# Shibrava? Exploring the charm of working, playing, and living in Shibuya

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Been here and there in the music performance of the city, melt together it is the landscape
Shibuya would be one of the few towns that can represent such "coolness".

guitaristKotaro Oshio's

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Acoustic guitarist. 2002 major debut, the same year October fulfill the US major debut. Made full use of the open tuning and tapping playing, distinctive guitar arrangements and powerful music and delicate and warm stage tone coexist with percussive, it is supported by many people across generations. Such as 3 years in a row appearance since 2002 in the "Montreux Jazz Festival", which is held in Switzerland every year in July, highly appreciated abroad. Focusing on live activities such as nationwide tour as a solo artist, maker of film music, program theme song, also composers such as CM music. In topic also collaboration that goes beyond the genre, such as holding an annual producing event "GUITAR PARADISE" of its own, it is active in a wide range of stance. It will be released the original album "Hand to Hand" on January 12, 2011.

Played a major debut past the 30-year-old, based on the local Osaka, it has advanced to the world in the acoustic guitar one, acoustic guitarist, Kotaro Oshio, who represents Japan. I spent the impressionable one time a student in Shibuya-ku, from the story of the amateur era that had dreamed of live house appearance, feelings of Shibuya music festival that becomes the second time appearance, and for the further possibility to conceal the acoustic guitar told which I was asked.

Had been longing to "Club Quattro" "Shibuya CC Lemon Hall."

- After graduating from high school in Osaka, it seems to have been haunted in music vocational school in Tokyo?

Karekore will be 14 years ago. Around 1996, I began to live moved to Sendagaya. Now I've already gone, but the Pan School of Music: Upon attending (Editor's Note March 2010 closed down), in consultation with the parent, chose a location close to the school. Sendagaya is, if you walk a little to a big city, is in the neighborhood if there is your bathhouse's, there is a butcher. While leaving the goodness of the downtown, has led to a state-of-the-art space, we have such impression.

- While carrying a foot to Shibuya and Harajuku, that stimulated is?

Well, we always have an atmosphere of "state-of-the-art '. I feel I mean town that are always featured and broaden the magazine, is the world in the magazine is as it is moving in the realistic Shibuya, called. I also had been well and buy the clothes. It is a live house called "Jianjian" particularly remaining in the impression in Shibuya. Some from the old days, either with the I space to do a monologue and performance than the music speaking, but there is freedom of ideas, various artists did place that can be expressed. I also, there was a thing that only live appearances once in a band of the organization that the vocals and keyboards and bass and guitar and drums.

- School days, is that it has appeared in other live house Shibuya in amateur era?

The fact that "Club Quattro" It was a yearning manner is ... even as it is even if against the van "came out over there" is, to was some sort of status. But I thought I wonder ... Toka Once Before that live is possible in the "Eggman". And, "Shibuya Public Hall (now · CC Lemon Hall)" in Shibuya is in the apex, I was already really dream of Hall.

- By the way, the street live experience?

No, actually I'm not. Only once, but I had that was trying to do in Osaka's Umeda, I have not heard at all in the streets I raw sound of the acoustic guitar. But towards the passing of the salaryman is played luck because he told me, "The Beatles played in," "Hen hear!" "More ear with" in like a state .... If you are playing talking even with a small guitar sound I can cover in the voice, but the installation was not tough. So but was I'll through the PA, because I have exceeded the already 30-year-old at the time, and have become the "I thought I wish tight to winter cold ..." (laughs). So, I think I'll borrow only place, I began to live with your coffee shop. Since Osaka has no live house as Tokyo, it places little to get to to do. So even if "please let me do it live!" Ask to me "out is because there is no equipment" in coffee shops and cafes are told, with the feeling of "Prepare all!", Anyway do not have us location, It was thankful. I It gave me even willing shop side.

- When you come in private to Tokyo, where you carry your feet in Shibuya?

Because I like to eat, there are shops that often go to Shibuya. It is "Thank Nature Cafe (Thanks Nature Cafe)" located near SHIBUYA MARKCITY . It is a shop of natural food that is popular with women, but I found it by chance and entered, I ordered a lot of herb tea types. Then, with a taste enough to impress "You are such delicious? So I wanted to eat dishes and went to the night with my manager as well. By the way it is "Oshio" with the same last name. If you come to Tokyo, I will often go now. Sometimes, I also drop by TSUTAYA in front of Shibuya station to buy CD and movie DVD.

When I was about to give up a major debut, the shoulder of the force is missing, I was able to play good music.

Please tell us about So Oshio's music -. The beginning of the first place of the musical activities?

Encounter with the shocking instrument for yourself, it was a brass band of junior high school. Saw the senior is blowing in the freshman welcome party of extracurricular activities, we join the club thought, "I want to do a trumpet!". But because the body was large, becomes in charge of the bus tuba, hey it was very disappointing (laughs). Since the brass band playing a march, bus tuba is of any song without only a quarter note and four-minute rest, only the "Bon Bo Bonn-board". Since no idea what the song to match the other instruments, and individual practice is lonely ..., But you know I went properly three years. I met the guitar, it was break time for extracurricular activities. To folk guitar one hand some seniors while expanding a song book, it should have been "the last snow" certainly dolphin, but to see that by playing talking,'s a musical instrument that can be completed alone with the "I wish cool". And when that went up to 2 in, my friend brought a guitar into the classroom, once started playing the songs of Chiharu Matsuyama on "Jaran" out of the case, is surrounded by a girl is said Kyakya, to side glance it "Well, so much or popular among the, I guitar" and the big time is moving ulterior motive. It is from there, the ran to the guitar. Practice of the brass band at school, had been playing the guitar from home to home. But bus tuba's bus tuba, guitar to guitar, had felt each of goodness.

- Band activities since I was a high school student?

Well, longing to electric guitar, I was asked to buy ask the parent. In heavy metal boom at the time, but I was not popular Toka Toka loudness kiss. Because I entrance was a folk music, THE ALFFE and Shogo Hamada to say that the band sound, like the Kai band, not keep up very much in the heavy metal-based music. From around "Chaunen, what with it Ya Ninen?" Even while being plunged Nante, I was playing. Folk song, but the club I was a member of, vocal and electric guitar are There are guy you want already do, after all, but I'm had been turned to the base charge (laughs). It "Oshio, you can do it base because dexterity", I attached the reason why you do not know the reason.

- And he played a single folk guitar and a fateful encounter.

That's right, acoustic guitar made of "Gureben" of Portland, Oregon. I'm a high school student, but I went to Nakagawa isatoic's classroom of guitar instrumental player to be revered, but one of the guitar that time isatoic's was using it was a Gureben. At the time, me although I knew that it is the guitar out of reach, "I have sold in the Middle Ages, see what try?" There when isatoic Mr. me come to say. And probably buy at about 50,000 yen After arbitrarily imagine listening to the price went in to the shop will be referred to as the "250,000 yen" .... But, because Isato Nakagawa-san was idle existence for me was a used guitar that introduced me to, I did not want to otherwise specified absolutely. So pleaded desperately with the "Please!" The mother ..., I thought either be persuaded "to let in a little more cheap guitar", the or "Well, keep in De! I bought" my feelings through me to say that. There is now because I had it, I feel that it will. After all had been doing in the guitar one to 30 years old.

- Did you wake up to the instrumental through the meeting with Nakagawa isatoic's?

Yes. But, still at that time I did not have the courage to get along with one instrumental. Goodness of the installation also I knew enough, to do it alone it is because there was a feeling that scary. To to do the stage we need the number of decent songs, members rely on it's band When you are next to, those of music with a sound pressure I thought cool. So somehow, I had to feel more of the band is likely to do. If you think from now, I've been a detour.

- At the time, I had been fascinated anywhere in the installation?

Song I style was good that there is no. Until then, I have heard those songs much, the guitar solo to enter the interlude to have myself listening to thought, "cool I wish", but solo is good the longer more, aware that there was always.

- Did you have an opportunity you have determined to let us live in the music profession?

Only time that can not be living in music, guards Toka Toka Delivery of Chinese food shop in bytes, had been a variety of work. But, Toka use a kitchen knife during a part-time job, I was thinking I "I want another quit" all the time or to the injury to the hand or moss on a motorcycle in the Delivery. At work other than music, guitar that will not play with injuries I was hard. Now I think "If music of work do anything" While we stacked is such experience. Is not that a lot of people that "do not want to do only their own music" What musicians. But it is time also was doing the band I was thinking the same thing. It is, even in the game music in jazz in Enka, to want to do anything, fun. It was changed to be so regarded. Feeling that "anyway you want to earn money with music" was strong. Is the time of the late 20s. However, Osaka is it because is not a lot the work of so much music compared to Tokyo. Meanwhile, I got a job in the arrangement of the brass band. It is said that "you can arrange?" To know, but I did not it was done only performance of bus tuba, so will end with it Speaking of "can not", "you can, do it!" On to say. After that, I ran to the bookstore in a hurry to buy a book called "brass band arrangement method" (laughs). I did not want otherwise noted anyway, or play wearing a costume, there was a thing that was also the work of Mr. band of musical sandwichmen. But itself was really fun to be a work of music.

- And finally debut past the 30-year-old.

But in the late 20s I had give up a major debut, wonder and the shoulder of the force from the time that has passed through, I have to be able to play seems his music. Also do with someone together, also to ask for support, to have become a difficult age to say that the "done it for free", be aware that there is good in comfortable more of one than the band. Once you started to do with but one person, more people cheering gradually, to produce a CD, or popular DJ · Hilo Teradaira's radio station (FM802) is me over my original songs ..., it is major now in the wake of the debut. The time of the band is the pressure was strong that "unless sold the ticket," but, in the case of one person because I thought that is impossible to fill the live house, I was playing with, such as no coffee shops of the ticket quota system. And while it is trial and error "if you come a lot Once you do?", I think I gave more and more gradually audience.

In the new album, "Hand to Hand" (released January 12, 2011 planned) Tokyo studio production is followed by the

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