국적도 성별도 나이도 상관없이, 음악 하나로 통하는 세션과 밴드를 평생 하고 싶다.
Moved to Tokyo in my 20s to make it in a band. Based at Mandala (a live house) in Kichijoji, I also played at UZU in Fussa. Life pulled me away from bands for a while, but I ended up managing an indie record shop in Harajuku — I just couldn't stay away from music.
In my 50s, the thrill of playing in a band came calling again. I answered every "members wanted" ad I could find. Met a lot of people, said goodbye to many. "It's always been the same. There's nothing more fun than a band." — That belief hasn't changed.
Now I run membo.info — a member recruitment service built by someone who's been searching for bandmates his entire life. So that foreigners in Japan can find band members, theater troupes, and activity groups. Even if they don't speak Japanese.
Moved to Tokyo. Started gigging at Mandala in Kichijoji and UZU in Fussa. Dreaming of making it big.
Left the band due to life circumstances. But couldn't stay away from music — became the manager of an indie record shop in Harajuku.
Couldn't forget the thrill of playing in a band. Applied to every "members wanted" post. Met many people, parted ways, and met again.
Founded membo.info. Channeled 40+ years of searching for bandmates into an 8-language service. Music connections beyond nationality, gender, and age.
Kichijoji Mandala — My base in my 20s. A place where musicians of all genres gathered. Where I learned that everyone is equal before music.
Shimokitazawa GARAGE — A live house and studio run by my close friend Shinji Watanabe. Opened in 1994, visited by roughly 1 million people over 28 years. Bands like Base Ball Bear, ACIDMAN, and Remioromen got their start here. Closed on December 31, 2021 due to COVID's impact. Watanabe-san has since passed away. "He truly ran the place for the musicians. There are many studios like that in Japan."
모든 기사는 11개 언어(일본어, 영어, 중국어, 한국어, 포르투갈어, 스페인어, 프랑스어, 베트남어, 네팔어, 힌디어, 번체 중국어)로 읽을 수 있습니다.