Rising Gods of the East, Chinese: 東方神起; pinyin: Dōngfāngshénqǐ), known as Tohoshinki in Japan, is a South Korean pop duo formed by SM Entertainment, composed of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin.

Originally a five-member boy band which also consisted of members Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu, TVXQ were immediately launched to mainstream recognition following the release of their first single "Hug" (2004).

However, despite their commercial success, the band were plunged into legal turmoil and internal conflict when members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu attempted to split from their Korean agency SM Entertainment.

in 2001 and Shinhwa's departure in 2003, producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment went on a search for another boy band to stay competitive in the growing K-pop market.

During their early recording sessions, the band was offered some tentative names to use: SM5, Dream Team, O Jang Yuk Bu (Korean: 오장육부; Hanja: 五臟六腑; literally "The Five Visceras and the Six Entrails"), Jeon Meok Go (short for Jeonseoleul Meokgo Saneun Gorae; 전설을 먹고 사는 고래; literally "A Whale That Eats Legends"), and Dong Bang Bul Pae (동방불패; 東方不敗), the Korean name for the Chinese wuxia character, Invincible East.

In November 2004, they released an English version of "Hug" in Japan, but the single failed to gain momentum despite TVXQ's success in South Korea, Taiwan, and China.

On March 8, 2006, TVXQ released their fourth Japanese single, "Asu wa Kuru Kara" (明日は来るから), which became the seventeenth ending theme for the long-running anime series One Piece.

TVXQ were also featured in Kumi Koda's thirty-eighth single "Last Angel", which was used as the theme song for the Japanese release of Resident Evil: Extinction.

[76][77] In October 2009, the Seoul Central District Court granted the trio a temporary contract injunction, and TVXQ's group activities in Korea were ceased.

In November 2009, Yunho and Changmin released a joint statement in support of SM Entertainment, and urged the trio to resolve their issues with their management quickly if they wished to continue their careers as TVXQ members.

Despite the injunction, Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu maintained their activities as TVXQ members under Avex's management in Japan, and the group continued to release new Japanese singles together until early 2010.

[82] However, a week later, Avex announced the formation of a "special unit" with members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu—later known as JYJ—a move that led to Yunho and Changmin's indefinite hiatus from music activities.

[85] Following the suits, SM Entertainment attempted to denounce JYJ and their new agency C-JeS,[86] while Yunho and Changmin remained silent throughout the legal proceedings.

After several months of inactivity, Yunho and Changmin made their comeback appearances in August 2010 for the Seoul stop of the SM Town Live '10 World Tour,[87] where they performed re-recorded versions of older TVXQ songs.

[106][107] On October 9, TVXQ participated in the New York-Korea Festival, a concert produced by KBS Global to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Korea's entry into the United Nations.

[114] TVXQ also contributed in their Korean management's December compilation album 2011 Winter SMTown – The Warmest Gift, and released the song "Sleigh Ride".

TVXQ also became the third foreign artist, after Michael Jackson and the Backstreet Boys, to perform at the Tokyo Dome for three consecutive days, attracting crowds of over 165,000.

[124] By July 2012, TVXQ came to be recognized as the first foreign artist in Japan to sell over 3.1 million CD singles, breaking a ten-year, ten-month long record that was previously held by the American vocal duo, The Carpenters.

An expanded version of Tense, re-titled Spellbound, was released on February 27, 2014, and debuted at number two on the Gaon Albums Chart, shipping 61,405 copies in two days.

With Tree, TVXQ became the first foreign band in Japan to have three consecutive studio albums with first-week sales of over 200,000 copies, breaking Bon Jovi's thirteen-year record.

TVXQ have labeled their lead singles as "SMP" (short for "SM Music Performance"),[186] a supposedly experimental genre with a mix of orchestral pop, rock, hip hop, and contemporary R&B, topped with harmonizing vocals and high notes as well as dynamic dance routines.

[190][191][192] In the albums after the split, Yunho and Changmin experimented with more electronic dance music, traditional R&B, and pop songs with strong hip hop cadences.

[210] On July 31, 2009, three of the members—Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu—submitted an application to the Seoul Central District Court to determine the validity of their contract with their management agency, SM Entertainment.

The agency submitted a complaint on criminal misdemeanor charges against the cosmetics company CreBeau; however, it was never brought to court by the prosecutor on grounds of insufficient evidence.

Their work have influenced various artists including Jonghyun of SHINee,[228] Kang Seung-yoon of Winner,[229] Jung Dae-hyun and Zelo of B.A.P,[230][231] L of Infinite, Xiumin and Baekhyun of EXO,[232] Seulgi of Red Velvet,[233][234] Yuta of NCT,[235] Moonbyul of Mamamoo,[236] Hwang Min-hyun,[237] Samuel,[238] Lu Han, Shokichi of Exile, Solidemo, and Ryōki Nagae.

TVXQ's ability to deliver solid live performances with synchronized dance choreography, backed by the production of stylish, high-quality music videos, had blazed a trail for other Korean idol groups to follow suit, laying the foundation for the current "K-pop worldview".

Former members' Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu's lawsuit against SM Entertainment brought attention to "slave contracts", referring to a management company's unfair treatment towards their artists.

[251] 120,000 Cassiopeia members filed a petition with the Seoul District Court in 2010 against SM Entertainment's long-term contracts, after Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu's lawsuit against the management.

[261][262] In 2011, the newly reformed TVXQ duo landed endorsement deals in Korea with brands such as Nike, The Shilla Duty Free, Pepsi NEX Zero, Missha,[263] and most recently with Lacoste.

TVXQ are the first Korean idol group invited to perform at the Kōhaku Uta Gassen, Japan's most prestigious New Year Eve's music festival.