YUZU

Overview

Yuzu (ゆず) is a Japanese pop-rock and folk duo from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its members are Yūjin Kitagawa (born January 14, 1977; vocals, guitar, leader) and Kōji Iwasawa (born October 14, 1976; vocals, guitar). Pioneers among street-musician folk duos, they are regarded as leaders of the second street-live movement that began around 1997. Their fans are called "Yuzukko" and their official fan club, founded in October 1998, is "Yuzunowa" (ゆずの輪). Signature songs include "Natsuiro," "Shonen," "Tobenai Tori" and "Eiko no Kakehashi" ("Bridge of Glory"), the last of which was used by NHK as its official Olympic theme song in 2004.

Career

Formation and indie days

The two met in elementary school but barely knew each other, only becoming close when they landed in the same class in their final year of junior high. After attending different high schools they formed a four-piece band with friends, which led to the duo forming in March 1996. They were first called "Light's"; Kitagawa disliked the name and, after eating yuzu sherbet, renamed the act "Yuzu." They performed mainly in front of Yokohama Matsuzakaya in Isezakicho, and with Jun Sky Walker(S) bassist Yoshito Teraoka as producer, released the indie album Yuzu no Moto on October 25, 1997.

Major debut and rise

Yuzu debuted on a major label with the mini album Yuzuman on February 21, 1998, followed by the first single "Natsuiro" (June 3) and first full album Yuzu Ikka (July 23), which sold nearly a million copies. The second single "Shonen" (September) gave them their first Oricon top 10, and their first concert tour, "Shoshin Ryoko," began that month. At their final street live on August 30, 1998, about 7,500 people gathered despite a typhoon. The 1999 album Yuzuen brought their first Oricon No. 1 and a million-seller; in 2000 "Aa, Seishun no Hibi" became their first No. 1 single, "Tobenai Tori" their best-selling single, and Tobira their biggest first-week sales. They held their first Tokyo Dome show in 2001 and in February 2003 released four limited singles (15th–18th) in four consecutive weeks.

2000s–2010s

Yuzu first appeared on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2003 (having declined an offer in 1999) and returned in 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013 and every year from 2015 to 2023, closing the show in 2017 with "Eiko no Kakehashi." In 2004 they received the Yokohama Culture Award's encouragement prize. They released their first best albums, Going [2001-2005] and Home [1997-2000], in 2005 and played Nissan Stadium; collaborated with Kazumasa Oda as "Yuzuoda" ("Christmas no Yakusoku," 2006) and with Kimaguren as "Yuzugren" ("two友," 2009); and marked their 10th anniversary with Yuzu no Ne 1997-2007. From the 2008 album Wonderful World, outside arrangers such as Koichi Tsutaya joined, changing their sound significantly. In 2009 they hosted the "Onnoya-sai" rock festival at Yokohama Stadium.

All their songs went on iTunes in March 2011, and Kitagawa wrote "T.W.L" for Kanjani8, their first song for another artist. After the Tohoku earthquake cancelled their Sendai show, they held a free street-style live there on May 3, drawing 3,000 fans. Also in 2011, "Hyōri Ittai," "Reason" and "Nagareboshi Kirari" served as ending themes for the anime Hunter × Hunter. The 15th-anniversary best album YUZU YOU arrived in 2012 with dome concerts in Osaka and Tokyo; the live films DOME DAY1/DAY2 took the top two spots on the Oricon DVD chart. They opened an official YouTube channel in 2013 and won the Japan Record Awards' Best Album Award for LAND; "Ame nochi Hareruya" earned an Excellence Award in 2014, the year they also won Best Artist at the Space Shower Music Video Awards. The 2015 acoustic shows "Ninin Sankyaku" at Yokohama Stadium yielded live albums 8.15 and 8.16, which took No. 1 and 2 on the album chart. In 2016 "Owaranai Uta" won Video of the Year, and their first Asia tour, "YUZU ASIA TOUR 2016 Summer NATSUIRO," visited Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Osaka and Tokyo, followed by Asia tours in 2017 and 2019 and the Tokyo Dome acoustic show "Yuzu nomi." From December 2017 to spring 2018, the "Yuzu 2018" project recruited 2,018 official members to create the PyeongChang Olympics support song "Uta Yell."

Recent activity

They released YUZU ARENA TOUR 2022 PEOPLE -ALWAYS with you- in October 2022, then the singles "SUBWAY" (June 2023) and "Beautiful" (August 2023). In April 2024 the K-Arena Yokohama live releases YUZU SPECIAL LIVE 2023 HIBIKI DAY1 (BLUE × FUTARI) and DAY2 (RED × ALL STARS) appeared. Further 2024 releases include "Chururi" (May), "Zukan" (single in July, album on July 31), a re-recorded "Natsuiro" and "Fukusen Kaishu" (July 17), "Chururi (feat. Takako Matsu)" (November) and "flowers" (December). The album Zukan includes "Jyujisei" ("Cross Star"), written for the story-driven ice show "Hyoen 2024 – The Miracle of the Cross Star," starring Olympic bronze medallist Daisuke Takahashi and loosely based on Kenji Miyazawa's Night on the Galactic Railroad; the show used existing Yuzu songs rearranged by Kenji Kawai, and the duo performed a short set after each show. In 2025 they released "GET BACK" (May), "Shibireru" (July) and "Yu" (August). In 2026, after visiting Fukushima Prefecture, they composed "Ikue" for NHK to remember the 2011 earthquake and encourage people to move forward, with Marihiko Hara collaborating; in June, as part of the same project, figure skater and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu performed a new program to "Ikue."

Musical style

Yuzu's music spans J-pop and folk. Credited with sparking a folk revival, they are labeled "neo-folk," though they describe themselves as a "Heisei refreshing folk duo." Early arrangements were nearly all by the duo and producer Yoshito Teraoka; since 2008 they have embraced outside arrangers, with Iwasawa likening it to letting different people "cook" with Yuzu as the ingredient. Their live shows are known for a group radio calisthenics warm-up, fans singing Yuzu songs such as "Okuru Uta" in place of encore calls, and a dance corner highlighted by "Natsuiro." Initially reluctant about streaming, they have embraced digital-only singles and early online releases since around 2009.