For musicians and music fans who gain an interest in Japanese music, many will say there is just ‘something different’, and that it ‘makes them feel something’. That’s not to say English music can’t do the same, but considering most fans don’t understand Japanese, that means their emotions are expressed through the music, along with the melodies and expression with their voices.
There is a lot to learn from Japanese musicians. I have written a couple articles already, such as why their high school bands are so good, the importance of teamwork in their music groups due to their culture, and also why they have so many messages, including darker ones, in their songs. But today, I wanted to look more into the experiences and mindset of their musicians, specifically, their guitarists.
Below, I have gathered about 12 guitarists who play different genres and are at different points in their musical careers. Some have been playing for a few decades, while others have only made their debut recently. Some are super popular and well known artists while others are indie artists or underground bands.
I’ve included a bit of their background information and a video of them playing, followed by an answer or two from their interviews that I think all musicians can learn from. I definitely recommend checking out the full interviews, and you can find the link under each of them.
And if you’d like to learn more about Japanese music theory or discover more Japanese artists, definitely check out my Japanese Music Resources page!
And if you’re interested in learning more vocabulary and kanji so you can watch anime and dramas, read manga, sing J-pop at karaoke, or play raw Japanese video games, check out my 250+ Kanji for Japanese Media (+Sentences) article and my Japanese Study Guide!
Miyavi
Genre: Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Metal, Funk, Electronic
Takamasa Ishihara aka Miyavi, is a guitarist known for his finger-slapping guitar style. He is also a singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He was born in 1981 and has been an active musician since 1999. He started in the Visual Kei rock band Dué le quartz, and then became a solo artist in 2002. He was also a member of rock group S.K.I.N. He toured worldwide several times, with over 250 shows in 30 countries as of 2015. As of 2016, he released ten solo albums and 27 singles.
On April 29, 2015, Miyavi released a digital single, “Afraid to Be Cool”/”Raise Me Up”. His next album, Fire Bird came out on August 31, 2016, and ranked 11th on Oricon. The artist followed it up with a nationwide tour MIYAVI Japan Tour 2016 “NEW BEAT, NEW FUTURE”, which included 10 stops. The last performance was held at Makuhari Messe, and was broadcast live on Abema TV, with more than 100,000 viewers watching. (source)
While not mentioned in detail on his Wiki page, he has actually created various anime openings, his most popular being Flashback for Samurai Sessions vol 2 which currently has 14 Million views on Youtube! He has has also assisted in singing and/or writing various openings for the anime series, Id: Invaded, along with single songsfor Tsukumogami Kashimasu and Tribe Nine.
Snippet of Interview with Charles Shepherd from May 2017
So you’ve soaked in Japan’s history with music, now moving to LA and getting a fresh perspective just adds to your growth as an artist.
Yeah, but to keep my identity as a Japanese [person] is really important. I’ve got to be myself. With my latest album Firebird as a guitarist I wanted to bring back that excitement of guitar music, and thanks to great young upcoming creators in LA, I was able to find a way to sing with the guitar.
An analogy I use when I’m having writing sessions with other writers is that we’re always trying to make a California roll. It’s not sushi that a Japanese sushi chef would make, but that creation was a bridge especially for people who are not familiar with raw fish. But having that avocado made it so popular, now in my neighbourhood there are 20 or 30 Japanese restaurants. It’s crazy! But thanks to that invention Japanese food got really popular.
With my music, I think we need to create something like that to create that bridge.
You mention you want to be an ambassador for guitar rock, what do you think when you see bands who were famous for guitar rock like Radiohead dropping the guitar for their more recent music?
It’s the trend. The most recent big rock band is Twenty One Pilots, who don’t have a guitarist. It’s a cycle, but as a guitarist I feel responsible. I’ve seen many guitarists who have been struggling to make music because people are not wanting a guitar. But it’s delivery, so how you deliver is really important. That’s why I keep experimenting.
We cannot be lazy or arrogant. It’s not just “oh we do rock, we’re guitarists, listen to my guitar”, if you don’t make anything new and stick to a typical format people get tired of it. People have been listing to great rock bands for ages. So as part of the younger generation of guitarists I feel responsible to make a new format so guitar can survive.
Full Interview: ElectricBoomWebzine.com
Nobuki Takamen
Genre: Jazz
Website | Youtube | Spotify | Instagram
“Nobuki Takamen was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1977. Jazz historian Scott Yanow describes him as ”an excellent improviser in his own bop-inspired style.” John Heidt of Vintage Guitar Magazine has also called him ”a mature player with keen sense of composition [and] considerable technical skill.””
“A mainstay of the New York jazz scene, Nobuki leads his own group which has toured in the USA, Canada and Europe, and appeared at jazz festivals and clubs including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Blue Note NY, Smalls Jazz Club, Bar Next Door and Iridium Jazz Club. He has also toured annually throughout Japan since 2004.”
“Besides leading his group, Nobuki frequently performs solo and has performed solo concerts at various venues including the Montreal International Jazz Festival as part of 100% Guitare in 2009.” (source)
According to Spotify, “Nobuki Takamen has been developing a reputation as ‘’the best jazz guitarist Japan has ever produced’’ as lauded in AllAboutJazz. His playing and music have been featured in publications worldwide, including DownBeat, Vintage Guitar Magazine, Just Jazz Guitar, AllAboutJazz, Jazz Podium (Germany), Jazz’n’more (Switzerland), Jazz Special (Denmark), Musica Jazz (Italy), Jazzwise (UK), Swing Journal (Japan).” (source)
Snippet of Interview with Lyle Robinson from November, 2007
What is your practice routine like these days? Do you work on specific things or just play tunes?
I usually spend about an hour on physical exercise like my right hand (picking) technique and my left finger technique using scales, arpeggios and chords. Then I play jazz standard with and without a metronome. I usually pick one or two tunes a day and play in different keys, tempos and styles. I also play melody in different positions and different registers. I think these increase the fingerboard dexterity a lot and are also good ear training.
I started doing an interesting picking exercise almost a year ago. I’d always play notes on down beats with down picking and on up beats with up picking and that was how I always practiced and played. Now I practice also playing notes on down beats with up picking and up beats with down picking. That means playing upside down. It took a while to get used to it, but now I have two places to start with and that gives me more freedom when I improvise.
Where would you like to see jazz guitar be in the coming years?
I think there are lots of great players here and there. The interesting thing is that nowadays we’re all coming from various musical backgrounds. For instance, one might have grown up listening to Duke Ellington and the other might have grown up listening to Metallica. This guitar duo must sound different from one in 60’s. I can sometime hear the influence through their music and I think that’s really great and interesting. Learn a lesson from the past, I think this is a great way to create new music.
If I could say something to jazz fans, I’d like more people to have an open ear for the guitarists whose name are not on famous magazines. Your local newspaper is the best source, seeing is believing.
Full Interview: TheJazzGuitarLife.Com
Hizaki (Versailles)
Genre: Visual Kei
Website | Youtube | Spotify | Instagram
Hizaki is a Japanese visual kei metal musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as guitarist of the symphonic power metal band Versailles. He is also a member of Jupiter and has a solo career. Before forming Versailles he was in several independent bands,
Hizaki was born in 1979 and debuted as a guitarist in the visual kei band Garnet Grave in 1996. 3 years later, Hizaki and the bassist Hizumi departed and formed Crack Brain with Airi. In 2002, Crack Brain disbanded and Hizaki and Airi formed the band Gurotesuku Romantikkaa, who in May 2003 changed their name to Schwardix Marvally.
After Schwardix Marvally disbanded in 2004, Hizaki pursued his solo career and released Maiden Ritual. He continued being a member in other groups, including his own project named Hizaki Grace Project, until creating the band Versailles in 2011. (Source)
Snippet of Interview with Takayuki Murakami (club Zy.) from May 2020
Sixth grade in elementary school [around the age of 11–12] is quite early, isn’t it? Although, I can definitely relate to your desire to play an instrument.
I always had the desire to learn violin or piano, and in kindergarten or elementary school you have the chance to actually try instruments in music class, right? Instruments like the organ, the recorder, those kinds of instruments. It was really fun so I started wanting to try the guitar. However, no matter which instrument I played, I hated playing someone else’s song. The moment I realized this, I began wanting to create my own songs. I don’t really know why, but I hated playing other people’s music.
In other words, you started creating music as soon as you started playing guitar?
Yes, I did. Before playing guitar, I already liked LOUDNESS, and X Japan for example, but as a beginner, they were too difficult to cover, right? I didn’t really have an interest in playing the rhythm guitar because I really wanted to play lead guitar, so it was definitely impossible for me at that time. As such, I created my own exercises. Unlike those days, you can now easily find exercise materials like phrases on the Internet, but back then, that kind of information was harder to find. I grew up in the countryside in Shiga prefecture and there weren’t many practice books or music magazines to pick up. My only option was to come up with these things myself.
Full Interview: JrockNews.com
ROLLY
Genre: Glam Rock
Kazuo Teranishi, born in 1963, is well-recognized as the lead guitarist and vocalist of the Japanese rock band, Scanch. Once Scanch broke up in 1996, Rolly pursued his solo musical career and also acting.
Outside of Japan, Teranishi is known almost entirely for his role as Genesis in the Japanese thriller Suicide Circle (2002). He is in the movies Iden & Tity, Swallowtail, Get It On?. He also made an appearance as “Yaha” in the PlayStation 2 game Drag-on Dragoon 2.
Teranishi starred in a TV show called Rock Fujiyama alongside Marty Friedman, ex lead guitarist of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Rolly also appears in his own television show Rolly Kingdom every two weeks, and also co-hosts KKTV, a family show that airs every Saturday night.[citation needed]
He has also contributed to the soundtrack of Kamen Rider Agito for his performance of the third ending theme “Deep Breath.” This was the second song that he performed as the lead vocalist for Rider Chips, after being featured as a vocalist on “Power Child.” (source)
Snippet of Interview with JaME from October 2021
Japanese society is often said to be ruled by conformity. There are many rules, many of them strict yet unspoken. In your youth, and maybe even today, you might have felt like the odd one out, a provocative and sometimes misunderstood personality. And yet, you stayed true to yourself to this day. How do you feel about today’s youth and what would your message to them be?
I appreciate that you have asked this question after understanding what it is like for me to exist in Japanese society. So, my answer to your question is, “Even if you search the earth…no, the solar system and outer space, you are the only you, so you are the centre of the entire universe and the star of your own magnificent, spectacular documentary film!” I think it’s important for them to know that the earth is watching over us and monitoring both our good and bad deeds, and this applies not just to humans but even extends to animals, birds, fish, trees, water and microorganisms.
Some people say that visual kei is a glam rock subgenre. Both as a solo artist and with Scanch, you have never been labeled as a visual kei artist. In your opinion, what differentiates glam rock from visual kei?
That is a very interesting question. I’m very sorry if I am mistaken but I will state my own opinion. Visual kei is “dark purple” in colour and the theme is “death”. The performances are very skillful and they turn loneliness or a dark internal world view into beautiful makeup while also eating onigiri from the convenience store sometimes. Furthermore, there are many people who are very smart and show their talents in business.
Compared to visual kei, glam rock is “gold” in colour and the theme is “living it up in Dubai”. The performances have a prevalent influence from old rock and a light-handed playing method hasn’t been prohibited. But no one has performed like that for almost 40 years. If someone were to do that, they’d end up being in the metal genre. It features makeup that ascends beauty and aesthetics and embodies the life of that person as a performer, and people who play it will be respected by just having a long career.
Full Interview: Jame-World.com
Etsuko Niwa
Genre: Jazz (Post-bop)
Facebook | Youtube | Soundcloud | Instagram
Estuko Niwa graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2009. In 2019, Niwa won the Jury’s Special Award and Encouragement Award at Jazz Guitar Contest 2019 Sponsored by Gibson. While I couldn’t find an about page about her, her Facebook and Youtube pages reveal that she has performed at many concerts and won quite a few awards as a classical guitarist.
Snippet of Interview with Thomas Amoriello Jr from May 2021
As a performer, do you have any advice that could help a musician overcome performance anxiety/stage fright?
I can’t explain it but I still get nervous before some gigs. But I believe that the more you practice and prepare, the better you will be able to perform on stage. Also you’ll gain more confidence as you experience more gigs.
Have you enjoyed any recent jazz musician (or any genre) documentaries on Netflix during your downtime?
I have yet to subscribe to Netflix. I spend most of my downtime playing instruments, listening to music, and spend a substantial amount of time attuning my senses with nature where I am most inspired when making music. I am looking forward to watching the blu-rays of “HITSVILLE: the Making of Motown” which not yet released in Japan.
Full Interview: JazzGuitarToday.com
Hotei Tomoyasu
Genre: Rock
Tomoyasu Hotei was born in 1962 and is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer and actor. “With a career spanning more than 35 years, Hotei claims record sales of over 40 million copies and has collaborated with acclaimed artists from around the world. Hotei first rose to prominence in the 1980s as the guitarist for Boøwy, one of Japan’s most popular rock bands, before starting a solo career.”
“In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV Japan’s list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He ranked second in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan. An iconic artist in his native Japan, he moved to London in 2005 and continues to perform and release music globally. Hotei’s song “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” has been featured in numerous films, commercials, video games, and events, including Quentin Tarantino’s feature film Kill Bill.” (source)
Snippet of Interview with Laure Ghilarducci from June 2014
How did you make the decision of having a musical career?
It really started when I was about 14 years old, and I walked past a local music shop in my neighborhood and saw a black and white poster of Marc Bolan (singer/guitarist of the T.Rex). He had this look of ecstasy holding a guitar. Seeing that image, I felt that the guitar must be a way to break out into the world, and to feel free and happy. I was really inspired by this.
In the 70s, all of the main bands featured lead guitars. Listening to any record at the time, I could hear such cool riffs. The day I saw Marc Bolan’s poster, I stole 100 pounds from my mother’s purse and bought my very first guitar- a Stratocaster with amp. She knew I did it, but she didn’t say anything. If it weren’t for my mother’s wallet being there that day, I might not have become a guitarist!
What inspires you to compose your songs?
Often I start exploring by putting a guitar riff together with a beat. In the beginning it feels a bit like starting to create something new with a pure white canvas, and then in the end, completing a picture that you could not have imagined. With films or works that are being produced by someone else, if the theme or concept has already been decided, there are times when it can then be easier to create. Searching within yourself to create something is not an easy task.
Full Interview: JournalduJapon.com
Kazuumi Kumagai (Burnout Syndromes)
Genre: Power Pop, Alternative Rock, Anime Songs
Website | Youtube | Spotify | Twitter
Kazuumi Kumagai was born in 1992 and is the guitarist, vocalist, lyricist, composer and arranger of the band Burnout Syndromes.
When he was in the first year of junior high school, he was invited to play in a band. He accepted the offer and started listening to music, writing lyrics and composing music. After joining the band he was told to play the guitar by band member Ishikawa Taiyu, which led him take on the guitar and be in charge of vocals in the band.
Kazuumi alongside Taiyu and Takuya made their initial major debut as BURNOUT SYNDROMES with the song “FLY HIGH!!“, which was used as the second opening theme to the Mitsunaka Susumu directed second season of the anime Haikyuu!! (Source). The band has gone on to make other anime openings for Haikyuu, along with Dr. Stone, Gintama, and Those Snow White Notes.
Snippet of Interview with A-to-J from November 2020
You spent a lot of your early years as an indie band, were there any hardships you encountered before being signed to a major label?
Before, our music was not widely appreciated by listeners because we pursued only what we wanted to create. Our musical techniques were getting refined, but at the same time we were having a pretty hard go at it. However, we became able to listen to what others said about our music and this enabled us to make songs combining “what we want to express” along with “what people want to listen to.” I guess we got a chance to make a major debut by throwing unneeded obsession away while keeping the most important things we believe in.
Speaking of anime, are you a fan of any of the shows you’ve done songs for?
I like them all, but I especially like “Dr. STONE,” because we made that show’s first theme song. I’ve heard that this anime was even promoted on a huge screen at Times Square in New York. Regarding the song, “Good Morning World!”, the anime staff asked us to make it in a “Western Rock Style.” This is probably why it’s popular overseas. There are many English cover versions on YouTube and they even sometimes sing the song better than me, so I respect them.
Full Interview: A-to-J-Connections.com
Syu (Galneryus)
Genre: Power Metal, Neo-Classical Metal, Thrash Metal
Website | Spotify (Galneryus) | Spotify (Personal) | Instagram
Syu was born in 1980, and is “best known as leader and guitarist of the power metal band Galneryus. He also performs guitar and lead vocals in Spinalcord (formerly known as Aushvitz) and was formerly a member of Animetal. Under his own name, Syu has released one studio album, one cover album and one instrumental album, each featuring collaborations with many guest musicians.
He was voted Best Guitarist in online music magazine Beeast’s music awards four years in a row, from 2015 to 2018. His work on Galneryus’ song “Emotions” was named the 73rd best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019.” (Source)
The band has made a splash in the anime world for making the ending song “Hunting For Your Dream” for Hunter x Hunter. The singer of Galneryus, Masatoshi Ono, sings the opening “Departure”, but the band has gone on to make a rock version of the song.
Snippet of Interview with JaME from December 2006
You have composed lots of music for Galneryus and Aushvitz, but they are really different. How do you proceed to write different kind of songs?
I’m not really aware of that at all… I think about how the vocalists sing. I imagine YAMA-B’s voice, how he sings, and if his voice matches the songs, at my discretion. Moreover, Galneryus has a keyboard, so I can enlarge the world I’m creating and be adventurous. On the contrary, Aushvitz is three piece band, so we are limited to playing with three people. I’ll do as I want to, but always remember that Aushvitz should be absolutely violent.
What is your goal when you play guitar? Do you want to emphasize on your technique and skills, or do you want to emphasize good sound, regardless whether it’s hard to play or not?
Neither. I just want to play comfortably. (laughs) Concerning technique, I am happy with what I can do and want to concentrate on music. At around 17-18 years old, I studied and practiced various music and riffs, but now I’m aware of melodies, not phrases nor skills. I want to play good melodies. Good sound includes skills of course, but I’m talking about more musical things, whether my guitar playing is good music.
Full Interview: Jame-World.com
Machiya (Wagakki Band)
Genre: Pop, Folk Rock
Website | Youtube | Spotify | Instagram
Oumura Shin, aka Machiya was born in 1982. He is the guitarist for the Wagakki Band and guitarist and vocalist of m:a.ture and PARAPLU.
“Guitarist Machiya enjoys overwhelming popularity in Niconico Douga’s renowned “Played It” category. The masterful video of his performance of “Night of Nights,” a famous song from video game Toho Project, has been viewed more than 1.3 million times. Machiya is also the guitarist and vocalist of m:a.ture, a tremendously popular band in the Indie music scene. In addition, Machiya participates in performances and tours with a diverse range of artists, such as serving as the guitarist for the nationwide tour by Tsutomu Ishizuki (formerly of FANATIC◇CRISIS).” (Source)
Snippet from Interview with Takuto Ueda from June 2020
Machiya, you wrote “Ignite,” the song with “new beginning” as the theme. Could you elaborate on the concept?
I think it takes courage to do something new because there are risks involved, but the message is that we’ll keep moving forward without being daunted.
Every part is like the chorus and feels like a whirlwind of awesome phrases.
I was determined to cram all the experience we’ve accumulated so far into it. We’re all playing our parts in the chorus with full force, but compared to when we first started out, we’re more refined now, though we put in an equal amount of effort back then as well. We’re aware of how we want to sound like as a whole, but it’s also as though we’re battling it out against each other.
Full Interview: Billboard.com
Munehiro Narita
Genre: Psychedelic
Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
“Munehiro Narita (Born in 1959), the original “psychedelic speed freak,” is for many people the undisputed king of acid-fuzz guitar. Active since the late ’70s, Narita is a Japanese psychedelic underground legend. After playing in cult bands like Kyoaku no Intention, he founded the brutal heavy-psych power trio High Rise in the ’80s.”
“His furious guitar playing, which involves lethal doses of fuzz-wah at earsplitting volume, can also be heard on his current band Green Flames (featuring Mitsuru Tabata from Acid Mothers Temple). In 2014 Narita released a Japanese-only CD titled Psyche De Loid, doing heavy guitar fuzzed-out covers of classic psych songs from the ’60s/’70s. But Psyche De Loid was also the first-ever psychedelic album recorded using Vocaloid technology.” (Source)
Snippet of Interview Initially in New Zealand’s Magazine Opprobrium, but reprinted on Squealer’s Website (Date Unknown)
When did you first start playing an instrument?
In my first year at middle school. I started off playing folk guitar. But I couldn’t hold down the chords properly and I didn’t like instruction books or folk songs, so basically I never learnt how to play properly. And I still can’t.
So you’re not good at the guitar in a conventional sense? I always had this idea of you as a guitar wizard.
At that time free jazz was a big influence on me, so all I was thinking about was how to make my guitar sound like a sax. My sound and what I was trying to do then was probably different from my sound now [in High Rise]. It was all improvised. Like beginning and ending from nothing. I’ve always had this idea of wanting to do free jazz stuff through rock guitar.
How did you come up with the songs?
Basically, we just messed around in rehearsal until we came up with some riffs. Whatever sounded cool we went with. At the very beginning Nanjo would bring along various bass lines and we’d build it up from there. Or we’d come up with a theme and jam on that. That’s still what we do now. I just play what I want and try and fit it into the phrases. The bass lines are all fairly simple so it comes down to the guitar. In a way, I’m almost like an arranger within the group.
We come up with the basic songs in a matter of minutes, but they evolve constantly as we’re rehearsing – and new drummers always make the songs sound different. That’s the way we’ve always done it. The first album sold pretty well – we got a bit of coverage in various magazines, like Doll and Fool’s Mate and that was probably a factor. We had what they called a “strong style”.
Full Interview: SquealerMusic.com
Nobuyuki Takeda (LITE)
Genre: Math Rock, Progressive
Website | Youtube | Bandcamp | Instagram
Sadly, I couldn’t find details on Takeda himself, so here’s a bit about the band. LITE, is a Japanese math rock band that has been termed “one of Japan’s top instrumental rock acts.”
“Formed in 2003 in Tokyo, LITE did many gigs around Tokyo and self-released two demo CDs. In 2006, they released one mini-album, LITE, and one full-length album, Filmlets, through Transduction in the UK and Cargo in Europe.”
“LITE’s sound combines the precision and musicianship of prog rock with the emotionally charged cinematic compositions of art rock, in a heavier, more modern package that they describe as “math rock”.” (Source)
Snippet of Interview with Yara Mrad from May 2019
You’ve stated that your albums are built in a way that ensures a certain smooth interaction between the tracks, with some acting as interludes. You also expressed your concern about music streaming platforms missing the point when it comes to this specific aspect of your music. Would you say that listeners don’t really experience the true LITE sound unless they listen to you live?
There is of course something specific about a recorded sound that you can only enjoy when listening to an album. But for LITE’s sound, on the contrary, there are also things that can’t be expressed in the music only and a dynamism that you can’t feel if you don’t listen to it live.
I also personally think that the most interesting thing in a band is in the “people” part. As the easiest way for people to express themselves is during a show, the best asset of LITE might be in the passion of the members on stage.
“D” is one of my personal favorite song of yours. It has a light, fun and funky element that makes it stand out from the rest of your discography. Do you agree that it’s different from your usual songs? What was the creative process behind it?
Actually, the guitar riff that is used in the last half of “D” is a riff from a demo made before LITE was formed. In that sense, that’s indeed a song apart from the others. The song from this demo was totally different from “D“, but we can say it has been transformed into “D“.
I think it illustrates the fact that LITE is not as much a band that is good at making riffs than a band that is good at music composition. Even if a song is made out of an old riff, it will become a LITE song.
Full Interview: ProjectRevolver.org
Kanahi Yamashita
Genre: Classical
According to her own website, “Kanahi Yamashita was born in Nagasaki in 1997. Already in her early childhood she toured the USA, Europe and Asia with the Kazuhito Yamashita Family Quintet, which released two CDs, Kasane and Little Henny Penny finds love. At the age of 13 she gave her solo debut during a series of worldwide duo concerts with her father.”
“Since 2015 Kanahi lives in Berlin, furthering her musical education at the University of the Arts Berlin with Professor Thomas Müller-Pering, obtaining her Bachelors degree in 2018 and Masters degree in 2021, both with distinction. Following her graduation, she is currently (as of 2022) undertaking a degree in vocal pedagogy in Berlin as well as her second Masters with Professor Björn Colell at the Nuremberg University of Music. In Berlin she also received years of intensive musical training from Carlo Domeniconi, which ultimately led to the CD “Carlo Domeniconi Selected Works VIII – Guitar solo: Kanahi Yamashita“, which was released in 2021. She regularly gives solo and chamber music concerts, including in the great hall of the Konzerthaus Berlin, and is invited as a soloist to international festivals.”
“In 2016 Kanahi received a scholarship lasting three years from the Yamaha Music Foundation, and in 2020 from the Rohm Music Foundation. She was a semi-finalist at the 66th ARD Music Competition in Munich in 2017. She has won various competitions, including the German Guitar Prize 2019 in Darmstadt and 2nd prize at the 10th Int. Martinez Guitar Competition Iserlohn 2021. Since Nov. 2021 Kanahi is a D´Addario Artist.” (Source)
Snippet from Interview with Six String Journal from August 2021
How much do you practice? And, do you structure your practice in any particular way?
It is hard to say how much I practice each day, since it really depends on the condition I am in each day or schedules. But I do practice more without guitar the in my hands and this mental practicing time is much more than the time I really physically train on my guitar. I spend much more time reading and playing from the score than before. I started being more careful about notation, precise reading of the music, and only less than 3 weeks before the concert, I start learning by heart.
Are there aspects of guitar that you struggle with or that you find you are still working on?
The most difficult thing is to accurately read and understand the music that the score is trying to express. I think this is the biggest aspect of being an interpreter, learning and struggling. We consider vibrating the notes written in the score, and thus the musical expression, as sounds in the room, and pursue technical topics for that purpose.
For example, in order to gain a deeper understanding of early music, it is necessary to have knowledge of historical performance forms, musical instruments of the time and their playing techniques, articulations, and how to place ornamental notes. The areas to be investigated are enormous. That is also the reason I will be studying these topics with the German theorbo and lute player Björn Colell at the Nuremberg University of Music from October 2021.
Full Interview: SixStringJournal.com
Mitsuru Tabata
Genre: Ambient, Noise, Psychedelic, Avant-Garde
Tabata Mitsuru is a guitarist, bassist and composer who has played in various bands over the years. He co-founded one of Japan’s most revered underground groups, Boredoms, in the mid-‘80s, and has been a prominent figure in Japan’s music scene ever since.
According to his website, “Via his stints in equally influential, highly prolific and inspiring groups over the subsequent years, such as Zeni Geva and Acid Mothers Temple, his own input has been (dis)coloured by all from punk and industrial music, through psychedelia, folk and krautrock, to just about everything the avant-garde and improvised music have touched. Using these touchstones as his cue, he has moulded a style, or even sometimes anti-style, of playing that only essentially arrives from a combination of hard work, drained emotions, maxed-out energy and singular vision.”
“Open-minded, enthusiastic and never one to baulk from a new challenge, Tabata Mitsuru has also been found collaborating with many other artists over the years, has an extensive discography to lean on should ever a moment of self-doubt trouble him, and even found time enough to embark on a haphazard yet always well-greased solo career that commenced in the mid-1990s.” (Source)
Snippet from Interview with Klemen Breznikar from December 2021
I really enjoy the Grateful Dead vibes… very improvisational.
Thank you. It was kind of the first band to me as bandleader but I didn’t want to say to other guys like, “You should play like that” or “I want to play in this band like that”. Maybe I was believing in democracy. When everyone was happy to play, it worked very well. However, about the first period of LBM, the band got the Cream syndrome soon. I mean that was a problem because each member’s egos were too big to play good music. It was the destiny of democratic trio band. Leningrad Blues Machine has never announced we were done. There is a possibility that the third period of LBM will play together someday. Maybe yes? Maybe not? None knows for now.
You were able to make a transition from one kind of music to another without too much effort. Why do you think is that so?
I’ve never thought like that but if it’s as a band leader, it might be difficult. On the other hand, if it’s for sidemen in the band, it should be easier. I usually listen to many different genres of music everyday. Same thing. Having interest in various music and trying those is more fun. Yes, having some fun is the most important thing.
Full Interview: PsychedelicBabyMag.com
Conclusion
I hope you discovered new Japanese guitarists and learned something new that you can apply to your own playing.
I, for one, know a lot of bands but I usually don’t take the time to look into the members and their personal history, so it was a lot of fun finding these musicians and reading their interviews. I hope as Japanese music continues to gain more popularity, we will get to learn more about them and what steps they took to get to where they are.
If you’d like to learn more about Japanese music theory or discover more Japanese artists, definitely check out my Japanese Music Resources page!
And if you’re interested in learning more vocabulary and kanji so you can watch anime and dramas, read manga, sing J-pop at karaoke, or play raw Japanese video games, check out my 250+ Kanji for Japanese Media (+Sentences) article and my Japanese Study Guide!
Thanks for Reading!~
Pingback: 25+ Japanese Singer-Songwriting Guitarists ⋆ Chromatic Dreamers
Pingback: Miyavi 20th Anniversary Tour Review ⋆ Chromatic Dreamers