, better known by his stage name TAKURO, is a Japanese musician and lyricist best known as one of the guitarists and leader of the rock band

Glay Glay (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, includ ...

, for which he is also the main composer and lyricist. As a musician and composer, Takuro has worked with different artists and has also released solo works. Takuro and his older sister were raised by a single mother, as she never remarried after his father's death, when Takuro was three years old. He considers his mother an early influence in his musical career, as he was strongly impressed by her singing.

Biography

History

Later on, during his adolescence, he would be influenced by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

, and would develop a great interest in writing lyrics. His lyrics are often based on his feelings about different situations in his life, as well as events in the world. Takuro often expresses his opinion on different issues, and has been invited to write about different topics by newspapers. In 2007 he wrote a series of articles about his homeland, Hakodate for the Asahi newspaper. In 2006, he was quoted in an article about new concepts of Japanese family models in the Mainichi website. Being raised in a single mother family, he expressed his personal experience. In 2001, together with

Ryuichi Sakamoto is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto i ...

, Takuro started the "Artists Power", an organization that brings together musicians interested in being active in the search of alternative energy. The EXPO 2001 concert in Ishikari, Hokkaido, had part of its energy generated by alternative fuel and a booth displaying the generators could be seen. In 2003 Takuro released "Kyoukai", an auto-biographical book, in which he writes about his personal life and his musical work. The topics are his childhood in Hakodate and his career; among the subjects is a mysterious woman who he loved for ten years and who turned him down when he proposed marriage to her and for whom he wrote many of his love songs. In 2005, Takuro ended his radio show on Tokyo FM, "Glay Radio Communication DX", which he had started in 2003. Previously, he hosted another show, "Takuro Radio Factory".

Personal life

Takuro married the Japanese model Seri Iwahori in May 2004. He was introduced to her during the shooting of the movie Casshern, in which he made a short cameo with Hisashi in 2003. They have a son, born in October 2005 and a daughter, born in October 2007. They own a house in

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and also one in

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Solo albums

Album: Instrumental Collection *artist: TAKURO *release date: September 19, 1998 * Tracks: ** HOWEVER ** SOUL LOVE ** Yes, Summerdays ** Ikiteku Tsuyosa ** Miyako Wasure ** a Boy~Zutto Wasurenai~ ** Kuchibiru ** Manatsuno Tobira ** Zutto Futari de... ** Glorious ** Yuuwaku ** BELOVED Album: FLOW of SOUL vol 1. Takuro meets

Vanessa Mae Vanessa-Mae (陈美 Chén Měi; born 27 October 1978) also called Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, is a Singaporean-born British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the Uni ...

*artists: Takuro and

*release date : April 24, 2002 * tracks: ** Way of Difference ** Francis Elena　featuring Vanessa Mae　 ** Zutto Futtari de・・ ** Glorious ** a Boy ～zutto wasurenai～ ** Kanojo no "Modern・・・" ** HOWEVER ** I'm in Love ** Yuuwaku ** Biribiri crashman ** Sen no naifu ga mune wo sasu ** Pure Soul

Stealth

Takuro and Toki, from Japanese band C:4, have collaborated under the name "Stealth". Together they released the single "Re-lax" on September 25, 2002. In May 2009 they played live for the first time, with other well-known musicians. On October 13, 2010, Stealth released the song "-Sickbed-" digitally on their own website. They also announced the release of their first album "Alstroemeria", but didn't provide detailed information on this record.

Songwriting for other artists

*"Summer Shakes" and "I believe you" **Single: Summer Shakes **artist:Miju *"Mitsumeteitai" and "Moon~ watashi he" **Single: Mitsumeteitai **Artist:ROMI *"Couples" and "Love Is Always Trouble" **Single: Couples **artist: Miju *"Love Clover" and "Empty Pocket" **Single: Love Clover **artist:

Miho Nakayama is a Japanese singer and actress. She is affiliated with Big Apple Co., Ltd. Nakayama is nicknamed , and sometimes uses the pseudonyms or when she writes the lyrics. Biography History Nakayama was born in Saku, Nagano, Japan. Following her ...

*kokoro ni amega **Single: kokoro ni amega **artist: Hideki Ohtoku *Fairyland **Single: Fairyland **artist:

Yuki Koyanagi is a Japanese pop singer. She released her first single, "Anata no kisu o kazoemashô – You Were Mine" on September 15, 1999. This song was a huge hit in Japan and made the 17-year-old a sensation overnight. Her second album, ''Expansion'', so ...

(under the pseudonym "L. Soul") *Rhythm to Rule **Single: Rhythm to Rule **artist: Ryoko Shinohara (composed the music under the pseudonym "L. Soul") *"Drama" and "Time Limit" **Album: Distance **artist:

Hikaru Utada , who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan. Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...

(composed the music with Utada Hikaru under the name "Kubo Takuro". "Time Limit" was also released as a single) *Sweet Season **single: Sweet Season **artist: SONO (composed the music under the pseudonym "L.Soul") *Engaged **Album: Hana **artist: Tak Matsumoto (music by Takuro and Tak Matsumoto) *Lovebite **Album: Style **artist:

Namie Amuro Namie Amuro ( ; ja, 安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, label=none; born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese former recording artist, producer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active between 1992 and 2018. A leading figure of ...

*Fuyu no etorage **Album: Singer for Singer **artist:

Misia Misaki Itō, commonly known as and stylized as MISIA, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Born in Nagasaki, Misia moved to Fukuoka at the age of 14 to pursue a recording career. There, she continued her secondary education and briefly attended ...

(theme song for the movie

Umineko is a Japanese dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion. Its first episode debuted at Comiket 72 for Windows on August 17, 2007. The story focuses on a group of eighteen people on a secluded island for a period of two ...

, with backing vocals by TERU) *Ruten **Album: Romantic Energy **artist: Joshijunigakubo ( Twelve Girls Band) *Kiss from a Rose **Album: Sing and Roses **artist: Misato Watanabe (music) *"Hitoiro" and "Eyes for the Moon" **Single: Hitoiro **artist: Nana starring Mika Nakashima ("Hitoiro" is theme song for the movie

Nana 2 ''Nana 2'' is a 2006 Japanese drama film directed by Kentarō Ōtani and adapted from the manga by Ai Yazawa. It is the sequel to the 2005 film ''Nana''. Production for the movie began in mid-September and only one and a half month shootings fin ...

and "Eyes for the Moon" is in the movie's sound track). *Say Something **Album: In the Mood **artist:

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(lyrics) *Go ahead!!! **Single: Go Ahead!!! **artist: Mitsuhiro Oikawa (music) *Koi Suru Kimochi **Single:Koi Suru Kimochi **Artist:

Emi Takei is a Japanese actress and model. Biography Takei was born in Nagoya. Aspiring to become a model, she declared to her parents on her entry to junior high school that she would become a model within three years. In 2006, she entered the 11th Japa ...

(Takei's debut single)

Special features

Single: Bridge over troubled water *artist: Junko *song: Together (guitar) Album: Poetic Evolution *artist:

Yukinojo Mori , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese lyricist, composer and poet who is affiliated with Amuse, Inc. He has written over 2,000 songs for numerous artists such as Kyosuke Himuro, Takuro Yoshida and Junichi Inagaki and theme songs fo ...

*song: Ango (with HISASHI and TERU) single:

ZERO LANDMINE ''Zero Landmine'' is an Extended play (EP) created to promote awareness of the problem of landmines and to promote a ban on landmines. Japanese recording artist Ryuichi Sakamoto led a collection of musicians to form a group called NML (No More Lan ...

*artist: N.M.L.(NO MORE LANDMINE) *song:

(guitar) Album: Kuzu Album *artist: Kuzu *song: ai nante (with TERU) Album: In the Mood *artist:

* song: Say Something (with

GLAY Glay (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, includ ...

)

Books

*Along the Line: photobook made in Africa. *Kyoukai (2003): autobiography. *"Super Stars" (November 2006): photobook by

Leslie Kee Leslie Kee (born 5 April 1971) is a Singaporean photographer based in Japan. Early life Leslie Kee was born on 5 April 1971, in Singapore. His biological parents were never legally married; both parents are Singaporeans his father is a police m ...

. Takuro was one of the three hundred famous Asian people featured in the book. *Hokkaido e (July 2008): includes a series of articles written by Takuro, along with articles by other authors, originally published by Asahi Newspaper in 2007.

References

External links

GLAY official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Takuro Japanese rock guitarists Visual kei musicians Japanese songwriters Glay members Musicians from Hokkaido People from Hakodate 1971 births Living people 21st-century guitarists