Honoka's favorite place she’s visited so far is "Kamikōchi."“It was so amazing, I can’t even put it into words.”
- ko shinonome
- Apr 22
- 2 min read
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Honoka. I was born in 2002, and I’m a singer-songwriter.I mainly perform live with a band setup and work on recording music as well.
If there’s a reason you started doing music, please tell us.
I first picked up a guitar in junior high school when I was given my grandfather’s acoustic guitar.That’s when I fell in love with music. I wanted to try playing in a band in high school, so I joined the light music club.Later, I went on to study at a music university, and it was in my second year there that I decided to officially start my music career.In 2022, I released my first song, "Risouron", which I had written when I was 16.Since then, I’ve written a few more songs and started performing live as well.
Tell us about your latest release.
On April 16th, I released a new song called "Shizen Kōen" ("Natural Park").I had previously released a song titled "Ikiteiru" ("I'm Alive"), which is one of my personal favorites. I started working on "Shizen Kōen" wondering what it would sound like if I created something with that same feeling, but from my current environment and emotional state.
As always, I got help from Ryo Nishio, who I rely on a lot for the sound and guitar work. He’s incredibly dependable—I always send him my demos first as soon as they’re ready. There’s a section in the second half of "Shizen Kōen" where the tempo slows down, and I don’t think I would’ve been satisfied with it on my own. He sent me some ideas for the guitar part, saying “how about something like this?” and I loved it so much I used all of it.
That’s how the current version of the track came to be. Not just guitar—his arrangement ideas are full of possibilities I don’t have myself. He’s definitely one of the people I deeply respect.
Please give "Shizen Kōen" a listen!
Tell us about a place you’ve visited that left a strong impression on you.
I went to Kamikōchi about a year and a half ago. At the time, I was going through a tough period mentally, and my mom suggested we go there—she said it was a beautiful place and that it might help me feel better. So we took a family trip, which we hadn’t done in a while.
It was the first time I had ever seen such a stunningly clear river. It was so beautiful that words can’t really describe it.It’s a bit hard to get to from Tokyo, but even so, it’s definitely a place I want to visit again someday!
Other places with stunning nature that left a strong impression on me:
Kusasenrigahama (Mount Aso, Kumamoto)
Kohamajima (Okinawa)
Hachijōjima (Tokyo Islands)
Do you have any upcoming announcements?
Yes! I have a self-produced live event coming up on May 22, 2025, at TOKIO TOKYO.It’s a two-man show with Ressentiment, a band from the same generation. I’m really fired up for this one—it’s definitely a show I want people to see!
For more details, check here
Honoka - 穂ノ佳
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