SHIRATO Tomoya

Yokohama, Japan

SHIRATO Tomoya was born in Kawasaki city, Kanagawa prefecture SHIRATO Tomoya grew up being familiar with min’yō (folk songs) from Tsugaru because of his father. He studied tsugaru jamisen with YAMAMOTO Yoshiharu.

Since SHIRATO won second prize at the Tsugaru Jamisen Competition hosted by Nihon Min’yō Kyōkai (Japan Min’yō Association), he has been awarded many prizes. In 2015 SHIRATO participated in the ‘ARASHI LIVE TOUR 2015 Japonisme’ and five of ASASHI’s major dome tours.
In 2016 he performed as the tsugaru jamisen player at Kabuki Za in the production of ‘Kageiki’ starring the famous kabuki actor ICHIKAWA Ebisu.

Currently, SHIRATO is regularly performing at the ryōtei (luxurious traditional Japanese restaurant) Korinbo in Shinjuku Kabukicho. He serves as the director of the NPO corporation Aomori Min’yō Kyōkai, while also performing live on tsugaru jamisen. SHIRATO is furthermore also highly involved in nurturing the next generation of tsugaru jamisen players.