Chai are breaking up. “We are sad to let you know that, following our upcoming Japan tour, CHAI will eternalize NEO KAWAII (=parting ways as a band),” they wrote on social media. “To continue our journey of self-love, as CHAI have always said, and to continue to fulfill our own personal visions, we have decided to go our separate ways.” See Chai’s full statement below.

According to Bandistown, Chai begin their Japanese farewell tour on February 2. The band’s final show is currently scheduled for March 2 in Koriyama.

Twin sisters Mana and Kana formed Chai in 2012 with drummer Yuna and Yuuki. Mana sang and played keyboards; Kana played guitar; Yuna drummed; and Yuuki played bass and wrote lyrics. The group released its debut EP, ほったらかシリーズ (Hottaraka Series), in 2015. A full-length debut, Pink, followed in 2017. Chai went on to share three more albums: Punk, Wink, and Chai, the latter two arriving via Sub Pop.

Throughout their career, Chai embraced a concept they dubbed “Neo-Kawaii,” a redefinition of the Japanese concept of cuteness. “In Japanese society, cute people are the ones that are popular, and cute things are the ones that are hip. Cute is a standard, and everything else is ugly,” Mana told Pitchfork’s Jenn Pelly in 2018. “It affected me a lot, because I didn’t feel like I was a part of that standard. People really get hurt by the word ‘cute’—if you don’t fit into that, it really bothers them. It’s something that stays on your mind. It’s a huge insecurity. For some reason that word is very strong. That’s why we decided to make songs about the fact that everyone is cute.”

Meet Chai, the Eclectic Japanese Rock Band Redefining What It Means to Be Cute

Chai:

First of all, we want to thank everyone for all of the support you give us!
We are sad to let you know that, following our upcoming Japan tour, CHAI will eternalize NEO KAWAII (=parting ways as a band).
To continue our journey of self-love, as CHAI have always said, and to continue to fulfill our own personal visions, we have decided to go our separate ways.
We are so sorry to surprise you with this news.
CHAI would never have been able to travel the world without all of your support, and we cannot thank you enough for the love and courage you have given us.
Each of the members will continue to represent and spread NEO KAWAII in our own individual ways, so we would greatly appreciate your support in the future too.
TEN-KYUUUU so much for everything!
We love you so much, now and forever♡♡♡
We will travel Japan on our last tour to give LOVE to all of our NEO KAWAII BABIES one last time, so let’s have the best time together☆
NEO KAWAII IS FOREVER♡✴︎＊

CHAI