Boowy

Boøwy rose to become one of Japan’s dominant rock acts throughout the 1980s, yet the group first had to surmount both the usual struggles of an untested ensemble and outright resistance from a domestic music industry that frowned on self-managed outfits controlling their own promotion. The story began in 1979 in Takasaki, where Himuro Kyosuke and Hotei Tomoyasu competed in a local contest; Himuro’s group Death Penalty took first place while Hotei’s band placed second. Victory brought Himuro a recording contract and a move to Tokyo with his band, whereas Hotei, still a student, was expelled and followed to the capital roughly a year afterward. Death Penalty disbanded soon after the relocation, prompting Himuro to front Spinach Power briefly before exiting that unit in 1980. He then recruited the newly arrived Hotei to form a fresh project. After auditions, the lineup stabilized with Himuro on vocals, Hotei on guitar, Moroboshi Atsushi on guitar, Matsui Tsunematsu on bass, Fuazawa Matusaki on saxophone, and Kimura Mamoru on drums, performing at the time under the name Boui.

Extensive live work and mailed demo tapes eventually secured a deal with Victor Entertainment. The ensuing period proved unsettled: Takahashi Makoto replaced Kimura in 1981, and the rebranded Boøwy issued its debut album, Moral, the following year. A shift toward pop caused Fuazawa and Moroboshi to depart, leaving the four-piece core of Himuro, Hotei, Takahashi, and Matsui that would persist until 1987. In 1983 the band made its pivotal break, leaving Victor to handle promotion, management, and releases independently under the guidance of former Blue Film member Tsuchiya Mamoru. The Japanese industry, unsympathetic to such DIY efforts unlike scenes in the U.K. or U.S., offered neither support nor coverage. Word-of-mouth from consistently strong concerts gradually built momentum, earning the group a contract with the smaller Yui label and, later, Toshiba EMI.

Commercial traction arrived in 1985 with the successful album Boøwy. Over the next two years the quartet issued four additional releases—three studio efforts and one live set—establishing themselves as Japan’s most popular act. Internal friction between the founding members contributed to the December 1987 announcement of disbandment, followed by a pair of farewell concerts in April 1988. Both Himuro and Hotei subsequently enjoyed prosperous solo careers.