Yuzu

Yuzu formed in 1996 as the high school project Lights in Yokohama, where Kitagawa Yujin and Iwasawa Koji first joined forces. The primarily acoustic Japanese pop/rock duo quickly developed a lush and upbeat sound. After beginning as street performers, the pair turned professional and issued their debut EP, Yuzu No Su, through Senha & Co., a Toy's Factory subsidiary, in October 1997. They maintained a demanding release pace in the following years, delivering the follow-up mini-album Yuzuman and their first full-length, Yuzu Ikka, in 1998; two additional studio albums, Kajiki - Sakura Saku Hen and Yuzuen, plus four singles in 1999; and the 2000 LP Tobira. Commercial impact followed swiftly, as Yuzuman surpassed 200,000 copies sold while Yuzu Ikka remained on the charts for 17 months. After a two-year recording hiatus, the duo returned to a consistent output in 2002, completing three albums by 2004 and unveiling Ribbon in 2006. Sufficient catalog depth already existed for retrospective collections issued in 2005 and 2007. The latter anthology, Yuzu No Ne: 1997-2007, reached the annual Oricon Album Top 80, a ranking also attained by the single “Harukaze,” recorded alongside violinist Hakase Tarou. That same year Yuzu contributed the track “Ashita Tenki Ni Nare” to the film Shaberedomo Shaberedomo. Their 2008 release Wonderful World, produced by composer Joe Hisaishi—a longtime collaborator of anime director Hayao Miyazaki—was captured with a 70-piece orchestra.