Ki&Ki (KiKi) is a tsugaru-shamisen duo band based in Tokyo, Japan, represented by Hikari Shirafuji and Kanami Takeda. Originally formed in 2008, the group is known for competing in and winning multiple national competitions in Japan, such as the All-Japan Tsugaru Shamisen Competition in Nagoya. Performances from the duo include traditional pieces as well as popular music.
In February 2019, the duo was recognized by the Cabinet Secretariat (Japan) and certified under the beyond2020 Program on the basis of the cultural value of their performance as well as for disseminating traditional Japanese music abroad.
While currently based in Tokyo, Shirafuji grew up in Hyogo Prefecture whereas Takeda grew up in Aichi Prefecture. The two initially met at national tsugaru-shamisen competitions in Japan. Both performers attended university in Tokyo in 2008, and during that year, Shirafuji and Takeda officially formed Ki&Ki.
The group’s name is written in Japanese as 輝&輝, and pronounced “ki ki.” The kanji 輝 means “to shine.” In an interview, when asked why they chose the name, Shirafuji explained that she and Takeda have very different playing styles due to their background and training. The performers compare these differences as representing different “colours” to how they play their instruments, and that in combining them together, the music has a bright and shiny quality.
In September 2020, The Guardian reported that Ki&Ki had been partnering with Canadian performer Norm Nakamura to organize tsugaru-shamisen concerts internationally, in an effort to revive and popularize the instrument and specific style of performance. They also planned to work together to initiate an online training course on shamisen performance.