Kazutoshi Sakurai
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese musician and entrepreneur
. He composes and writes almost all of the songs for his band Mr. Children
, in addition to writing lyrics and singing for his solo project group Bank Band. In 2006, Sakurai ranked #8 in HMV's "Top 30 Best Japanese Singers of All Time" and in 2007 was voted #4 as the "ideal father image" by Oricon
. Also, in 2009, he was chosen as one of the Young Global Leaders in World Economic Forum. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded AP Bank, where he personally provided $1 million dollars of seed money to launch and fund the nonprofit lending group which finances environmentally friendly
projects.
. As a lyricist, the topics Sakurai focuses on ranges from various subject such a social issues ('So Let's Get Truth'), science/technology ("Everything is made from a dream"), depression ("Surrender"), love , and war . As a vocalist, his voice is very distinct thus making Mr. Children songs easy to recognize. Alongside his vocal and writing talents, he can also play various instruments including the guitar
, piano
and harmonica
.
For most of Sakurai's musical career, he has been part of Mr. Children
, but has done other work including in 1995 where he sang and produced the charity single with Keisuke Kuwata
(from Southern All Stars
) for the Act Against AIDS
campaign, in addition to being a disc jockey for Music Gambo on FM802. Sakurai has two side project bands: Acid Test (a John Lennon
tribute band which is no longer active) and Bank Band. Along with fellow band member Kenichi Tahara from Mr. Children
, they created the short live group, Acid Test, for the concert "Dream Power John Lennon Super live broadcasting" on October 9, 2001. The live was part of Yoko Ono
's "Dream Power and Educational" platform where artists came together to hold a charity concert to raise money for school construction funds for children in Africa and Asia. The John Lennon song covered by Acid Test, "Mother
", was later recorded and released on the album 'Happy Birthday John! ~A Tribute to John Lennon~', which was released on September 30, 2005.
Sakurai was temporarily hospitalized on July 21, 2002, after a blockage in his cerebellum
was detected and spent 4 months recovering from the surgery, which required all his music activities, including Mr. Children's "The Wonderful World" tour to be canceled, but returned to the stage on December 21, 2002 for a one night live, later released on DVD, titled Wonederful World on Dec. 21.
In June 2003 Sakurai help co-found AP Bank, a nonprofit bank, with a goal of tackling environmental problems. Along with music producer Takeshi Kobayashi, and world-renowned composer Ryuichi Sakamoto
, the bank invests only in environmentally friendly projects such as renewable energy
. Together the 3 men invested 100 million yen each. "AP" is short for both Artists Power and Alternative Power.
Artists Power is a project started in 2001 by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Takuro of Glay
. In addition to the bank, Sakurai also co-started AP Bank fes., a yearly festival that raises awareness about environmental issues such as recycling and global warming, with all profits from the festival going to fund more projects at AP Bank.
As a solo act, Sakurai has co-wrote and sang the single with Gaku-MC on May 31, 2006, and as Bank Band teamed up with Salyu
to release the song 'to U' on July 19, 2006. In 2007, he was a guest vocal on Kai Yoshihiro's 10 Stories album which did a cover song of and appeared as a secret guest at Golden Circle Vol.10 on April 8 and April 9. Sakurai along with Yumi Matsutoya
, Yohito Teraoka, and Yuzu
performed "Dandelion", "Mamotte Agetai", "Destiny", "Natsu Iro" and "Music". From the songs performed, Sakurai co-wrote the lyrics to "Music" which was later released on July 11, 2007 but did not join in the recording of the single. With Bank Band, Sakurai announced in July 2007 he had written a new theme song for "ap bank fes. '07" titled . On September 1, 2007 Bank Band released their first iTunes
only song titled . The song was used as the theme song for the Japanese movie Midnight Eagle, with the lyrics written by Kazutoshi Sakurai. Part of the profits from the song were donated to people affected by the Niigata earthquake
, with the rest of the profits going to fund more projects at Ap Bank.
He released his second album with Bank Band in 2008, and in 2010, he released another album with Bank Band.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese musician and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He composes and writes almost all of the songs for his band Mr. Children
Mr. Children
, commonly called , is a Japanese rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are one of the most successful Japanese rock artists, having sold over 50 million records and creating the in the mid 1990s in Japan...
, in addition to writing lyrics and singing for his solo project group Bank Band. In 2006, Sakurai ranked #8 in HMV's "Top 30 Best Japanese Singers of All Time" and in 2007 was voted #4 as the "ideal father image" by Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
. Also, in 2009, he was chosen as one of the Young Global Leaders in World Economic Forum. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded AP Bank, where he personally provided $1 million dollars of seed money to launch and fund the nonprofit lending group which finances environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
projects.
Musical career
Kazutoshi Sakurai is a person that many people, regardless of interest, respect in the Japanese music industry. As a lyricist, he is regarded as being one of the best, even going as far to being deemed a genius in the genre of rock and pop by many of his fans and peers, causing his lyrics to be frequently analyzed in music magazines, and is one of the main reasons why Mr. Children is still popular after 15 years in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As a lyricist, the topics Sakurai focuses on ranges from various subject such a social issues ('So Let's Get Truth'), science/technology ("Everything is made from a dream"), depression ("Surrender"), love , and war . As a vocalist, his voice is very distinct thus making Mr. Children songs easy to recognize. Alongside his vocal and writing talents, he can also play various instruments including the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
.
For most of Sakurai's musical career, he has been part of Mr. Children
Mr. Children
, commonly called , is a Japanese rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are one of the most successful Japanese rock artists, having sold over 50 million records and creating the in the mid 1990s in Japan...
, but has done other work including in 1995 where he sang and produced the charity single with Keisuke Kuwata
Keisuke Kuwata
has gained fame as a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and frontman for the Southern All-Stars, as well as his own solo band, the Kuwata band. He has also done significant amount of scoring music for films. He went to Aoyama Gakuin University....
(from Southern All Stars
Southern All Stars
, also known by the abbreviations or SAS, is a Japanese pop/rock band that formed in the mid 1970s.The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata , Yuko Hara , Kazuyuki Sekiguchi , Hiroshi Matsuda and Hideyuki "Kegani" Nozawa...
) for the Act Against AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
campaign, in addition to being a disc jockey for Music Gambo on FM802. Sakurai has two side project bands: Acid Test (a John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
tribute band which is no longer active) and Bank Band. Along with fellow band member Kenichi Tahara from Mr. Children
Mr. Children
, commonly called , is a Japanese rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are one of the most successful Japanese rock artists, having sold over 50 million records and creating the in the mid 1990s in Japan...
, they created the short live group, Acid Test, for the concert "Dream Power John Lennon Super live broadcasting" on October 9, 2001. The live was part of Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
's "Dream Power and Educational" platform where artists came together to hold a charity concert to raise money for school construction funds for children in Africa and Asia. The John Lennon song covered by Acid Test, "Mother
Mother (John Lennon song)
Mother is a song by British musician John Lennon, first released on his 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. An edited version of the song was issued as a single in the United States on Apple Records, catalogue 1827, about three weeks after the album. The single runs about fifteen seconds...
", was later recorded and released on the album 'Happy Birthday John! ~A Tribute to John Lennon~', which was released on September 30, 2005.
Sakurai was temporarily hospitalized on July 21, 2002, after a blockage in his cerebellum
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language, and in regulating fear and pleasure responses, but its movement-related functions are the most solidly established...
was detected and spent 4 months recovering from the surgery, which required all his music activities, including Mr. Children's "The Wonderful World" tour to be canceled, but returned to the stage on December 21, 2002 for a one night live, later released on DVD, titled Wonederful World on Dec. 21.
In June 2003 Sakurai help co-found AP Bank, a nonprofit bank, with a goal of tackling environmental problems. Along with music producer Takeshi Kobayashi, and world-renowned composer Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
, the bank invests only in environmentally friendly projects such as renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. Together the 3 men invested 100 million yen each. "AP" is short for both Artists Power and Alternative Power.
Artists Power is a project started in 2001 by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Takuro of Glay
Glay (band)
Glay is a rock/pop band from Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan formed by guitarist Takuro and vocalist Teru in high school in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also composed songs using elements of different styles such as reggae and gospel...
. In addition to the bank, Sakurai also co-started AP Bank fes., a yearly festival that raises awareness about environmental issues such as recycling and global warming, with all profits from the festival going to fund more projects at AP Bank.
As a solo act, Sakurai has co-wrote and sang the single with Gaku-MC on May 31, 2006, and as Bank Band teamed up with Salyu
Salyu
is a Japanese singer, produced by Takeshi Kobayashi. She debuted in 2000 as the fictional singer Lily Chou-Chou for the film All About Lily Chou-Chou, and later debuted as a solo artist in 2004...
to release the song 'to U' on July 19, 2006. In 2007, he was a guest vocal on Kai Yoshihiro's 10 Stories album which did a cover song of and appeared as a secret guest at Golden Circle Vol.10 on April 8 and April 9. Sakurai along with Yumi Matsutoya
Yumi Matsutoya
', nicknamed , is an influential Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and pianist. She is renowned for her idiosyncratic voice, and live performances, and is an important figure in Japanese popular music....
, Yohito Teraoka, and Yuzu
Yuzu (band)
is a Japanese pop duo. Its members are and . Both of the band members come from Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, and attended Okamura Junior High School.-Discography:...
performed "Dandelion", "Mamotte Agetai", "Destiny", "Natsu Iro" and "Music". From the songs performed, Sakurai co-wrote the lyrics to "Music" which was later released on July 11, 2007 but did not join in the recording of the single. With Bank Band, Sakurai announced in July 2007 he had written a new theme song for "ap bank fes. '07" titled . On September 1, 2007 Bank Band released their first iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
only song titled . The song was used as the theme song for the Japanese movie Midnight Eagle, with the lyrics written by Kazutoshi Sakurai. Part of the profits from the song were donated to people affected by the Niigata earthquake
2007 Chuetsu offshore earthquake
The Chūetsu Offshore Earthquake was a powerful magnitude 6.6 earthquake that occurred 10:13 a.m. local time on July 16, 2007, in the northwest Niigata region of Japan. The earthquake shook Niigata and neighbouring prefectures...
, with the rest of the profits going to fund more projects at Ap Bank.
He released his second album with Bank Band in 2008, and in 2010, he released another album with Bank Band.
Bank Band
- (2004)
- (2008)
- (2010)
Bank Band
- BGM Vol.2 (2004)
- ap bank fes '05 (2005)
- ap bank fes '06 (2006)
- ap bank fes '07 (2008)
- ap bank fes '08 (2009)
- ap bank fes '09 (2010)