Himekami

Himekami
Origin	Wakayanagi, Miyagi Japan
Genres	New-age
Years active	1980-present
Labels	Higher Octave Music
Website	himekami.jp
Members	Yoshiaki Hoshi Wakako Nakajima Tomoko Fujii Junko Shiwa Yoriko Sano
Past members	Yoshiaki Hoshi

Himekami (姫神) is a Japanese New Age musical group, founded in 1980 by composer Yoshiaki Hoshi as Himekami Sensation (姫神せんせいしょん Himekami Senseishon),^[1] changing its name to Himekami in 1984.

The band's name is derived from Mount Himekami in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture.

The group's current line-up consists of synthesizer player Yoshiki Hoshi (星吉紀) and vocalists Wakako Nakajima, Tomoko Fujii, Junko Shiwa, and Yoriko Sano.

The album Ama Takami no Kuni was the first released by the group following founder Hoshi's death in October 2004. Higher Octave Music has released a number of their albums in North America.

Albums

As Himekami Sensation

• Oku no Hosomichi (奥の細道) (1981, based on the work by Matsuo Bashō)
• Tōno (遠野) (1982)
• Himekami (姫神) (1982, main theme for the Tetsutarō Murano film Shiroikawa)
• Himekami Densetsu (姫神伝説) (1983)

Sources:^[2]

As Himekami

• Mahoroba (まほろば) (1984, collaboration with YAS-KAZ)
• Kaidō (海道) (1985, collaboration with YAS-KAZ, theme of NHK Gurutto Kaidō 3000km)
• Hokuten Gensō (北天幻想) (1986)
• Setsufu (雪譜) (1987)
• Toki o Mitsumete (時をみつめて) (1988, soundtrack for the 32nd Yukunen Kurunen celebration)
• Fūdoki (風土記) (1989)
• Ihatove Hidakami (イーハトーヴォ日高見) (1990)
• Zipangu Himekami (ZIPANGU姫神 Jipangu Himekami) (1992)
• Homura (炎 -HOMURA-) (1993, the song "Kaze no Inori" on this album is used as the theme song for the "Homura Kikō" segment of the NHK Taiga Drama Homura Tatsu)
• Tsugaru (東日流) (1994)
• Mayohiga (マヨヒガ) (1995)
• Jōdō Mandala (浄土曼陀羅 Jōdō Mandara) (1995)
• Kaze no Jōmon (風の縄文) (1996)
• Kaze no Jōmon 2: Toki no Sora (風の縄文2 久遠(とき)の空) (1997)
• Jōmon Kairyū: Kaze no Jōmon3 (縄文海流 風の縄文3) (1998, winner of the 40th Japan Record Project Award)^[3]
• Seed (シード Shīdo) (1999)
• Sennen Kairō (千年回廊) (2000)
• Gensō Suikoden III (幻想水滸伝III) (2002, opening theme for the original soundtrack)
• Aoi Hana (青い花) (2003)
• Kaze no Densetsu (風の伝説) (2004)
• Ama Takami no Kuni (天∴日高見乃國) (2008-02-04 (released via the web), 2008-04-02 (released in stores))

Sources: ^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Singles

• Oku no Hosomichi (奥の細道) (1981)
• Kaidō o Yuku (海道を行く) (1985, collaboration with YAS-KAZ, theme of NHK Gurutto Kaidō 3000km)
• Tōku he Ikitai (遠くへいきたい) (1994, collaboration with Oyunna)
• Miagereba, Hanabira (見上げれば、花びら) (1996)
• Kamigami no Uta (神々の詩) (1998, theme song from the TBS series by the same title)
• Mirai no Hitomi (未来の瞳) (2000, theme song from the TBS series by the same title)

Sources: ^{[2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}

References

1. "Himekami (Japan)". Encyclopedia of Electronic Music. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
2. "All Works of HIMEKAMI: 1981-1983　＝オリジナルアルバム＆シングル（1981年～1983年）＝" (in Japanese). HIMEKAMI Station. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
3. 第40回日本レコード大賞 (in Japanese). 日本レコード大賞. 1998. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
4. "All Works of HIMEKAMI: 1984-1985　＝オリジナルアルバム＆シングル（1984年～1985年）＝" (in Japanese). HIMEKAMI Station. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
5. "All Works of HIMEKAMI: 1986-1989　＝オリジナルアルバム＆シングル（1986年～1989年）＝" (in Japanese). HIMEKAMI Station. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
6. "All Works of HIMEKAMI: 1990-1994　＝オリジナルアルバム＆シングル（1990年～1994年）＝" (in Japanese). HIMEKAMI Station. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
7. "All Works of HIMEKAMI: 1995-1997　＝オリジナルアルバム＆シングル（1995年～1997年）＝" (in Japanese). HIMEKAMI Station. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
8. "All Works of HIMEKAMI: 1998-2002　＝オリジナルアルバム＆シングル（1998年～2002年）＝" (in Japanese). HIMEKAMI Station. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
9. "All Works of HIMEKAMI: 2003-2004　＝オリジナルアルバム＆シングル（2003年～2004年）＝" (in Japanese). HIMEKAMI Station. Retrieved 2008-06-07.

External links

• (Japanese) Official site
• (Japanese) Official Toshiba EMI site