T.Max/ Background Information
From Clumsy Media
Aragaki Miura (born April 18, 1982), better known by his stage name T.Max is a Japanese award winning singer, actor, businessman, and songwriter and producer. Born in Hirao, Yamaguchi district of Japan, he invested a keen interest in dance and music since a young age and was well-known in the neighbourhood after winning several local competitions. Aragaki was discovered by Matina Music when he was twenty-one years old after a talent scout came across his graduation dance performance. He was trained for a period of one year and made his debut in 2004 with the best selling award winning singles album "Miseinen ～ Tempted".
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Early Life
Born on April 18, 1982 in Hirao, Yamaguchi district of Japan as Aragaki Miura, he's the oldest child of three and was raised in a middle class setting. He invested a keen interest in dance and music since a young age and was well-known in the neighbourhood after winning several local competitions but initially wasn't interested in pursuing the career of a singer or dancer and deemed them as hobbies instead.
Career
2003-2004: Training, debut and breaking popularity
Aragaki was discovered by Matina Music when he was twenty-one years old after a talent scout came across his graduation dance performance online. He was trained for eleven months and made his debut in 2004 with the singles album "Miseinen ～ Tempted". Despite a low budget investment and the low hype from public, the lead single "Tempted" became the best selling track of the year and swipped the year-end awards. It made a chart-topping debut across all music charts in Japan and was in first chart position for thirty-one consecutive weeks making it the longest record to date. The song won several Song of the Year awards and was nominated for seven other music awards, including composition and production.
Five months later Aragaki release his second singles album "笑顔". The song was composed with lyrics written by famous award wininng producer Miss Low, the beginning of a collaboration that will last throughout Aragaki's music career. It made the same debut response on the charts as his first single and the critics were even more impressed with Aragaki's vocal abilities this time and the accusations of him being a one night sensation soon ended with this release.
The commerical success of the two singles contributed to him being the record holder of the longest winning male artists on Music Station on Japan TV. Aragaki took home all of the newcomer awards of that year, becoming the record holder of the highest award winning debut artist in Japan.
2005-2009: Peaking success, 3LOVE and five year hiatus
In the following year Aragaki was approached by Japan's biggest entertainment agency Avex Group for an exclusive four year contract. He denied the offer several times but was later persuaded by his manager who felt the influence that came with this new agency would allow his career to truly flourish and reach a new peak. In an interview that came five years later, Aragaki said he viewed the decision with regret, "As a fledging artist of course it was the right step, but for me personally, it was wrong in every single way." Although the contract brought much loyalties and improved conditions, Aragaki lost control over the creative process and production of his work.
2010-2012: Grand come-back and continuing recognition
2013-current: Award winning acting debut and second return
Soon after the release of the come back album another period of hiatus was announced along with the revealment that his contract has already ended as it was only to last for a year and to handle the activities of the release of his second studio album. Unannounced to the public, Aragaki spent the majority of his time attending acting lessons, wanting to formally branch out his career as an actor. During the next two years his only public engagement would be through the identity as one of the three producers of producing group Moving Ghost.
Throughout this period he produced for Ophelia's last single release before her indefinite education hiatus and Yuga Akiyama's return comeback album "YA 0.0" as well as the debut work of idol group 8th & Beyond with their first album titled "Beyond" which became a massive critical and commerical success. In particular, he continued his longtime collaboration with JayMi having worked together on two of her albums in the span of one year: "365 U-Mi Days" and "The Gentleman's Choice".
On March 17, 2012 it was announced that Aragaki has been selected as the male lead for the war drama film The Eternal Zero after passing three rounds of auditions. Filming took place from June 12 till August in cities around Japan such as Kagoshima, Amami Oshima , Chiba, Ibaraki. After filming was completed he was immediately cast in the film 1905 with its filming taking place from November, 2012 until January, 2013 in Japan and Taiwan. For his role and collaboration with Chinese-Hong Kong actor Leung Chiu Wai, T.Max took Chinese lessons throughout the filming process. Reportedly he returned to the studio soon after the second filming ended, to which he personally confirmed soon after, "It was never part of the plan to take another break from music for half a decade."
Planning for his third studio album soon began and Aragaki signed on with his previous label Clumsy Media for an exclusive five year contract to handle both his future acting and music activities.
The Eternal Zero was released on December 21, 2013 after more than one year of post-production work. On the first day it became first for box office sales and maintained its position for the entire duration it was played in cinema. The film received rave critical acclaim and T.Max's abilities in acting were praised by professionals and public alike. His celebrated performance would earn him several awards in the year-end ceremonies, including Newcomer of the Year and Popularity Award at the 2014 Japan Academy Prize as well as two new artist awards at the Blue Ribbon Awards and Élan d'Or Award respectively. He was also nominated for the Japanese Professional Movie Awards's Best Actor and the Mainichi Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Personal life
Unlike his professional career, which was carefully crafted, maintained and received much attention in the press, Aragaki's personal life was kept out of public view. It is particularly noted that ever since his debut in 2004 there has not been one scandal of him being involved with a female figure and hence, for a brief period of time his sexuality was questioned. In response to the rumours he replied openly and that it does not trouble him, "What others choose to think is not a matter of my control, there's nothing I wish to say other than to express my desire of keeping a line in-between my work and personal life." Later throughout the years he denied several times of having interest in the same gender after being questioned in public by the press.
On January 3, 2014 a sudden revealment made national headlines as it reported that Aragaki and long-time collaborator, award winning producer Miss Low has been engaged for close to two years and will be registering marriage within the next month. The news also claimed the pair began dating shortly after his debut and has remained together since. His agency later confirmed the news and that they were told of their relationship three years ago but "did not reveal it upon the couple's request".
The couple married through a private ceremony on March 3, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan and spent their honeymoon aboard, travelling around Europe.
