Teru
A member of Shoen drum troup. Teru has played Okinawan drums for ten years. Known for his long blond hair, he is not only a traditional taiko drummer but also a heavy metal guitarist. His band, Tetsukabuto (http://www.tetsukabuto.com/), can be heard live on the main island of Okinawa and in Tokyo . Although he once used to work in Naha (a capital city of Okinawa), Teru is now back in Izena employed in park maintenance.

Shun'ichi on Teru: "Teru is a valued friend and the one who gave me the opportunity to take up guitar playing. It's because of him that I enjoy playing drums so much."
 
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I came back to the island after graduating from high school. I was into music since junior high school, and played in various bands. When I returned to the island I heard about the Shoen Drum Troupe and decided to join. I was eighteen when I first started drumming.

A while after I began drumming, junior high school students began taking up drumming, too. That's when I met Shun'ichi, and we've known each other since. I was practicing guitar in between drumming sessions, and Shun'ichi took an interest, so I started teaching him how to play. (Shun'ichi: "That's how I ended up on this career path.")

Until four years ago, I'd lived on this island. But I wanted to play in a band and moved to Naha, where I worked and joined a band called Jigokuguruma ("hell's wheels") which played a fusion of rock and Japanese drums. It was with that band that I released my first CD nationwide. We toured Kagoshima, Oita, Kanagawa, and Chiba in places like Club Citta Kawasaki and Makuhari Messe. There was a big event called "Loud Rock" where bands from all over the world came to play, and we participated as a representative of Japan.

Our band split up after that, but I'm now in a band called Tetsukabuto ("iron helmet") with the guitarist from my old band, and we released a CD this year. We played live for the first time in Tokyo last Saturday. Shall I play a few notes on my guitar? This is a photo from the gig. (Shun'ichi: "I'd say they're more heavy metal than loud rock.")

♪  playing heavy metal music

For me, music is a part of my life, and because of it, I can get through anything. I'd like to be able to play and enjoy other kinds of music with people besides rock, like folk. While I'm on the island, I like helping younger kids find new opportunities through music.

I live on Izena now, but I might move to Naha again soon. It's inconvenient to practice and play shows in a band when you're on Izena. Playing in a band is something I can only do now, so I want to make sure I have no regrets. I'd like to live on Izena in the future, though. I still want to provide younger kids with opportunities. I think it would be great if we could enliven the island with music.

Q. How long have you been growing out your hair?
Since I was twenty-years-old. It's been about nine years now.
Q. How many bottles of shampoo do you go through in a month?
I'd say about a bottle.
(Shun'ichi: "He goes to the main island just to buy shampoo. By the carton!" (laughing))
Q. Do you ever cut your hair?
Well, I started growing it out when I was eighteen, and then I cut it once when I was twenty. I had just suffered a setback in my music, and I felt I needed a fresh start. (Shun'ichi: "But, hey, you were still growing out the back part.") Yeah, well, I couldn't let go completely (laughing).
Q. Why did you decide to play heavy metal?
When I first saw my senpai playing the guitar in junior high school, I was shocked and impressed; I thought it was so great. Punk rock was popular then, and that's what I played at first, but I wanted something more radical and started heavy metal. We played songs by X Japan and others. But I also like calm and comforting music, like folk.
Q. What will you do if one day in the future you have a job that requires you to cut your hair? Or do you think you'll never take a job that's not related to music?
Right now, I do work jobs unrelated to music. And these places took me in spite of my long hair. If the terms of a job were really good ... I don't know. I still wouldn't cut my hair, probably. I had the opportunity to become a full-time employee once and went to the final interview with the company president. There, I asked whether it was okay that I kept my hair long, but was told that I couldn't because the job was in the service industry. So I said, "Well, no thank you, then," and didn't take the job. But who knows what'll happen ten years from now. Depending on what I might be doing, I might cut my hair.
Q. Does heavy metal make your hair long?
No, no, they're not related at all (laughing). It looks good to have long hair when you play heavy metal. Like when you're head-banging.
Q. Are you popular with the girls because you play heavy metal?
No, not really. (Shun'ichi: "I don't think so ...") Oh, but there are people who come to our shows every time.