Shotaro

Shotaro (쇼타로), born Osaki Shotaro (大﨑将太郎) on November 25, 2000, in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, is the lead dancer and vocalist of RIIZE and the group's only Japanese member. He began dancing at the age of five, inspired by his mother, who is also a professional dancer. That early foundation led him to enroll at LDH's EXPG Studio in Tokyo during middle school, where he trained formally and began working professionally, including as a backup dancer for the Exile tribe and for Gackt. He also appeared as an extra in Pocari Sweat advertising campaigns during this period. In 2019, a video of Shotaro covering NCT choreography on TikTok went viral and was spotted by an SM Entertainment talent scout. He moved to Seoul at 18, began training through SM Rookies, and was announced as a new NCT member in October 2020. After nearly three years with NCT and NCT U, he departed the group in June 2023 alongside Sungchan to form the core of a new SM act. Shotaro debuted with RIIZE on September 4, 2023, with the single album "Get A Guitar." His technical precision and musicality, forged across years of professional training before most K-pop trainees begin, positioned him as the group's choreographic standard from day one. By February 2026, RIIZE had headlined Tokyo Dome across three sold-out nights, drawing 120,000 fans and setting the record as the fastest K-pop boy group to reach the venue. Performing at Japan's most iconic arena, Shotaro visibly broke down on stage, the moment going viral as a window into what the homecoming meant.