Kyo was inspired to become a musician when he saw a picture of Buck-Tick vocalist Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate.

[12] With a tenor voice spanning just over five octaves, [10] Kyo's vocals are considered a pivotal aspect of Dir En Grey's music.

He has gained wide recognition for his large range and versatility, being able to "howl, croon, emote cleanly, scream, shriek, growl, bellow, and make nearly inhuman sounds.

"[14] Dane Prokofiev of PopMatters said that his "natural ease at and inclination towards striking such a stark contrast between the two opposite ends of the human vocal spectrum can be obtained as only a kind of pre-birth winning lottery ticket—you know, that much coveted prize we call 'talent'.

"[18] While he has only composed a handful of Dir En Grey's songs (for example, "The Domestic Fucker Family" and "Hades"), Kyo is responsible for all the lyrics, which usually have negative implications and touch on a variety of dark, sometimes taboo, subjects, such as sexual obsessions ("Zomboid"), child abuse ("Berry"), and mass media ("Mr.

Several songs deal with specifically Japanese issues, such as the country's casual attitude towards abortion ("Mazohyst of Decadence" and "Obscure") and its conformity-oriented society ("Children").

When asked why most of the band's lyrics are in Japanese instead of English, which has more broad international appeal, Kaoru said that "We consider our music [to be] a piece of art.

[19] His stage performances became known in the mid-2000s for their shock elements such as full-body makeup resembling heavy burns, fake vomit of varying color and consistency, which developed into various acts of self-mutilation.

[13] There is video documentation from the mid-2000 involving the use of blades as well as evidence of strained mental health and fainting, although some of it was performative, and purported to be in place within a tour's usual set-list.

However, after 2008's Uroboros, the occurrence of these incidents have subsided; while he still sometimes wears costumes on stage, he rarely performs self mutilation, real or simulated, his last recorded one being during the same song on Dir en Grey's Tour 16-17 From Depression to ______ [Mode of Withering to Death.].

In February 2012, Kyo was diagnosed with vocal cord nodules and dysphonia,[22] forcing Dir En Grey to pull out of the "Still Reckless" tour which was set to begin in March 2012.

[27] In July 2015, Kyo announced a new poetry collection book titled Gasou no Shi, which would be released on August as the first volume in a series.