:Michiya Haruhata

{{Infobox musical artist

|name = Michiya Haruhata
春畑道哉

|alias = UNI

|background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|11|5}}

|genre = Japanese pop, Pop Rock, Rock

|occupations = Guitarist, composer, arranger, record producer

|years_active = 1985–present

|label = Sony Music Entertainment Japan

|website = https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MichiyaHaruhata/

}}

{{nihongo|Michiya Haruhata|春畑道哉|Haruhata Michiya|born November 5, 1966}} is a Japanese musical composer, guitarist and music producer under Sony Music Entertainment Japan. He is a member of the pop rock band Tube.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MichiyaHaruhata|title=春畑道哉 | ソニーミュージックオフィシャルサイト|website=Sonymusic.co.jp|access-date=28 July 2022}}

Biography

As a child he was interested in learning piano, however later he was influenced by his father who owned an acoustic guitar. In middle school, he formed the school band Rainbow and was the lead guitarist. In high school he formed amateurs band; Backing M with each of the members coming from different school, Michiya’s role being as the guitarist. In 1984, Michiya took part in the music festival Silc Road held by music agency Being Inc, where he won an award for best guitarist. On the same festival was Nobuteru Maeda, who won the award for best vocalist. With Nobutoru and two more members, Ryoji Matsumoto and Hideyuki Kakuno, they had one year of activity in the amateur band "Pipeline".「BLUE MEMORIES TUBE」(1994) {{ISBN|4-05-400354-0}}

All the members were gathered together and in 1985 made their major debut with the band Tube under Sony Music Entertainment Japan. As of 2023 Michiya is still a active member. Two years later in 1987, he started his solo career with the release of the instrumental album Drivin'.{{Cite web |last=Calvosa |first=Antonio |title=The Japanese guitar heros: Michiya Haruhata and Ken |url=https://www.fuzzfaced.net/michiya-haruhata-signature-explained.html |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Fuzzfaced.net |language=en}}

In 1992, he started expanding his musical activities by composing and arranging for artists such as Twinzer, Mi-Ke and Zard.{{cite web|title=Profile Michiya Haruhata on Vgmdb|url=https://vgmdb.net/artist/22408|website=vgmdb.net}} Between years 1996 and 1999, he would temporarily resume his solo career and started his producing records for the Japanese singer Kanae.{{Cite web|url=https://artist.cdjournal.com/a/kanae/106929|title=佳苗|language=japanese|website=CDJournal}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.guanbarl.jp/LINKS/kanae.html#pro|title=佳苗 Profile from Official website|website=guanbarl.jp}} During the same period, he and Nobutoru formed the production project; Pipeline Project, the name being taken from their amateur period time, where they would contribute compositions, lyrics and arrangements as a duo to various Japanese artists.

Michiya was given his own Signature Model Stratocaster from Fender in 2002.{{Cite web|url=http://www.haruhata.com/biography/|title = どうやってポーカーを覚えましたか|website=Haruhata.com|date = 3 October 2020}}

In 2005, he was part of the guitarist session along with Takashi Masuzaki from the fusion band Dimension, and Yoshinobu Ohga from OOM and released together compilation album "Theatre Of Strings" produced and composed by japanese guitarist Tak Matsumoto from the rock band B'z.{{cite web|title=B'z松本のレーベル第2弾アルバムが完成!|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000013054|language=japanese|website=barks.jp}}{{cite web|title=Tak Matsumoto Discography-Theatre Of Strings|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000013054|language=japanese|website=Tak Matsumoto Official Website}}

Since 2012, the music agency Being has launched once-in-year event called Being Legend: Guitar summit, in which he performs on live venues with juniors such as Akihide from Breakerz, Hiroshi Shibazaki from Wands, Shinji Tagawa from Deen, Takashi Gomi from T-BOLAN and Takashi Masuzaki from Dimension.{{cite web|title=<BEING LEGEND ~Guitar Summit~>開催決定、五味孝氏に柴崎浩も登場|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000086271|language=japanese|website=Barksj.jp}}{{cite web|title=【蔵出しレポート】Being Guitar Summit @ブルーノート東京 2022.10.4|url=https://youngguitar.jp/live-report/being-guitar-summit-2022|language=japanese|website=youngguitar.jp}}

His song "Jaguar '08" was named the 31st best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019.{{cite web| title = ヤング・ギター厳選『ギター・インストの殿堂100』名演ランキング| work = Young Guitar Magazine | language =Japanese| date = 2019-06-11| url = https://youngguitar.jp/web/yg201907-ranking100 | access-date = 2019-06-13}}

In 2020, his instrumental album Continue received the award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year at the 34th Japan Gold Disc Award.{{Cite web |title=インストゥルメンタル・アルバム・オブ・ザ・イヤー|第34回日本ゴールドディスク大賞 |url=https://www.golddisc.jp/award/34/best-album17.html |website=日本ゴールドディスク大賞 |access-date=2022-05-27 |language=ja}}{{cite web|url= https://www.riaj.or.jp/f/pdf/issue/industry/RIAJ2020E.pdf|title= Yearly reports jp/riaj |author= |date=31 December 2019|website=Riaj.or.jp|access-date=13 June 2022}}{{Cite web |url=https://re-how.net/all/710333/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2022-07-14 |archive-date=2022-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714181634/https://re-how.net/all/710333/ |url-status=dead }}

Signature guitars

He is not only the first Japanese but the first Asian guitarist to be added to the Fender signature artist club. He is also one of few people to receive multiple Fender signature guitars, having three unique signature designs in the line:

The Michiya Haruhata Stratocaster (released in 2002)

The Michiya Haruhata BWL Stratocaster (released in 2005),

And the Michiya Haruhata III Stratocaster (released in 2022).

Usage in media

His song "J'S Theme" became the official theme song of the J.League, Japan's professional football (soccer) league. In 1993 he performed for 60,000 spectators live at the J-league opening ceremony at the national stadium.

His single "Kingdom of the Heavens" was made to be the theme song of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling tournament.

Discography

As of 2023, he has released 3 singles, 11 solo albums, 2 compilation albums, 1 EP and 3 digital releases.

=Studio albums=

class="wikitable"
#

!Release date

!Title

!Peak Position

!Code

1st

|1987

|Drivin'

| -

|28DH623{{cite web|title=Drivin'|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/7766/2/|website=Oricon News}}

2nd

|1987

|Smile on Me

| -

|32DH5217{{cite web|title=Smile on me|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/329893/products/529222/1/|website=Oricon News}}

3rd

|1990

|Guitar Land

|23

|CSCL1108{{cite web|title=Guitar Land|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/88756/2/|website=Oricon News}}

4th

|1991

|Dream Box

|27

|CSCL1658{{cite web|title=Dream Box|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/89101/1/|website=Oricon News}}

5th

|1992

|Moon

|27

|CSCL1658{{cite web|title=Moon|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/228261/1/|website=Oricon News}}

6th

|1993

|Real Time

|35

|SRCL2565{{cite web|title=Real Time|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/228492/1/|website=Oricon News}}

7th

|1995

|Color of Life

| -

|SRCL2943{{cite web|title=Color of Life|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/228836/1/|website=Oricon News}}

8th

|2000

|Red Bird

|42

|SRCL4924{{cite web|title=Red Bird|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/230422/1/|website=Oricon News|access-date=29 March 2025}}

9th

|2016

|Play the Life

|9

|AICL3187{{Cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/1196842/1/|title=Play the Life(初回生産限定盤) | 春畑道哉|website=Oricon.co.jp|access-date=28 July 2022}}

10th

|2019

|Continue

|13

|AICL3662{{Cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/1306555/1/|title=Continue(初回生産限定盤A) | 春畑道哉|website=Oricon.co.jp|access-date=28 July 2022}}

10th

|2022

|Spring Has Come

|13

|AICL4233{{Cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/1440530/1/|title=SPRING HAS COME | 春畑道哉|website=Oricon.co.jp|access-date=28 July 2022}}

=Compilation albums=

class="wikitable"
#

!Release date

!Title

!Peak Position

!Code

1st

|2008

|Best Works 1987–2008: Route 66

|42

|AICL1987/8{{cite web|title=Best Works 1987-2008: Route 66|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/796176/1/|website=Oricon News}}

2nd

|2012

|Find My Place

|27

|AICL2492 {{cite web|title=Find my place|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/993273/1/|website=Oricon News}}

=EP=

class="wikitable"
#

!Release date

!Title

!Code

1st

|1993

|J's Theme

|SRCL2748

=Singles=

class="wikitable"
#

!Release date

!Title

!Peak Position

!Code

1st

|1992

|J's Theme

|36

|SRDL3563

2nd

|1992

|Best Day of Your Life

|87

|SRDL4069

3rd

|2013

|Jaguar'13

|30

|AICL2544{{Cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/217067/products/1018915/1/|title=JAGUAR'13(初回生産限定盤) | 春畑道哉|website=Oricon.co.jp|access-date=28 July 2022}}

=Digital release=

class=wikitable style="font-size:small"
!Release date

!Title

!Chart

1st

|2018

|Re-birth

|1 (Recochoku)[https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MichiyaHaruhata/info/490847 Rock Chart Recochoku)]

2nd

|2019

|Kingdom of the Heavens

| -

References

{{Reflist}}