Overview
Kaika (廻花) is a new-generation virtual singer-songwriter under KYOKAI STUDIO (transferred from KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO in September 2026), described as “a new branching point of KAF.” She debuted on January 14, 2024, at KAF’s 4th ONE-MAN LIVE “Kaika” (怪歌) held at Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium (国立代々木競技場第一体育館), emerging as a distinct artistic identity that channels impulsive, unfiltered feelings directly into song. Her concept represents a fork in KAF’s creative lineage — a new flower blooming from the same root but growing in its own direction.
With a vocal style that leans into raw emotional expression, Kaika occupies a unique space within the Kamitsubaki ecosystem: part singer-songwriter, part character narrative. Her work explores immediacy and instinct, contrasting with the more literary or philosophical approaches of other V.W.P members.
Role and Creative Position
Kaika’s identity is built on the idea of “branching” — she is explicitly framed as a new divergence from KAF, carrying forward elements of KAF’s artistic DNA while developing her own voice. The name 廻花 (“circling flower”) evokes cyclical growth and return, suggesting that even as she branches out, the connection to her origin remains. Her creative direction emphasizes directness: capturing feelings as they arise, before they can be rationalized or refined.
Project Position and Creative Authorship
KAIKA is the real-world singer-songwriter parallel identity that KAF unveiled at the “怪歌” concert held at Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 1 on 14 January 2024.
| Dimension | Content |
|---|---|
| Form of existence | A singer-songwriter with a genuine sketched texture, not a 3D virtual avatar |
| Creative mode | Lyrics and music 100% written by herself, centred on acoustic-guitar self-accompaniment and acoustic arrangements |
| Narrative core | Directly confronting the loneliness and confusion of a twenty-year-old’s life and the question of where life comes from |
| Stage character | Minimal lighting, unplugged instrumentation, unadorned emotional breath |
Significance of the project: KAIKA is not “KAF under a smaller name” but a seizure of artistic subjectivity — when the character must lead observers through a grand tale, she is KAF; when she must confide the tiny, unspeakable truths within, she is KAIKA. This “dual-wielder” paradigm breaks the “fate of the torn inner self” that has long plagued the virtual-artist industry.
Activity History
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January 14, 2024: Debuted at KAF’s 4th ONE-MAN LIVE “Kaika” (怪歌) at Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium.
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August 25, 2024: Performed at “YouTube Music Weekend 8.0”.
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January 14, 2025: Held Transmission Mini Live “Umareru mae kara kimi wo shitteru.” Released debut album Umareru mae kara kimi wo shitteru (“I’ve Known You Since Before You Were Born”).
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March 15, 2025: Participated in KAF POP-UP STORE “KAF’s New Year Cherry Blossom Festival”.
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July 19, 2025: Held Kaika Exhibition “Kurukuru” (廻花展「くるくる」).
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July 27, 2025: Participated in “KAMITSUBAKI FES ‘25 / Singularity Live Vol.4”.
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Other: Released singles “Stand By Me” (スタンドバイミー), “Higurashi no Uta” (ひぐらしのうた), “Teddy Bear” (テディベア), and “Kaika” (かいか).
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September 2026: Transferred to KYOKAI STUDIO as part of THINKR’s studio reorganization (formerly under the KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO system).
Representative Works
Expand full singles list
Singles
| Release date | Title |
|---|---|
| 2024-04-23 | かいか |
| 2024-08-27 | テディベア |
| 2025-03-25 | 東京、ぼくらは大丈夫かな |
| 2025-03-25 | スタンドバイミー |
| 2025-03-25 | ひぐらしのうた |
| 2026-01-13 | 人魚 |
Debut Album 《うまれるまえからきみをしってる》
- Release date: 26 March 2025.
- Production team: created together with the top-tier Japanese music production company agehasprings.
- Track list: a full-length album including 《かいか》, 《白昼夢》, 《テディベア》, 《エデン》 and other works.
- Musical style: a return to folk, indie rock and acoustic unplugged, recording the pangs of youth with the most genuine everyday voice.
First single: on 24 April 2024, KAIKA released her first single 《かいか》 and a live-footage MV, formally beginning musical activity under her own name.
Closing observation: from the solo acoustic-guitar performance at the Yoyogi show to completing a whole album of her own writing together with agehasprings, KAIKA’s two-year trajectory fully demonstrates how “an actor no longer given lines” becomes a true author.
Related Projects / Setting
Kaika’s origin is directly tied to KAF’s artistic narrative — she emerged from KAF’s creative universe as a branching identity, making her one of the most narratively integrated solo acts in the Kamitsubaki roster. Her solo exhibition “KuruKuru” further expanded her presence into visual art and physical space, reflecting the studio’s tendency to blur boundaries between music, character, and experiential art.
References
- Kaika official site: https://kaika.kamitsubaki.jp/
