Guitarist Miyavi was born on September 14, 1981, in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. His real name is Takamasa Ishihara.
As a student, he played for Cerezo Osaka's junior youth team. However, at age 15, he gave up on his dream of going professional. After dropping out of high school, he began playing guitar and moved to Tokyo at age 17. He met the rock band Due le quartz at a live music venue and was invited to join.
After becoming a guitarist with Due le quartz, Miyavi began writing lyrics and composing music for the band. After the band disbanded in 2002, he pursued a solo career. In 2004, he released the single "Ashita, Genki Ninaare." It reached number one on the Oricon indie chart, and that same year, he made his major debut with "Rock no Gyakushuu - Superstar no Joken - / 21st Century March." In 2007, he joined the super band "S.K.I.N." formed by YOSHIKI and GACKT.
Miyavi's finger-plucked guitar technique, known as "slap technique," soon attracted attention, and he began performing on the global stage as a "samurai guitarist." In 2013, he made his international debut with the album "MIYAVI." By 2014, he had toured the world four times, performing over 250 times in 30 countries.
Meanwhile, in 2011, he launched the project "SAMURAI SESSIONS." Based on the concept of musical "confrontation," he has developed session pieces with artists from various genres. In 2013, he became the first Japanese artist to collaborate with Casio's "G-SHOCK." He appeared in a music video wearing a G-SHOCK watch and also appeared at the 30th anniversary event, "Shock the World in Japan Real Toughness Shonan." In 2014, he composed the music for SMAP's "Top of the World." He is also scheduled to make his acting debut in the Angelina Jolie-directed film "UNBROKEN." He is a regular wearer of TERUKI's men's brand "14th Addiction," and appeared in the brand's first runway show in June, demonstrating his guitar playing.
In his personal life, he married singer Melody in 2009. Their eldest daughter, Airi, was born in the same year, and their second daughter, Nozomi, was born in 2010.
