Bands, artists, and singers from Yamagata Prefecture
When you hear about artists and musicians from Yamagata Prefecture, who comes to mind?
Maybe not many, but in fact, Yamagata has produced some very famous artists and musicians!
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of artists from Yamagata Prefecture all at once.
From band and idol group members to producers and composers/arrangers, we’ve picked broadly across genres—so take this opportunity to give their music a careful listen!
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Bands, artists, and singers from Yamagata Prefecture (11–20)
Someone at any timeShirasaki Emi (Shang Shang Taifun)
Even if the band name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll probably go “Oh!” when you hear their signature song.
Shang Shang Typhoon, who did the theme song “Itsudemo Dareka ga” for the 1994 Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko, are the ones.
One of the members, vocalist Emi Shirasaki, is from Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture.
Her work spans many fields, including solo singer, actress, radio DJ, and essayist.
In recent years, she has also been active in boosting Shirabara, the last grand cabaret in Tohoku.
She’s a dynamic figure who rides the waves of the times with great energy.
C.M.CShimoyama Jun (Za Rusutaazu)
Guitarist Jun Shimoyama, who was also active as a member of the rock band The Roosters, is from Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture.
He joined The Roosters in 1983 and helped lead the band until they disbanded in 1988.
After that, he contributed to works by famous artists such as Shigeru Izumiya, Kenji Sawada, and Keisuke Kuwata.
His psychedelic guitar playing continues to captivate many industry professionals and fans.
He performs live energetically, so if you’re interested, check his social media such as Facebook!
Sparkle!Shōji Mei (Tokyo Joshiryū)
Mei Shoji, the second-generation leader of TOKYO GIRLS’ STYLE—a girl group formed in 2009 as Avex’s first in seven years—is a singer from Yamagata Prefecture.
She began her career in 2008 as a tour act dancer for the dance and vocal group TRF, then performed as a dancer with CRYSTAL WINDS before making her debut as a member of TOKYO GIRLS’ STYLE.
Her talent has drawn attention, including being selected as a member of IRF, a collaborative unit for TRF’s tribute album “TRF Respect Idol Tribute!!,” where she was chosen from multiple idol groups including TOKYO GIRLS’ STYLE.
Bay BreezeMajima Toshio
If you have experience in wind ensemble or concert band, the name Toshio Mashima might look familiar.
Mashima, a native of Yamagata Prefecture, composed and arranged many works, focusing primarily on wind band.
He is the one who arranged Takarajima and Omens of Love, both considered standard pieces in the wind band repertoire.
In addition to those, he wrote numerous original works for wind band and contributed required pieces for competitions.
The beautiful contrast in his music—between the brilliant, quintessentially band-like brass parts and the delicate ballad sections—has produced masterpieces that will continue to be performed for years to come.
Saasukene.Yamaguchi Iwao
Iwao Yamaguchi is known for songs in the Yamagata dialect that use the Yamaguchi region’s dialect, as well as for his “Yamagata dialect preservation songs,” created out of a desire to pass the Yamaguchi dialect on to future generations.
If you’re local, many of you are probably familiar with his music.
He has produced many songs related to Yamagata, and some of them even portray its geography and culture.
If you’re looking to learn more about Yamagata, listening to his songs as part of your studies might be a good idea.
La FranceHAWKER 9
One of the reggae artists representing Yamagata Prefecture is HAWKER 9.
He shot to stardom with his debut digital single “Maketakunai” released in 2016.
After that, he went to Jamaica, the home of reggae, to hone his skills.
Among his songs brimming with love for Yamagata is “La France.” It’s a track themed around La France pears, a specialty of Yamagata Prefecture, and the lyrics are entirely in the Yamagata dialect.
Of course, his other songs are great too, but if you’re from Yamagata, starting with this one is a solid choice.
Bands, artists, and singers from Yamagata Prefecture (21–30)
You are poison.Noriaki
Noriaki, an unconventional hip-hop musician who’s also popular as a YouTuber, is from Yamagata Prefecture.
Armed with highly distinctive lyrics born from his experiences with social withdrawal, he began his career in 2006.
Just one listen to his signature track, “Kimi wa Poison,” and you’ll find it hard to escape his unique world.
He retired in 2009, but made a sensational comeback about 11 years later, in 2020, which drew a lot of attention.
As for what kind of person he is, the easiest way to understand is to listen to his songs or visit his official website.