is a Japanese four member

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...

band. They are best known for their 2006 hit song , which was one of the top songs of 2006. (subscription only) They sold 2.5 million copies in Japan.

Biography

The band's roots were first formed when

Red Rice Red rice is a variety of rice that is colored red by its anthocyanin content. It is usually eaten unpolished or partially polished, and has a red bran layer, rather than the more common pale brown. Red rice has a nutty flavor. It has the highes ...

and Han-kun first performed together in

Shōnan is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan. Centered on Sagami River, about 60 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, the Shōnan region stretches from Ninomiya in the west to Fujisawa in the east, ...

in central coastal Japan. Han-kun first formed an interest in reggae after by chance hearing

Buju Banton Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, professionally known by his stage name Buju Banton, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall musician. He is considered to be one of the most s ...

's song " Untold Stories" in a friend's girlfriend's car, after coming home from a dance. Red Rice was a casual fan of reggae/hip-hop, until attending festivals which made him develop a great love of these genres. The pair met Shock Eye while performing, who previously worked as a hip-hop DJ. Shock Eye was friends with Wakadanna in high school, and met him again by chance in Shōnan. Wakadanna had been managing a reggae bar in Shōnan. From 2001 onwards, the band worked together, having songs featured on compilation albums and collaborating with other artists. The band made their major label debut in 2003, under

Toy's Factory is a Japanese record label founded in the late 1980s as a subsidiary of the entertainment company VAP, based in Japan. On May 30, 1990, it was established as an independent company. Toy's Factory, as of the first half of 2012, is the four ...

. The band's second album '' Shōnan no Kaze: Ragga Parade'' reached #5 on

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 and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in N ...

charts, after two top 20 singles. The band had a hit song in 2006, . It sold over 520,000 copies and was the 8th biggest hit of 2006. The follow-up album, '' Shōnan no Kaze: Riders High'', reached #1. The band has had other hits since then, such as " Ōgon Soul," "

Koi Shigure or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp (''Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' kept ...

" and " Gachi-zakura." The band's 4th album, '' Shōnan no Kaze: Joker'', reached #1 on Oricon charts as well. In 2012, the group provided the song "Born to be Wild" from their 2012 ''Entenka'' album for their first Yakuza title, , for the final boss fight with Nozaki Ryo. The song is also part of the game's official soundtrack. Han-kun released a solo-album in 2008. The band released the first of their planned "Best of" albums on March 6, 2013. In 2013, the group provided the song "

Just Live More "Just Live More" (stylized as JUST LIVE MORE) is a song by Japanese reggae band Shōnan no Kaze under the name , released on December 11, 2013. It serves as the opening theme song for the children's television series ''Kamen Rider Gaim''. Backgrou ...

" for the TV series ''

Kamen Rider Gaim is a Japanese television series, a tokusatsu drama that is in the Kamen Rider Series; it is the 15th series during its Heisei run and 24th overall. The series, written by Gen Urobuchi, directed by Ryuta Tasaki and produced by Naomi Takebe, began a ...

'' under the name . In 2015, the group provided the opening song for their second ''Yakuza'' game '' Yakuza 0'', titled "Bubble", and its ending, titled "Kurenai". In 2016, the group provided the opening and closing themes "Ike! Tiger Mask" and "KING OF THE WILD" for the anime series ''

Tiger Mask W is a ''Tiger Mask'' anime series which premiered on October 2, 2016, with 38 episodes. It has a mix of 2D and 3D CGI animation. It is a sequel of the original anime, whereas ''Tiger Mask II'' is only considered a parallel universe. Plot O ...

''. In 2018, the group provided the opening theme for the anime series '' Grand Blue''. In 2020, the group then provided the opening song for their third ''Yakuza title'' '' Yakuza: Like a Dragon'', titled "Ichibanka". In 2022, the group collaborated with singer

Koda Kumi , known professionally as , is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. After debuting with the single " Take Back" in December 2000, Koda gained fame in March 2003 when the songs from her seventh single, " Real Emot ...

with the song "Trust・Last", which was used as the opening theme to the Tokusatsu drama '' Kamen Rider Geats''.

Discography

Studio albums

# 2003: '' Shōnan no Kaze: Real Riders'' # 2004: '' Shōnan no Kaze: Ragga Parade'' # 2006: '' Shōnan no Kaze: Riders High'' # 2009: '' Shōnan no Kaze: Joker''

Compilation albums

# 2006: '' Massive B Meets Shōnan no Kaze: Osu!! Kyokutō Dancehall-han'' # 2007: '' 134°C Toketa Manma de Icchatte! Senkyoku Shōnan no Kaze'' # 2010: '' Shōnan no Kaze: Shōnan Bakuon Breaks! Mixed by the BK Sound by Shōnan no Kaze'' # 2013: '' Shōnan no Kaze ~Single Best~''

References

External links

Official Site

Toy's Factory Label Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shonan No Kaze Japanese pop music groups Musical quartets Musical groups from Kanagawa Prefecture Japanese reggae musical groups Japanese boy bands