Boy band Kat-tun loses third member

A member of boy band Kat-tun surprised fans live on TV on Tuesday night by announcing his intention to quit the group.

The departure of Junnosuke Taguchi in spring 2016 means that Kat-tun, which debuted in 2006 as a six-member band, will be only half the size it once was when its 10th anniversary comes around. Two members had left the group by 2013.

“As I am about to turn 30, I thought about how I should live my life and decided to take my own way,” Taguchi told the audience from the stage during the program.

He will also quit Johnny & Associates, the agency managing Kat-tun and more than 20 other boy bands and male recording artists.

Johnny & Associates released a statement saying that Kat-tun will not disband despite Taguchi’s departure, but that the agency will discuss its future with the remaining three members.

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