{"id":616,"date":"2024-08-03T08:35:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-03T08:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/?p=616"},"modified":"2025-09-12T08:38:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T08:38:17","slug":"interview-with-j-rock-band-arakezuri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/03\/interview-with-j-rock-band-arakezuri\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with J-Rock Band Arakezuri!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">Hello everyone! If you&#8217;re into Japanese rock bands, this interview is for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">In 2017, after playing with different bands, Shunma Shirai, the vocalist of Arakezuri, answered our questions about himself and the band. Enjoy!<a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhYGnEsn952t2M4EaHCQVuIAjI9ofa_0RftDCSD24hat96UJm5yUIpkSuXbwqTQPfwAJ3vRkCzq3SyrjBMxb15iVey5Vx1wF1a6lZIybclRBRfa8KcyzFtL1U1n6ok2Ex0MHrd8Qemr25vTBBFC3KXJxGPKMHhCZfTbS4Y7goaXW2hXoNZRb-AkhMDpPms\/s9645\/arakezuri_artist_photo_.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>1. Hello! Thank you for accepting our interview offer! First of all, could you briefly introduce yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">Hey there, thank you for finding us! My name is Shunma Shirai, vocalist of the four-piece rock band and hero\u2019s journey Arakezuri! I value songs and live performances where I can sing along with the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>2. Can you tell us the story of how the members started playing music? When and how did you become interested in music and playing instruments?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">My parents used to play in a band, so I had so many opportunities to interact with musical instruments at home, which naturally led me to love music and start playing the guitar. When I went to see one of my seniors at school play in a packed live house, I knew I wanted to write my own songs and form a band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>3. So how did Arakezuri come together? How was the band formed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">Most of the members were connected with other bands they had played in the past. The group was formed by a group of friends who had broken up their respective bands. These are the people who couldn&#8217;t give up on the band even after we broke up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>4. As a band that has been playing music for 7 years, what do you think is the biggest difference between Arakezuri at the beginning and Arakezuri now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">It can be said that the &#8220;image of the live performance we want to create&#8221; has changed dramatically before. In the past, we used to just deliver songs to the audience, but now we try to deliver our message by having the audience sing along, clap their hands, and participate in the live performance.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GZIQZ4xagAAAkns-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GZIQZ4xagAAAkns-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GZIQZ4xagAAAkns-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GZIQZ4xagAAAkns-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GZIQZ4xagAAAkns-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GZIQZ4xagAAAkns.jpg 1567w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>5. Most of your songs have your singer Syumma Shirai as the composer and lyricist. It&#8217;s great to be so prolific, but it must be difficult at the same time. What inspires you when you write the songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">The lyrics of the songs are mainly derived from MCs spoken at live performances. And I try to listen to a lot of different genres of music when I have struggle for writing songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>6. You have released a lot of songs since your debut. Which of these songs are your favorites and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">It is Hero (\u30d2\u30fc\u30ed\u30fc). Because the moment this song was composed, I was impressed by the fact that it defined what kind of band Arakezuri was. This is the turning point song of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>7. It seems like you have a busy concert schedule for the next 2 months. How is your preparation process for the concerts? Can you tell us a little bit about it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">I try to imagine what the atmosphere of the day will be like, what people will be thinking and feeling, and try to come up with set lists and so on. Above all, I try to enjoy myself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>8. Do you have plans to give concerts in other countries besides Japan? If so, which country would you like to go to?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u015eu anda yurtd\u0131\u015f\u0131 tur plan\u0131m\u0131z yok, aNow we don\u2019t have overseas tour plan, however I often hear that a lot of people who interested in Japanese songs, so I hope to go there someday, of course Turkey!ncak Japon \u015fark\u0131lar\u0131na ilgi duyan pek \u00e7ok insan oldu\u011funu s\u0131k s\u0131k duyuyorum, bu y\u00fczden bir g\u00fcn oraya gitmeyi umuyorum, tabii ki T\u00fcrkiye&#8217;ye!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>9. If you had to give us one piece of information about Japan that Turks should know, what would you say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">I hope you are well aware of Arakezuri, which will eventually become a national band in Japan:)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>10. Finally, is there anything you would like to say to Japanese music fans in Turkey?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">Music, in any situation, absolutely needs people to perform, people to listen, and people to support it. I hope we can continue to make music together. Arigato!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arakezuri - \u6708\u304c\u7dba\u9e97\u3060 (Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jTZVwHqacrU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><strong>Social Media Account of Arakezuri<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">Website:&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/arakezurishiga.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arakezurishiga.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">Twitter:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ArakezuriShiga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ArakezuriShiga<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">YouTube:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC9kmdGRlmZS_Lg6wdUZrDTw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@Arakezuri<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">Instagram:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/arakezurishiga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arakezurishiga<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">TikTok:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@arakezuri_shiga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arakezuri_shiga<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello everyone! If you&#8217;re into Japanese rock bands, this interview is for you! In 2017, after playing with different bands, Shunma Shirai, the vocalist of Arakezuri, answered our questions about himself and the band. Enjoy! 1. Hello! Thank you for accepting our interview offer! First of all, could you briefly introduce yourself? Hey there, thank [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6,12],"tags":[118,31,99,55],"class_list":["post-616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","category-japan","category-music-japan","tag-arakezuri","tag-interview","tag-j-rock","tag-roportaj"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-scaled.jpg","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-768x512.jpg",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-1024x683.jpg",640,427,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true],"blogus-slider-full":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-scaled.jpg",1080,720,false],"blogus-featured":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-scaled.jpg",1024,683,false],"blogus-medium":["https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GfOuPGabgAAZjDy-2-scaled.jpg",570,380,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"eastwavemag","author_link":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/author\/eastwavemag\/"},"uagb_comment_info":6,"uagb_excerpt":"Hello everyone! If you&#8217;re into Japanese rock bands, this interview is for you! In 2017, after playing with different bands, Shunma Shirai, the vocalist of Arakezuri, answered our questions about himself and the band. Enjoy! 1. Hello! Thank you for accepting our interview offer! First of all, could you briefly introduce yourself? Hey there, thank&hellip;","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":627,"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions\/627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jmusejournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}