Shishamo (stylised as SHISHAMO) is a Japanese band. Formed in 2010 while at high school in
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Kawasaki, officially Kawasaki City, is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the main cities of the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in Kanagawa Prefecture after Yokohama ...
, the band began releasing music in 2012.
Biography
The band formed in early 2010, after the original three members attended the
light music
Light music is a less-serious form of Western classical music, which originated in the 18th and 19th centuries and continues today. Its heyday was in the mid‑20th century. The style is through-composed, usually shorter orchestral pieces and ...
club during their first year of high school at Kawasaki City High School for Science and Technology.
Asako Miyazaki and Aya Matsumoto had been childhood friends, but Misaki Yoshikawa met the others for the first time at high school.
The band named themselves after
shishamo
, or ''Spirinchus lanceolatus'', is an anadromous smelt native to Hokkaido, Japan.
Description
This fish averages 15 centimeters in length, with a maximum recorded length of 70 cm. It is generally dark on the back with a silver-white unders ...
, a type of small fish commonly eaten in Japan, however they originally spelled their name in
kanji
are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
, .
In 2011 they started writing original music.
In May, the band competed at the Teens Rock in Hitachinaka music contest, where they won the grand prize and the best vocalist award.
After this, the band decided to spell their band name "SHISHAMO" in
Latin script
The Latin script, also known as the Roman script, is a writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae in Magna Graecia. The Gree ...
.
The band released their debut CD in October with "Shukudai ga Owaranai", a single exclusively sold at
Tower Records
Tower Records is an international retail franchising, franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when ...
. At the same time, the band members became radio personalities for ''All Night Nippon R''.
In January 2013, they released ''Sotsugyō Seisaku'', a compilation of their songs recorded while at high school, and toured Japan in March.
In Spring 2013, after graduating high school, the band members began devoting their time fully to the band, releasing their debut album ''Shishamo'' in November.
On December 6, 2013, the band held their first solo concert at the Shibuya WWW in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
.
After performing their second national tour "Kanojo ga Dekita Bandman ni Koi Suru Kyūjitsu" in May, the band performed at nine summer festivals across Japan, and released the single "Kimi to NatsuFes".
On September 11, 2014, the band announced that Aya Matsumoto was leaving Shishamo, due to a promise to herself made in high school to leave the band when she turned 20. She was replaced by bassist Aya Matsuoka, and the band released the single "Ryōsangata Kareshi".
Shishamo provided the opening theme for the anime adaptation of
''Flower and Asura'', which premiered in January 2025. Regarding the song, titled "Jibun Kakumei", Miyazaki explained that she wrote the track with the story in mind and hoped that it would help listeners to have the courage to change themselves like the main character.
Members
* is the band's vocalist and guitarist, as well as the primary songwriter.
* is the band's drummer and considered the band leader by the members.
* is the band's bassist. Originally from
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
, she joined the band on September 11, 2014, replacing original member Aya Matsumoto.
Former members
* was a founding member of the band, and the band's former bassist. After declaring that she would leave the band when she turned 20, she left the band on September 11, 2014.
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Promotional singles
Notes
References
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shishamo (band)
2010 establishments in Japan
Japanese rock music groups
Musical groups established in 2010
Musical groups from Kanagawa Prefecture
Female musical trios
Japanese musical trios
Japanese all-female bands