10 Facts We Learned About Japanese Rock Star MIYAVI

Japanese musician, actor, philanthropist and father of three, MIYAVI is someone to take note of.

If you follow BuzzFeed's A*Pop on Instagram, you may have seen us chatting with MIYAVI, a Japanese rock musician.

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Born Takamasa Ishihara in Osaka in 1981, MIYAVI is best known for his catchy electro-rock and his unique, finger-slapping guitar playing style. He started in the now-defunct band Dué le Quartz before going solo and branching out into modeling, acting, and philanthropy.

Basically, he's always got something going on, and although the pandemic definitely created some obstacles, it didn't stop him from creating.

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In 2020, MIYAVI released his 12th studio album, Holy Nights, right before COVID-19 caused him to be contained in Japan. Unable to travel to the US, he partnered with Amazon Music to create "MIYAVI Virtual Level 5.0: Synthesis," a virtual performance experience that was created using Unreal Engine, a real-time 3D game engine developed by Epic Games and used by Fortnite.  His goal was to explore and redefine mediums of how live music is delivered digitally.  

Now no longer sheltered in Japan due to the pandemic, MIYAVI is back with his latest album and has many exciting things coming up.

A*Pop, BuzzFeed's AAPI identity brand, hopped on an IG Live with the musician to ask him about his upcoming activities.

Instagram: @buzzfeedapop

Unprecedented times have not slowed his momentum at all, and MIYAVI is a busy artist with a new album and North American tour coming out right in time for fall.

In addition to chatting about his upcoming album and tour, we also had the chance to ask him what his favorite things are, including his most memorable fan moment and his favorite food (which is NOT what you'd expect). Honestly, it is pretty much impossible to not enjoy listening to him chat about the things he enjoys.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

So, here are some fun facts about MIYAVI that will totally turn you into a fan, because seriously, he's great:

1. MIYAVI is best known for his unique guitar skills and is dubbed the "samurai guitarist."

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His unique style of guitar-playing is what sets MIYAVI apart from others. When viewing any clip showcasing MIYAVI's skills, you do not need to be an expert to observe how fast he's playing. Many call it a finger-slapping style, but one description that stands out is "samurai," or most notably, the phrase "samurai guitarist."  

When asked how he feels about this, the first thing that comes to his mind is the word "honor":

"I am really honored to be called the samurai guitarist because in Japanese, a samurai is a really, really important word with all due respect and real strength. And that's the pride of the Japanese. Every time people call me that outside of Japan, I feel more responsible and meaningful as a guitarist. I feel the responsibility to innovate and keep going to find my own distinct style and not follow other great artists."

2. His newly released album, Imaginary, is a call for people to take action with issues like climate change, gender equality, and the refugee crisis.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

MIYAVI's 13th studio album, Imaginary, was originally supposed to release in 2020, after Holy Nights. Due to the pandemic, the album release was delayed until MIYAVI could once again perform live for his fans.  

In our interview, the Japanese musician spoke about the inspiration behind Imaginary and what message he hopes to convey. He told A*Pop how Holy Nights was inspired by seeing multiple crises affect our planet, such as climate change, gender equality, and the refugee crisis, which he sees firsthand through his philanthropic work as a Goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Imaginary is a continuation of the message Holy Nights had.

Now, as another worldly crisis continues to affect us, MIYAVI reflected on what individuals can do at a time like this, "I think, personally, that we have realized we have to stop and look at ourselves and decide how we want to live, or how to make this world sustainable, because we can't keep going with what we've been doing. So this is what I've been trying to think of, this precious opportunity to stop, look at ourselves, and rethink what is best for us. That's why Imaginary is the title of this album, it's our weapon to make a bright future."

Imaginary combines modern pop with contemporary rock and includes a wide range of covers and collaborative tracks in the album, such as “New Gravity;” the title track “Imaginary” with two-time Grammy-winning pop singer Kimbra; "Hush Hush," a collaboration with K-pop sensation Kang Daniel; and covers of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit" and POD’s “Youth of a Nation,” featuring rock singer Troi Irons.

If you'd like to hear more, check out our full interview with him.

3. MIYAVI is also an actor and has stared in blockbuster films such as Kong: Skull Island, Maleficent 2, and the Angelina Jolie–directed film Unbroken.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

On Sept. 10, he returned to acting in the new action film Kate for Netflix, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead. In the action thriller, Winstead plays an assassin who is in a race against time to save her own life after she is poisoned and only has 24 hours to live. MIYAVI plays Jojima, boyfriend of a high-ranking member of the gang that Winstead's character is after. The fight scene that ensues is intense and raw, especially considering MIYAVI did not have the ability to rehearse the scene past the choreography.

4. He is proud to be the bridge that promotes Japanese culture worldwide with his music and message.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

MIYAVI, when introduced, is always referred to as a Japanese artist, and it is a title he is proud of. "People call me a Japanese guitarist, Japanese actor, Japanese model and more," the artist explained when asked how it feels to promote Japanese culture worldwide. "Always, the title keeps following me and again I feel responsible for that."

When asked how it feels to be a musician with a specifically large international fan base, MIYAVI sees the potential for Japanese cultural appreciation around the world. Things like sake, sukiyaki, and tempura are things that people from different countries all know about, but MIYAVI has high hopes to expand awareness of his culture. "Still there are lots of things in the Japanese world that people have not discovered yet. I feel the potential to expand Japanese culture further. I do see lots of people come to Japan to see my concerts or to feel Japanese culture and am glad to be a part of the cultural bridge to the world."

5. MIYAVI is the current face of Gucci in Japan, but his own style is pretty accessible.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

Although MIYAVI is the current face of luxury fashion brand Gucci in Japan, his fashion essentials are functional. He told A*Pop that his fashion essentials are a tank top — because he is a "tank top guy" — and fundoshi, a traditional loincloth that is best associated with sumo wrestlers but is now modernized as a new style of underwear. Not only does he value compression and comfort, but the musician also believes that in the future, fundoshi will be "one of the most fashionable items in the world."

6. His favorite part about touring is being able to connect with fans and share the vibrational energy that exists in the atmosphere.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

Originally planned for 2020, MIYAVI is embarking on a North American tour this fall. It is his first tour in two years, and when questioned what he's most excited about, his mind was immediately on his fans. "Seeing my beautiful fans, it’s always fun to interact with my fans in the US," he stated. "I feel the relationship [with my fans] is about the vibes, the atmosphere, and the stage performance. It’s like living in the moment in which we feel we are alive. I do believe that we’re not just playing music, but we’re sharing the vibrations together. It’s something that vibrates your heart."

That isn't to say he hasn't stayed connected with his fans during the past two years. "During COVID, I had to cancel and postpone my tour, so I started streaming from my room," he noted. "I even started using a drone, did a virtual reality partnership with Facebook’s Oculus, and did a concert on Twitch with Amazon Music. I think I did everything I was able to do in 2020."  

His North American tour begins Sept. 30 and will span across 19 different cities in Canada and the United States. You can find more info about his tour and ticketing on his website.

7. He turned 40 years old this month, and he believes self-care is the key to a youthful glow.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

Just from taking a look at a photo of MIYAVI, you wouldn't believe that he's 40 years old. So it isn't surprising that when given the opportunity, A*Pop asked how his skin is so youthful. "I drink plenty of good water, have a good makeup artist and good retouching," he laughed. "Maybe not too much retouching." The Japanese rock star then spoke about how he considers the quality of his self-care and how both physical and mental care is equally important. "It's about care, love, [and] the quality of materials you take into your body. Also, not only physically, it’s also your mind, like what you feel and how much you're enjoying your life. This is what I am telling my daughters."

8. As a father of three, MIYAVI understands the importance of family and appreciates the beautiful family he has.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

As a multi-faceted artist who has a busy schedule, it can't be easy being away from family. When asked to speak on how it is to balance work and family, he took time to appreciate his partner, Melody. "It's thanks to Melody. She's the one who's been with them and putting the baby to sleep. And this is while I'm going on tour or to rehearsal, so I really have deep respect and appreciation towards Melody and all the mothers in the world."

Staying on the topic of his family, he had a hard time choosing a favorite family moment to share but chatted with us about how his family has recently grown to five members with the birth of his son, Skyler. "There are a lot of favorite moments, but I would say the moment that we felt that our family became five members, especially when he came home with the excitement from my daughters. They are more responsible now and they can take care of him as big sisters. My wife, Melody, fell in love with him and I have more free time."  He then touched upon the struggles on having a larger family. "One or two kids, it's not that different. Three kids, it’s totally different. It feels like a big family. We cannot fit in a cab easily now," he laughed.

9. Root vegetables are his favorite food.

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One of the best parts of the A*Pop exclusive interview was definitely his answer to the question "what is your favorite food?" Immediately, MIYAVI replied that root vegetables were his favorite, explaining how he likes "feeling the power from the earth" and how we have to "appreciate what we get from the earth." He then back-tracked, asking if he should say something more interesting, like noodles. If you're wondering what his favorite root vegetables are, he mentioned carrots and potatoes. 

10. One of the most memorable fan interactions he's had was when he had a concert in São Paulo, Brazil.

Instagram: @miyavi_ishihara

There's no doubt that MIYAVI's fans are devoted, enthusiastic, and supportive. As MIYAVI prepares for his tour this fall, the anticipation to see his fans in person again is high. While he has many memories of his fan interactions from throughout the years, the musician shared one memory that stands out. "When I went to Brazil, the voices of the fans were even louder than the music. I could hear it through my ear monitor." He recalled the energy of his fans in São Paulo: "Also, after the show, I got into the car and was on my way back to the hotel. They followed us by running. And they made it to the hotel which is really, really shocking because there are lots of intersections in São Paulo. Yeah, that was fascinating."

You can find MIYAVI on Instagram and Twitter. His album, Imaginary, is out now and you can find out more about his North American tour here.

Be sure to follow A*Pop on Twitter and Instagram for more API-centered content!

Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed