Takamasa Ishihara (September 14, 1981) is a Japanese singer-songwriter who rose
to fame as the guitarist for the visual kei rock band Dué le Quartz in the late
90s. He is hailed as a guitar virtuoso and is recognized for his eclectic mix of
genres, ranging from rock to hip hop, blues, and folk. Born in Osaka to a
Japanese mother and a Korean-Japanese father, he first pursued a career in
soccer by joining the junior team of J-League’s Cerezo Osaka. After an injury
frustrated his ambitions of becoming a professional soccer player, he learned
how to play the guitar at the age of 15....