Craftsman spirit!? An artist from Shizuoka. Special feature on bands, singers, and idols.

Last sceneYoshioka Kiyoe (Ikimonogakari)

Ikimono-gakari “Last Scene” Music Video

Kiyoe Yoshioka, the vocalist of Ikimono-gakari, is from Shizuoka City in Shizuoka Prefecture, and the leader Yoshiki Mizuno is from Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Although some sources list Yoshioka as being from Atsugi City, she was born in Shizuoka Prefecture and appears to have lived there until the age of five.

six hundred thirty-fourADAM at

ADAM at - “634” Official Music Video

Keyboardist ADAM at, from Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture, made his major-label debut in 2015 with the album “CLOCK TOWER.” While rooted in jazz and instrumental music, he creates cinematic-scale tracks that weave in elements of pop and rock.

His music has been featured as the ending theme for NHK’s professional baseball broadcasts and in a Kewpie Mayonnaise commercial, and in 2020 he won the 12th CD Shop Awards Jazz Prize for his album “Twilight Syndrome.” He also shows strong ties to his hometown by organizing his own local festival, INST-ALL FESTIVAL, in Shizuoka.

With lyrical piano melodies and dramatic structures, he’s an artist highly recommended for fans of instrumental music.

Ecstasy and MelancholySakai Mitsuki, Kujou Takemasa, Isshiki Hiyori, Tookai Junji (Kiryuu)

Kiryu “Ecstasy and Melancholy” MUSIC VIDEO

All the members of the visual kei band Kiryu (Kiryū) except the vocalist are from Shizuoka Prefecture.

Guitarist Masaki Sakai is from Hamamatsu, guitarist Takemasa Kujō is from Kosai, bassist Hiyori Isshiki is from Kakegawa, and while it’s unclear which city drummer Junji Tomomi is from, it has been announced that he is from Shizuoka Prefecture.

Midnight Shadow BoyChinen Yuri (Hey! Say! JUMP)

Midnight Shadow Boy

Yuri Chinen, a member of the idol group Hey! Say! JUMP, is from Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Their fourth single, Midnight Shadow, was chosen as the theme song for the drama Scrap Teacher: Kyōshi Saisei, starring members Ryosuke Yamada, Yuri Chinen, Yuto Nakajima, and Daiki Arioka.

InfluencerWakatsuki Yumi, Fukagawa Mai (Nogizaka Forty-Six)

Nogizaka46 “Influencer”

Yumi Wakatsuki, a member of Nogizaka46, is from Fuji City in Shizuoka Prefecture, and Mai Fukagawa is from Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Wakatsuki once aimed to attend an art university and is said to be highly skilled at drawing, having achieved the remarkable feat of being selected for the Nika Art Exhibition for six consecutive years.

Two LipsAKIRA（EXILE）

EXILE / Two Lips

AKIRA, a performer from EXILE, is from Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Shizuoka is known as a soccer mecca, so he entered a high school with a strong soccer program and seems to have pursued the sport in earnest.

Actress Masami Nagasawa’s family home is also nearby, and their parents know each other—they’re basically neighbors.

It’s enviable to think such a wonderful person lived so close by.

If I became a catYamauchi Machiko

Machiko Yamauchi – If I Became a Cat (Official Music Video)

Singer-songwriter Machiko Yamauchi, hailing from Shizuoka Prefecture, creates songs that blend nostalgia with modernity through her self-described “time capsule gacha-pop” sound.

Formerly active in the band “Shivaneko,” she was chosen as the opening act for Hamamatsu’s FUNDAY PARK FESTIVAL in 2022.

Launching her solo project in earnest in May 2024, she has been releasing a string of tracks that incorporate elements of city pop and kayōkyoku.

A craftsman-like artist, she founded her own production team, “Machiko Laboratory,” and handles everything from songwriting to artwork and video.

Highly recommended for those who want to enjoy a fusion of nostalgic sensibilities and new pop.