Tomoyasu Hotei

Hotei released his 18th solo studio album, Guitarhythm VI in May 2019, 10 years after Guitarhythm V. It featured artist collaborations with Man With A Mission, Cornelius and Tsunematsu Matsui and Makoto Takahashi from his former band Boowy, and keyboard player Mike Garson, best known for his work with David Bowie. The album release was preceded by three single releases in the month before release, with lead single "Give It To The Universe" becoming Hotei's fastest streamed track up to that point including all previous releases.

Hotei continued his live collaborations with Zucchero Fornaciari, joining him at two arena shows in Turin and Milan in January 2018, and then for two spectacular shows in Piazza San Marco, in Venice in July, for the "Wanted - Un'altra storia Tour".

On 20th October 2018 Hotei performed his first headline show in London for three years, at a special concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire, featuring his largest band presentation in the West, including a horn section, backing vocalists and featuring special guest Zucchero. The concert was again filmed for streaming by NTT in Japan. Hotei also toured again in Europe, with a return to Brussels and Zurich and his first headline show in Milan, which also featured Zucchero as special guest.

Hotei ended 2018 with his first tour of Japan that was not tied in with an album release. The "Tonight I'm Yours" Tour featured repertoire from all of Hotei's career and visited 18 Japanese cities. He performed live on Kohaku Uta Gassen on 31st December in Tokyo, his second performance on the major New Year's Eve TV show.

In February 2017 Hotei joined Zucchero Fornaciari on stage at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy and returned to Arena di Verona in May for two more performances.

In April 2017 Hotei completed his first tour of Europe, performing in 8 cities in Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Belgium over 2 weeks, including Paaspop Festival in the Netherlands.

In May 2017 Hotei was special guest at Zucchero's first ever headline show in Tokyo with his own band. Hotei also performed his first headline live shows in Asia outside of Japan, in Taipei and Hong Kong.

Having completed the album in July, with recording largely taking place again in London, Hotei released his 17th solo album "Paradox" worldwide on 25th October 2017. It was Hotei's first Japanese language album since "Come Rain Come Shine" almost five years earlier. The album was launched with three lyric videos, for the songs "Dreamers are Lonely", "Amplifire" and "Hitokoto". Hotei completed the Paradox tour in Japan in December 2017.

Hotei's song "Kill to Love You" featuring Matt Tuck from British rock band Bullet for My Valentine was used in the UK trailers for Russian action movie Attraction in December 2017 and January 2018.

Hotei celebrated his 35th anniversary in music in 2016, which included 57 live shows in Japan in a variety of different venues, from small clubs to major arenas, and finishing with a 35-song performance at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo on 30 December.

As well as his anniversary, Hotei continued to work internationally to support his Strangers album release. In February 2016, Hotei performed showcases at Paradiso/Amsterdam, La Boule Noir/Paris and Cassiopeia/Berlin, with Noko on bass, Cliff Hewitt on drums, and in July 2016 he performed live in Los Angeles for the first time, selling out The Troubadour, and also returned to Highline Ballroom in New York.

A third single release from Strangers, "Move It" featuring Richard Kruspe from Rammstein was released in April 2016, and a fourth single, "Walking Through The Night" featuring Iggy Pop, was released in November.

Hotei contributed guitar to the Zucchero Fornaciari song "Ti voglio sposare" on Zucchero's Black Cat album, which was released in April 2016, beginning a series of collaborations between the two artists which included Zucchero's first ever performances in Tokyo in May 2016, accompanied by Hotei, at an event organised by the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, and Hotei's first ever live appearance in Italy, at Zucchero's record-breaking Verona Arena run of dates, in September.

Hotei's released the single "How The Cookie Crumbles" featuring Iggy Pop on vocals in June, the first single to be released from his forthcoming second English-language solo album Strangers, which was released by Spinefarm Records/ Universal Music on October 16, 2015. It was his first album to be released globally outside Japan. It includes several songs released on New Beginnings. In addition to Iggy Pop, it also features Richard Kruspe from Rammstein, Matthew Tuck from Bullet for My Valentine, Noko and Shea Seger. The album release was accompanied by a performance at Islington Assembly Hall in London, with special guests Shea Seger and Gary Stringer from British rock band Reef (band).

On March 6, 2014, Hotei was invited to join The Rolling Stones on stage during the final show of their tour in Japan. Hotei joined the group as a surprise guest at the Tokyo Dome concert, playing the song "Respectable" before a crowd of 53,000 fans.

Hotei's most famous song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" was selected for a nationwide TV commercial in the UK for Buxton Water's "Naturally Pumped Up" campaign. The campaign launched in June 2014, with plans to run for six months.

Joined by band members Zachary Alford (drums), Tony Grey (bass), and Toshiyuki Kishi (keyboard/programming), Hotei played a series of private shows and summer festivals during June, July, and August 2014. This included appearances at England's Cornbury Festival, Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival, and the UK's Y Not Festival. An earlier warmup gig was held at The Lexington in London, and Hotei was also invited to perform solo as a special guest of Lord March during the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Live4Ever covered the Y Not Festival, describing Hotei as "undoubtedly the coolest man on site during his afternoon set on the main stage, performing instrumental sections fit for several people in his ability to flick between technically staggering solos and crunching guitar chords whilst jumping around the stage like an excitable Duracell rabbit."

Hotei wrote and performed the theme song, "Trick Attack (Theme of Lupin The Third)", to the 2014 live-action film adaptation of the Lupin III manga.

After spending much of the year writing and recording with a variety of collaborators, the album New Beginnings was released in Japan on October 1, 2014, the title a reflection of Hotei's new chapter in his career in music, after relocating to London. Iggy Pop contributed lyrics and vocals to two tracks on the album and Vula Malinga vocals to one.

Although based in London, Hotei travels frequently between Japan and the UK for concert tours, recording, and event appearances. In February 2013, BBC World News ran a feature on Hotei and his recent life in London.

On February 1, 2012, Hotei performed a concert at the Saitama Super Arena to celebrate his 50th birthday. Former Boøwy drummer Makoto Takahashi appeared as a special guest and together they played Boøwy's "Justy" and "No. New York". Hotei made his directorial debut in April 2012, with the stage play Psychedelic Pain, for which he also wrote the music. On May 8, it was announced that Hotei will move to London in June, in hopes of starting an international career.

After years of spending a great deal of time in the UK, Hotei and his family relocated fully to London in June 2012, primarily for Hotei to pursue his dream of an international career. Hotei played his first major show in the UK in December 2012 at The Roundhouse in London. In November 2013 Hotei played 2 headline shows, first at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, and then at the Highline Ballroom' in New York. In an interview with the Financial Times, Hotei commented, “Last year I turned 50...time goes quickly, it’s my last chance to try and get my dream. I want to play all over the world.”

On July 30 and 31, 2011, Hotei and Kikkawa reunited as Complex for two nights at the Tokyo Dome. All proceeds were donated to aid the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

On June 14, 2007, Hotei allegedly assaulted his friend and punk rock singer Kō Machida. The incident happened when the two men got into an argument about a band they planned on forming together. Machida filed a police report on the 18th, and Hotei was ordered to pay a fine of 300,000 yen on October 1.

Hotei collaborated with Char for the 2006 single "Stereocaster". The following year he, Char and Brian Setzer held a short joint tour.

In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV Japan's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He ranked second in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan. An iconic artist in his native Japan, he moved to London in 2012 and continues to perform and release music globally. Internationally Hotei is best known for his song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity," which has been featured in numerous films, commercials, video games, and events, most notably Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill.

Tomoyasu Hotei has been married twice. He married singer Kumiko Yamashita in January 1986; they divorced in November 1997. He has been married to singer and actress Miki Imai since June 1999. They have a daughter (born July 26, 2002).

Hotei has recorded with many foreign musicians, including; playing on The Stranglers Hugh Cornwell's 1993 solo album, on stage with David Bowie at the Nippon Budokan in 1996, and at the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics with Michael Kamen. He later recorded Guitar Concerto with Kamen. He has worked with Andy Mackay of Roxy Music, guitarist Chris Spedding and Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones. Hotei also sometimes tours Europe, including at a number of major festivals. His regular drummer in recent years, Zachary Alford, has previously played with Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie. Hotei's 1998 album Supersonic Generation, recorded in part with Apollo 440 and Ofra Haza, was released in 14 European countries.

After the break up of Boøwy, Hotei released his debut solo album "Guitarhythm" in 1988 via EMI Records, and established himself as a solo artist. Throughout the 1990s Hotei's profile continued to grow in Japan, with regular album releases supported by major tours and with Hotei writing songs and producing for other artists, including collaborations with both Japanese and international artists. Hotei also made two albums with Koji Kikkawa as Complex, both of which went to number one in the national charts. Guitarhythm is currently his only album sung completely in English. Hotei has recorded most of his albums outside of Japan, largely in Europe, including in London, Berlin, and Montreux.

After being expelled from high school, Hotei traveled to Tokyo. He became better acquainted with Kyosuke Himuro and they decided to hold auditions for a new band, which in 1981 became the six-member Bōi (暴威 , lit. "Tyranny") . After changing their name to Boøwy, they released their first album Moral in 1982. They then became a quartet and went on to become major stars in Japan, releasing six studio albums in six years, and even playing the Marquee Club in London in 1985. In 1986 they released their first million-selling album, Beat Emotion. In 1988, the year they broke up, they became the first male artists to have three number-one albums within a single year on the Oricon chart. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Boøwy at number 22 on their list of the "100 Most Important Japanese Pop Acts".

Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋 寅泰 , Hotei Tomoyasu, born on February 1, 1962, in Takasaki, Gunma) , also known simply as Hotei (/ˈ h oʊ t eɪ / HOH -tay) is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer and actor. With a career spanning more than 35 years, Hotei claims record sales of over 40 million copies and has collaborated with acclaimed artists from around the world. Hotei first rose to prominence in the 1980s as the guitarist for Boøwy, one of Japan's most popular rock bands, before starting a solo career.

Hotei collaborated again with major Japanese entertainment brand Hokuto No Ken(Fist of the North Star) in September, for their 35th birthday anniversary, with a new single called "202X", which was accompanied by an animated video and a second song "Boombastic".

Hotei did an exclusive live streaming performance from British Grove Studios in London on 24th March, for a NTT phone app. The one hour performance at 1pm was able to be watched live in Japan at 10pm and available for a few weeks thereafter.