Ikimono-gakari
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese pop rock
band
that debuted in 1998. They record on Sony Music Entertainment Japan
's Epic Records
label.
The band was formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in February 1999 by Hotaka Yamashita and Yoshiki Mizuno, and was later joined by lead vocalist Kiyoe Yoshioka in December the same year. refers to a group of children who are responsible for looking after plants and animals in a Japanese elementary school.
.
In December 1999, Yoshioka joined the band. In those days, Mizuno and Yamashita planned to make a group with a female lead vocalist, which would be an unusual sound for the street performances they were doing. Yoshioka was the younger sister of one of their classmates; she entered as the main singer and the band took on its present-day form. Now performing with three members, the band did a cover of Yuzu's
single, .
In September 2000, they suspended the band to focus on college entrance examinations for Yamashita and Mizuno. After attending Meiji University
and hoping to transfer to a better school, Mizuno was admitted to Hitotsubashi University
. Meanwhile, Yamashita got into Hosei University
. In March 2002, the band resumed playing together; however, Yoshioka became discouraged for a while due to the strict regimen of rehearsals required by her music school. However, Mizuno dedicated himself to persuading Yoshioka, and to meeting the emotional challenges she faced.
By March 2003, after a difficult journey, Yoshioka recovered; she saw this as a second chance to grow as a person. Again, the band re-formed, but now, they were performing with the intent of supporting their increasing fame. As their style of music was moving more towards an acoustic focus, they planned to expand their scope to cover not only street performances but live house concerts as well. Moreover, they made a greater effort to compose more original music and rely less on covers.
on the Odakyū Odawara Line. In June, they did a one-band show at the Thunder Snake Atsugi live venue for the first time. A person who happened to be attending this performance ended up becoming their manager; this became the impetus for them to launch a major road tour. On August 25, they released their first indie album, Makoto ni Senetsu Nagara First Album wo Koshirae Mashita.... On March 26, 2005, the band held a show in the small hall at the Atsugi City Culture Building (Atsugishi Bunka Kaikan); this was the first time the band had ever done a single-band show in a hall.
On March 15, 2006, the band released their first single, "Sakura", produced by Masanori Shimada. This was their major label debut with Epic Records Japan of Sony. Their second single "Hanabi" was released on May 31, 2006, earning the band their first appearance on the Oricon
top 10 chart with a No. 5 debut. Between November 10 and November 30, they held their first live tour, called "Ikimonogakari no Minna-san, Konni-Tour! 2006". They released their first full-length studio album on March 7, 2007, entitled Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari, debuting at No. 4 on the Oricon weekly album charts. Between May 24 to June 14, they went on a live tour to support this album. Their second major studio album, Life Album
, came out on February 13, 2008, debuting at No. 2 on the Oricon weekly album charts. This album's live tour was from March 30 to May 23. On July 7, they came out with their tenth single, "Bluebird", cracking the Top 3 Oricon ranking for the first time with a No. 3 debut. On December 24, they released their third studio album, My Song Your Song
. This album topped the Oricon weekly charts, becoming their first work to achieve a first ranking on any chart. On December 31, they debuted in the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
festival.
On March 4, 2009, their first-ever collection of video works, "Tottemo Ēzō", was released. That year, Mizuno was put in charge of writing the song "Yell" as the set piece for the junior high division of the 76th annual NHK Nationwide School Music Contest. Their 15th single "Yell / Joyful" came out September 23, taking the No. 1 single spot for the Oricon daily charts and the No. 2 spot for the weekly chart, the highest rankings so far for any of their singles. The band won one of the Gold Artist awards at the 2009 Best Hit Song Festival (November 26), their first time winning one of the show's prizes. They followed that up with their fourth studio album Hajimari no Uta
, released on December 23, and debuting as the No. 1 album on the Oricon weekly charts. On New Year's Eve, the band appeared again in the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
festival.
style found on their first three mini albums under Cubit Club. Their primary instruments were the acoustic guitar, the electric guitar, and the harmonica. Their initial music was considerably slower; "Natsu Koi" on Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari is considerably faster in tempo compared to the same song on Makoto ni Senetsu Nagara First Album wo Koshirae Mashita.... Guitarist and band leader Yoshiki Mizuno also sang considerably more on their indie albums.
With the release of their first major-label album, Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari, their style changed to a more conventional rock style, but still keeping with their traditional guitar-harmonica combination. They also began to add other elements to their songs, such as strings and tambourines, as evidenced by "Sakura" and "Kira Kira Train". Additionally, they recorded songs with faster tempos, such as "Ryūsei Miracle" and "Hinageshi".
Ikimono-gakari began to shift to a more mainstream pop sound with their second and third albums, Life Album
and My Song Your Song
. Songs like "Kimagure Romantic" differed greatly from their songs during the Sakura Saku era. Life Album saw the revival of a couple of songs from their indie albums; "Hana wa Sakura Kimi wa Utsukushi" from Makoto ni Senetsu... and "Chikoku Shichau yo" from Jinsei Sugoroku Dabe. "Kuchidzuke", also from Jinsei Sugoroku Dabe. was revived on My Song Your Song.
(born 17 December 1982 (age 29)) is the band's lead member and guitarist. He primarily uses the electric guitar. Born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, he moved to the city Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, at an early age. Education: Junior High School Otani Sugikubo City Ebina, high school Prefectural Atsugi, Kanagawa. After Ronin mask in Economics, Politics, Meiji University, graduated from Department of Sociology, Hitotsubashi University.
(born 27 August 1982 (age 29)) is the guitarist and harmonicist of the band. He was born in Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Education: Junior High School Otani Sugikubo Ebina City, schools of higher Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, graduated from Department of Sociology, Hosei University.
of a song by and Chage
.
): #10 Get Crazy!
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
that debuted in 1998. They record on Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
's Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
label.
The band was formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in February 1999 by Hotaka Yamashita and Yoshiki Mizuno, and was later joined by lead vocalist Kiyoe Yoshioka in December the same year. refers to a group of children who are responsible for looking after plants and animals in a Japanese elementary school.
Formation and trials
In 1989, Mizuno and Yamashita met by chance while they were in the first grade; they were both put in charge of being ikimono-gakari. Yamashita later noted that he really wanted to be a "blackboard monitor". 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. At first, they did covers of Masayoshi YamazakiMasayoshi Yamazaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter who plays guitar-driven blues, rock, and pop music, though he has also recorded piano ballads. Though he primarily plays the guitar, he also has played the drums, piano, percussion, saxophone, and glockenspiel on some albums....
.
In December 1999, Yoshioka joined the band. In those days, Mizuno and Yamashita planned to make a group with a female lead vocalist, which would be an unusual sound for the street performances they were doing. Yoshioka was the younger sister of one of their classmates; she entered as the main singer and the band took on its present-day form. Now performing with three members, the band did a cover of Yuzu's
Yuzu (band)
is a Japanese pop duo. Its members are and . Both of the band members come from Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, and attended Okamura Junior High School.-Discography:...
single, .
In September 2000, they suspended the band to focus on college entrance examinations for Yamashita and Mizuno. After attending Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
and hoping to transfer to a better school, Mizuno was admitted to Hitotsubashi University
Hitotsubashi University
is a national university specialised in the social sciences in Tokyo, Japan. The University has campuses in Kunitachi, Kodaira, and Kanda.Hitotsubashi is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It is ranked 25th in the world in 2011 by École des Mines de Paris.Hitotsubashi...
. Meanwhile, Yamashita got into Hosei University
Hosei University
is a private university based in Tokyo, Japan.The university originated in a school of law, Tōkyō Hōgakusha , established in 1880, and the following year renamed Tōkyō Hōgakkō . This was from 1883 headed by Dr. Gustave Emile Boissonade, and was heavily influenced by the French legal tradition...
. In March 2002, the band resumed playing together; however, Yoshioka became discouraged for a while due to the strict regimen of rehearsals required by her music school. However, Mizuno dedicated himself to persuading Yoshioka, and to meeting the emotional challenges she faced.
By March 2003, after a difficult journey, Yoshioka recovered; she saw this as a second chance to grow as a person. Again, the band re-formed, but now, they were performing with the intent of supporting their increasing fame. As their style of music was moving more towards an acoustic focus, they planned to expand their scope to cover not only street performances but live house concerts as well. Moreover, they made a greater effort to compose more original music and rely less on covers.
Rise to fame
In April 2003, the band resumed playing with a street show in front of the Hon-Atsugi StationHon-Atsugi Station
is a major stop on the Odakyu Electric Railway’s Odawara Line serving the city of Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The station is 45.5 rail kilometers from the line’s terminal at Shinjuku Station. Most local, section semi-express, and semi-express trains inbound from Shinjuku Station...
on the Odakyū Odawara Line. In June, they did a one-band show at the Thunder Snake Atsugi live venue for the first time. A person who happened to be attending this performance ended up becoming their manager; this became the impetus for them to launch a major road tour. On August 25, they released their first indie album, Makoto ni Senetsu Nagara First Album wo Koshirae Mashita.... On March 26, 2005, the band held a show in the small hall at the Atsugi City Culture Building (Atsugishi Bunka Kaikan); this was the first time the band had ever done a single-band show in a hall.
On March 15, 2006, the band released their first single, "Sakura", produced by Masanori Shimada. This was their major label debut with Epic Records Japan of Sony. Their second single "Hanabi" was released on May 31, 2006, earning the band their first appearance on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
top 10 chart with a No. 5 debut. Between November 10 and November 30, they held their first live tour, called "Ikimonogakari no Minna-san, Konni-Tour! 2006". They released their first full-length studio album on March 7, 2007, entitled Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari, debuting at No. 4 on the Oricon weekly album charts. Between May 24 to June 14, they went on a live tour to support this album. Their second major studio album, Life Album
Life Album
Life Album is Ikimono-gakari's 2nd studio album. It was released in Japan on February 13, 2008.-Tracklist:...
, came out on February 13, 2008, debuting at No. 2 on the Oricon weekly album charts. This album's live tour was from March 30 to May 23. On July 7, they came out with their tenth single, "Bluebird", cracking the Top 3 Oricon ranking for the first time with a No. 3 debut. On December 24, they released their third studio album, My Song Your Song
My Song Your Song
-Oricon Chart :-External links:*...
. This album topped the Oricon weekly charts, becoming their first work to achieve a first ranking on any chart. On December 31, they debuted in the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
59th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen
The , referred to from hereon as "Kōhaku", was aired on December 31, 2008 from NHK Hall in Japan.- Hosts :*Red team host: Yukie Nakama*White team host: Masahiro Nakai*Mediators: Kazuya Matsumoto and Fumie Ono...
festival.
On March 4, 2009, their first-ever collection of video works, "Tottemo Ēzō", was released. That year, Mizuno was put in charge of writing the song "Yell" as the set piece for the junior high division of the 76th annual NHK Nationwide School Music Contest. Their 15th single "Yell / Joyful" came out September 23, taking the No. 1 single spot for the Oricon daily charts and the No. 2 spot for the weekly chart, the highest rankings so far for any of their singles. The band won one of the Gold Artist awards at the 2009 Best Hit Song Festival (November 26), their first time winning one of the show's prizes. They followed that up with their fourth studio album Hajimari no Uta
Hajimari no Uta
-Oricon Chart :-External links:...
, released on December 23, and debuting as the No. 1 album on the Oricon weekly charts. On New Year's Eve, the band appeared again in the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
The , referred to from hereon as "Kōhaku", was aired on December 31, 2009 from NHK Hall in Japan.-Performers:The singers, announced on November 23, 2009, are ordered below according to the gojūon....
festival.
Musical style
Ikimono-gakari's musical style stems from their original lounge rockLounge rock
Lounge rock is a style of music that is a fusion of folk, 50's/60's rock and Jazz. Other influences come from Brazilian music, primarily the early works of Milton Nascimento.Currently Norwegian artist Sondre Lerche is best known for this style....
style found on their first three mini albums under Cubit Club. Their primary instruments were the acoustic guitar, the electric guitar, and the harmonica. Their initial music was considerably slower; "Natsu Koi" on Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari is considerably faster in tempo compared to the same song on Makoto ni Senetsu Nagara First Album wo Koshirae Mashita.... Guitarist and band leader Yoshiki Mizuno also sang considerably more on their indie albums.
With the release of their first major-label album, Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari, their style changed to a more conventional rock style, but still keeping with their traditional guitar-harmonica combination. They also began to add other elements to their songs, such as strings and tambourines, as evidenced by "Sakura" and "Kira Kira Train". Additionally, they recorded songs with faster tempos, such as "Ryūsei Miracle" and "Hinageshi".
Ikimono-gakari began to shift to a more mainstream pop sound with their second and third albums, Life Album
Life Album
Life Album is Ikimono-gakari's 2nd studio album. It was released in Japan on February 13, 2008.-Tracklist:...
and My Song Your Song
My Song Your Song
-Oricon Chart :-External links:*...
. Songs like "Kimagure Romantic" differed greatly from their songs during the Sakura Saku era. Life Album saw the revival of a couple of songs from their indie albums; "Hana wa Sakura Kimi wa Utsukushi" from Makoto ni Senetsu... and "Chikoku Shichau yo" from Jinsei Sugoroku Dabe. "Kuchidzuke", also from Jinsei Sugoroku Dabe. was revived on My Song Your Song.
Members
(born 29 February 1984 (age 27)) is the vocalist. She was born in the city of Shizuoka, and later moved to Atsugi, Kanagawa when she was five years old. Nicknamed "Kiyoe", "Kiyo-chan" "Se-Ki", "Las Kiyo", and "Ponyo Megumi". Education: Primary Education City Minami Mouri Atsugi, high school Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, Graduate School Musical courses Showa University College of Music (now four-year) graduation. Her brother was a high school classmate of Mizuno and Yamashita.(born 17 December 1982 (age 29)) is the band's lead member and guitarist. He primarily uses the electric guitar. Born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, he moved to the city Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, at an early age. Education: Junior High School Otani Sugikubo City Ebina, high school Prefectural Atsugi, Kanagawa. After Ronin mask in Economics, Politics, Meiji University, graduated from Department of Sociology, Hitotsubashi University.
(born 27 August 1982 (age 29)) is the guitarist and harmonicist of the band. He was born in Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Education: Junior High School Otani Sugikubo Ebina City, schools of higher Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, graduated from Department of Sociology, Hosei University.
Discography
Indie albums
| Year | Information |
|---|---|
| 2003 |
|
| 2004 |
|
| 2005 |
|
Studio albums
| Year | Information | Peak position | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari
|
4 | 260,684 |
| 2008 | Life Album Life Album Life Album is Ikimono-gakari's 2nd studio album. It was released in Japan on February 13, 2008.-Tracklist:... Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... (ESCL-3046) |
2 | 252,599 |
| My Song Your Song My Song Your Song -Oricon Chart :-External links:*... Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... (ESCL-3146) |
1 | 466,120 | |
| 2009 | Hajimari no Uta Hajimari no Uta -Oricon Chart :-External links:... Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... (ESCL-3354, ESCL-3355, ESCL-3356) |
1 | 561,957 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Information | Peak position | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Ikimonobakari: Members Best Selection Ikimonobakari: Members Best Selection is Japanese pop rock band Ikimono-gakari's first greatest hits album. It was released on 3 November 2010 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The album features 31 previously released tracks and three new songs: "Ima Hashiridaseba", "Spirits", and "Kaze to Mirai"....
|
1 | 1,299,709 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Release | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sakura | March 15, 2006 | 17 | 59,758 |
| Hanabi Hanabi (song) "Hanabi" is a single by Ikimono-gakari. It was their second single, released in Japan on May 31, 2006.Hanabi was also featured on the popular anime Bleach in the third season during the Bount arc.... |
May 31, 2006 | 5 | 56,584 | |
| October, 18 2006 | 15 | 15,226 | ||
| December 6, 2006 | 22 | 20,195 | ||
| 2007 | February 14, 2007 | 17 | 18,695 | |
| August 8, 2007 | 10 | 37,754 | ||
| October 24, 2007 | 7 | 45,872 | ||
| 2008 | January 30, 2008 | 7 | 33,631 | |
| April 16, 2008 | 7 | 59,975 | ||
| July 9, 2008 | 3 | 90,267 | ||
| October 15, 2008 | 5 | 36,287 | ||
| December 3, 2008 | 4 | 44,790 | ||
| 2009 | May 27, 2009 | 7 | 58,180 | |
| July 15, 2009 | 5 | 47,964 | ||
| September 23, 2009 | 2 | 141,446 | ||
| November 11, 2009 | 6 | 39,132 | ||
| 2010 | March 10, 2010 | 3 | 46,902 | |
| May 5, 2010 | 2 | 209,523 | ||
| August 4, 2010 | 4 | 65,287 | ||
| 2011 | July 20, 2011 | 5 | 55,803 | |
| November 23, 2011 | 9 | 30,844 | ||
Unreleased tracks
(Online sales was started on 1 August 2006 by Sony Music Online Japan) - It is a cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a song by and Chage
Chage and Aska
or Chage and Asuka are a Japanese popular music duo composed of two singer-songwriters from Fukuoka Prefecture, and . To date they have sold over 31 million albums and singles in Japan....
.
Other
(released on 8 March 2006 on SME RecordsSony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
): #10 Get Crazy!
Theme songs and tie-ins
- "Hanabi" – used as the seventh ending theme for the anime Bleach.
- "Seishun Line" – used as the second opening theme for the anime Ookiku Furikabutte.
- "Kaeritaku Natta yo" – used as the theme song for the movie Sunadokei.
- "Blue Bird" – used as the third title opening for the anime Naruto: Shippuden.
- "Ryūsei Miracle" – used as a title opening for the first 12 episodes of the anime Ayakashi AyashiAyakashi Ayashiis a Japanese anime series, created and written by Shō Aikawa and produced by Bones. Directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori, it featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto and premiered across Japan on October 7, 2006 on TBS's 6:00 pm doroku timeslot, which has previously occupied other noted anime...
. - "Nokori Kaze" – main theme for the Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
video game Bleach: The 3rd PhantomBleach: The 3rd Phantomis a Tactical Role-Playing Game for Nintendo DS based on the popular manga written by Tite Kubo. It was released in June 2008 and is published by Sega.-Storyline:...
. - "Planetarium" – used as the ending theme in the drama adaption of the manga Cat StreetCat Street (manga)is a shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio. It was serialized by Shueisha in Bessatsu Margaret from August 2004 and October 2007 and collected in eight bound volumes....
. - "Kimagure Romantic" – used as the ending theme in the drama .
- "Futari" – used as the theme song for the drama series Boku no Imouto.
- "Hotaru no Hikari" – used as the fifth title opening of Naruto: Shippuden.
- "Joyful" - used as CM song for Glico PockyPockyis a Japanese snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico Company of Japan.-History:Pocky was first sold in 1966, and consists of a biscuit stick coated with chocolate. It was named after the Japanese onomatopoetic word for the sound Pocky makes when bitten, pokkin . The original was followed by...
. - "Nakumonka" - used as the theme song for the eponymous movie Nakumonka.
- "Toki o Kakeru Shōjo" was the insert song and "Nostalgia" was the ending theme for the 2010 movie adaptation of the novel Toki o Kakeru ShōjoToki o Kakeru Shojois a soft science fiction novel by Japanese writer and actor Yasutaka Tsutsui which tells the story of Kazuko Yoshiyama, a schoolgirl who accidentally acquires the ability to time travel...
otherwise known as Girl Who Leapt Through Time - "Arigatō" - used as theme song for TV drama Gegege no Nyōbō.
- "Kimi ga Iru" - used as theme song for TV romantic comedy Hotaru no Hikari 2.
- "Aruite Ikō" - used as Ending theme for (Autumn 2011) TBS Drama Runaway ~Aisuru Kimi no Tame ni.