Yamashita and Mizuno formed their band on February 1, 1999, and began performing live on the street; not taking it too seriously, they named it "ikimono-gakari" after their shared experience in first grade.
Yamashita dan Mizuno membentuk band mereka pada tanggal 1 Februari 1999, dan mulai melakukan penampilan di jalan; tidak mengambil terlalu serius, mereka menamakannya "Ikimono-gakari" setelah pengalaman mereka bersama di kelas pertama .