Miyavi: Movies & Box Office

Miyavi, born Takamasa Ishihara on September 14, 1981 in the Nishikujō district of Konohana‑ku, Osaka, Japan, is a multifaceted Japanese artist celebrated for his pioneering finger‑slapping guitar technique and charismatic stage presence. Growing up with a Japanese mother and a Korean father, he initially pursued a promising football career, even joining the junior team of Cerezo Osaka, before a sports injury at age fifteen redirected his passion to music. He bought his first guitar, immersed himself in a wide spectrum of influences—from visual kei icons X Japan and Luna Sea to blues legends Ray Charles, Motown, Metallica, and Nine Inch Nails—and formed his first visual‑kei band, Loop, during junior high.

At seventeen he moved to Tokyo and joined the visual‑kei rock group Dué le Quartz, adopting the stage name “Miyabi.” After the band dissolved in 2002, he launched a solo career under the moniker MIYAVI, signing with PS Company and releasing his debut album Gagaku in 2002. Over the next two decades he experimented across rock, pop, funk, electronica, and hip‑hop, achieving mainstream success with albums such as Miyavizm (2005), This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock (2008), and The Others (2015). His international profile expanded through worldwide tours, the formation of super‑groups S.K.I.N. and The Last Rockstars, and collaborations with artists including Sugizo, Yuksek, and Jam & Lewis. Beyond music, Miyavi has acted in Hollywood productions like Unbroken (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and the live‑action Bleach (2018), and he lends his voice to anime such as ID:Invaded. A dedicated humanitarian, he volunteers with UNHCR, became a Goodwill Ambassador in 2017, and frequently uses his platform to support refugee causes. He married Japanese‑American singer Melody in 2009, and the couple has three children, balancing family life with an ever‑evolving artistic journey.