Bands, artists, and singers from Oita Prefecture
Who comes to mind when you think of artists from Oita Prefecture?
People from neighboring Fukuoka Prefecture often get featured in the media like on TV, but you might not have many chances to learn about those from Oita.
So in this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of artists from Oita Prefecture, regardless of era or genre!
We’ve picked out everything from popular singer-songwriters to bands that enjoy enduring popularity in the Japanese rock scene, so be sure to check them out.
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Bands, artists, and singers from Oita Prefecture (21–30)
OakBEYONDS
BEYONDS was a band active in the early 1990s, and their song style—influenced by groups like Snuff and Leatherface—is known to have inspired later generations of melodic hardcore bands.
Member Daisuke Daichi is from Saiki City in Oita Prefecture.
Daisuke Daichi is the older brother of Yosuke Ochi of the comedy duo Dainoji.
Farewell at 22Ise Shozo
Shozo Ise, who is also a member of Kaguyahime, is from Tsukumi City in Oita Prefecture.
This song was a hit by Kaze, the folk duo that Shozo Ise formed in 1975 just before Kaguyahime disbanded.
Originally, it was a track included on a Kaguyahime album, and although there were hopes to release it as a single, that didn’t happen—but it went on to become a big hit as a single by Kaze.
Macho DragonFujinami Tatsumi
Tatsumi Fujinami, a famed wrestler of the 1980s with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and also known for his love of castles, hails from Kunisaki City in Oita Prefecture.
The song “Macho Dragon” takes the music used for Fujinami’s entrance theme, adds Japanese lyrics (written by Yukinojo Mori), and is sung by Fujinami himself, becoming his personal entrance theme.
It was released on record in 1985.
The song is also well known for its notoriously poor vocals.
My boyfriend is left-handed.Asaoka Megumi
Megumi Asaoka, who was active as an idol in the 1970s, hails from Hiji Town in Hayami District, Oita Prefecture, and comes from a family whose ancestors included a chief retainer of the Hiji Domain.
Her 1973 release “My Boyfriend Is Left-Handed” became a huge hit, propelling her to the height of her idol career, including an appearance at that year’s NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Although she later retired from show business upon getting married after continuing her idol activities, she eventually returned and remains active today as a television personality.
Equator Girl: Dokki!Yamashita Kumiko
Kumiko Yamashita is from Beppu City in Oita Prefecture.
Her sixth single, “EQUATORIAL GIRL Doki!” released in 1982, was tied in with a cosmetics commercial and became a huge hit, propelling her into the ranks of popular singers.
The song was written by Takashi Matsumoto and composed by Haruomi Hosono, the Hit Chart–boosting duo from the band Happy End at the time.
Woman’s DepartureMatsubara Nobue
Nobue Matsubara, who played a leading role as a female enka singer representing the Kitajima Music Office (now independent), is from Nakatsu City in Oita Prefecture.
Onna no Deshūn is her debut song, but because her hometown is inland and has no sea, it seems that at the time she sang the lyrics without them quite resonating with her.
Jing-jing jingle bellSUPER☆GiRLS
Rina Miyazaki, a member of the idol group SUPER☆GiRLS formed in 2010 through an Avex audition, is from Oita Prefecture.
This song is a cover of a 1995 track by Chisato Moritaka, released in 2013 under the name Twinkle Veil from SUPER☆GiRLS.