Keiju

Keiju was born on October 4, 2006, in Tokyo, Japan. He spent his childhood in Japan before pursuing a professional K-pop career in South Korea.

• His full name is Okamoto Keiju (岡本佳樹). His name is written as 케이주 in Korean and ケイジュ in Japanese katakana. Some secondary sources use different kanji for his given name, but 岡本佳樹 is the spelling listed by KBS World.

• Keiju is Japanese. He is one of KickFlip's two Japanese members, alongside Amaru, who was born in Saitama Prefecture.

• He is the second-youngest member of KickFlip. Born in October 2006, Keiju is older than only the group's maknae, Donghyeon, who was born in March 2007.

• Keiju has an older brother. Published profiles report that his brother was born in 2000, making him approximately six years older than Keiju.

• He developed an interest in K-pop long before joining JYP Entertainment. As a child, Keiju attended concerts and performances by Korean artists in Japan, gradually becoming interested in pursuing a similar career himself.

• Keiju attended concerts by artists including BTS, SEVENTEEN and NCT 127. These experiences exposed him to K-pop's performance culture before he entered the Korean entertainment industry.

• He appeared on JTBC's Stage K in 2019. The program brought together international K-pop fans who competed by recreating choreography from their favorite artists.

• Keiju participated in the iKON episode of Stage K. He represented Japan and performed choreography to iKON's song "Beautiful," demonstrating his dancing skills before becoming a JYP trainee.

• iKON's Song reportedly recognized Keiju's potential during Stage K. The singer praised his performance and suggested that he could become a successful entertainer in the future.

• Keiju was only around 12 years old when he appeared on Stage K. His appearance provided an early glimpse of the stage confidence he would later demonstrate on LOUD.

• He participated in the SBS survival show LOUD in 2021. The program was created through a collaboration between JYP Entertainment and P NATION to develop new boy groups.

• Keiju was approximately 14 years old when LOUD aired. Despite being one of the younger contestants, he attracted attention for his performance skills and cheerful personality.

• He received casting offers from both JYP Entertainment and P NATION. During the show's August 14, 2021 episode, both companies expressed interest in recruiting him.

• Keiju ultimately chose JYP Entertainment. His decision placed him on the same team as future KickFlip members Kyehoon, Amaru and Donghyeon.

• J.Y. Park praised Keiju's star potential during LOUD. He compared the young performer's stage presence to that of Rain, the singer and entertainer who previously trained under JYP.

• Keiju became known for his bright smile and natural charm during the competition. Japanese entertainment coverage described him as particularly talented at showing affection and engaging audiences.

• Kyehoon described Keiju as a source of energy for the team during LOUD. His cheerful attitude helped lift the atmosphere among members, including those who were older and more experienced.

• Keiju finished first in viewer voting during one of LOUD's later rounds. His popularity fluctuated throughout the competition, but he repeatedly placed among the higher-ranked contestants.

• He was selected for JYP Entertainment's final debut lineup in 2021. However, the planned group did not debut immediately after the show's conclusion.

• Keiju waited more than three years between LOUD and his official debut. The extended preparation period allowed him to continue improving his Korean, dancing and overall performance abilities.

• He officially debuted with KickFlip on January 20, 2025. Their first mini album, Flip it, Kick it!, introduced the seven-member group to the public.

• KickFlip released "Umm Great" before its official debut. The pre-release song arrived on January 6, 2025, giving listeners their first introduction to the group's playful musical identity.

• "Mama Said" was KickFlip's debut title track. Its youthful, rebellious concept matched the group's name, which comes from a skateboarding trick.

• Keiju is known for his expressive dancing. His performances often emphasize facial expressions and personality as much as technical choreography.

• Dancing was one of his recognized strengths even before joining JYP. His appearances on Stage K and LOUD demonstrated his ability to adapt to different musical styles and performance concepts.

• Keiju's official JYP Entertainment profile lists Korean as one of his specialties. He developed his Korean-language skills while preparing for his career in South Korea.

• Amaru helped Keiju improve his Korean. Because both members are Japanese, Amaru was able to support him while he adjusted to communicating and training in a different language.

• Keiju has reportedly said that speaking Korean with Amaru sometimes feels more natural than speaking Japanese. After spending years together in Korea, their shared daily language became an important part of their friendship.

• Bowling is another of Keiju's officially listed specialties. It is one of the personal skills highlighted by JYP Entertainment outside his regular idol performances.

• Cooking was listed among his specialties during the LOUD era. His early survival-show profile identified both dancing and cooking as activities he was particularly good at.

• Keiju enjoys playing video games. Gaming is the hobby currently listed on his official JYP Entertainment profile.

• He also enjoys going on walks. In his LOUD-era self-introduction, Keiju mentioned walking as one of his favorite ways to spend time.

• Keiju has a pet cat named Putan. His affection for cats is reflected in the cat-related emojis and expressions he has reportedly used.

• He enjoys playing pranks on the other KickFlip members. His playful behavior contributes to the group's energetic interactions in behind-the-scenes content.

• Keiju is reportedly afraid of ghost stories and haunted houses. Although he enjoys playful activities, horror-themed experiences are not among his favorites.

• His favorite foods reportedly include menchi-katsu and donuts. Menchi-katsu is a Japanese breaded and fried minced-meat cutlet.

• Keiju enjoys spicy Korean food. He has reportedly mentioned liking kimchi fried rice and kimchi stew, dishes that became familiar to him while living in South Korea.

• He likes chocolate but reportedly dislikes mint chocolate. His preference has appeared in fan-maintained profiles discussing his favorite foods.

• Apples are reportedly among his favorite fruits. He has also been described as disliking certain foods, including eggs and shrimp.

• One of his nicknames is "Kei-chan." The Japanese suffix "-chan" is often used affectionately, making it a natural nickname for someone named Keiju.

• Another nickname associated with him is "Keichu." Fans have also used variations such as Jooju and Ichu when referring to him.

• His MBTI has been reported as both INFP and ESFP. Because personality-test results can change, neither should be treated as a permanent or independently verified personality classification.

• Keiju has been compared visually to ENHYPEN's Ni-ki. Both are Japanese performers who entered the Korean entertainment industry at young ages and became known for their dancing.

• He is part of KickFlip's younger-member line. Alongside Minje and Donghyeon, Keiju contributes to the group's youthful and playful atmosphere.

• His experience on LOUD gave him an early international fanbase. Viewers in Japan and South Korea were already familiar with him years before KickFlip's debut.

• Keiju's journey began as a young K-pop fan performing other artists' choreography. He eventually progressed from participating in a K-pop dance competition to debuting as a professional artist under one of the industry's major entertainment companies.