Tetsuya (Japanese: テツヤ; born October 3, 1969), formerly known as Tetsu, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as bassist and bandleader of the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. Formed in 1991, they have sold over 40 million records, making them one of the best-selling music artists in Japan. Tetsuya also performs backing vocals in L'Arc-en-Ciel and has composed many of the band's songs, including "Link", "Ready Steady Go", "Finale", "Driver's High", "Stay Away", "Pieces" and "Good Luck My Way". In 2001, he started a solo career under the name Tetsu69. From 2005 to 2006, Tetsuya was a support member of Morrie's solo project Creature Creature. He formed a L'Arc-en-Ciel cover band named Like-an-Angel in 2023.
Bands
- L'Arc~en~Ciel - current member
Credited On
- L'Arc~en~Ciel - TOUR 2007~2008 THEATER of KISS - L'Arc~en~Ciel, released August 27, 2008 (
KSBL-5909). Backing Vocal, Backing Vocals, Bass. Credited as “tetsu”.
Biography
Translated from the ja.wikipedia article Tetsuya (CC BY-SA 4.0), revision 110673439.
Overview
Although he had been involved in various bands since his student days, his full-scale musical activities began around the time he formed L'Arc-en-Ciel in 1991. The first released studio recording to feature bass performed by tetsuya was the band's original video L'Arc-en-Ciel. As one of L'Arc-en-Ciel's main composers, he has composed songs including the million-selling “snow drop”, as well as “Blurry Eyes”, “Kaze ni Kienaide”, “DIVE TO BLUE”, “Pieces”, “Driver's High”, “finale”, “STAY AWAY”, “READY STEADY GO”, “Hitomi no Jyunin”, “Link”, “GOOD LUCK MY WAY”, and “Don't be Afraid”. Among the members of L'Arc-en-Ciel, tetsuya has composed the greatest number of title tracks for the band's physical singles.
In 2001, he launched the new label SPROUSE (スプラウズ) and began activities as a solo artist under the name TETSU69, now TETSUYA. In his solo work, tetsuya generally serves as vocalist and, depending on the song, also performs guitar, bass, keyboards, and programming. As in his songwriting for the band, he has written and released melodic pop and rock songs of his own preference in his solo work. Immediately after starting the project, he had not intended to play bass, his principal instrument, and had aimed to incorporate synthesizer bass and create so-called digital rock songs. To date, TETSUYA has released three albums, one EP, 13 singles, and five video works. In addition to his own solo releases, SPROUSE also released works by bands including winnie, tae, and Sepa.
In 2005, he joined Creature Creature, the solo project started by MORRIE, vocalist of DEAD END, a band he had long listened to, as a support bassist. In 2006, he provided the songs “Paradise” and “Kaze no Tou”, for which he served as composer, for Creature Creature's album Light & Lust. In 2023, he also launched a new band, Like~an~Angel.
He has also provided songs he composed for Nanase Aikawa, KEY of SHINee, Piko, and Tomori Kusunoki. Outside his musical activities, he has served as creative director of the fashion brand STEALTH STELL'A (ステルス ステラ) since 2019.
His management company is GRAVIS, which he established in April 2006. His current record label is EMI Records Japan within Universal Music. His official fan club is CÉLUXE (セリュックス), established in 2015.
Early Life and Childhood
Tetsu was born on October 3, 1969, at a hospital in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture. From an early age, he was dexterous with his hands. He reportedly went through periods of dreaming of becoming a Formula One driver and considering opening a plastic-model shop.
Around the fourth or fifth grade of elementary school, he began listening to music consciously. In addition to late-1970s kayokyoku, he particularly enjoyed listening to groups such as Ippu-Do and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Looking back on his elementary and junior high school years, he later recalled: “At the time, I listened to the radio a lot. I listened to Western music on late-night radio broadcasts, and I started listening to a great deal of music, but I never thought at all about playing an instrument myself or making music.” He also reportedly watched MTV frequently after it emerged in the 1980s, and liked Duran Duran and Kajagoogoo.
During this period, he, his childhood friend ken, who was one year older and lived nearby, and an older boy living opposite his family home, nicknamed Ko-chan, would gather at Ko-chan's house after school and listen to records almost every day. Around his first year of junior high school, when they had begun meeting at Ko-chan's house to play, ken and Ko-chan had already started playing guitar. Ken suggested that he play bass, telling him, “Tetsu, why don't you play bass? Guitars have six strings, while basses have four.” Taking ken's words at face value, tetsuya thought, “Four strings? Then it'll be easy,” and had his mother buy him a bass. However, when the bass he had ordered arrived at his home, he learned for the first time that it was larger than a guitar. He reportedly thought, “Why do I, who's smaller than Ken-chan, have to play such a huge instrument?” Recalling the time, he said, “It wasn't fun at all when I played by myself.” Nevertheless, he said that “rather than the bass itself, playing in a band was fun,” and began his own band activities. At his junior high school cultural festival, he performed on stage as part of a band, playing cover versions of Michael Schenker songs.
High School Years: Moving to Osaka With Bandmates
By the time he entered high school, ken and the senior students mentioned above had already gone on to high school and begun forming bands, renting civic halls to hold live events. tetsuya attended one such event as an audience member and, at the invitation of acquaintances he met there, joined a band called PRISONER. According to tetsuya, before he joined, PRISONER performed covers of REACTION and SNIPER, but at his suggestion the band began playing songs by DEAD END. At tetsuya's urging, the band also changed its name to Byston-Well. Although he had joined later than the others, he eventually found himself in a leadership-like position.
The name Byston-Well was derived from the fictional alternate world appearing in the anime Aura Battler Dunbine, based on an original work by Yoshiyuki Tomino, which tetsuya liked and watched. In the 2004 interview book Tetsugaku., he said of the name: “I came up with it. It is a name taken from an anime I liked. Anime fans would understand the reference immediately.” He also recalled the band's members at the time: “The equipment they used was amazing too. The drummer had a double bass drum set, an obviously expensive-looking kit. The guitarist had a Marshall amplifier. Including their appearance, technique, and instruments, they did not seem like high school students at all.” He added, “For me, it felt lucky to be allowed in.”
Byston-Well continued its activities under its new name, but its guitarist and drummer left the band. According to tetsuya, there had been signs that the two would leave, and he recalled that “there was an atmosphere of the group splitting two against two.” Shortly before the two departed, Byston-Well entered a band competition and won. This victory led them to advance to the televised Kansai, Shikoku, and Okinawa competition, marking tetsuya's first television appearance. After the competition ended, the guitarist and drummer, who had said, “I’ll quit after this competition is over,” left to pursue professional careers.
Following the departure of the guitarist and drummer, tetsuya invited his childhood friend ken to join, while a drummer who was already working joined the band as well. Looking back on this lineup change, he later said: “The original guitarist and drummer were good for that area too, but when ken-chan and that drummer joined, the band became incredibly good.” With ken and the new drummer, the reconstituted Byston-Well entered another band competition and received the Special Jury Prize. However, ken left because his studies became demanding, while the drummer departed to move to Tokyo in pursuit of a professional career. Byston-Well continued for a time after their departures by bringing in new members, but eventually disbanded in a manner resembling a collapse, as each member began deciding on his own future path.
During tetsuya's high school years, many of Byston-Well's members, aside from tetsuya and ken, reportedly played in the band with the intention of becoming professionals. At the time, however, tetsuya had no desire at all to become a professional; for him, band activities were “one of [his] hobbies.” When one member invited him to move to Tokyo to become a professional, tetsuya declined, saying, “I can’t,” because he believed that “there is no way you can make a living in a band.”
According to tetsuya, he had considered enrolling in a vocational music school after graduating from high school. In the end, however, he decided not to continue his education and instead remained employed at the local record store where he had worked part-time. Looking back on his high school years, he said: “I had been making arrangements to attend a vocational music school after graduating from high school, but I decided not to go just before it began. I had worked part-time at a record store throughout high school, and there I made more friends, met more senior people who would give me advice, and got to know record company sales representatives. As I spoke with all sorts of people, I thought, ‘Actually, never mind.’ So I became a freeter at that record store. Until then, I had only been able to work around weekends, but then it became, ‘I can work every day’ [laughs]. I thought I would work at the record store, play in a band, and think about what I wanted to do in the future.” He also stated: “There was not really anything in particular that I wanted to become in the future, or any particular kind of work I wanted to do. But at the same time, I did not want to quit being in a band then. I wanted to play in a band a little longer, so I graduated from high school thinking that I would work as a freeter while playing in a band.”
Around this time, a man who had been Byston-Well's guitarist came to tetsuya's workplace and told him that he was moving to Osaka to begin living alone. Upon hearing that the man was looking for a place to live in Osaka, tetsuya casually asked him, “Could you check the rent levels while you are there?” For some reason, the man went ahead and paid a deposit on a room for two people without consulting him. Unwilling to lose the deposit, tetsuya decided to move to Osaka. Thus, beginning to live alone in Osaka at that point had not been his intention. Recalling the episode in a 2010 interview, he said: “If it had not been for the accident of him going ahead and choosing an apartment on his own, I do not think I would be here now,” and added, “So I would like to thank him, but I do not even know how to contact him [laughs].”
Meeting Hiro and Recruiting Hyde and Pero
Reluctant to forfeit his deposit, tetsuya moved to Osaka and began searching for band members while working part-time at the well-known record store Waltzdo. During this period, he also worked at a general goods store and a factory.
After beginning work at Waltzdo, he had more opportunities to meet musicians who came to the store for promotional campaigns. Members of DEAD END, a band he regularly listened to, also visited the store. There, he became acquainted with SAMMY, the vocalist of BILLY & THE SLUTS, a band well known in the Osaka scene at the time. Told that there was “a good guitarist,” tetsuya was introduced to hiro, who would become a founding member of L'Arc-en-Ciel. tetsuya subsequently attempted to form a two-member band with hiro, but this did not materialize. Still frequently visiting live music venues in search of members, tetsuya was invited by a guitarist to take part in a session: “We are thinking of playing in the studio next time, and we do not have a bassist right now, so would you like to play with us?” At that session, he met hyde and pero of Jelsarem's Rod, both of whom would become founding members of L'Arc-en-Ciel. hyde was then performing under the name “HIDE” and adopted his current name after the formation of L'Arc-en-Ciel. At the time, tetsuya was reportedly holding sessions with many aspiring musicians while searching for band members, including Takanori Nishikawa, who was then widely known as the vocalist of Luis-Mary and later began performing as T.M.Revolution.
Looking back on the session with hyde and pero, tetsuya said: “We chose some assigned songs and played several songs together in the session... We were feeling each other out, like an arranged marriage. pero and hyde were in a band together, while hiro and I were looking for members elsewhere.” Upon meeting hyde and pero, tetsuya intuitively felt that “hyde, pero, hiro, and I—all of it came together” and that it would become “an amazing band.” He asked hyde and pero whether they would form a band with him. However, hyde declined, saying that Jelsarem's Rod had only just been formed. Unable to give up, tetsuya frequently attended Jelsarem's Rod's live performances and continued trying to persuade hyde and pero. Recalling tetsuya's enthusiastic recruitment at the time, hyde said: “It seems that tetsuya had his eye on us at that session. After that, he came to our band's live shows every time, came to the after-parties, and called us. He would ask, ‘How is the band going?’ and when I said, ‘Yeah, it is going well,’ he would say, ‘I see,’ looking disappointed (laugh).” In later years, tetsuya reflected on his own actions at the time, saying: “It is a little unimaginable now (laugh). Back then, I was a more talkative—well, not talkative—proactive young guy.” pero appeared willing to accept tetsuya's invitation; according to tetsuya, he said something to the effect of, “If hyde says yes, I can join anytime.”
Having continued to receive tetsuya's unceasing appeals, hyde decided to hold a session with him, partly because he could not see a future for Jelsarem's Rod. Around February 1991, hyde, tetsuya, and pero held a session at a studio near Nishinomiya-kitaguchi Station in Hyōgo Prefecture, joined by hiro, who had been searching for band members with tetsuya. During this session, hyde felt that “the quality was completely different from our own band,” and responded to tetsuya's invitation by saying, “Let us do it together.” He then decided to dissolve Jelsarem's Rod. Thus, tetsuya, hyde, hiro, and pero formed the new band L'Arc-en-Ciel.
Formation of L'Arc-En-Ciel and Activities in Various Projects – Present
Having formed a new band, tetsuya held L'Arc-en-Ciel's first live performance at Namba Rockets on May 30, 1991. Although the concert was a joint-bill event, it drew more than 100 people. On September 27, 1991, the band held its first solo concert at the same venue, attracting an audience of more than 300. Thus, shortly after its formation, L'Arc-en-Ciel began to gain momentum and undertook a variety of activities centered on Osaka. According to hyde, the band's ability to acquire a certain degree of popularity from its earliest days was largely due to hiro already being known through a band he had previously played in, as well as to the promotional and image strategies devised by tetsuya.
At the time, many amateur bands raised funds for their activities by selling homemade demo tapes, then undertook extended live-performance activities in various regions under the name of touring. Amid an abundance of such bands, L'Arc-en-Ciel avoided selling demo tapes in its earliest period, deliberately remained largely in Osaka, and did not announce its future concert schedule. tetsuya later recalled that reducing the number of concerts and not announcing a long-term live schedule generated word of mouth and increased attendance. When the band did perform, its members reportedly took the initiative in sending music-magazine editors information on the performances and attendance figures, implementing promotional measures intended to spread awareness more widely. hyde later recalled of this strategy for promoting the band: “Rather than going to Tokyo, where there were so many bands, I thought tetsuya's idea—that becoming number one in Osaka would make us stand out—was very smart. And that is exactly what happened.”
Many amateur bands at the time sought to reduce the distance between themselves and audiences, even allowing fans to participate in post-concert parties, but L'Arc-en-Ciel avoided any excessive communication with fans. Furthermore, from a branding perspective, tetsuya said that the band refrained from personally distributing concert leaflets and flyers made by its members. It also employed roadies and staff from its earliest days so that members would not be seen carrying performance equipment in front of audience members entering and leaving venues. tetsuya later said of this image-building: “From the beginning, we made ourselves look popular as a matter of branding”; “There has never been a time in L'Arc-en-Ciel's history when we carried our own equipment into a venue”; and “We were thorough about it even before we became successful, even if people said we were ‘full of ourselves.’”
By adopting such carefully considered strategies, L'Arc-en-Ciel was able to fill venues for solo concerts shortly after its formation, making an unusually smooth and successful start for a band at the time. Following various twists and turns, the band released its first album, DUNE, in May 1993, approximately two years after its formation. In July 1994, it released its major-label debut single “Nemuri ni Yosete” and its second album, Tierra, beginning activities on a major label. According to tetsuya, even after forming L'Arc-en-Ciel, he did not have a firm determination to “definitely become a professional,” recalling, “I assumed it would happen eventually, but making a major debut was not the objective.” Upon learning the date of the band's major debut, he reportedly thought, “Wouldn't it be better if it were a little later?” Since 1994, L'Arc-en-Ciel has been signed to Ki/oon Sony Records, now Ki/oon Music, within Sony Music, and has conducted its musical activities through the label. In a 2006 interview, tetsuya said of his reason for joining Ki/oon Sony Records, “Ki/oon was still a new label at the time. Its staff were young, and its way of thinking was young as well.” Following its major debut, L'Arc-en-Ciel continued its activities while undergoing member changes and went on to build a career spanning more than 30 years.
Following its formation, L'Arc-en-Ciel experienced three rounds of member departures and additions. Each new member was either an acquaintance of tetsuya, the band's founder, or, despite not knowing him directly, someone who happened to have been involved in the chain of events surrounding the band's formation. For example, ken, the guitarist who joined in 1992 in place of hiro, was, as noted above, tetsuya's childhood friend and a former member of Byston-Well. sakura, who joined in 1993 in place of pero, had served as a roadie for Masafumi Minato, the drummer of the rock band DEAD END, which had visited the record store where tetsuya worked part-time. Although sakura did not know tetsuya directly, he had visited tetsuya's workplace. yukihiro, who joined in 1998 after sakura's departure, was then the drummer of ZI:KILL. On the same day that tetsuya encountered at a live house the guitarist whom he had invited to his first session, also attended by hyde and pero, yukihiro happened to be performing there.
In L'Arc-en-Ciel, tetsuya is both the bassist and the band's leader. The band had no leader when it was formed, but tetsuya became leader at hyde's recommendation. In his autobiography published in 2012, hyde described the circumstances behind his decision to make tetsuya the leader: “I think we needed to decide who would lead us. Since he probably could not say himself, ‘I will be the leader,’ I said, ‘I think tetsuya is suited to be the leader.’ tetsuya was dependable even then.” In his 2012 interview book Tetsugaku 2., tetsuya said: “If I were not the leader, I would be much more carefree and frivolous. I think that was when, although I had always had a sense of responsibility, I came to feel even more strongly that I had to do things properly”; and “If I had not been in the position of leader of L'Arc-en-Ciel, I do not think I would have considered things in such detail. Wouldn't I have become a different person? It is true that L'Arc-en-Ciel raised me, and I am grateful for that.”
After approximately 10 years of activity as L'Arc-en-Ciel, the members began solo work from around the middle of 2001, partly at the wishes of some members. At this time, tetsuya began his solo career under the name TETSU69. While continuing his band activities, he has pursued solo work to the present, producing many melodic pop and rock songs that reflect his tastes. In his solo activities, tetsuya serves as vocalist. According to tetsuya, when he first began working as a solo artist, he had not intended to play bass, his principal instrument; instead, he planned to incorporate synthesizer bass and create songs in a so-called digital-rock style. However, due to changes in his outlook and opinions from those around him, he gradually began playing bass himself in recordings.
In 2005, tetsuya participated as a supporting bassist in Creature Creature, the solo project of MORRIE, vocalist of DEAD END, a band tetsuya had listened to avidly. In 2006, he provided the songs “Paradise” and “Kaze no Tou,” for which he served as composer, to Creature Creature's album Light & Lust. In addition to Creature Creature, tetsuya has provided songs he composed to Nanase Aikawa, KEY of SHINee, Piko, and Tomori Kusunoki.
In 2023, he launched a new band, Like~an~Angel. It initially began as a L'Arc-en-Ciel tribute band, making it an unprecedented project formed by a member of the band whose work it covered. Its formation was influenced by the fact that, for various reasons, L'Arc-en-Ciel was in a situation in which it could not operate as tetsuya wished. tetsuya said: “More than being a cover band, the first thing was that I wanted to play bass. Even if I say, ‘Let's do L'Arc-en-Ciel, let's record, let's play live,’ things do not progress as I would like. There were so many times when I wondered, ‘Why is one thing taking so long?’ and ‘Why isn't it moving forward?’ It was strange. I understand completely the opinion that says, ‘If you have time to do that, do L'Arc-en-Ciel.’ That is what I want to do most of all, but because it cannot be realized, I thought, ‘Then, if I want to play bass in L'Arc-en-Ciel, what should I do?’ That led to Like~an~Angel. Like~an~Angel has not held up L'Arc-en-Ciel by even one millimetre”; and “Although I pursue solo activities, they are centered on vocals, and I have no opportunities to play bass live. I can practice alone, but unless I stand on a stage, my skills will decline, and if I am going to play live, I want to perform L'Arc-en-Ciel songs.”
tetsuya also said, “I do not want people to take it negatively. Just as I enjoyed performances by hard-rock cover bands, I simply want people to enjoy L'Arc-en-Ciel songs.” Regarding the inspiration for the project, he stated: “In my private life, I went to a venue where cover bands performed live. They were playing 1980s Western hard rock that I had listened to when I was in junior high school, and the venue was extremely lively. Seeing that made me realize keenly that it was not about who was playing or who was singing—the power of the songs was creating the excitement. I thought cover bands could work too.”
In addition to tetsuya, Like~an~Angel includes reno of ViViD and saki, formerly of NEMOPHILA and Mary's Blood, on guitar, and hibiki of Matenrou Opera on drums, although other musicians sometimes perform because of scheduling constraints. Its vocalist is a man recruited after singing at a music bar in a certain country; he has participated under the name jekyll (ジキル) at every performance since the band's inaugural concert. The band's stage director is Takeyuki Nakaya “Guts,” who has served as stage director for L'Arc-en-Ciel concerts since 1994. sakura, a former member of L'Arc-en-Ciel, attended an early Like~an~Angel concert as an audience member shortly after its formation and was invited as a surprise guest drummer in 2024. After performing L'Arc-en-Ciel cover concerts for approximately two years, the band released the original song “Angel beside yoU” as its debut single in June 2025, embarking on activities as an original band. The song was based on one secretly produced by the other four members as a gift for tetsuya. He said: “I had also wanted to do original material someday, but I did not expect the four of them to be working on it without my knowing. So we all felt the same way”; and “When a band starts, it begins by covering artists its members like, then gradually starts making original songs. That is what we are doing now.”
Outside music, tetsuya has served as creative director of the fashion brand STEALTH STELL'A since 2019. The brand offers a broad range of items, including tops, bottoms, outerwear, shoes, bags, and accessories, and collaboration merchandise is sold at L'Arc-en-Ciel concerts. He later also launched the lifestyle brand STELLAGE (ステラージュ). Regarding the brand's particular approach, tetsuya said: “This may be somewhat different from a particular commitment, but I am involved in everything at STEALTH STELL'A. The degree of my involvement varies from item to item, but ultimately only items that I approve are released to the public. Therefore, I do not want it to be regarded as the same as brands that simply borrow the names of celebrities and are made easily”; and “I make things that I want to wear. I do care about customers' reactions, but I try not to make too many. I aim for a balance where people want something but cannot easily obtain it. I myself like that kind of brand.”
On October 3, 2023, he formally launched the new brand STELLA GEAR (ステラ ギア). In addition to beginning orders for existing tetsuya signature-model instruments previously released under the ESP and Edwards names, the brand has introduced new items as well as basses. In the past, tetsuya has also produced collaborative items with Le Coq Sportif, D1 Milano, and Kaminokuni Winery.
Band and Solo Work History
Bold type indicates bands or units. Bands such as Creature Creature, in which he did not participate as an official member, are excluded.
PRISONER
Byston-Well
Part
In L'Arc-en-Ciel, his primary role
Music Production
L'Arc-en-Ciel, of which tetsuya is a member, employs a band style in which “all members are songwriters.” Although tetsuya has composed fewer songs than ken, more than 15 of his compositions have served as the title tracks of physical singles. Consequently, the proportion of his songs selected as single title tracks is the highest among the four members. In L'Arc-en-Ciel's early years, it was customary for the person who created the chord progression and instrumental backing to be credited as the composer. From the 1996 single “Kaze ni Kienaide” (風にきえないで), however, composers began creating the vocal melody as well as the instrumental backing.
According to tetsuya, he first wrote a song while he was in junior high school. Looking back on that period, he stated: “The very first time was in a music class in junior high school. We had a composition assignment. I think the song I came up with was fairly simple.” He also said, “When I was young, I thought anyone could write songs. I would casually make up melodies by humming, so I never thought it was anything special.” Perhaps because of this junior high school experience and because he did not have any particular feelings about composing, he generally left songwriting to the other members during his time in bands before forming L'Arc-en-Ciel. However, when the member who wrote songs in one of those bands left, he began composing seriously for the band. “Blurry Eyes,” released by L'Arc-en-Ciel in 1994, was based on a recording tetsuya had made while in a band with ken during his student years.
Many of tetsuya's compositions are characterized by highly memorable melodic lines. Hajime Okano, L'Arc-en-Ciel's co-producer and a former member of PINK, has described songs composed by tetsuya as “Tetsu-pop.” Regarding the melodies he keeps in mind when composing, tetsuya has stated: “If the melody is not solid, I do not think there is any point in arranging it. For that melody, I think about what chords to add, what kind of rhythm pattern to use, and what kind of instrumental backing to create. If the melody is not solid to begin with, I do not think there is any point in doing that kind of work.”
ken, a fellow member of L'Arc-en-Ciel, has assessed tetsuya as a composer by saying, “He is a man who loves major keys. In a sense, his melodies make me feel that he has not forgotten the feelings people have in their teens.” Speaking of L'Arc-en-Ciel's music, including songs written by tetsuya, Hajime Okano stated: “They are a unique band. yukihiro's songs in particular are quite esoteric. Bands that achieve a certain degree of success often become deeply immersed in more esoteric directions, but L'Arc-en-Ciel properly retains its pop tunes. Tetsu's songs in particular always make me feel warm when I hear them in this context, from the moment they come on. The moment the intro begins, there is a kind of warmth—like the feeling of coming home. There is such a strong sense of melancholy that it makes you feel at ease.”
Among L'Arc-en-Ciel's representative songs composed by tetsuya are “snow drop,” which became a million-seller, and “READY STEADY GO,” a rock number full of thrilling speed with the feel of 2000s American pop punk. He has also composed fast-paced songs such as “Driver's High,” “STAY AWAY,” “Jiyuu e no Shoutai” (自由への招待), and “GOOD LUCK MY WAY,” as well as string-featured ballads such as “Anata” (あなた), “Pieces,” and “Hitomi no Juunin” (瞳の住人). Other works include “Floods of tears,” distinguished by its flowing arpeggios; “Blame,” a rock number in which the chords continue to cycle; “C'est La Vie,” created with an awareness of blue-eyed soul; “DIVE TO BLUE,” which features synthesizer sounds reminiscent of 1980s new wave; “Link,” notable for its Philadelphia soul-like strings and Motown-style rhythm; “Bye Bye,” with its glamorous French pop flavor; and “YOU GOTTA RUN,” a melodic rock number that begins with a guitar breakdown.
In contrast to these songs with a bright impression, he has also occasionally created darker material, including “Shi no Hai” (死の灰), a rock number that begins with a distorted guitar riff; “finale,” a subdued ballad incorporating sounds distinctive of Bristol; and “TRUST,” in which sequenced guitar, programmed rhythms, and live drums intertwine. hyde, another member of L'Arc-en-Ciel, has said of tetsuya as a composer: “He has the image of pop singles, but he is someone who can do anything.”
In the music he has created under his solo name since beginning his solo career in 2001, he has likewise released melodic songs arranged in a variety of directions, as in the recordings he had made with L'Arc-en-Ciel. Regarding making recordings under his solo name, tetsuya stated: “It was not originally a matter of thinking, ‘I will do solo what I cannot do in a band.’ I think there are people who approach it that way, but that is not the case for me.” Consequently, as with the songs he has created for the band, he has produced many melodic songs such as “Shinkirou” (蜃気楼), “Roulette,” “lonely girl,” “Aisarerundaa I Surrender” (愛されんだぁ I Surrender), and “I WANNA BE WITH YOU.” At the beginning of his solo career, he created digital rock without playing bass, using synthesizer bass instead. However, after various developments, he came to play bass himself on the recordings of many songs. To date, he has not played bass at all on solo songs including “wonderful world,” “Pretender,” “empty tears,” “Nagareboshi” (流れ星), and “Taga Tame ni Kane wa Naru” (誰がために鐘は鳴る). In recordings by Like-an-Angel, the band formed in 2023, co-writing has been adopted, with tetsuya also participating in production based on demos created by the other members.
Regarding his view of pop music, tetsuya has said: “My sense of what is pop may differ from other people's. I think Metallica are extremely pop. Limp Bizkit are pop too, and Linkin Park are completely pop. It depends on the person, does it not? Really, to communicate with amateurs who are not knowledgeable about music, words like ‘rock’ are probably the easiest to understand. But people who know music might think, ‘Do not just dismiss it with words like that.’” In an interview book published in 2012, he also spoke about the image associated with the word “rock,” saying: “To make something seem rock-like, do you just distort the guitar or wear leather? If that alone makes it rock, then I would think rock is easy, convenient, and something anyone can do.” He further stated: “In terms of sound, if the guitar is distorted, if it has a distortion sound, is that rock? Then is a clean guitar not acceptable? Even in fashion, is wearing leather and dark-colored clothing rock? Is it not rock otherwise? I do not like the word ‘rock’ when it is used that way.”
tetsuya has also said that “good music and music that sells do not necessarily coincide.” In his 2004 interview book Tetsugaku. (『哲学。』), he stated: “Even if you make something good, it will not necessarily sell, and it will not necessarily sell in proportion to how good the music is. That is how the world is, is it not? There are many people making truly good music even if it is not selling, and the reverse is also true.” He added, “I do not think there is any other way than to make what you yourself think is good.”
Musical Roots and Preferences
He mainly listens to new wave, new romantic, synth-pop, and hard rock/heavy metal, which flourished from the late 1970s through the 1980s, as well as alternative rock and pop punk from the 1990s onward.
As one of his formative musical experiences, he has cited seeing Kenji Sawada on television when he was in the third grade of elementary school. Looking back on that time, tetsuya said, “I did not go as far as doing the parachute thing, though [laughs]. In ‘Casablanca Dandy,’ he throws his hat like this, right? I used to do things like that. I also drank bourbon and sprayed it out of my mouth—using water [laughs].” He has also named Julie (Kenji Sawada) and Billy Idol as his idols. He has said that he also imitated Judy Ongg during elementary school, recalling that he would casually hum songs. Around the sixth grade, he began listening frequently to Yellow Magic Orchestra and Ippu-Do. He has named Billy Joel as his gateway into Western music. The first record tetsuya bought was Billy Joel’s 1983 album An Innocent Man.
From junior high school onward, he began listening primarily to Western music. He obtained information from various media, including MTV, Best Hit USA, and the music magazines Music Life, Young Guitar, and Burrn!, and listened to music regardless of genre. In later years, describing himself as part of the MTV generation, tetsuya recalled, “At the time, I watched videos far more than I listened to records.” Among the music of this period, he listened particularly often to new romantic artists such as Duran Duran, Kajagoogoo, and Culture Club, which were part of a movement centered on London, England. However, he initially had a strong aversion to the heavy metal popular at the time and did not listen to it very much. Regarding his first impression of heavy metal, tetsuya said, “At first, I hated it,” adding, “Their hair was long, they looked dirty, and the music was loud [laughs].”
Tetsuya later became deeply interested in the hard rock and heavy metal he had initially disliked. Regarding how he was drawn to hard rock/heavy metal, he stated: “It was around the time Quiet Riot’s ‘Cum On Feel the Noize’ was popular. I heard it on the radio and thought it was incredibly cool. I thought the distortion was great too [laughs]. From there, I began listening to heavy metal and hard rock without prejudice.” He has also said that he became immersed in the world of hard rock after being influenced by an older friend with whom he was close at the time, who told him, “Hard rock is for men.” From junior high school onward, he and ken would gather at this older friend’s home to listen to music, and he became a devoted listener of Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Michael Schenker, Whitesnake, and Scorpions, among others. Speaking in later years about Scorpions’ “Big City Nights,” and referring to his experiences with ken and the older friend, tetsuya stated: “There was a guitar at my senior’s house, and that was where I started playing guitar. Then my senior said, ‘Why do not you play bass?’ This was the first song I ever copied with him.” In 2009, tetsuya appeared as a guest at ken’s solo concert, Ken LIVE in TOKYO: 11 Days Late Birthday, and performed a session of Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” with ken and others. In the MC before performing the song, he commented, “When we were in junior high school, the two of us often watched the video for this song.”
During this period, tetsuya also began listening to bands in the Japanese metal scene, and named Loudness, Flatbacker, 44Magnum, Earthshaker, and Dead End as favorites. He was particularly influenced by Dead End, whose songs he frequently copied with Byston-Well, a band he formed during his student years. In 2005, tetsuya participated as a supporting bassist in Creature Creature, the solo project of Morrie of Dead End. In addition to providing songs, he also performed with the project on stage. During L’Arc-en-Ciel’s WORLD TOUR 2012 in 2012, tetsuya wore a jacket embroidered with the word “famous.” This was an homage to the design of a shirt worn by Minoru Niihara, the vocalist of Loudness, the first Japanese artist to perform at Madison Square Garden; according to tetsuya, he wore it out of respect. During this period, he also liked and listened to Yoshiyuki Ohsawa, and joined his fan club while in junior high school.
At the time, in addition to heavy metal, he listened to Japan, David Bowie, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Hanoi Rocks, a-ha, and Nena. Songs by these artists were included in playlists created under his own name and published on music streaming services. He also began listening to new wave and post-punk, frequently listening to Depeche Mode, the Cure, the Smiths, and U2. Tetsuya has often named Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and Robert Smith of the Cure as musicians he particularly favors. He has named Depeche Mode’s 1998 Madison Square Garden concert as the best live performance he has seen. Regarding his bass playing during L’Arc-en-Ciel’s early years, tetsuya has said that the Cure was a major influence, stating, “The Cure is my bible.” He has also selected the Cure’s 1989 album Disintegration in an album recommendation feature. He also frequently listened to compilation albums of well-known classical pieces and to film music.
According to tetsuya, he worked part-time at a record store in his hometown while in high school, and in Osaka after graduating from high school. As a result, he frequently listened to records in the store and to Japanese music promotional records delivered there. Among the recordings that arrived at the store, he particularly liked and often played the Street Sliders, Jun Sky Walker(s), and Barbee Boys. He was also a devoted listener of Yasuyuki Okamura at the time. Looking back on this period, tetsuya said: “You know how some people start listening to Western music and stop listening to Japanese music? People who are intoxicated with themselves for listening to Western music. People who mistakenly think that, because they listen to Western music, they are somehow superior to people who listen to Japanese music. I looked down on people like that instead. It is not like you are superior or anything [laughs].” L’Arc-en-Ciel’s 1995 image video Siesta: Film of Dreams includes the short film “Le(a) Côté,” which tetsuya planned and starred in; the film uses “DOOMED LOVE” by the Japanese music unit POiSON GiRL FRiEND. At a solo concert in 2010, tetsuya covered Ryuichi Oura’s “Natsu no Gogo” and Original Love’s “Primal.”
In his 2004 book Tetsugaku., tetsuya stated that after forming L’Arc-en-Ciel in 1991, he listened particularly often to Oasis, Radiohead, and the Smashing Pumpkins. In a Q&A section published in an interview book released in 1996, he revealed that he was listening to Jellyfish and Enya. In an interview with the music magazine Bass Magazine around 1999, he stated that he had recently been listening to Jamiroquai, Underworld, Seal, and Fiona Apple. He also introduced a variety of music, including Curve and MxPx, in the “Wonderful Selection!” segment of the L’Arc-en-Ciel radio program FLYING: L’Arc: ATTACK. In the “20 Albums Recommended by tetsuya” section of the 2010 mook BASS MAGAZINE SPECIAL FEATURE SERIES/tetsuya L’Arc-en-Ciel, he selected albums by Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, Muse, Limp Bizkit, Skeleton Key, Linkin Park, the Killers, and Keane, in addition to Depeche Mode, the Cure, and Dead End. According to tetsuya, he attended Linkin Park’s first concert in Japan in 2001. He has also been a devoted listener of songs by female singers including Holly Cole, Diana Krall, Vanessa Paradis, and Michelle Branch, as well as female-fronted musical groups and alternative rock bands such as No Doubt, Republica, Dubstar, Hole, and Garbage. According to tetsuya, the prototype for “Time goes on,” included on L’Arc-en-Ciel’s 2004 album SMILE, was created under the influence of a No Doubt concert he saw in 2002. Regarding Garbage, tetsuya stated: “I have always liked female vocalists, and they are very close to what I want to do, so they have had a great influence on me—particularly what I do as a solo artist, such as melodies and guitar themes.” At a solo concert in 2010, tetsuya also performed Sixpence None the Richer’s “There She Goes,” sung by Leigh Nash and originally by the La’s.
He also appears to enjoy pop punk, which became popular from the 1990s onward. He has included songs by Green Day, Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, the Ataris, Good Charlotte, Fall Out Boy, Simple Plan, Mayday Parade, All Time Low, You Me at Six, Hey Monday, and 5 Seconds of Summer in playlists uploaded to music streaming services. Among artists that emerged in the 2000s and 2010s, he has also included songs by power pop bands such as the All-American Rejects and We the Kings in his playlists. He also listens to My Chemical Romance, Marianas Trench, Panic! at the Disco, Danger Radio, Bring Me the Horizon, the White Tie Affair, Foster the People, Hurts, Simple Creatures, and South Arcade.
Since 2020, at its concerts L’Arc-en-Ciel has played playlists of songs by various artists in the venue before the performance begins. These playlists are selected individually by each of the four members and are published on music streaming services after each concert.
Playlists of opening background music selected by tetsuya and played before L’Arc-en-Ciel concerts
2020: ARENA TOUR MMXX OPENING BGM
2021: L’APPY BIRTHDAY! OPENING BGM
2021: 30th L’Anniversary TOUR OPENING BGM
2022: 30th L’Anniversary LIVE OPENING BGM
Playlist of opening background music selected by tetsuya and played before his solo concerts
2022: TETSUYA 20th ANNIVERSARY LIVE (Spotify)
Profile
He was born in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, and has blood type A. He has two younger sisters, each two years apart in age.
ken, the guitarist of L'Arc-en-Ciel, the band he formed, is from the same hometown and has been his childhood friend. He is affectionately known as “Tetchan” by fellow member hyde and by fans. His childhood friend ken often calls him “Tetsu” or “Leader,” while yukihiro often calls him “tetsu-kun” or “tetsuya-kun,” and sakura often calls him “tetsu” or “tetsuya.”
He serves as the leader of L'Arc-en-Ciel, a role reportedly decided upon at hyde’s recommendation. In his autobiography published in 2012, hyde described tetsuya as “someone who calmly views L'Arc-en-Ciel from an objective perspective.” In the same book, hyde stated: “I wonder whether tetsuya’s mind is more flexible than usual? Isn’t he good at riddles and things like that? [laughs] For example, say we were discussing stage production for a live show, asking, ‘What color should this be?’ While everyone was debating, ‘Red’ or ‘Yellow,’ if you asked him, ‘Which would be better?’, he would say something like, ‘Maybe we don’t need a color at all?’ He comes up with ideas that overturn the premise itself. When you think about it carefully, you often end up thinking, ‘Ah, maybe we really do not need it.’ I think he is extremely flexible. People who devote themselves to one thing can sometimes find it difficult to view that matter objectively. At times like that, someone like tetsuya is invaluable. Conversely, when I am taking that objective view myself, I think I need to be able to offer that kind of advice.”
In an interview in 2004, yukihiro said of tetsuya: “I think tetsu-kun is the most punk, you know? That rebellious spirit, that spirit of resistance [laughs], is nothing but punk. The way he pushes forward with his own ideas makes me think, ‘That’s punk.’ Even when I read tetsu-kun’s interviews, the things he says are punk.” In a 2006 conversation with tetsuya in the music magazine R&R NewsMaker, sakura stated: “When I was in L'Arc-en-Ciel, I had the fewest conversations with tetsu among the three of them. But somehow, we spent a lot of time together. I think that, fundamentally, we are probably similar. We were just heading in different directions. But even though our directions were different, it was not a matter of positive or negative; I always felt that we were both moving in positive directions toward some kind of goal. So, even if our directions differ, there may be times when they intersect again.”
Following its formation, L'Arc-en-Ciel underwent members leaving and joining on three occasions. While many major-label bands avoid referring to members who were only with them during their amateur period or who later left, tetsuya occasionally mentions former members by name in interviews. In 2006, tetsuya said, “There have been seven L'Arc members so far: hyde, hiro, tetsuya, pero, ken, sakura, and yukihiro. Maybe that is fate, too. Without any one of them, the current L'Arc would not exist.” He has also performed live with hiro, pero, and sakura after each of the three had left L'Arc-en-Ciel.
He had used the name “tetsu” since the formation of L'Arc-en-Ciel, but changed it to “tetsuya” on December 1, 2009. In an interview in the February 2010 issue of the music magazine CD&DL Data (CD&DLでーた), tetsuya explained the circumstances behind the change of artist name: “Someone who was truly important to me passed away, and I took one character from that person’s name.” He reportedly changed his name after conveying his feelings to the other members, the president of his agency, and staff members. “tetsuya” is therefore not derived from his real name. He discussed the detailed circumstances and feelings behind the name change in that magazine and in the interview book Tetsugaku 2. (哲学2。), released in 2012.
He has described himself as “not the artistic type” and has said that his ideal is to be a “craftsman.” Tetsuya has stated: “Craftsmen do not talk. There are many quiet people who do not talk about their work, aren’t there? They work silently and steadily; that is the type I am. I think entertainment and art are different.” He also dislikes the music scene’s blind support of musicians, saying, “What I do is, at most, nothing more than entertainment. I do not think it is a religion or anything like that.”
In an interview book he published in 2004, he stated, “I dislike the hypocrisy of saying, ‘I do this for the fans; I love them.’” He has also said that he is uncomfortable with artists who deliberately use MC segments to tell live audiences that they are “together with their fans” or “of one body and mind with their fans,” saying that it makes him feel deflated, thinking, “What are you talking about?” and, “Of course not; this is not some new religion.” Regarding his relationship with fans, he stated in the aforementioned interview book: “I am happy when people support what we do, but you cannot know people’s preferences. Their preferences may change as well. Even if you put out a suggestion box for the audience and did exactly as those suggestions said, that would not necessarily make things better. I am grateful, but I do not want to be swayed by fans’ opinions. That does not mean I intend to treat them coldly, either. I think it is only natural to make an effort to satisfy the audience. So, when people say that means I have love for my fans or that I am kind, it makes me uncomfortable.” He also stated, “What I hate most is anything like a religion. When people say, ‘I will follow you forever,’ that makes me happy in its own way. I think, ‘Thank you.’ But I do not want to say, ‘Follow me.’ In all things, I do not reject those who come, nor pursue those who leave.”
At the end of 2007, he married actress and model Ayana Sakai. Their first son was born in 2014, and their first daughter was born in 2016.
Preferences
He enjoys singing and has reportedly recorded versions featuring his own singing voice after hyde had finished recording vocals in the past. Regarding this episode, tetsuya stated: “Say hyde finishes singing during a L’Arc recording session. If there was time left over, I would say, ‘I’m going to sing,’ and sing L’Arc songs. I personally wanted those recordings (laughs).” Hajime Okano, the band’s co-producer, has said of tetsuya: “tetsuya looks more lively when playing instruments other than bass than when he is playing bass. He also wants to sing. He really likes singing, and when recording guide vocals for his own songs, he gets very excited and lively.”
His vocal range is quite high, as can be heard from the chorus work in L’Arc-en-Ciel songs such as “NEO UNIVERSE” and “STAY AWAY.” In “Dearest Love,” released by L’Arc-en-Ciel in 1996, his high falsetto chorus can be heard, with a highest note of hi-hi A. tetsuya began handling chorus vocals alone in L’Arc-en-Ciel recordings with the 1996 single “Kaze ni Kienaide”; before this, the chorus parts on CD recordings had been performed by hyde.
According to tetsuya, while he and hiro were looking for band members before forming L’Arc-en-Ciel, hiro once suggested that he become the vocalist. However, tetsuya declined the proposal. Regarding his reason for doing so, he said: “I thought that vocalists were the ones who wrote lyrics, but I had never written lyrics, and I thought writing them seemed difficult (laughs).”
Conversely, when playing bass, Okano has said that tetsuya is “a serious type in a certain sense, thinking that he must not play carelessly.” Of tetsuya as a bassist, Okano said: “I think he is a good bassist, but he is convinced that he could not possibly have gotten it right by just casually playing it. So I always have to encourage him, saying, ‘Why are you so lacking in confidence? You’re good’ (laughs).” In a 2010 interview, tetsuya stated: “I do not really think of myself as a bassist... I am still inexperienced, so I want to practice more and become better.”
He enjoys watching football and supports the J.League club Urawa Reds. He occasionally visits Saitama Stadium to watch matches. He has at times placed Urawa Reds stickers on the costume cases and bass amplifiers he uses during live performances.
In elementary school, he played youth baseball under his father’s influence, but quit partway through. He disliked the so-called old-fashioned sports-club mentality, including an excessively hierarchical seniority-based structure and customs without scientific basis, such as being forbidden to drink water even when sweating. He stated: “It was not about enjoying sports... I mean, they were not doing it in order to have fun, were they? Endurance was demanded, and I thought it was no longer sports, so I quit,” and “It is not the military.” tetsuya also dislikes attempting to handle matters solely through spiritualism, stating: “In my day, they said you could not drink water during practice. That was a very mistaken idea, because if you do not take in fluids, you become dehydrated. I dislike that kind of spiritualism. But I love getting passionate, becoming absorbed in something, creating something together with everyone, and heading toward the same goal. I simply dislike resolving everything through spiritualism.” For this reason, he said on a music program in 2005 that he preferred the modern era, in which things are no longer based solely on spiritualism.
During junior high school, he belonged to the baseball club but never attended club activities, and was effectively a member of the go-home club. He would leave school early and spend time at friends’ and older students’ homes playing records and guitars. He also reportedly often watched drama reruns broadcast in the evening at that time, and continues to enjoy watching films and dramas. He particularly enjoys foreign films and overseas television dramas, with mafia stories, science fiction, and suspense being his favorite genres. In elementary school, he liked The Godfather, as well as the war films 1941 and Apocalypse Now; in junior high school, he frequently watched The Outsiders and Rumble Fish. While in high school, he worked part-time at a record store that also operated as a video rental shop, which gave him opportunities to watch various videos, particularly horror films.
Since beginning activities with L’Arc-en-Ciel, he has reportedly enjoyed watching overseas dramas such as Gossip Girl, Heroes, Fringe, and The Vampire Diaries, as well as foreign films including True Romance, Vanilla Sky, Il Mare, The Dark Knight, Inception, Oblivion, Interstellar, Edge of Tomorrow, and Tenet. According to tetsuya, he has often come to like works directed by Christopher Nolan in recent years, and Interstellar is his particular favorite among the director’s works. Although he has said that Tom Cruise is not an actor he especially likes, he has also stated: “I often end up liking films in which Tom Cruise appears.” He has also said that he reads and likes several American comic books.
Among overseas dramas, he has a particularly strong attachment to Fringe. The title of “Shiroi Tulip,” a song released under his solo name, was borrowed from the subtitle of an episode of the drama, specifically episode 17 of season 2. The jacket design for the single “lonely girl,” released under his solo name in 2010, was inspired by the film Vanilla Sky.
Among television anime, he likes the original Mobile Suit Gundam, directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Although he was not particularly fond of robot anime in the past, he reportedly considered this series a favorite. Regarding his impression of Gundam, tetsuya stated: “The fact that there was a manual for operating it surprised you a little. You thought, ‘Amazing.’ In anime before that, the enemies made no sense; they were like demons or ghosts, right? And all the characters seemed Japanese. I disliked that too, thinking, ‘Why is this incomprehensible monster always attacking Japan?’ It made you lose interest. But in Gundam, the enemies were human too. It was a war. In that respect, I thought it was completely different from anime up to then. I was hooked instantly.” In 2000, the action-figure series “MOBILE SUIT IN ACTION!! tetsu TOYS,” produced by tetsuya and consisting of three types—the Gundam, Char’s Zaku, and the mass-production Zaku—was released. In 2002, Gundam Ace 2002winter No.003 published an interview with Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, who had been responsible for the anime’s character designs, and Yasuhiko drew a self-portrait of tetsuya for him.
He likes Char Aznable, a character from the Gundam series, and for a time used red equipment cases in reference to the coloring of Char’s mobile suits. In Gekitotsu Tomarunark: TOMARUNNER VS L’Arc-en-Ciel, a game featuring L’Arc-en-Ciel that was released in 2000, tetsuya recites Char’s famous line, “The glory of victory, to you!”
He also likes the Yoshiyuki Tomino television anime Aura Battler Dunbine, and at one point performed in a band named Byston Well, after the other world in which the anime is set. This was a band tetsuya had formed before starting L’Arc-en-Ciel, and ken of L’Arc-en-Ciel was also a member for a period. In an interview book released in 1996, tetsuya listed Tomino’s novel Wings of Rean among his favorite books.
He also enjoys watching the television anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. According to tetsuya, he stayed at home and watched the series during the period in 1997 when L’Arc-en-Ciel’s activities had stopped following the arrest of sakura, then the band’s drummer. Explaining why he was drawn to the anime, he said: “It ‘synchronised’ with how I felt at the time,” and recalled: “I was saying Shinji’s line to myself: ‘I mustn’t run away, I mustn’t run away’ (wry laugh).” His favorite episode of the television series is episode 18.
L’Arc-en-Ciel released the song “Niji” in 1997. The lyric phrase, “Everything is with the truth,” is an homage to a line from Neon Genesis Evangelion. The phrase was inspired by part of a message from Ryoji Kaji to Misato Katsuragi in the anime: “Katsuragi, ‘the truth is with you’; proceed without hesitation.” It was incorporated into the lyrics at tetsuya’s request to hyde, who wrote the lyrics.
He is attached to Soryu Asuka Langley, a character from the Evangelion series. According to tetsuya, “Anata,” a song released by L’Arc-en-Ciel in 1998, was written for Asuka, although the lyrics were written by hyde, who himself wrote them with his grandmother in mind. Of the character, tetsuya said: “She acts tough, but she is actually fragile; she is a good girl. But she thinks she must not show her weak side to others. People only see the surface, so they end up thinking she is merely selfish.”
Other works he has named as favorites include the 1979 animated film Galaxy Express 999. The lyrics of “SCARECROW,” released under his solo name, include the term “Jikanjo” (“Time Castle”), the name of a castle that appears in Galaxy Express 999. In 2023, he reportedly enjoyed watching the anime Blue Orchestra.
Because he watches several anime series as described above, people often assume that he reads manga as well, but according to tetsuya, he does not read much manga. However, he read TO-Y by Atsushi Kamijo and Last Quarter and NANA by Ai Yazawa after friends recommended them to him. Among more recent manga, he has read works including THE BAND.
While active as TETSU69, he had Atsushi Kamijo draw an illustration of him holding a Gretsch guitar. He is also acquainted with Ai Yazawa, and there is a panel in the manga NANA in which the name “tetsu,” the artist name then used by tetsuya, appears.
He is highly particular about real estate and interiors, and describes himself as a real-estate enthusiast. He has introduced recommended properties not only for himself but also to L’Arc-en-Ciel members and people around him. He is also particular about interior design, reading catalogues for such items as wallpaper and attending paintwork workshops. In 2012, to commemorate the holding of an L’Arc-en-Ciel exhibition, tetsuya produced the interior of a room at Kannonzaki Keikyu Hotel. In February 2019, he participated in “Tableware Festival 2019: An Exhibition of Tableware that Colours Everyday Life,” held at Tokyo Dome City, where a table setting coordinated by tetsuya on the theme of “space” was displayed.
He is also involved in producing music studios. In addition to his home studio and a private studio newly established in 2025, he has produced two commercial recording studios.
He describes himself as a “building fetishist” and has revealed during an appearance on a music program that he once went to Hong Kong to look at buildings. Both the front and back jacket covers of “Can’t stop believing,” a single released under his solo name in 2007, feature close-up images of buildings. Among buildings he has actually visited, tetsuya has said that he likes the Chrysler Building, Marina Bay Sands, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Jin Mao Tower. In a 2016 interview, he also named 30 St Mary Axe, The Shard, and the Petronas Twin Towers as favorites.
He has a collector’s disposition and owns well over 100 guitars and basses, as well as numerous pieces of vintage equipment. He also collects vintage rock T-shirts and band T-shirts, and these collections are displayed at events held periodically to exhibit his equipment. He also likes vintage cars and, as of June 2023, owned seven cars in total, including vintage vehicles.
He also likes vintage furniture and collects works by architects and designers he favors. He particularly likes works by French creators of the 1950s, and frequently names Jean Prouve, Charlotte Perriand, Mathieu Mategot, and Pierre Jeanneret among his favorite designers. The works he has collected are used in his private studio. In May 2017, he visited the French ambassador’s residence to view the “F 8x8 BCC Demountable House,” jointly created by Jean Prouve and Pierre Jeanneret. In 2021, he introduced a French vintage chair he owned in a feature entitled “Chairs That Produce the Best Work” in the magazine GOETHE. However, he appears not to have made new purchases recently, stating in a 2021 interview: “On the contrary, I cannot get involved with them now, because there are increasing numbers of fakes.”
He also loves contemporary art and has collected works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Basquiat, and, around 2020, Banksy and TIDE. Many of the art works he purchased were reportedly acquired before their artists became widely recognized.
Although he owns and collects many vintage and rare items, including instruments, properties, clothing, and art, he does so only as part of his own interests and preferences. tetsuya has stated: “I do not buy them for investment purposes; I buy them simply because I really want them. I am not an investor.” Regarding how he treats the vintage items he owns, he has said: “Whether something is inexpensive or expensive, I use it with the same feeling. Even inexpensive items, I use carefully; of course I do the same with expensive ones, and to me they are the same. So I think, ‘Doesn’t the price make no difference?’ I do not treat something carelessly because it is cheap, and I think everything should always be treated equally,” and “With French vintage, you enjoy things such as scratches and ageing as part of their character. That is called patina, and while appreciating that dignity and history, I use them heavily in everyday life.”
He is a non-smoker. As of 2026, ken is the only smoker among the members of L’Arc-en-Ciel. In L’Arc-en-Ciel’s photo book released in 1995, while the other members were photographed holding cigars or pipes, tetsuya alone was pictured holding a pistol.
Bass Guitar
His first bass was reportedly an Aria Pro II ZZB by Aria. After using various models, he came to use an Ibanez SR-1000S as his main bass during his amateur years. When L'Arc-en-Ciel recorded the album DUNE, he borrowed a Warwick bass for the sessions. After completing the album recording, tetsuya purchased a ZON bass and took it on tour. From around this time, tetsuya began favoring ZON basses, which he still frequently uses for recording.
In August 1992, before producing the aforementioned album, tetsuya signed a contract with Sheldon Guitars, an ESP shop in Kita Ward, Osaka, and has remained under contract with ESP for more than 30 years. He also has endorsement agreements with LAKLAND and ZON, making him affiliated with three bass brands. Consequently, numerous signature models have been released by each brand. The cursive “ESP” logo used on his signature-model basses—including the ESP Bardic, ESP BUZZ BASS BUGSY (owned only by tetsuya), ESP Bandit (both four- and six-string versions), ESP BASS IV (owned only by tetsuya), ESP ELT-I, ESP Hyakushiki, ESP JUGGLER BASS, ESP FLYING Y, and ESP Thunderbird Type—is a special logo that may be used only by tetsuya and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Due to the large number of tetsuya signature models in circulation, many bass players own them. Musicians who have disclosed that they have owned tetsuya models include Hirofumi Takamatsu of THE NOVEMBERS and Petit Brabancon; HSU, formerly of Suchmos; Kiyoshi of THE MADCAP LAUGHS, INSIDE ME, MEGA HIGH BALL, and ZIGGY, and a support member for B'z; and Ryosuke Nihomoto, a support member for Zutto Mayonaka de Iinoni. and Mrs. GREEN APPLE.
As he has endorsement contracts with ESP, LAKLAND, and ZON, tetsuya uses basses from each brand for recording, live performances, and media appearances. He often uses ZON basses in recording and has stated that he used them on most songs through True, the album L'Arc-en-Ciel released in 1996. However, he used a five-string Fernandes bass for some of the bass recording on “Hitomi ni Utsuru Mono” from Tierra, and a five-string bass called the ESP BB-5 CUSTOM for the recording of “Shizuka no Umi” from heavenly.
From around 1998, when L'Arc-en-Ciel released HEART, he began collecting vintage instruments and equipment and started using models from various brands in recording. Looking back on the period when he was making HEART, tetsuya stated: “Up through True, I used almost nothing but one ZON, but on HEART I used various vintage instruments. However, the vintage instruments at that time did not belong to me; I had borrowed them. That influenced me to start buying them myself.” He also recalled: “I was buying more than one a week. I was extremely busy during that period, with almost no days off, and I could not even go shopping, so it was a way of relieving stress, haha. I found things online and bought them, or had them brought to the studio to try. I also went abroad frequently around then, for promotional video shoots and mastering sessions. I often bought instruments at stores there. For my 1962 Jazz Bass, I spent two days trying every Jazz Bass at an instrument shop in New York and bought the one that felt best. I used quite a lot of the instruments I collected after HEART on ark and ray.” During the production of HEART, he used a 1971 Gibson EB-3, an SG bass, on “winter fall”; a 1965 Fender Jazz Bass on “Shout at the Devil”; and a Rickenbacker Chris Squire model for the counter-melody on “milky way.”
A total of nine basses were used in the recording of ark and ray, whose full-scale production began in early 1999. Regarding how he selected basses for those albums, tetsuya stated at the time of their release: “Rather than sound quality, it is the song. For example, when I am faced with a song like ‘HEAVEN’S DRIVE,’ an image immediately comes to mind. It may not be an image of the sound; it may be an image of the instrument’s shape. Based on that, I choose it thinking, ‘It is not a ZON; maybe a Jazz Bass? No, let’s try a VOX,’ that sort of thing.” For the production of ark and ray, he played a 1960s bizarre bass, the VOX PHANTOM IV, on “HEAVEN’S DRIVE”; a six-string electric bass, a Fender Bass VI in Fiesta Red, on “Perfect Blue”; and a 1958 Fender Precision Bass on “Sell my Soul” and “trick.” Since 2000, tetsuya has continued collecting basses, guitars, and equipment such as amplifiers and cabinets, and his collection of stringed instruments exceeds 120, centered on basses. His becoming a collector was reportedly greatly influenced by people including co-producer Hajime Okano. Okano said of the instruments and equipment collected by tetsuya: “All the members of L'Arc-en-Ciel like instruments, so tetsuya’s collection is amazing, ranging from drool-worthy vintage basses to modern ones. They are not merely vintage instruments; he owns things in rare colors that also sound good.” He further stated: “Because guitar technician Kazutaka Minemori and I are around him, he gains various kinds of knowledge, and we encourage him, don’t we? He had also started collecting paintings and vintage furniture, so he does not buy mediocre instruments.” Since 2020, tetsuya has held exhibitions of his collection under the title “TETSUYA MUSEUM” at various instrument stores.
From the period of ark and ray, tetsuya also began occasionally using six-string electric basses in recording. He particularly often uses the Fender Bass VI, including on “Perfect Blue,” “NEO UNIVERSE,” and “get out from the shell,” as well as on “HONEY” and “Jiyu e no Shotai,” together with a four-string bass. On “NEO UNIVERSE,” only the bass solo was recorded with a six-string bass by Lindert. He owns two Fender Bass VIs: one with a blue body made in 1962 and one with a red body made in 1964. ESP also released a marbled six-string bass, the ESP Bandix Six, as his signature model, and he often plays six-string parts in live performances on this model. In a 2010 interview, tetsuya described how the model was developed: “I had ESP make me a Jaguar-type six-string, the JUGGLER, and used it on the 1999 GRAND CROSS TOUR. […] For ‘Perfect Blue,’ I used a Fender BASS VI in the recording, and had the Jaguar-type made for live performances. It had a Jaguar-like body and was made like a BASS VI. But it looked like I was playing a guitar, so I had them make the Bandix Six, which looks unmistakably like a bass.” According to tetsuya, his preference for the Bass VI was greatly influenced by Robert Smith of The Cure.
Beginning with SMILE, the album released by L'Arc-en-Ciel in 2004, he again began frequently using ZON basses in recording. However, he also used a Sadowsky NYC Vin 4st JB and a Hajime Okano model bass sold in limited quantities by Yamaha during the album’s recording. From 2011, he also began using fanned-fret models by Dingwall. Since then, while continuing to use ZON basses as his main instruments, he has recorded bass with a variety of models.
From around the time he began producing KISS in 2007, he changed his main bass from four strings to five strings and also began primarily using five-string basses in live performances. Regarding his reason for changing his main instrument to five strings, tetsuya stated: “I had used five-string basses from around the first album, DUNE, and the second album, Tierra, but I began using them in earnest—or rather, switched completely to five strings—after I joined MORRIE of DEAD END’s solo project, Creature Creature, as bassist around April 2006. The guitarist, Minoru, formerly of THE MAD CAPSULE MARKETS and DIE IN CRIES, wrote and played songs on a seven-string guitar, so I naturally began using five strings to match that. On Creature Creature’s album Light & Lust, I played bass on 10 of the 11 songs, and I played five-string bass throughout those recordings. I was unable to go back after that.”
For music video shoots, he often uses basses and guitars that he has collected but does not ordinarily use. For example, in the videos for L'Arc-en-Ciel’s “finale” and TETSU69’s “Shinkirou,” he used a BORN TO ROCK F4b 1993, a bass with a transparent acrylic neck of which only about 50 exist worldwide. For “Jojoshi,” he used a Hofner G500/1 violin bass by Hofner. For the TETSU69 songs “wonderful world” and “15 1/2 Fifteen Half,” he used a Gretsch Silver Jet, while for “LOOKING FOR LIGHT” and “I WANNA BE WITH YOU,” he held a guitar known as Frankenstein that had been used by Edward Van Halen. In his solo activities, which began under the name TETSU69 in 2001, he initially used a GRETSCH Silver Jet #6129 1957 frequently, and the model became one of TETSU69’s trademarks.
He also collects instruments actually used by famous musicians and instruments made as special projects. Among instruments previously used by musicians, he reportedly owns a bass played by “CRAZY” COOL-JOE of DEAD END and a guitar played by Neal Schon. In addition to the aforementioned acrylic bass, tetsuya owns special-project instruments such as the NUMBER (N)INE Mickey Mouse Guitar, an acoustic guitar collaboration with Walt Disney released worldwide in a limited edition of 99 by the apparel brand NUMBER (N)INE.
For strings, he uses those made by the American high-end string manufacturer DR Strings; for straps, Live Line products; and for cables, including shielded, speaker, and patch cables, products by AET Individual Design, Providence, and Pete CORNISH. In June 2015, he entered into an endorsement contract with the Japanese general distributor of DR Strings.
On October 3, 2023, he launched a new instrument brand, STELLA GEAR (ステラ ギア). In addition to accepting orders for existing tetsuya signature-model instruments previously released under the ESP and Edwards names, the brand has released new items. In 2024, it announced the multiscale fanned-fret models STELLA GEAR Albion MS33-36 and Albion MS34-37. These two models are said to have many prototype elements, and new models are currently being developed.
Amplifiers, Effects Units, and Other Equipment
His equipment rack contains three vintage Ampeg SVTs as its core. Since live performances in 2021, his sound system has incorporated an input selector and output selector newly produced by Free The Tone, as well as the company’s mixer and preamp selector. The rack also contains four Tech 21 SANSAMP PSA-1 preamps and two T.C. Electronic Triple C digital compressors. In recent years, he has also introduced the Darkglass Electronics Alpha Omega 900 bass head amplifier. His equipment cases were red for many years, in reference to the image of Char Aznable, a character he has long favored; after using silver cases, he now uses pink ones.
For bass, three blue, white, and red tricolor BASSON 810 cabinets and one BASSON 410 cabinet are placed on stage. A Darkglass Electronics DG212N has also been introduced. When appearing on music television programs as L'Arc-en-Ciel, he often uses a BASSON cabinet that had actually been used by Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, rather than the three tricolor BASSON cabinets, in order to reduce the amount of equipment transported. As he sometimes plays guitar on “REVELATION” and “EVERLASTING,” a Groove Tube cabinet and a Matchless HC-85 are used for guitar.
He also uses many vintage effects units that he has collected. These chiefly include early Electro-Harmonix Big Muff π and Graphic Fuzz units, as well as an Empress Effects Compressor MKII, T.C. Electronic Helix Phaser, Free The Tone FLIGHT TIME, KarDiaN C10H12N20, PSK Core Drive CDV-5, and weed FREEZER.
When performing “NEO UNIVERSE,” he uses a Roger Mayer Marble Fuzz effects unit in conjunction with his signature six-string ESP Bandit Six bass. This effects unit was a collaboration model between the effects brand Roger Mayer and tetsuya, and was sold in a limited run of 100 units in October 2001. In 2024, his new instrument brand STELLA GEAR, which had been launched the previous year, released the Bass Driver's High bass effects unit.
Episodes
While in high school, tetsuya was involved in musical activities with a band called Byston-Well, but he has said that it was merely a hobby and that he never once resolved to become a professional musician. In a 1996 interview, he reflected on his feelings at the time: “I never once thought to myself, ‘I want to become a professional!’ or decided, ‘I’m going to become a professional!’ But I couldn’t quit being in a band.” He also said, “Since I had no intention of becoming a professional, my parents told me, ‘Get a job!’ But I just kept going because I couldn’t quit the band. That is simply how I got to where I am today.”
In the same 1996 interview, he stated that the death of a classmate in a motorcycle accident during his third year of high school had a major influence on his future path. Recalling the episode, tetsuya said: “In my 18 years of life, I had never attended a funeral. None of my relatives had died. The first funeral I ever attended was for a classmate and friend.” He continued: “At that time, I realized that people can die so easily. ... It was just the time when I had to decide on my future. I had decided to continue my education, but I thought I would stop and do what I wanted to do. ... Since I did not know when I might die either, I thought, ‘I should do what I want to do!’” He also said, “If it had not been for that friend, I think I would have lived an ordinary life, one that did not cause trouble for my parents.” He subsequently decided not to pursue further education, reasoning that “if you are a student while playing in a band, it looks respectable and makes you look good,” and chose to continue band activities while working as a freeter in search of what he truly wanted to do.
Even after graduating from high school, he apparently was not aiming to become a professional through a band. He searched for members with the idea that, “If I am going to be in a band anyway, I want to play with people who are skilled and whom I think are cool,” and that he wanted to do something he found interesting. Regarding why he did not aspire to become a professional musician at the time, tetsuya recalled: “Ever since I worked part-time at a record store, I had heard people say, ‘Even if you play a concert at the Budokan, you cannot make a living from it, can you?’ There were bands and artists who still worked part-time jobs even though they performed at the Budokan, and I had learned that reality while still a teenager, so I had no dreams at all. I thought, ‘You cannot make a living from music, can you?’ Even if you were fortunate enough to debut, only a handful of people could survive among the many new acts debuting every year, so even making a debut your goal would not allow you to make a living. That is why I had no goal, and performing at the Budokan was not my dream either... I simply worked as hard as I could, one by one, on the things that needed to be done at each particular time.”
After moving to Osaka, he worked part-time at a record store called Waltzdo (ワルツ堂). At the time, the shop had the highest sales of DEAD END albums in Japan, and various rock musicians visited it for promotional campaigns. hiro and tetsuya, who would become founding members of L'Arc-en-Ciel, met through an introduction by SAMMY of BILLY & THE SLUTS, who had visited the store. According to tetsuya, in addition to members of DEAD END, members of DER ZIBET also visited the store. While working there, he also drank with ISSAY of DER ZIBET.
When L'Arc-en-Ciel was active as an amateur band, it rented a post office box under the name “L'Arc-en-Ciel Contact,” installed a separate telephone line in tetsuya’s one-room apartment, and answered calls while posing as management staff, personally handling such matters as booking live performances. tetsuya himself also handled communications with Danger Crue, later known as Maverick DC Group, which the band would eventually join. In a book published in 2020, Masahiro Oishi, the head of the agency, wrote of L'Arc-en-Ciel at this time: “I think that even then, they were properly considering how to establish a system for ‘running the band themselves.’”
Furthermore, from the time L'Arc-en-Ciel was formed, it hired staff from a branding perspective, ensuring that concertgoers did not see equipment being transported and avoiding having members directly hand out concert leaflets and flyers to customers. Looking back on this period, tetsuya said, “From the beginning, as branding, we made ourselves look popular,” and, “We did it thoroughly before we became successful, even if people said we were ‘full of ourselves.’”
On the other hand, he has regarded writing songs based on calculation or commercial considerations as nonsensical. In an interview with a music magazine when DUNE was released in 1993, tetsuya stated: “The promotional strategies and calculations we had implemented since the band’s formation were ‘commercial calculations’ only because we were doing everything ourselves at the time; it is not as though we create music while making calculations.”
After L'Arc-en-Ciel’s major-label debut, tetsuya continued to be actively involved in the production of promotional advertisements and television commercials. Among the commercials released by L'Arc-en-Ciel was one styled as a press conference which was “not advertising a new release or anything, but made solely to teach people the correct pronunciation of the band’s name”; it was reportedly created from tetsuya’s idea. tetsuya has frequently said that “doing only cool things is uncool,” and especially during the latter half of the 1990s, the band released comical advertisements and television commercials. Michihiko Nakayama, who served as L'Arc-en-Ciel’s A&R at the time and later became president of Ki/oon Music, recalled the period in a 2021 conversation with tetsuya: “They were a band with a great understanding of wit and strategy, and Tetchan especially was like that, so I feel we were able to work together rather roughly.” He also said, “When you tell Tetchan an idea, he immediately understands it, saying, ‘Oh, so that means this, right?’ Without that initial communication, a project can never move forward. His level of understanding is remarkable. Of course, within that, we would say, ‘No, it would be better this way,’ and refine it.”
When asked in a 2021 interview whether there had been any change in his approach to production while L'Arc-en-Ciel had gained popularity yet maintained its artistic quality and the brand identity it wished to protect, tetsuya responded: “It has not changed. No one has ever told me, ‘Write more songs like this.’ I am just making the music I like.” In fact, when deciding L'Arc-en-Ciel’s single title tracks, tetsuya often takes staff opinions into account. In a 2004 interview, he said, “When it comes to singles, I leave it up to others to a certain extent, such as which song should be made a single.”
However, he has not taken a particularly proactive stance toward social networking services, whose widespread adoption began in earnest in the latter half of the 2000s. Although he has several social media accounts, he rarely interacts directly with an unspecified large number of users except for promotional purposes. Regarding his relationship with social media, tetsuya said, “From a business standpoint, it would probably be better to do that sort of thing. But I really have no interest in it, and I dislike it.” In an interview book published in 2012, he also spoke about how he forms personal relationships: “It is not as though I am looking to meet an unspecified large number of people. That is why I avoid strange parties and strange drinking gatherings. If you go to those places, you end up meeting people you would be better off never knowing.” He added, “I am also uncomfortable with people who try to force a relationship of trust immediately after meeting. I think trust is something that must be built over time. ... I think relationships do not last unless the other person has heart. I cannot become close with people who have no heart.”
According to tetsuya, he intended to disband L'Arc-en-Ciel around 2002. The catalyst was a letter from hyde expressing his wish to leave the band. In an interview book released in 2012, tetsuya looked back on the time, saying: “Because it was something hyde had decided once, I thought he would not change his mind. I thought that conveying it in a letter meant it was an answer he had reached after thinking about it for a very long time.” He added, “I had no intention of continuing L'Arc-en-Ciel with a new vocalist, so I thought we should disband.”
After receiving hyde’s letter, the four members of L'Arc-en-Ciel met by themselves to discuss the band’s future, and they reportedly agreed that day to move toward disbandment. However, because tetsuya had not heard hyde’s reasons for wanting to leave the band, the two met and discussed them. They confirmed that they would improve the atmosphere within the band and its relationship with the agency, and the band ultimately continued. In later years, tetsuya recalled, “In the end, we decided to continue, but I did not think so immediately. I had various thoughts of my own as well.”
At L'Arc-en-Ciel concerts held through around the 2010s, it became a customary performance for tetsuya to throw bananas into the audience during MC segments or before performances of “C'est La Vie” and “STAY AWAY.” The bananas bore stickers of MUKIMPO (ムキンポ), an original character created by tetsuya. MUKIMPO-related merchandise has been sold as standard merchandise at concerts by both L'Arc-en-Ciel and tetsuya as a solo artist. In addition to bananas, tetsuya has thrown mangoes, zucchini, eggplants, carrots, king oyster mushrooms, and watermelon-shaped beach balls into the audience.
Relationships
Takanori Nishikawa (T.M.Revolution, abingdon boys school)
Before forming L'Arc-en-Ciel, while tetsuya was looking for band members, he was introduced to Nishikawa through an acquaintance who told him that there was a good member available. The two promised to form a band together. At the time, Nishikawa belonged to Luis-Mary, a band with immense popularity in Osaka, and performed under the name “Haine” (灰猫). As a result, tetsuya reportedly looked forward greatly to forming a band with him, thinking, “Can I really form a band with this person?” However, they did not exchange contact information and their conversation ended after little more than greetings. Furthermore, tetsuya subsequently lost contact with the acquaintance who had introduced them, and the band ultimately never came to fruition. Nishikawa made his major-label debut with Luis-Mary in 1991, while tetsuya formed L'Arc-en-Ciel in the same year and continued to work as an amateur musician.
Several years later, the two reunited on a television program. Their shared memories led to a closer private friendship. In 2009, tetsuya was invited under his solo name to Inazuma Rock Fes 2009, an event organized by Nishikawa. He also appeared at the festival the following year, in 2010, and made a surprise guest appearance at the 2012 edition. Their friendship has continued since these festival appearances, and they have frequently appeared together on radio programs and elsewhere.
Kiyoharu (Kuroyume, SADS)
While L'Arc-en-Ciel was active as an amateur band, it often shared bills with Kuroyume, the band to which Kiyoharu belonged. L'Arc-en-Ciel was unusual among amateur bands of the time in that it did not often perform joint live shows, making Kuroyume one of its few such counterparts. In an internet radio program released in 2020, tetsuya recalled why L'Arc-en-Ciel had often shared bills with Kuroyume during its amateur period: “There were benefits for both of us in performing with Kuroyume. Kuroyume had already attained a certain position and had a certain number of regular fans. For both Kuroyume and L'Arc... it felt as though it would make both sides happy, so we decided to perform together.” tetsuya has described Kuroyume as “our greatest rival.”
L'Arc-en-Ciel and Kuroyume continued their association after making their major-label debuts. In 2017, tetsuya and Kiyoharu, joined by Hisashi Yamada, broadcast a linked program between their two Niconico Channels. In 2019, both took part in a live event celebrating guitarist Yoshitsugu Nakamura's 50th birthday. At that event, tetsuya, Kiyoharu, Yoshitsugu Nakamura, and sakura (ZIGZO, former L'Arc-en-Ciel) performed songs by Kuroyume, L'Arc-en-Ciel, and TETSU69 in a session. Kiyoharu also continues to associate with most of L'Arc-en-Ciel's current members, and they have appeared together at live events and in songwriting settings since their major-label debuts.
Shigeru Joshima (TOKIO)
Their friendship reportedly began in 1994, when L'Arc-en-Ciel appeared as a guest on Shigeru Joshima's TOKIO CLUB, a radio program hosted by Joshima. At the time, tetsuya and Joshima reportedly often dined together with Nanase Aikawa. Possibly owing to this connection, L'Arc-en-Ciel covered TOKIO's “LOVE YOU ONLY” under the name KIOTO, a band in which the members changed instruments, during concerts held from 1995 to 1996.
In 2004, tetsuya made a guest appearance on the TV Asahi cooking variety program Ai no Apron, hosted by Joshima, an unusual appearance for tetsuya at the time outside of music programs. In addition, from 1997 to 2014, the two served as personalities on the same program on MBS Radio.
Hiroshi Maeda (designer)
Maeda is an art director and the representative of BONES GRAPHICS Co., Ltd. He was responsible for producing the pamphlet for L'Arc-en-Ciel's 1996 concert tour, CONCERT TOUR '96〜'97 Carnival of True. Thereafter, Maeda became involved not only in L'Arc-en-Ciel's work but also in art direction for tetsuya's solo work.
According to tetsuya, he first learned of Maeda through an interior-design magazine he bought when he moved to Tokyo, and he respected Maeda's work even before they began working together. For this reason, in an interview book published in 2012, tetsuya stated, “Maeda's influence on me has been extremely great.”
Ai Yazawa (manga artist)
Yazawa is the author of the manga series Last Quarter (下弦の月) and NANA. According to tetsuya, he became aware of Yazawa after a friend recommended that he read Last Quarter. He later began associating with Yazawa through an acquaintance. Since then, tetsuya participated in the 2005 NANA tribute album LOVE for NANA 〜Only 1 Tribute〜 and asked Yazawa to write the lyrics to “lonely girl,” a song he released under his solo name in 2011. tetsuya has also appeared in NANA, though only by name.
Sources
- Wikidata entity Q306277.
- en.wikipedia, Tetsuya (musician) (revision 1369594659), CC BY-SA 4.0.
- ja.wikipedia, Tetsuya (revision 110673439), CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photograph: L'arc En Ciel @ MSG - 3-25-12 - 052.jpg on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, by May S. Young from Metro NYC, United States.
