony Hall, Tokyo.

Acting career

Gackt's introduction to

filmmaking Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

, in addition to music videos, came in 2001 and 2002 with two TV documentaries. First, he traveled to

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

for the TV show , then participated in the children's documentary, ''Hero's Hero'', both aired on

. In 2003, he worked on the script and starred as Shō in his film, '' Moon Child'', which was filmed in Taiwan. It was released on April 19 in Japan, and screened on May 13 at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

and on April 12, 2004, at

Philadelphia Film Festival The Philadelphia Film Festival is a film festival founded by the Philadelphia Film Society held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The annual festival is held at various theater venues throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area. Overview The annual ...

. He voiced Seiji in the

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

, '' New Fist of the North Star'', for which two of his older songs were used as themes and released as a single " Lu:na/Oasis". Gackt also assisted as a model and provided the voice and the motion capture for a main character Lau Wong in the video game '' Bujingai'' by

Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, Toy, toys, arcade cabinets, and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, Vending machine, vending machines, and Juk ...

and Red Entertainment. His next involvement was in 2006, with the ''

Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...

'' franchise, for a video game '' Dirge of Cerberus'', and again in 2007 for a video game '' Crisis Core'', where the character

was modeled on, voiced and co-created by Gackt. Besides that, Gackt composed and performed two theme songs for the first game, which were released in the single " Redemption". In 2007, Gackt played the Sengoku-period ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

in the

Taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...

, '' Fūrin Kazan'', for which he was nominated for the TV Navi award as best-supporting actor in a drama category. Gackt recalls that Kenshin was always portrayed as a very tough man. Thus his vision with female myth in mind, which presented him clean-shaven and with long hair, received harsh criticism, but Ken Ogata expressed his approval and supported Gackt's work in the drama. His single " Returner (Yami no Shūen)" music video was inspired by the drama, and the song was used as the theme song in the Japanese version of movie ''

The Prestige ''The Prestige'' is a 1995 epistolary science fantasy mystery novel by Christopher Priest. It tells the story of a prolonged feud between two stage magicians in late 1800s England. Its main structure is that of a collection of diaries that ...

''. In the same year Gackt was a voice actor in the Japanese dub of the French animated-live action film, '' Arthur and the Minimoys''. In 2008, Gackt was filming in Romania for his first international film debut, ''

'', which was released in 2010. The next year he appeared as a prisoner Takegami Teijiro on death row in the second episode of the TV series, '' Mr. Brain'', and Joji Yuki in the film '' Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker''. In 2008 and 2009 collaborated as an actor, with main character based on him and were used his songs in two slo-

pachinko is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Gambling in Japan, Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of l ...

's, '' Yamasa Digi World SP Bounty Killer'' and '' Gladiator Evolution''. In 2010, he was a voice actor several times, first for the film '' Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard'', then the anime series '' Shiki'', his first regular voice cast role; and ''

Tono to Issho is a Japanese 4-panel gag manga written and illustrated by Ohba-Kai. ''Tono to Issho'' parodies several historical figures from Japan's Sengoku period (Warring States Era). ''Tono to Issho'' was adapted into two anime television series and ...

'', where he provided the voice for the daimyo he previously played on television. He also voiced characters for two video games, Velskud in '' Dragon Nest'', for which he composed and performed the theme song, " Ever", and pilot "Ex-" of Extreme Gundam the final boss in '' Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs.''. In 2011, he was a voice actor for the sequel of the ''Tono to Issho'' anime series, Andy in '' Supernatural: The Animation'' (episode 21 first season), and Dante in '' Sket Dance'' for which he also performed its theme "

Graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

" as well. He appeared in the TV drama, in which he played Jotei Gai, a Chinese eunuch who tries to take over the

Ryukyu Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom was a kingdom in the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a Tributary system of China, tributary state of Ming dynasty, imperial Ming China by the King of Ryukyu, Ryukyuan monarchy, who unified Okinawa Island t ...

. He was also a voice actor of Knight Commander and theme song " Until The Last Day" performer for the video game animated film, '' Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker''. Gackt 2013 RCTI

In 2012, Gackt appeared in the ''

Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including three anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, and numerous drama CDs, light novels, manga, and stage plays. Its story ...

'' television drama, ''Sengoku Basara: Moonlight Party'', as the games' depiction of warlord

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

. He also performed the series' theme song " Hakuro" (his 42nd single). He was also seen in a dual role as a Professor of Neurology Shiki Takashi and Yumeoji (literally translated "Dream Prince") in the drama '' Akumu-chan'', which is based on the novel by Riku Onda. In mid-2013 was the voice actor of Travis Grady and provided image song "Claymore" in Japanese dubbing of '' Silent Hill: Revelation''. In November 2013, Gackt appeared as a guest-star in two episodes (21 & 22) of the Indonesian

Tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...

series, '' Bima Satria Garuda'', as "Noir", the mysterious "''Bima Legend''" Knight from Parallel World. In 2014, he repeated his role in the movie '' Akumu-chan'', and starred in the drama ''Time Spiral'' as a time-traveler university professor Shuya Tatsumi, based on the web novel by . Gackt collaborated with

on the role-playing game ''3594e -Sangokushi Eiga-'' for

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

, based on the story of ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...

'', a Chinese historical novel. The in-game playable character, military general

Lü Bu Lü Bu (; died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed a ...

, was voiced by him and he also provided a

theme song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

. In 2015, Gackt made a cameo appearance in ''Origami'', a short film by director Cato Ochi. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. In the same year he voiced the characters Uesugi Kenshin and Sengoku Gackt which was modelled after him as well as provided the opening theme song of the mobile game ''Sengoku Shura Soul''. In early 2016, it was announced that Gackt was to have his first lead role after 14 years in the movie '' Karanukan'' (2018) directed by . The movie is set at the

Yaeyama Islands The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa Pref ...

, and Gackt portrays photographer Hikaru Ooyama who falls in love with a girl, Mami who mysteriously disappears. In the same year he voiced Maten Ruedo in the mobile game ''Othellonia'', was a voice actor for

The Fiend with Twenty Faces is a fictional character who serves as a recurring antagonist for Kogoro Akechi in Edogawa Rampo's mystery fiction. A gentleman thief and master of disguise, he is considered Akechi's archenemy or most famous adversary. Creation and origin Edoga ...

providing also opening and ending theme songs for the anime ''

'', and also dubbed the main role played by

Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is a British actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with ''Thor (film), Thor'' in 2011 and incl ...

in the Japanese dub of '' Kong: Skull Island''. In August 2018, it was announced that Gackt will have a co-leading role as 18-year-old student Rei Asami in a live adaptation movie of the 1980s comedy manga , written by . The film was released in early 2019 to critical acclaim, and Gackt was nominated at the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. In October 2022 was confirmed to have started working on ''Tonde Saitama'' sequel, which was released in November 2023.

Theatre

In May 2010, a play named '' Nemuri Kyoshiro Buraihikae'' was staged at

Nissay Theatre The is a theatre in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is located in the Nissay Hibiya Building, designed by the architect Togo Murano. It was completed in 1963 and opened with the Japanese premiere of Beethoven's opera ''Fidelio'' by the Deutsche Oper ...

in Tokyo, in which Gackt starred as the main protagonist. The show ran for 120 performances in seven cities until February 27, 2011, with an estimated 150,000 spectators. In 2012, Gackt announced a plan to continue the concept of Moon Saga with a stage theatre play written, composed and directed by him, Moon Saga - Mysteries of Yoshitsune'', in which he starred as

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period, Heian and early Kamakura period, Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles that toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-br ...

, starting from July 15 at Akasaka ACT Theatre in Tokyo. The final two of 60 shows were held on September 26 and October 2, in Tokyo. The estimated audience was about 50,000 spectators. The second "Moon" stage theatre adaptation ran from August until October 2014, with 40 performances in seven cities, notable for the first major use of

projection mapping Projection mapping, similar to video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a video projection, projection technique used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into display surfaces for video projection. The objects may be complex industr ...

in theatre stage plays.

Music artistry

Voice

Gackt has a low-pitched voice, with a

vibrato Vibrato (Italian language, Italian, from past participle of "wikt:vibrare, vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch (music), pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. ...

pitch at D₃-D₄, and is capable of using

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

like for example in song "

Ares Ares (; , ''Árēs'' ) is the List of Greek deities, Greek god of war god, war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for ...

" and " 4th" among others. In his songs he shows wide range and often sings in both low and high notes in the same song, sometimes also adding the falsetto. According to Gackt, he had expanded the vocal range too much between 2003 and 2004, and searched for a right expression until 2005, since when he has been getting more straightforward. His voice was described as "very melodramatic", as well as "smooth, sleek, unnaturally heartfelt", "velvet" and "molasses".

Songwriting

His songs range from melodic ballads to intense hard rock songs, in which he masterfully combines "raw rock elements" with "listener-friendly compositions" and

string instrument In musical instrument classification, string instruments, or chordophones, are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer strums, plucks, strikes or sounds the strings in varying manners. Musicians play some ...

s. Josephine Yun in ''A Concise Report on 40 of the Biggest Rock Acts in Japan'' (2005) noted his "talent for orchestration and for blending classical elements into the rock genre ... and his style ranges from romantically classical to experimental and unfolding progressive rock". Some songs, like for example " Mind Forest", " Metamorphoze", " Returner (Yami no Shūen)", and those related to the album '' Last Moon'', are distinctive for their blend of modern Western musical instruments and traditional Japanese musical instruments, a kind of music called by Gackt as " Zipangu rock" from which can be sensed it originates from Japan. Gackt often "stressed the beauty and importance of Japanese lyrics", writing "all of his music and lyrics to quality, not quantity". He uses double meaning words,) and lyrics are "meaningful and heartfelt". They also deal with emotions of sadness, kindness, coexistence, beauty, fragility, depth of love for others and loneliness among many others. His process of writing songs and making concerts is by first writing the story, then writing and composing the songs based on it with a specific image in the live performance. It results in songs that are conceptually related, but still independent from each other. Most of his studio albums are conceived around two conceptual stories: story of "Moon Saga" (''

'', ''

'', '' Diabolos'', '' Last Moon''), set in Asia (mostly Japan) and Europe is a vampire story although by itself it is not, as the vampires were presented as a way of expressing a certain evil side and existence of humans. The theme is based around the existential questions of humanity, a symbolical and psychological story about the repetition of human sins, war and the question of what is the ultimate meaning of human life; and story of "Requiem et Reminiscence" or short "ЯR" (''

'', '' Re:Born''), which is set in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

during the

and questions where humans start and end and why at the same time destructive and loving, humanity decides to start wars.

Performances

Gackt is known for his unique concerts, which he wants to preserve as works of art. His conceptual kind of

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

s related to "Moon Saga" and "Requiem et Reminiscence" are different from typical music concerts neither they fit in the usual categories of a musical or a theatre play. Thus Gackt calls them "Visualive", because they are formed by a story, music, movies, theatre and musical elements, as well as live performance (with Gackt "acting" as the story protagonist). The shows are elaborately divided into two basic parts, conceptual and entertainment, which can be further divided into four parts, first has introduction concept movie followed by first set of concept songs, second has stage clothes change and second set of concept songs, third after a video of relief has a separate set of songs and MC with audience engaging in playful entertainment, and fourth has ending conceptual performance and closing movie. Reviewers described them as rock spectacles with a teartful story that will make the audience wishing for a peaceful world. During the performance of "

Rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

" on 2002 and 2003 tours had the water drops falling like a rain from the ceiling onto the stage. His final performance of ''Diabolos'' tour in 2005 at

(costing roughly $4.3 million) received praise and shocked the audience, as included entering the arena on a horseback in full gallop with four other horse riders, in a suspended coffin during " Lust for Blood", singing " Love Letter" hanging 20m in the air, and disappearing in a sudden smoke explosion. The 2008-09 '' Requiem et Reminiscence II'' and 2016 '' Last Visualive - Last Moon'' tour concerts lasted up to four hours. The Visualive concert format was originally created during the ''Requiem et Reminiscence'' tour in 2001, and according to Gackt, it took him almost ten years to arrive to a satisfying point of form during the ''Requiem et Reminiscence II'' tour in 2008-2009. However, he found such way of expression as difficult and physically and mentally exhausting, with a profitability that is not in accordance with the demands of

entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have deve ...

. By 2007 he had a lot of requests to tour worldwide, but such large-scale shows are difficult to have in foreign countries and need significant logistical support for transportation. Similarly his ''Camui Gakuen'' festival shows (2009-2019) have Gackt performing

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s conceptualized around a same-titled fictional school where Gackt acts as the student council president wearing a school uniform. He can be seen cross-dressing as a female, being a drummer of SEX Japan (pun on Yoshiki and his band

), or a guitarist of The Balue Hearts (pun on The Blue Hearts) among others. Gackt's example of a more typical concert is ''D.r.u.g. Party'' tour (2006-2007) featuring his rock songs, with Oricon review noting his eroticism and charisma while performing, and Gackt considering it his and worldwide's pinnacle of an all-out

androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...

style by a man. Another typical, but physically intense concept, is band Yellow Fried Chickenz.

Cultural status

Gackt is considered a Japanese pop and fashion icon,

J-pop J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...

/ J-rock

superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

and

Japanese idol An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese popular culture, Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in other performance skills such as acting, dancing, and modeling. Idol ...

, and due to his involvement with the visual kei movement, which emphasizes

and changing appearance, he is referred to as a "living manifestation of readers' fantasy men" found in

bishōnen is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth (boy)" and describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man of androgynous beauty. This word originated from the Tang dynasty poem '' Eight Immortals ...

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

. '' Otaku USA'' magazine in 2007 stated "His 'more than human' appearance and persona were a hit with the mass media in Japan. It was as if a fictitious character suddenly popped out in the real world". He has been compared to fictional characters like

Griffith Griffith may refer to: People * Griffith (name) * Griffith (surname) * Griffith (given name) Places Antarctica * Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency * Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Ridge, ...

from '' Berserk'',

Cloud Strife is a character in the media franchise ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'' by Square Enix. He is the protagonist of the role-playing video games ''Final Fantasy VII'' (1997), ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' (2020) and ''Final Fantasy VII Rebirth'' ...

and

Squall Leonhart is a character and the main protagonist of ''Final Fantasy VIII'', a role-playing video game that was produced by Square (video game company), Square (now Square Enix). Within the game's plot, Squall is a 17-year-old student at Balamb Garden, a ...

from ''

'', as well as having been an inspiration for manga characters. In his late career his appearance changed to more "

macho Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1940s and 1950s and its use more wi ...

". Gackt became associated with Japanese

daimyo were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominally to ...

who he played in NHK Taiga drama '' Fūrin Kazan''. Gackt was subsequently invited to act as Kenshin at Jōetsu city's traditional 82nd Kenshin Festival in August 2007. In August 2010 he participated in the 85th Kenshin Festival for the third time, with a record attendance of more than 240,000 visitors. Four more times he reprised the role in the festival, with a new record high number of 243,000 visitors in August 2015. Gackt's sex appeal has been noted by national polls, such as by Oricon, similar to those done by ''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

''. He often ranked highly in beauty listings, as the most or one of the most beautiful/sexiest Japanese men, celebrities or artists. In 2009, he was also ranked fifth among rock music personalities in Japanese history. Gackt on several occasions served as a fashion model (including for Yoshiyuki Konishi), producer and designer. In the first half of his career he had own jewelry & sunglasses brand Darts. In 2002 received Japan Glasses Best Dressed Award, and in 2003 Best Dressed Award by Japan Men's Fashion Association. In 2007 at the China Fashion Week in Shanghai received award for the Japanese Fashion Artist of the Year. Over the years, Gackt appeared as a performer, guest and regular member on several television variety shows, including '' Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ'', and since 2009, TV Asahi's New Year's special '' Geinoujin-Kakuzuke-Check'' (Celebrity Rating Check), where he holds the record of 71 individual winning streaks, building an image of a top

connoisseur A connoisseur (French language, French Reforms of French orthography, traditional, pre-1835, spelling of , from Middle-French , then meaning 'to be acquainted with' or 'to know somebody/something') is a person who has a great deal of knowledge ...

and "first-class entertainer". Gackt was one of the judges of Japan's first season of Got Talent show which premiered on February 11, 2023. Gackt appeared in many

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

, including for

Fujifilm , trading as , or simply Fuji, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating in the areas of photography, optics, Office supplies, office and Biomedical engine ...

, Shiseido,

Daihatsu is a Japanese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. One of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers, the company was known for building three-wheeled vehicles and off-road vehicle ...

, Tsutaya,

, and

Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...

, among others. From July 2014 to August 2016 in collaboration with

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. ( ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 20 ...

Japan was started a gaming channel "Game Center" with daily video release of Gackt playing video games, gathering more than 15 million views in first season alone. In 2019 became ambassador for PUBG Mobile in Japan, a collaboration that until 2023 saw him contributing original models of himself, skin outfits which wore in his career, weapon skins and voice pack. On July 31, 2008, Internet Co., Ltd. released Gackpoid, a

using a recorded selection of Gackt's voice.

Entrepreneurship

Gackt's other entrepreneurship projects include, among others, producing a line of sake "Chateau Gackt" in 2013. In 2016, he co-founded a real estate company with Satoshi Ikeda, named Gackt & Ikeda Asia Bridge Partnerz, in Kuala Lumpur. In 2017, he got involved as a core member and strategic advisor for Asia of a virtual currency project, Spindle. In 2019 was chosen as the executive organizer of the Japan Grown Diamond Association. In 2023 went on a long-term collaboration with a newly constructed winery and vineyard at Kaminokuni, Hokkaido.

Philanthropy

The year 2007 saw the creation of the Save our Dears charity to help the victims of the Chūetsu offshore earthquake that struck the

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

. To raise funds for this charity, Gackt designed a keychain and bracelets, in addition, the charity also featured two Orico UPty MasterCard credit cards. Gackt's fan club Dears, raised 2,000,000 (26,041) which Gackt donated to the city of Jōetsu at the 83rd Kenshin Festival in 2008. On December 14, 2010 he participated in and performed in a Hohoemi project charity event called "Message! to Asia", by DATV at Tokyo Dome, whose profits were planned to help street children in

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. For an auction at the event, he auctioned his custom 1999 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am MS6, which was sold for (). In 2011, because of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Gackt founded the "Show Your Heart" charity for collecting money to buy supplies for the victims. In March, a truck convoy with of food and clothes was delivered and a nationwide street-corner fund-raising campaign was held, with Gackt's participation, which collected (or ). All money collected through bank transfers and street fundraising activities was transferred from Rakuten to the Japanese Red Cross, totalling (). Part of the 2011 world tour and other activities of Gackt's band project Yellow Fried Chickenz revenue was also donated to the Japanese Red Cross. At several theatre plays of his '' Moon Saga: Mysteries of Yoshitsune I'' (2012), with the help of the Ashinaga (organization), orphans from the earthquake were invited and also received a monetary donation for scholarship. In addition to making a private donation, Gackt sold merchandise during the 2020 tour which raised ¥4.7 million (roughly US$44,000) to support the reconstruction of the recently burned-down

Shuri Castle is a Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' castle in Shuri, Okinawa, Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was ...

in Shuri, Okinawa.

Personal life

Gackt is an ethnic ''Uchinanchu'' i.e. Ryukyuan. When he was young he experienced discrimination for it in Japan but it did not have a negative effect on him. He reportedly also experienced discrimination in a Paris hotel in 2015 for being Asian. His stated life and music goal is giving people hope, connecting them and uniting Asian countries. When he was 20 years old, Gackt was briefly married to a South Korean woman, and his "last big love affair" which ended in 2014 was reportedly with Japanese-born South Korean singer Lee Ahyumi. Gackt has lived for most of his life in Tokyo, Japan. In 2012 he moved to the Philippines and Hong Kong, with his primary residence located in Malaysia, where he has a mansion of 1,700 square meters situated in a

residential area A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...

on the outskirts of

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

. In 2022 he was announced to be building and designing a new mansion in Malaysia. He also speaks Mandarin, Korean, English, and some French. He has a second-degree black belt rank in ITF

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

, as well as experience in other martial arts like

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

, jiu-jitsu among others. In the past years he enjoys playing

poker Poker is a family of Card game#Comparing games, comparing card games in which Card player, players betting (poker), wager over which poker hand, hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, with varying rules i ...

and since 2017 plays competitively on live tournaments, with largest cash of $75,600 from fourth-place finish in Aria High Roller, Las Vegas. He stated that his philosophical way of life is similar to Japanese

Bushido is a Samurai moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. Its origins date back to the Kamakura period, but it was formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significantl ...

. His personal religious belief is close to a nature god. His family believed that their deceased members became gods and they should venerate them, hence exist two conceptions of

Ryukyuan religion Ryukyu may refer to: * Ryukyu Islands, a volcanic arc archipelago * Ryukyuan languages * Ryukyuan people * Kingdom of Ryukyu (1429–1879) * Ryukyu (My Hero Academia), Ryuko Tatsuma, a character in the animanga series ''My Hero Academia'' See als ...

in Okinawa whether to venerate the ancestors or nature. It does not have a well-defined theorization and rituals, but the practice is an acknowledgment of everything that surrounds people, "a love of nature". Gackt every year with his 20-30 staff members is cleaning his family Monchū tomb deep in the mountains of Southern Okinawa from where his ancestors originate, while the family altar in Northern Okinawa because his great-grandfather founded a town there.

Discography

Solo

* '' Mizérable'' ( EP/

Mini-LP A mini-LP or mini-album is a short record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini- ...

) (1999) * ''

'' (2000) * ''

'' (2001) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

'' (2003) * '' Love Letter'' (2005) * '' Diabolos'' (2005) * '' Re:Born'' (2009) * '' Last Moon'' (2016)

Malice Mizer

* '' Voyage Sans Retour'' (1996) * '' Merveilles'' (1998)

Filmography

Movies

* '' Moon Child'' (2003), Shō * '' Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker'' (2009), Joji Yuki * ''

'' (2010), Yoshi * ''The Tempest 3D'' (2012), Jo Teigai * '' Akumu-chan'' (2014), Takashi Shiki/Yume Ōji * ''Origami'' (2015, short film) * ''Karanukan'' (2018), Hikaru Ooyama * '' Fly Me to the Saitama'' (2019), Rei Asami * ''The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess'' (2020), Mysterious man * ''Fly Me to the Saitama: From Biwa Lake with Love'' (2023), Rei Asami * ''What If Tokugawa Ieyasu Became Prime Minister?'' (2024),

* ''Blazing Fists'' (2025)

Television series and documentaries

* (2001) * ''Hero's Hero'' (2002) * '' Fūrin Kazan'' (2007),

* '' Mr. Brain'' (2009), Takegami Teijiro (Ep. 2) * ''The Tempest'' (2011), Jyoteigai * '' Akumu-chan'' (2012), Takashi Shiki/Yumeoji * ''Sengoku Basara: Moonlight Party'' (2012),

* '' Bima Satria Garuda'' (2013), Noir * ''Renai ha Hitsuzen de Aru'' (2014), Storyteller * ''Time Spiral'' (2014), Shuya Tatsumi * '' Shin The Unfettered Shogun'' (2025) – Tokugawa Muneharu

Voice acting

* '' New Fist of the North Star'' (2003, OVA), Seiji * '' Bujingai'' (2003, video game), Lau Wong * '' Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII'' (2006, video game),

* '' Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII'' (2007, video game), Genesis Rhapsodos * '' Arthur and the Minimoys'' (2007, animated film, Japanese dubbing version), Maltazard * '' Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard'' (2010, animated film, Japanese dubbing), Maltazard * '' Shiki'' (2010,

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

), Seishiro Kirishiki * ''

'' (2010, anime), Kenshin Uesugi * '' Dragon Nest'' (2010-2016, video game, Japanese dubbing), Velskud * '' Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs.'' (2010, video game), Ex-/Extreme Gundam * '' Supernatural: The Anime Series'' (2011, anime), Andy * '' Sket Dance'' (2011, anime), Kiyoshi "Dante" Date * '' Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker'' (2012, animated film), Knight Commander * '' Silent Hill: Revelation 3D'' (2012, feature film, Japanese dubbing), Travis Grady * ''3594e'' (2014, mobile game), Lü Bu * ''Sengoku Shura Soul'' (2015, mobile game), Uesugi Kenshin and Sengoku Gackt * ''Othellonia'' (2016, mobile game), Maten Ruedo * ''

'' (2016, anime),

* '' Kong: Skull Island'' (2017, feature film, Japanese dubbing), James Conrad * '' Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion'' (2022, video game), Genesis Rhapsodos

Bibliography

* (autobiography; sold over 100,000 copies) * (novel) * (quotes collection) * (novel) * (quotes collection) * (blog post collection) * (self-help book) * (self-help book) * (self-help book) * (semi-autobiography) * (autobiography)

Tours

;Arena tours: *2000: ''Mars Sora Kara no Homonsha'' () *2001: ''Requiem et Reminiscence'' *2002: ''Kagen no Tsuki'' () *2003: ''Jogen no Tsuki'' () *2004: ''The Sixth Day & Seventh Night'' *2005-06: ''Diabolos ~Aien no Shi~'' () *2008-09: ''Requiem et Reminiscence II ~Saisei to Kaikou~'' () *2009-19: ''Kamui Gakuen'' *2013: ''Best of the Best Vol. I'' *2016: ''Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon–'' () ;Club tours: *1999: ''99 Gackt Resurrection & Easter Live'' *2006-07: ''Training Days – Dears Reserved Unique Gackt (D.r.u.g./Drug) Party'' ;Theater, Hall tours: *2020: ''Khaos'' *2021-25: ''Last Songs 2021 feat. K''

Notes

References

External links

Official website

Official community site
(discontinued 2020; Japanese) * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gackt 1973 births Avex Trax artists Gan-Shin artists Living people Japanese male pianists Male voice actors from Okinawa Prefecture Malice Mizer members Nippon Crown artists Singers from Okinawa Prefecture Ryukyuan people Visual kei musicians Japanese baritones Japanese expatriates in Malaysia Japanese male film actors Japanese male pop singers Japanese male rock singers Japanese male singer-songwriters Japanese male television actors Japanese male video game actors Japanese male voice actors Japanese poker players Japanese rock pianists Japanese YouTubers 20th-century Japanese male singers 20th-century Japanese singer-songwriters 20th-century Japanese pianists 21st-century Japanese male actors 21st-century Japanese male singers 21st-century Japanese singer-songwriters 21st-century Japanese pianists Vocaloid voice providers