Profile
Born and raised on Izena Island, a small island located north of Okinawa’s main island.
He began creating original music in his teens, blending contemporary sounds with the traditional sanshin (Okinawan three-string instrument).
In January 2007, he made his indie debut with “Kassen Souka”.
In May 2010, he made his major debut from Victor Entertainment with the single “Sensei”.
Since then, he has appeared at SUMMER SONIC, Jingu Fireworks Festival, 24-Hour TV, and NHK’s SONGS, among others.
In April 2022, he released his album “Nangoku Beat”.
On April 1, 2023, he was appointed as a Tourism Ambassador for his hometown, Izena Island.

Graduated from Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, Department of Ryukyuan Classical Music

Certified sanshin instructor, Afuso-ryu Gensokai School of Ryukyuan Classical Music

“The Heartfelt Wind from Okinawa – Shunichi Irei”

Shunichi Irei hails from Izena Island, a small, remote island about 90 minutes by car and 50 minutes by ferry from Okinawa’s main island. Surrounded by untouched nature, emerald-green seas, and endless blue skies, Izena is known as the birthplace of King Sho En, the founder of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The island’s serene air, its gentle passage of time, and the warmth and openness of its people embody a spirit of quiet strength and acceptance.

That same spirit flows through Irei himself.
As a junior high school student, he learned the Izena Shoen Daiko drums; in high school, he studied traditional performing arts and began mastering the sanshin. He went on to major in Ryukyuan classical music at university, where he won the top prize in the Afuso-ryu Sanshin Division of the Ryukyuan Classical Music Competition, and earned a teaching license in the Afuso-ryu tradition.

Deeply rooted in Okinawa’s musical heritage, Irei’s sound is at once free and contemporary. His music radiates a vast kindness and openness—qualities that seem to arise from the island’s landscape and people. His soaring voice paints images of the sea and sky; his resonant tones stir the heart and move the body to dance.

Like a passing breeze, his music touches the listener’s emotions directly—bringing both liberation and comfort, and quietly opening new doors within.
At the heart of all his work lies “the wind”: unseen, yet deeply felt through the heart and skin. Riding on the sound of the sanshin, this “wind” carries the warmth of human connection, the beauty of nature, and the culture of his island home—together forming Shunichi Irei’s very own “Wind of Sincerity.”