the GazettE have announced the removal of guitarist Aoi, prompting a series of public statements from both the band and the longtime member on March 10th, the group’s 24th anniversary.
In a notice published on the band’s official website, the GazettE said Aoi had been removed from the group and that they would continue activities without him. The statement said the situation began when Aoi “unilaterally stepped away from band activities” and interfered with already scheduled releases and tours.
They added that repeated attempts to communicate with him directly were declined, with contact eventually taking place only through his representative.
In the same statement, the GazettE cited several issues that they said led to the decision, including refusal to participate in live performances, financial demands they described as unreasonable, and the external sharing of information they said differed from the facts. They also referred to confidentiality concerns and said matters related to their late bassist REITA, who died in 2024, had been handled in ways they considered inappropriate.
The members said the situation had placed both the band and staff under severe strain and that they could no longer continue “sharing the same vision and standing on the same stage together”. They also said the GazettE would continue moving forward, while previously scheduled releases would be reviewed before further details are announced.
Shortly after the notice was published, Aoi responded through his official X account, disputing the band’s version of events.
In his statement, he said the announcement “contains many details that differ from the facts” and rejected the claim that he had been expelled. According to Aoi, he informed the other members in April 2025 of his intention to leave the band at the end of September that year.
“I had already left the GazettE as of that date. Therefore, I did not leave as a result of an expulsion”, he wrote.
Aoi also denied abandoning activities or interfering with the band’s schedule, saying he had approached his work in the GazettE sincerely until his departure. Addressing the financial claims, he said the requests in question were for unpaid guarantees and previously agreed money from the affiliated company, adding that they were “in no way unjust”.
He also said he had held back from announcing his departure because he wanted an official statement agreed upon with the other members, and said he was “very disappointed” that a one-sided release had been published instead.
Alongside that rebuttal, Aoi posted a second message that he said had originally been prepared for an announcement of his departure in September 2025. In it, he reflected on the band’s 23 years together and thanked RUKI, URUHA, REITA, and KAI, as well as staff and fans.
Following the exchange, the remaining members also addressed the situation on X.
Frontman RUKI wrote that “as of today, the GazettE becomes four members, including REITA”, adding that the members had shared their feelings with the late bassist before reaching their decision. RUKI said the group had spent around a year struggling with the issue before reaching a conclusion. He described Aoi as someone the band “didn’t want to give up on until the very end”, but said the members had ultimately accepted that their feelings no longer reached him.
KAI also suggested the situation had continued for the past year, writing that every day had felt “like continuing to shout in the darkness”. He said the band could not accept a future in which the GazettE disappeared and added that the decision announced on March 10th was not an easy one.
URUHA called the outcome deeply painful and regrettable, but said the band would continue on “without stopping” as it enters its 24th year.
Later the same day, the GazettE issued a further statement through management company HERESY Inc., apologising for the concern caused by the announcement. The band said it would refrain from making further direct comments on the matter and confirmed that legal issues related to the case had been handed over to its attorneys.
Formed in Kanagawa in 2002, the GazettE have remained one of the most talked-about names in visual kei worldwide over the past two decades. Aoi joined at the band’s formation alongside RUKI, URUHA, REITA and drummer Yune, with KAI joining in 2003 after Yune’s departure.
