'Kiseki,' the Japanese Dental Student Band That Made Guinness, Changes Group Name and Starts New Activities [Japanese Side]

Formed After Meeting at Dental College... Keeps Face Hidden Due to Dual Careers
Terminates Agency Contract and Starts New Activities as 'Green Boys'

"Ashita, Kyou Yori mo Sukini Nareru (明日、今日よりも好きになれる)."

Did anyone recognize the song just from the first line of the lyrics? It's a song characterized by a cheerful melody and lyrics that stir the heart with the message "Tomorrow, I will like you more than today." This is the song "Kiseki (奇跡·Miracle)" by the Japanese band GReeeeN, which became known as the "memory manipulation song" in South Korea for evoking memories of first love during school days. GReeeeN was one of the leading figures in the early 2000s J-pop wave in South Korea, and anyone who had some J-pop on their MP3 player back then would definitely know this song. Especially, "Kiseki" was frequently sung by Japanese singers on radio shows and is famous for being performed often by active Korean idols and famous singers at concerts.

Why bring up this nostalgic group all of a sudden? Because on the 19th, GReeeeN announced a change of their band name. They ended their contract with their previous agency and declared that they would continue activities under a new band name instead of GReeeeN.

Thanks to this, GReeeeN, who were originally famous as a faceless band, once again attracted public attention. Today, to reminisce a bit and to introduce their new start under a new name, here is the story of the Japanese band GReeeeN.

Green performing live at the concert venue. (Photo by Green X)

On the 19th, GReeeeN announced that they had terminated their contract with their previous agency, established a new company, and would continue their activities under a new name. The new name is "GRe4N BOYZ."

Member Kuni said, "We think fans have been worried because we have been quiet for a while. We can now report because we have been preparing for a new step."

The previous group name also used unique alphabets, and this new name is distinctive as well. The original group name "GReeeeN" was created based on the four members, and the logo resembles a smiling mouth. This is because all the members met at a dental university and started their music activities there. The logo was designed to look like a set of teeth visible when smiling.

Member Nabi explained, "If the previous name meant immaturity and incompleteness, this new name carries the meaning of continuing to enjoy music with the same heart as when the four of us first met as rookies." Another member, So, said, "I want to deeply engrave the feelings from when we met at university and happily started making music, and walk a new path."

Logo of the Japanese band 'Green'. (Photo by Green Official Website)

Finally, leader Hide said, "Believing in incompleteness and unknown possibilities, we will continue to sing. Please support us."

It also attracted significant attention that they will continue to perform as a complete group even after leaving their agency. They met at the dental university in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, and formed the band as a hobby in 2002. Above all, since they had to work as dentists after graduating from dental school, even after debuting in 2007 and releasing many hit songs like "Ai Uta" and "Kiseki," they never revealed their faces, earning the nickname "faceless singers." Because they were working as dentists simultaneously, they rarely gave interviews to the media to avoid interfering with their work.

Fans hoped that since the members were students at debut, they might reveal their faces after passing the national dental exam, but even in 2010, when all members passed the exam, they did not reveal their faces. At concerts, instead of the members appearing directly, live performances were usually accompanied by matching videos.

In 2017, a movie titled "Kiseki: Sobito of That Day," focusing on the formation of GReeeeN and the background of the song "Kiseki," was released. It tells the story of leader Hide and his older brother, who faced family opposition to pursuing music and were urged to study instead. The film starred Masaki Suda and was a big hit in Japan.

Green appeared in augmented reality (AR) at the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen. (Photo by X)

Then, finally in 2020, at the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, they revealed their complete appearance for the first time using augmented reality (AR) effects. The faces and appearances of the four members were fully shown on stage, which sparked debates about whether it was really them, pre-recorded footage, or if completely different people were presented. NHK officials stated, "Since it is related to production, we will not comment." In any case, their real faces have never been broadcast.

Because they graduated from Fukushima Prefecture's dental university, leader Hide also participated as a doctor in identifying the bodies exposed to radiation near the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.

Japanese fans have shown various reactions. Some expressed concerns about whether it is problematic that they cannot use the group name after terminating the contract with the agency, or whether the name change indicates how difficult the situation was that they wanted to end the contract at all costs.

Above all, there were many voices of support. Since they once created joyful memories through music, many hope they will continue to work hard in the future. Expectations are also high for their upcoming songs under the new name.