Tomoyasu Hotei

Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋 寅泰, Hotei Tomoyasu; born February 1, 1962), also known simply as Hotei ( HOH-tay), is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer and actor. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Hotei claims record sales of over 40 million copies and has collaborated with 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. In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV'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 2005 and continues to perform and release music globally. Hotei's song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" has been featured in numerous films, commercials, video games, and events, including Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill. Early life Hotei was born to a Korean father and a Russian-born Japanese mother. He first began playing the guitar in junior high school. Inspired by a poster of T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, he stole money from his mother's purse and bought a Stratocaster at fourteen years old. His first band, Blue Film, finished runners up in a school contest to Death Penalty, a band led by Kyosuke Himuro. Hotei was expelled shortly before graduation, because, when warned about his long hair he replied "Jesus had long hair!" Career Boøwy (1981–1988) 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.