From the tropical land of Tosa, a musician and band member from Kochi Prefecture.
When you think of bands and musicians from Kochi Prefecture, do any artists or bands immediately come to mind?
Mayo Okamoto and Ryoko Hirosue have had a lot of media exposure, so their names likely come up easily, but beyond them, it’s hard to think of many, right?
However, if you look into it, you’ll find that Kochi has produced quite a number of musicians—prompting reactions like “I remember seeing this band on TV back in the day!”, “That person from that band!”, and “That famous video game composer!”
Kochi Prefecture stretches long from east to west, and the regions—Shimanto City in the west, Kochi City and Nangoku City in the center, and Muroto City in the east—each have subtly different cultures and dialects.
In this article, we’ll introduce musicians who hail from Kochi Prefecture.
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From tropical Tosa: musicians and band members from Kochi Prefecture (11–20)
Goodbye, Princesympathy
A four-member girls’ band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Yuu Shibata, guitarist Kayana Taguchi, bassist Natsuki Imai, and drummer Tomoka Kadomasu.
The band was born out of the Folk Song Club at Kochi Prefectural Kochi Ozu High School and won their debut live contest.
While performing at local live houses, they began writing original songs, and just before graduating high school, they produced a mini album titled “Curtain Call no Machi” (The City of Curtain Calls).
Although they briefly went on hiatus when the members went their separate ways for further studies, they made their major debut in 2015, and since 2018 all members have been based in Tokyo.
They’re known for their upbeat sound and a straightforward, soaring vocal style!
Touch me, hold on tightairīn fōrīn
The members of the rock band Irene Forlane are from Kochi Prefecture.
They had been inactive since 1988, but in 2008 they reunited with the original lineup and resumed activities.
“Touch Me Hold On Tight” is included on the album “PLASTIC GENERATION.”
Ave MariaOkamoto Tomotaka
Tomotaka Okamoto is a male soprano singer known as a “sopranista.” Hailing from Sukumo City in Kochi Prefecture, he is an extraordinarily rare “innately male soprano” whose soprano range remained naturally intact even after his voice changed.
After graduating from the Kunitachi College of Music, he completed his studies at the Poulenc Conservatory in France at the top of his class.
His one-of-a-kind voice, which resonates warmly in the depths of the heart, has been hailed as a “miraculous voice,” and he performs worldwide.
His activities span a wide range of genres—not only classical music such as sacred works and opera, but also Japanese songs and pop music.
DaydreamChimothy→
An indie band active in Kochi with the tagline “Delivering irresistibly catchy, ultra-pop and rock music.” The trio consists of Akari Matsuo on guitar and vocals, Asuka Mitani on bass, and Kana Asano on drums and chorus.
Formed in August 2017 within the Kochi University of Technology Light Music Club, Chimothy→ is known for their youthful, upbeat sound and vibrant vocals.
They are energetically engaged in songwriting and self-produced live events.
MorenaRockamenco
KSK Arita (Keisuke Arita), who served as the vocalist for the six-member band Rockamenco, is from Kochi Prefecture.
They made their major debut with the first single “Morena,” and the title track was used as the ending theme for the TBS program “Hitachi Sekai Fushigi Hakken!” (The World’s Mysteries).
Dream FlowerEn Hiroshi
Hiroshi Madoka, who is active as a singer-songwriter and TV personality, is from Toyo Town in Aki District, Kochi Prefecture.
His debut single Yumesouka became a huge hit, selling 800,000 copies and making him an overnight sensation.
Since 2015, the song has been used as the departure melody at Osaka Loop Line’s Fukushima Station.
From the tropical land of Tosa: musicians and band members from Kochi Prefecture (ages 21–30)
Fish Heaven 2010kawamura ayano
Ayano Kawamura, who is active as an idol and actress, is from Kochi Prefecture.
Her special skill is filleting skipjack tuna, and in 2009 she was appointed Kochi Prefecture Fish PR Ambassador.
That same year, she made her CD debut with Osakana Tengoku 2010.
In 2016, under the name Fumino Kawamura, she joined the Hello Pro Kenshuusei (Hello! Project Trainee).