Beloved voices and music! Singers and artists from Tohoku
Who comes to mind when you hear “a musician from the Tohoku region”? Some people might think of someone right away, while many others may struggle to name a musician from Tohoku.
But if you look, you’ll find plenty—ranging from artists everyone knows to members of popular rock bands—who hail from Tohoku.
In this article, we’ll introduce a comprehensive list of Tohoku-born musicians researched by our editorial team.
We’ve picked a wide range across genres and generations, so please enjoy discovering various artists.
Beloved Voices and Music! Singers and Artists from Tohoku (1–10)
Miraclenavi
GReeeeN, known for all its members working as dentists, was formed in the dentistry department of a university in Fukushima Prefecture, right? Surprisingly, most of the members are from outside the Tohoku region, with only navi being from Miyagi Prefecture.
However, he was raised in Chiba, and it’s said he met HIDE in Tokyo during his prep school days.
They later formed GReeeeN with the current four members in 2004.
In the film Kiseki: Ano Hi no Sobito, which depicts the lead-up to the creation of their signature song Kiseki, Ryusei Yokohama played the role of navi.
On that night that couldn’t become the futureAkita Hiromu
Hiromu Akita, who serves as the frontman of amazarashi, is from Aomori Prefecture.
Their lyrics carry powerful messages, and his earnest, heart-piercing vocals resonate deeply.
Once you hear them, you won’t forget.
Their no-face-showing style reflects a desire for listeners to immerse themselves more fully in the world of the songs.
Rather than offering a “let’s keep our chins up” kind of message by likening everyday struggles to rain, they create a warm presence that supports you by staying close to sorrow and accepting it as it is.
Don’t forget, don’t forget.Yamaguchi Takashi
Takashi Yamaguchi, the vocalist and guitarist of Sambomaster—the hottest, most passionately intense rock band in Japan—is from Fukushima Prefecture.
Since he often speaks fervently in a Tohoku dialect during live show MCs, many people may associate him with being from the Tohoku region.
In 2011, he also formed Inawashirokos with fellow musicians from Fukushima, releasing “I love you & I need you Fukushima” as a charity song for the Great East Japan Earthquake.
rayFujiwara Motoo
Motoharu Fujiwara, the vocalist of the rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN—known for their highly narrative world-building that resonates with many listeners—was born in Akita City, Akita Prefecture.
He writes and composes nearly all of the band’s songs, and their distinctive musicality has won widespread support.
After starting out independently in 1999, the band went on to rack up hits, and in 2013 they dominated the charts with two best-of albums.
They have won numerous awards, including at the SPACE SHOWER MUSIC AWARDS, and their richly narrative songs have resonated with many visual works, such as anime theme songs.
Their creative style of waiting for the moment a song is born may be what leads to universally affecting songs that speak straight to the heart.
Fujiwara’s voice—ranging from urgent high tones to gentle whispers—could be called the beating heart of the band.
HOWEVERHISASHI
When you think of GLAY’s members, the image of them being from Hokkaido is strong, but guitarist HISASHI is actually from Aomori Prefecture.
That said, he moved to Hokkaido in the fourth grade of elementary school.
After TAKURO and TERU formed GLAY in 1988, HISASHI joined the band.
Although he has continued to be active with GLAY as an original member since its early days, he also plays guitar in various other bands such as rally and ACE OF SPADES.
Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)Takahashi Yuu
In addition to warm messages, Takahashi Yu—whose lyrics are compelling for the raw, real messages drawn from his own intense experiences—hails from Akita Prefecture.
He spent his school years in Akita through high school, then moved to Hokkaido for university.
It was there that he began performing street live shows, marking the start of his music career.
Along with his realistic lyrics, his distinctive singing voice is also one of his trademarks.
Moreover, driven by a desire to invigorate his hometown, he founded his own music festival, the Akita CARAVAN MUSIC FES, aiming to change venues each year and eventually tour all 13 cities within Akita Prefecture.
Just, thank you.TAX
Tax, the drummer for MONKEY MAJIK, is from Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture.
This song was released in 2008 as their 10th single.
It was chosen as the theme song for the TBS drama “Ando Natsu,” and it expresses feelings of gratitude toward someone special.