Kishidan

• Sho Ayanokoji (綾小路 翔, Ayanokōji Shō, Show) — Vocals, Dragon Voice, Emcee and Guitar; born June 24, 1979
• Hikaru Saotome (早乙女 光, Saotome Hikaru, Hikaru) — Dance and Scream; born January 24
• Hitomi Saionji (西園寺 瞳, Saionji Hitomi, Tommy) — Guitar; born October 23
• Hoshi Grandmarnier (星 グランマニエ, Hoshi Guranmanie, Ranma) — Guitar; born March 1. Joined the group in late 1998.
• Shouchikubai Shiratori (白鳥 松竹梅, Shiratori Shōchikubai, Matsu) — Bass guitar; born March 17. Joined the group January 1999.

Their various uniforms, modeled after the short and long-coat bōsōzoku-preferred versions of old Japanese gakuran (boys' school uniforms), their matching bōsōzoku uniforms (the kind modeled on those worn by kamikaze pilots)—everything is done with a touch of humor and a nostalgic fondness for the gangs and values of days not-long gone by. Since the band started touring again in 2009, they have started wearing different styles of gakuran, as well as outfits from Tokyo-based fashion group, Saturday Nite.

The group's lyrics are predominantly about motorcycles, being with your gang, conflicts with school, and adolescent love. Though Kishidan has something of a comic approach to their presentation and performances, their songs are often sincere and about issues that are generally important to young people.

Kishidan's hit songs "One Night Carnival" and "Zoku" were featured in Nintendo's Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, and Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, respectively, which are games about ouendan (cheer squads). The song "One Night Carnival" (a cover version) is even used for a level that was inspired by one of Kishidan's live performances. Coincidentally, the characters wear long gakuran coats and dance like Kishidan. The dancing style is based on actual ouendan cheering routines, and long gakuran coats are often worn by ouendan cheer teams. It is possible that Kishidan's lively and powerful dance routines were inspired by the tradition of ouendan cheering, a subject that is unique to Japanese culture.

A February 2011 appearance on MTV Japan's Mega Vector program was heavily criticized by the Simon Wiesenthal Center after the band appeared in costumes resembling Nazi SS uniforms. The band's agency, Sony Music Artists, issued a statement of apology, noting that the band members "deeply regretted" their attire and that the clothing "was not meant to carry any ideological meaning whatsoever."[2] Avex Group, the band's current record label, also sent an apology through its homepage.[3]

Kishidan embraces the theatrics of rock music in their live performance, and make extensive use of pop dancing and theatrics. Members of the band will sometimes pretend to perish mid-concert in battle with rival school gangs. Kishidan is also known to parody current popular Japanese songs, such as Matsudaira Ken's "Matsuken Samba II", and Nakashima Mika's "Glamorous Sky" from the film adaptation of Nana.

Since transferring to Avex, the band started to use ateji to promote their singles. In every promotional video, the band uses the ateji character for their Avex Trax sub-label, 影別苦須 虎津苦須 (which is pronounced the same as the main label (eibekkusu torakkusu) in the Japanese language).

• Kishidan Official Homepage "Takobeya" (in Japanese)
• Kishidan Official Homepage at Toshiba-emi (in Japanese)
• Current official Kishidan Member Blog (in Japanese)
• Kishidan-chan blog archives (to July 2006) (in Japanese)