Miyavi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
MIYAVI
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Miyavi in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Takamasa Ishihara (石原 崇雅, Ishihara Takamasa) |
| Also known as |
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| Born | September 14, 1981 |
| Origin | Konohana-ku, Osaka, Japan |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
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Takamasa Ishihara (born September 14, 1981), known as Miyavi, is a famous Japanese guitarist, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is well-known for his unique guitar style, where he uses his fingers to slap the strings.
Miyavi started his music journey in 1999. He was first the guitarist for the rock band Dué le Quartz. In 2002, he began his solo career. Later, in 2007, he joined the supergroup S.K.I.N.. In 2009, he started his own company, J-glam. He has traveled the world many times for his music. In 2022, he joined another supergroup called The Last Rockstars.
Beyond music, Miyavi has also acted in movies. In 2014, he appeared in the film Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie. He has also had roles in other American movies like Kong: Skull Island. Since 2013, Miyavi has been a volunteer for UNHCR, which helps refugees around the world. In 2017, he became an official Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR.
Contents
Miyavi's Early Life and Music Beginnings
Miyavi was born in Osaka, Japan. His mother was Japanese, and his father was Korean. When he was young, he moved to Kawanishi. Miyavi says he was a good student and loved playing football. He even joined the junior team for a professional football club.
However, a sports injury in junior high school stopped him from playing football professionally. At age fifteen, he started learning to play the guitar instead. He bought a guitar and began playing songs by artists like Ray Charles.
He enjoyed visual kei bands such as X Japan and Luna Sea. He also listened to other music styles like blues, Motown, hard rock (like Metallica), and industrial music. In his last year of junior high, he formed his first band, a visual kei group called Loop.
Miyavi's Music Career
Starting with Dué le Quartz and Solo Work
In 1999, at 17, Miyavi moved to Tokyo. He joined the visual kei rock band Dué le Quartz and used the stage name "Miyabi." He played guitar, wrote lyrics, and helped create the music.
When the band broke up in 2002, he started his solo career. He changed his name to Miyavi. He signed with an independent record label, PS Company. His first album, Gagaku, came out on October 31. He also released three more singles that year. Miyavi even acted in a movie called Ryōma no Tsuma to Sono Otto to Aijin.
His first solo concert was in Tokyo on April 23, 2003. He released three more singles that year. His second album, Galyuu, was released on December 2.
Becoming a Major Artist
In 2004, Miyavi appeared as himself in the film Oresama. He went on his first solo tour, Tokyo Dassou. He also performed in Korea and Taiwan. In August, he held a special free concert for his fan club at Tokyo Dome. On August 31, he played his last independent concert at the Nippon Budokan.
In October, he signed a big contract with Universal Music Group. This was a major step in his career. His first major single, "Rock no Gyakushuu"/"21sekikei Koushinkyoku", became a top ten hit.
In 2005, his single "Freedom Fighters" also reached the top ten. On June 1, his first major album, Miyavizm, was released. It was his first album to reach the top ten on the charts. His singles "Kekkon Shiki Uta"/"Are You Ready to Rock?" and "Dear My Friend"/"Itoshii Hito" were his highest-charting singles, both reaching number six.
In late 2005 and 2006, Miyavi changed his music style to a more acoustic and pop sound. This was heard on his albums MYV Pops and Miyaviuta: Dokusō. He performed his new acoustic style in a concert series in Tokyo. Miyavi then went to America for six months to study English, take dance classes, and perform on the streets of Venice Beach.
International Tours and S.K.I.N.
In February 2007, Miyavi played his first solo concert in the United States in Las Vegas. On May 25, it was announced that Miyavi would be part of a new band called S.K.I.N.. The band played their first and only concert at Anime Expo in California.
In June, Miyavi released his single "Sakihokoru Hana no you ni (Neo Visualizm)"/"Kabuki Danshi". He also released a remixed album called 7 Samurai Sessions -We're Kavki Boiz-. He went on a nationwide tour and performed in Germany and South Korea.
On January 16, 2008, his single "Hi no Hikari Sae Todokanai Kono Basho De" was released, featuring Sugizo from Skin. This was his third single to reach the top ten. On March 19, his album This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock was released. In May, he started his first worldwide tour, This Iz The Japanese Kabuki Rock Tour 2008. He played 33 concerts in many countries, including the United States, Europe, and Asia. This tour was very successful and covered a huge distance.
Starting His Own Company
On April 5, 2009, Miyavi left PS Company and started his own company, J-glam inc. He became the president of his new company. On April 22, a collection of his songs called Victory Road to the King of Neo Visual Rock was released. In September, he opened his International Fanclub.
On September 19, Miyavi began his second worldwide tour, Neo Tokyo Samurai Black 2009/2010, starting in Russia. He performed in Europe, South America, and the United States. On December 31, he signed a new contract with EMI Music Japan.
In March 2010, his first single with EMI, "Survive", was released on iTunes. He continued his world tour, performing in the United States, Canada, and Australia. On October 13, his album What's My Name? was released.
In March 2011, a new world tour, What's My Name?, began in Europe. He also performed in Japan, France, and China. In May 2011, a live album, Live in London 2011, was released. On October 5, his single "Strong" was released, featuring Japanese rapper Kreva. He then toured North and South America.
Miyavi the Actor and Collaborations
In 2012, Miyavi performed at various festivals in Japan, France, and Russia. On July 11, his single "Day 1" was released, a collaboration with French DJ Yuksek. In November, his album Samurai Sessions vol.1 was released, featuring collaborations with many artists.
On February 28, 2013, Miyavi's single "Ahead of the Light" was released. On June 19, his album Miyavi came out in Japan. On October 12, 2013, it was announced that Miyavi would start acting internationally in the film Unbroken. He played the role of Sergeant Mutsuhiro Watanabe, nicknamed "The Bird." The movie was directed by Angelina Jolie and released in December 2014. Miyavi said he thought carefully about taking the role because it was a sensitive topic for Japanese people. But after meeting Jolie, he accepted because the movie's message was about forgiveness.
In 2013, Miyavi was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award. He also won the Best Collaboration award at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan with Yuksek for "Day 1." In 2014, his music video for "Horizon" was nominated for Best Male Video.
In 2014, Miyavi went on his fourth world tour, "Slap the World." He toured Europe, Mexico, and the United States before returning to Japan. He also composed music for the song "Top of the World" by SMAP, which became a number one hit.
Recent Music and Acting
His album The Others was released on April 15, 2015. It was produced by Grammy Award winners Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders. The song "Alien Girl" was dedicated to Angelina Jolie. The title song, "The Others," was later released in a special version to support UNHCR. He toured Japan, Europe, and South Korea for this album.
On August 31, 2016, his album Fire Bird was released. He followed this with a tour in Japan. The final show was watched by over 100,000 viewers online.
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In 2017, he had a small role in the movie Kong: Skull Island. He also went on a North American and European tour called the Fire Bird World Tour. He performed at South by Southwest for the first time. On March 29, he released "Live to Die Another Day," the theme song for the film Blade of the Immortal. To celebrate 15 years as a solo artist, Miyavi went on a Japanese tour and released a best-of album, All Time Best: Day 2.
In 2018, Miyavi covered the song "Pink Spider" for a tribute album. He also played Byakuya Kuchiki in the live-action movie Bleach. In March 2019, the film Stray was released, where Miyavi played the villain Jin. In April 2019, Miyavi performed at Anime Boston. In October, a Japanese sake brewery launched a new product named after him.
In December 2019, Miyavi announced he would join the Japanese talent company LDH Japan in 2020. He explained that he wanted to work with more people and liked LDH's plans for international growth. He also announced two new albums and a Japan tour for 2020.
His first album with LDH, Holy Nights, was released on April 22, 2020, along with a tour. He also provided the ending song for the anime ID:Invaded. In 2021, Miyavi made his voice acting debut as Kōketsu in the anime film Bright: Samurai Soul. In November 2022, Miyavi became a member of the supergroup The Last Rockstars, with Yoshiki, Hyde, and Sugizo. They released their first song in December 2022.
Miyavi's Family Life
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On March 14, 2009, Miyavi married Japanese-American singer Melody. They have three children: two daughters, Lovelie and Jewelie, and a son, Skyler.
From 2014 to 2021, Miyavi and his family lived in Los Angeles, California. They moved there around the time his film Unbroken was released. After his son Skyler was born, they moved back to Japan and now live in Tokyo. After becoming a father, Miyavi changed his stage outfits to be a bit more relaxed.
Discography
Studio albums
- Gagaku (October 31, 2002)
- Galyuu (December 2, 2003)
- Miyavizm (June 1, 2005)
- MYV Pops (August 2, 2006)
- Miyaviuta: Dokusō (September 13, 2006)
- This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock (March 19, 2008)
- What's My Name? (October 13, 2010)
- Miyavi (June 19, 2013)
- The Others (April 15, 2015)
- Fire Bird (August 31, 2016)
- Samurai Sessions, Vol. 2 (November 8, 2017)
- Samurai Sessions, Vol. 3: Worlds Collide (December 5, 2018)
- No Sleep Till Tokyo (July 24, 2019)
- Holy Nights (April 22, 2020)
- Imaginary (September 15, 2021)
- Lost in love, Found in pain (October 23, 2024)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Ryoma's Wife, Her Husband and Her Lover | cameo | ||
| 2003 | Oresama | himself | ||
| 2014 | Unbroken | Mutsuhiro Watanabe | ||
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | Gunpei Ikari | ||
| 2018 | Bleach | Byakuya Kuchiki | ||
| Gangoose | Adachi | |||
| 2019 | Stray | Jin | ||
| Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | Udo | |||
| 2021 | Kate | Jojima | ||
| Bright: Samurai Soul | Kōketsu | Voice role | ||
| 2022 | Hell Dogs | Yoshitaka Toake | ||
| 2023 | Familia | Kaito Enomoto | ||
| 2024 | Yo Gabba GabbaLand | Guest | ||
| TBA | The Wrecking Crew  |
TBA | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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| 2020 | Followers | himself | ||
| 2021 | Arcane | Finn | Voice role |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
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| 2013 | MTV Europe Music Award | Best Japanese Act | Nominated | ||
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Collaboration | Day 1 (with Yuksek) | Won | ||
| 2014 | Best Male Video | Horizon | Nominated |
