HIRO A year filled with daily goals and aspirations... That's a PERFECT YEAR

<Profile>
HIRO
Born June 1, 1969, blood type AB. Debuted in 1990 as ZOO with the single "Careless Dance."
After ZOO disbanded in 1996, they formed "J Soul Brothers" in 1997. In the summer of 2001, they changed their name from "J Soul Brothers" to "EXILE."
He debuted on September 27, 2001 with "Your eyes only ~Ambiguous My Contour~".
While he is a performer and leader of EXILE, he also serves as the president of his agency, LDH.
This year is titled EXILE PERFECT YEAR 2008, and is a year full of EXILE flavor, including projects such as the release of three best albums.
On July 23rd, the second best album, "EXILE ENTERTAINMENT BEST" will be released.

I am a performer, a leader, and a president.

HIRO, you are the performer leader of EXILE and also the president of the agency. Is there anything difficult about juggling multiple roles at the same time?
"We've gotten to where we are today by pursuing what we love, so we've met a lot of different people and experienced a lot of different things, and it feels like both the staff and I have grown together. We also know how to overcome difficulties. Rather than feeling like it's difficult, we turn it into energy and move forward. That's why we don't really distinguish between performer, leader, and president.

Titled PERFECT YEAR, you've been busy with the release of three best albums, the EXILE Theater, the EXILE Anime, the launch of the monthly EXILE magazine, and a five-dome tour. What was the impetus for these projects?
"While constantly thinking about EXILE, I wanted to broaden the scope of entertainment even further and take on new possibilities. I also want many people to enjoy themselves all year round through a variety of entertainment. PERFECT YEAR is filled with these thoughts."

What about the other content?
"For each piece of content, I met professionals in that field. I wanted to work with professionals in each field to make the EXILE brand shine. I had many chance encounters, but I'm always on the lookout and I value communication with people, so I guess you could say these encounters were inevitable."

So far, your PERFECT YEAR is going perfectly.
"I think we are making good progress in what we are aiming for. It wouldn't be a PERFECT YEAR if everyone was happy, so I'm really happy that EXILE is currently making fans happy more than I could have imagined. I want to accelerate EXILE even further and make it even more exciting so that they can have even more fun and enjoyment."

What is the content of the second best album "EXILE ENTERTAINMENT BEST" released on July 23rd this year?
"It includes the main story of the anime 'EXAMURA', songs from the first chapter sung by ATSUSHI and TAKAHIRO with new arrangements, and new songs created as part of various projects. It's a best album packed with content, so I think people of all generations will be able to enjoy the wide-ranging EXILE whether they listen to it or watch it."

To my future self and to my students.

Is there any field you would like to try in the future?
"Rather than focusing on a particular field, I want to continue being the same person I've always been, and be an influential presence who can inspire and cheer up many people. We also gain energy and confidence from everyone, so I want to continue to make an impact and surprise people in a good way."

Finally, please give us a message for the students.
"Well, I can't really say this with any authority (laughs). I owe it all to the many people I've met that I'm here today, so if I cherish each and every encounter and live each day to the fullest, I'm sure I'll be able to live a wonderful life. Cherish each day and continue to work hard with consideration for others."

From the August 2008 issue of the Student Newspaper