Yamazaru

Yamazaru formed in 2005 as a quartet of university students: Megumi Manabe on vocals, Ryouta Shiiki on guitar, Takaaki Saito on bass, and Kenta Yamamoto on drums. They released five studio albums over the next decade and a half, with their third album "Sora no Kanata" in 2012 featuring the single "Kaze." That song became their biggest hit, topping Japanese charts and bringing them wider recognition.

In 2014, the band faced plagiarism accusations when some listeners noted similarities between the melody of "Kaze" and a traditional Irish tune. Yamazaru denied the allegations, saying they'd drawn inspiration from elsewhere. Their lyrics, often introspective and melancholic, also drew criticism from some who found them overly pessimistic, though the band maintained their artistic approach.

Yamazaru continued performing and releasing music after "Kaze," but internal tensions grew. In 2019, after fourteen years together, they announced their decision to disband. Songs like "Kimi No Taiyou" and "Kaze" remain in circulation, but the group itself hasn't recorded new material since.