is a Japanese alternative rock band, signed to Toy's Factory. They debuted in 2003, with the album Aobozu.
Biography
Hozzy, Kamei and Fujimori were originally childhood friends, all coming from Odawara. In 1999, they formed a band in called in 1999, that was a cover band for Japanese punk band The Blue Hearts. In 2000, they changed the band's name to aobōzu (藍坊主) - the name of a mythical yōkai (Japanese folk legend ghost), however with a different kanji for ao (藍 instead of 青). In 2001, Yūichi Tanaka (a friend of Fujimori's since kindergarten) joined the band as its guitarist. The band then centred their live activities in their hometown, as well as around the Tokyo areas of Hachiōji and Shimokitazawa.
In 2002, the band produced their first self-published CD: . The following year, the band independently released their debut album Aobozu through Buddy Records, and had their songs featured on many punk compilation albums.
In 2004, the band's drummer Kamei left, and was replaced by a classmate of Tanakas, Takurō Watanabe, as a session drummer. The band then made their major debut under Toy's Factory, Hiroshige Blue, which reached the top 30 on the Oricon albums charts.
Since then, the band has toured exclusively, gradually gaining more fame. Their 2010 album Mizukane reached the top 10 on Oricon.
Discography Albums Year Album InformationOricon albumschart positions2003 Released: February 12, 2003 Label: Buddy (DLCR-03021)1252004 Major label debut album Released: May 12, 2004 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86155)302005 Released: May 18, 2005 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86180)292006 Released: April 26, 2006 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86194)262008 Released: April 2, 2008 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86251)152010 Released: February 17, 2010 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86321)102011 Released: April 27, 2011 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86255)—2012 Released: April 18, 2012 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86381)—2013 Released: May 15, 2013 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86438)—2013 Released: November 6, 2013 Label: Toy's Factory (TFCC-86447)—2014 Released: August 29, 2014 Label: Toy's Factory—2019 Released: July 10, 2019 Label: Toy's Factory35
Singles
Release Title Notes OriconSinglescharts Album2003Released under Buddy Records. 52Hiroshige BlueSole release under Hills Records. 662005First major label single. 35Soda 40Hanamidori2006 28 19Forestone2007 24 302008 29 28Mizukane2009 322010 21
References
External links Aobozu Official Site Toy's Factory Label Site Aobozu staff+member blog