Huwie Ishizaki

Overview

Huwie Ishizaki (石崎ひゅーい, born March 7, 1984) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor from Mito, Ibaraki. Signed to Sony Music Labels and releasing through Epic Records Japan, he made his major debut in 2012 with the mini album Dai-san Wakusei Kōkyōkyoku. His work spans J-POP and anime tie-ins, and he is also an established actor on screen and stage and a songwriter for other artists such as Masaki Suda and Aina the End. He charted on Billboard Japan's Hot Lyricist and Composer in November 2021, and as of March 2026 he has released six full albums.

Early Life

His name comes from Zowie, the son of David Bowie, whose music his mother loved. Through her he grew up listening to Bowie and Tom Waits, and trips to Tokyo concerts with his mother sparked his desire for self-expression. In middle school he loved SPEED and Shazna-style J-POP; today he cites Koji Tamaki, Yosui Inoue and Takuro Yoshida as singers he respects. He was a Boy Scout in his last year of middle school and enjoys visiting the bars featured on the TV show Sakaba Hōrōki.

Career

Band Years

In middle school he joined a friend's band as vocalist (known as mighty duck) and played local live houses in Mito; he also joined a children's theater group at his mother's wish. He left the band in his first year at college in Tokyo (Wako University), and in October 2004 formed the rock band Astrocoast, which focused on Japanese-language songs. At a live venue in Yokohama he met producer Akira Sudo, who persuaded him to go solo. Astrocoast disbanded in November 2010.

2010s

• 2012: On July 25 he debuted on Epic Records Japan with the mini album Dai-san Wakusei Kōkyōkyoku, which won Space Shower TV's July Power Push and M-ON's August Recommend. Its songs drew on real events such as the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake, along with personal songs about his mother. His first single, "Fantastic Radio," followed in November, and iTunes Japan named him one of its "12 Artists to Watch."
• 2013: "Yakan Hikō" (June 5) became the ending theme of the drama Minna! ESPer Dayo!; his first full album Dokuritsu Zen'ya (July 17) marked his debut anniversary; "Mayday, Mayday" (November 27) served as the theme of the 2013 Judo Grand Slam Tokyo.
• 2014: Second mini album Dakara Carnation wa Sukidenai (April 2) and the double single "Peanut Butter/Nakimushi Hacchi" (June 25). "Hoshi o Tsukamaete" was the ending theme of a Haikyu!! spin-off film.
• 2015: He published his first novel, Sayonara, Tōkyō Merīgōrando (February 26). For the song "Boku ga Iruso!" he published his phone number in the music video and personally answered incoming calls during a set period. In June he made his stage debut in Gekidan Shikagoroshi's rock opera Kanojo no Kigen, and in September released "Otamajakushi." He was also featured on NEWS ZERO.
• 2016: The second album Kabin no Hana (May 18) includes the title song written for a friend's wedding before his debut; Masaki Suda called it "the best love song in the world." A companion short film won an Excellence Award in the Music Video category at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2016. "Pino to Amélie" was the second ending theme of Naruto: Shippuden's 21st season, and the third album Atarazumotookarazu, produced by Akira Sudo, followed on December 7. That month he made his film debut as Yuji Soga in Japanese Girls Never Die.
• 2017–2019: He wrote "Sayonara Elegy" for Masaki Suda, and released the best album Huwie Best (March 28, 2018), compiled from fan votes, followed by a free live at Yoyogi Park on April 12. He performed "Encore" for the drama Heisei Bashiru and "Anata wa Doko ni Iruno" for Sasurai Onsen Endō Ken'ichi, in 2019 played Takashi Nozoe in Sora no Restaurant, and sang "Parade," a secondary ending theme of the anime Case File nº221: Kabukicho.

2020s

In July 2020 he released a digital-only cover of Miyuki Nakajima's "Ito" with Masaki Suda, as the theme of the film Ito. In May 2021 he released "Ayame," the ending theme of the drama Keishichō Sōsa Ikkachō season 5, and appeared on FNS Music Festival in December. His acting credits include Hidarikiki no Eren, Paripi Kōmei (drama in 2023 and the 2025 film) and, in 2025, Jā, anta ga tsukutte miro yo and Sinanthropus. He has also hosted a TBS Radio program since January 2023.

Recent Releases

• 2022: single "Hanataba" (May 19)
• 2023: "Wasuregataki," "Kaikō," "Niji," and the album Uchū Hyakkei (July 26)
• 2024: ensemble versions of "Uchū Hyakkei," "Sayonara Elegy," "Wasuregataki" and "Niji" (June 5); "Season2," "Sunny Days," and the album night milk (November 27)
• 2025: "HERO," "Shōgayaki," and "someday" (November 26)

Musical Style

Ishizaki is known for raw, emotive vocals and songs that blend everyday reality with fantastical imagery. Guitarist Marty Friedman praised the palpable "tremble" in his voice. He credits his mother for his strongest influence, including the fantasy elements in his songs. Live, he sometimes performs solo on piano or guitar but mostly concentrates on singing, moving energetically around the stage with his distinctive jumps. He is friends with artists such as Sekaikan Ozaki (Creepy Nuts-style peers in the scene, of Creephyp) and Sōhei Oyamada (andymori).