Editing Gackt (section)

==Early life==
Gackt was born on July 4, 1973, as the second of three children in a [[Ryukyuan people|Ryukyuan]] family, in [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] of the [[Ryukyu Islands]], [[Japan]].<ref name='jihaku'>{{Cite book| last=Gackt| first=Camui| title=Jihaku: Gackt| publisher=光文社 (Kobunsha)| year=2003| isbn=4-334-97412-0| url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9784334974121}}</ref><ref name="ShuriCastle"/> His father was a [[music teacher]], who primarily played the [[trumpet]], and his mother was also a [[teacher]]. Gackt has an older sister and a younger brother.<ref name="jihaku"/> He lived in Okinawa until he was 7 years old (with short periods when was 16 and 26),<ref name="ShuriCastle"/> because of his father's job, living in many different cities on [[Honshu]] and [[Kyushu]] islands in addition to Okinawa: [[Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi|Yamaguchi]], [[Fukuoka]], [[Shiga, Shiga|Shiga]], [[Osaka]], and [[Kyoto]].<ref name="jihaku"/><ref name="ShuriCastle"/> He studied in the Moriyama High School in Shiga, and was enrolled in the [[Kyoto Gakuen University]].<ref name="Nikkan">{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.co.jp/Hollywood-Screen/8686/G_C/musicnews/nikkan_gendai.html |title=Gacktの過去を日刊ゲンダイが報道 |year=2002 |publisher=[[Nikkan Gendai]] |access-date=September 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021110411/http://www.geocities.co.jp/Hollywood-Screen/8686/G_C/musicnews/nikkan_gendai.html |archive-date=October 21, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Gackt's musical education began at age three when his parents initiated his classical [[piano]] education. At age seven, continuing his classical piano education became more difficult because of time spent at [[Elementary schools in Japan|elementary school]] and the repeated change of instructors due to relocating from city to city. It would take another four years until his parents allowed him to quit lessons. However, after losing a piano competition to a boy he met in the [[Middle school#Japan|middle school]], Gackt voluntarily returned to his piano studies, even writing orchestral scores.<ref name="Benesse">{{cite news|date=December 15, 2010|title=｢Benesse｣進研ゼミ 中学講座でGACKTさんから 中学生に贈る 応援Interviewが 掲載されています。|trans-title=GACKT's Interview for Students Appears!|url=http://www.benesse.co.jp:80/c/mailmaga/chulimit/2009121599/corner1.html|url-status=dead|language=ja|work=[[Benesse]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105151329/http://www.benesse.co.jp/c/mailmaga/chulimit/2009121599/corner1.html|archive-date=January 5, 2010|access-date=January 2, 2018}}</ref> He has credited the classical pianist and composer [[Frédéric Chopin]] with being "the one who taught me the beauty, depth, fun, sadness, the kindness of music; that music could grant people courage, and the meaning of the layers of sound. It isn't an exaggeration to say Chopin is the foundation of my music".<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000058782| title=Gackt｢僕の音楽の基盤はショパン｣| date=March 1, 2010| work=Barks| access-date=September 11, 2010| language=ja| quote=Original quote: ｢...そんな僕に音楽の美しさ、深さ、楽しさ、悲しさ、そして音楽は勇気を与えることが出来るモノだってこと、重なり合う音の意味を教えてくれたのがまさしくショパンだった。僕の音楽の基盤はショパンだと言っても過言ではない。僕にそこまで大きな影響を与えたショパンの楽曲、その魅力と魔力。自分の耳と心で確かめて欲しい。...｣| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904071133/http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000058782| archive-date=September 4, 2010| url-status=live}}</ref> Since his father played the trumpet, Gackt is also familiar with [[brass instruments]].<ref name="jihaku"/> Having only listened to classical music and enka while growing up, he did not become interested in rock music until high school, and went on to master [[Drum kit|modern percussion]].<ref name="jihaku"/>