A-to-J Connections: For our readers who might not be familiar with Blue Encount, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves and your music?
Yuuya Eguchi: My name is Yuuya Eguchi. I play lead guitar.
Yoshihide Takamura: My name is Yoshihide Takamura. I play drums.
Shunichi Tanabe: My name is Shunichi Tanabe. I am the vocalist.
Yuuta Tsujimura: My name is Yuuta Tsujimura. I am the bassist.
A-to-J Connections: Can you share a bit about your history?
Shunichi Tanabe: We started with a club in high school. It was Eguchi, Takamura, and myself. When we were all twenty, we met our last member, Tsujimura-san.
Anime Herald: What was it about Sheryl Crow’s music that inspired you to become a musician?
Shunichi Tanabe: I discovered her music through 007’s Tomorrow Never Dies. I was in fifth grade. It was a pop music melody with a tinge of sadness.
A-to-J Connections: I’d like to open that up to the rest of the group. What are your biggest influences in music.
Yuuya Eguchi: The Japanese band Ellegarden.
Yoshihide Takamura: Soulive jazz band.
Yuuta Tsujimura: Stevie Wonder. Earth, Wind & Fire.
Anime Herald: How did you discover a jazz band from Woodstock?
Yoshihide Takamura: It was actually my first grade organ teacher who introduced me to them.
Anime Herald: Now I have to figure out how your first grade teacher discovered them.
Blue Encount: (Laughs)
Yoshihide Takamura: He’s a pianist and a drummer.
Anime Herald: Earlier today you (Shunichi Tanabe) described Boston people as nice, and you (Yoshihide Takamura) made the X sign. Care to elaborate?
Shunichi Tanabe: When I arrived at the hotel, a couple of people called out to me in greeting. Because of that I felt like Boston people are very friendly.
Yoshihide Takamura: No comment.
A-to-J Connections: What do you find to be the differences between your performances here in the US and your performances in Japan?
Shunichi Tanabe: Last night, in Boston, it felt like the fans were a little shy at first. After a while, they warmed up and got really into the performance. In our Japanese concerts, the fans are immediately into the music and the show.
Anime Herald: The manga Beck got you into playing the guitar. Did any other manga or anime get you into any other hobbies or skills?
Yuuya Eguchi: I joined the tennis club after reading The Prince of Tennis.
Anime Herald: Does anyone else play any sports?
Yoshihide Takamura: Tennis.
Yuuta Tsujimura: Basketball.
Shunichi Tanabe: Karate. Six years.
A-to-J Connections: What are your favorite anime?
Yuuya Eguchi: Chainsaw Man. Tokyo Ghoul.
Yoshihide Takamura: Shangri-La Frontier. Frieren.
Shunichi Tanabe: Spy x Family. Crayon Shin-chan.
Yuuta Tsujimura: One Piece. One-Punch Man. Frieren.
Anime Herald: What inspired the move to New York City?
Yuuta Tsujimura: I wanted to experience a different culture. Experience different types of music, and meet different people.
Anime Herald: You should invite Yoshihide Takamura to Prince Street Pizza. The best pizza in New York.
(Editor’s note: At the concert Yoshihide Takamura said his favorite type of American food is pizza.)
Yuuta Tsujimura: (Laughs) New York pizza is very good.
Yuuta Tsujimura: I love gospel music. It’s very high energy, freedom music. It made a big impression on me. It was a good experience.
Anime Herald: Following up on that, Shunichi Tanabe seems interested in temples and churches.
Yuuta Tsujimura: Yeah. Maybe we will go to a church tomorrow. I will recommend one.
Shunichi Tanabe: So excited (deadpan).
A-to-J Connections: Are there any anime you would like to do an opening or an ending for that you haven’t already?
Blue Encount: Kagurabachi. Demon Slayer. Spy x Family. Ghibli.
Anime Herald: What was it like in the very beginning for the band?
Blue Encount: At first we just wanted to be popular from our music. Once we started playing live, we realized we wanted to become professional musicians. We knew we wanted to turn this into our career.
Anime Herald: How did your parents feel about you wanting to become a band and not use your technical skills from college?
Blue Encount: They were opposed.
A-to-J Connections: How do you feel like your style has evolved from then, beyond adding another member (Yuuta Tsujimura)?
Blue Encount: We formed the band when we were eighteen. We met Yuuta Tsujimura when we were twenty. When he joined the band we knew for certain we wanted to turn pro.
Anime Herald: Years ago, before the pandemic, I saw a Crayon Shin-chan shirt at the gym. On the front it was Shin-chan saying “Never skip ass day.” On the back, Shin was doing the “ass dance.”
What type of exercises do you do so you can stay fit to perform in concert?
Shunichi Tanabe: I run eight miles. I’ve done a couple of marathons.
Yuuta Tsujimura: I run as well, but not as much as him. And I do crunches. Nothing else.
Yoshihide Takamura: When I practice solo I hit the drums harder than I do during the live performances, to build up strength.
Yuuya Eguchi: I don’t do anything. (Laughs)
Shunichi Tanabe: Genius!
A-to-J Connections: Is there anything you do before the concerts to prepare?
Yoshihide Takamura: I stretch, particularly my feet and legs. I focus on them to center myself.
Shunichi Tanabe: It’s not necessarily before the show, but I love going to the sauna.
Yuuta Tsujimura: I try to focus and clear my mind.
Yuuya Eguchi: I don’t do anything.
Anime Herald: At the concert, you mentioned spending time in Akihabara. What do you like to do there?
Yuuya Eguchi: Pachinko. You know pachinko?
Anime Herald: Yes.
Yuuya Eguchi: It’s good!
Anime Herald: No. (Laughs)
I just remembered, your mom is a pianist. She would have loved it if I tried to become a professional musician. Your mom didn’t like it when you tried to turn pro?
Yoshihide Takamura: My whole family is full of amateur musicians. They love music. That’s why they recommended I keep it as a hobby, so I’d still enjoy it.
Anime Herald: Do you still enjoy it?
Yoshihide Takamura: Yes. Very much.
A-to-J Connections: Do you have any big cities around the world that you would love to play?
Shunichi Tanabe: I want to go to Finland, because of the saunas.
Yoshihide Takamura: Switzerland, because it is beautiful.
Yuuya Eguchi: Germany.
Shunichi Tanabe: Why?
Yuuya Eguchi: They have a beautiful casino.
(Editor’s note: I presume he is referring to Baden-Baden.)
Yuuta Tsujimura: Mexico. I want to try playing our music there.
Anime Herald: As a fellow One-Punch Man fan, I have to ask, who is your favorite character?
Yuuta Tsujimura: Fubuki. She’s beautiful. Sometimes she is shy. She is strong, particularly her heart.
Anime Herald: For me, it is King. Because he is not strong, but everyone thinks that he is, so they put him in these awkward situations.
Yuuta Tsujimura: Good man. I like King too.
Anime Herald: You’ve mentioned liking wine. What is your favorite?
Shunichi Tanabe: I like both French and Californian Cabernet Sauvignon.
A-to-J Connections: You mentioned being a fan of One Piece. That’s literally about treasure. What would you say is your treasure?
Yuuta Tsujimura: Good question. Finding music. Music is a universal language. The more I learn about music, the more I can share between cultures.
A-to-J Connections: It’s like Stevie Wonder said, “music is a world within itself.”
Yuuya Eguchi: The same.
Shunichi Tanabe: Your treasure is casinos.
Anime Herald: He’s looking for the actual One Piece.
Shunichi Tanabe: Your treasure is treasure, not music.
My treasure is our fans. They’ve supported us for so long. That’s why we’re here. Our fans are our greatest treasure.
Yoshihide Takamura: My treasure is my family. My father, mother, brother, and sister. My family taught me how much fun music is.
Anime Herald: That’s beautiful.
You (Yoshihide Takamura) mentioned that the manager of KUMAMoTo B.9 made your spine tingle, but he also supported you. Are you still in contact with Fukuda-san?
Blue Encount: Yes. We’ll be in contact with him next month when we play KUMAMoTo B.9. We’re still in contact with a lot of the owners of live venues all across Japan.
A-to-J Connections: What are your plans for the near future?
Blue Encount: We want to do more live concerts all across America.
Yuuta Tsujimura: I want to take a bus all across America.
Shunichi Tanabe: I have fallen in love with Boston. I would love to spend more time here.
Yoshihide Takamura: I want to eat the world’s most delicious pizza.
Yuuya Eguchi: I want to learn to speak English better so I can communicate directly with the fans.
Blue Encount: We’d like to tour all across America.
Anime Herald: How does one set up an international tour?
Shunichi Tanabe: Meetings. Lots of meetings with your label, and your agent.
Blue Encount: One of the reasons we want to tour in a bus is we’d kind of like to go back in time. All the comforts of modern life are nice, but the raw experience helps us connect when we’re doing the concerts.
Anime Herald: If you were stuck on a desert island, what three albums would you like to bring with you?
Yuuya Eguchi: Radwimps 3– The one album I forgot to take to a deserted island.
Yoshihide Takamura: First, Soulive by Soulive. Second, Fuck Your Feelings by Robert Glasper. Third, And Then… by Joe.
Shunichi Tanabe: Sheryl Crow, C’mon C’mon.
Anime Herald: I respect the loyalty.
Shunichi Tanabe: Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight.
A Japanese band, Globe, Faces Places.
Yuuta Tsujimura: Aretha Franklin. Michael Jackson, Thiller. Southern All Stars, Best of.
Anime Herald: In a number of interviews you’ve talked about some of your hardest songs to play. What are some of the easiest?
Blue Encount: They are all difficult.
Anime Herald: That’s like Rush. They go from hard, to even harder, to even harder still.
Do you have any questions for us?
Blue Encount: What kind of music is popular with young people in America?
Anime Herald: Taylor Swift.
Blue Encount: (Laughs)
Anime Herald: That was an easy one.
Blue Encount: What type of music do you listen to when you are sad or happy?
Anime Herald: If I am happy, I generally listen to up-tempo music. If I am sad or angry, I want very hard rock, like Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk by Emperor.
A-to-J Connections: When I am happy, I want music to push that feeling up. When I am depressed, I want to listen to sad music to have that catharsis and get past it.
Blue Encount: Thank you.
When do you listen to our music?
Anime Herald: Usually it will be when I am watching anime. I have your album from 2020 (Q.E.D.). It’s in my rotation.
A-to-J Connections: When I am at conventions I play through anime OP/ED mixes. Also, when I’m in Boston, I’ll mix it up between anime music and the band Boston, who is one of my favorites.
Blue Encount: In Japan, we usually only answer questions. Is it common in America for the band to ask questions?
Anime Herald: No, but it’s something I like to ask, if there’s something they’d like to know.
Blue Encount: That’s really interesting.
A-to-J Connections: Do you have one song that you would recommend if someone wanted to discover Blue Encount?
Yuuta Tsujimura: Bad Paradox. It showcases our skill and our vocals.
Anime Herald: Good choice.
Yuuta Tsujimura: Thank you.
Shunichi Tanabe: I think it’s called Shine More Light. It’s the song we play during encores.
Yuuya Eguchi: I would always recommend our newest songs, so for now, Yaiba.
Yoshihide Takamura: Birdcage. It was made with an overseas audience in mind. The image in my head is playing in a huge venue outside of Japan.
A-to-J Connections: Finally, do you have messages for your fans?
Yuuta Tsujimura: We want to play overseas more and make more international fans.
Shunichi Tanabe: For Anime Boston, a lot of the fans found us through anime music, but we also create a lot of non-anime music. We would like for that music to resonate with fans overseas as well. We’d like our music to help support our fans during their everyday life.
Yoshihide Takamura: We love for some of our overseas fans to get to know more about Japan.
Yuuya Eguchi: It’s rare for us to come to overseas events. We have a lot of confidence in our live skills, so if we play overseas, please come and see us.
Anime Herald: Thank you for speaking with us.
Blue Encount: Thank you.
