Photo: May S. Young / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Honestly, Tak Matsumoto might be the most underrated guitar hero on the planet, and that drives me a little crazy. B'z is the best-selling act in Japanese music history, and a huge part of that is the way Tak plays. He could shred your face off, but he mostly doesn't, he writes hooks. Those opening riffs on tracks like Ultra Soul or Love Phantom hit your brain before the vocals even arrive, and you instantly know it's him. That's a rare gift, having a tone that reads like a signature. The Osaka kid who teamed up with Koshi Inaba and just kept swinging at the world for decades, even grabbing a Grammy along the way, has nothing left to prove. I just respect a player who serves the song first and still sounds completely like himself.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
Story
The Tone That Reads Like a Signature: The Story of Tak Matsumoto
Overview
Tak Matsumoto (born March 27, 1961, in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, music producer, and arranger best known as the lead guitarist of the rock duo B'z. He attended Kinjo High School in his youth. Among his most representative works are the B'z songs "love me, I love you," "Hadashi no Megami," "Taiyou no Komachi Angel," and "LOVE PHANTOM."
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Tak Matsumoto
- Name (Japanese)
- 松本孝弘
- Reading
- まつもと たかひろ
- Born
- March 27, 1961 (age 65)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Ox
- Origin
- Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
- Agency
- VERMILLION
- Active years
- 1981 -
- Occupation
- Guitarist / Singer / Singer-songwriter / Music producer / Arranger
2. Background
- High school
- Kinjo High School
3. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 178 (1985–2025)
- By year
- 1985: 1, 1988: 1, 1991: 1, 1992: 2, 1995: 1, 1996: 2, 1997: 1, 1999: 2, 2002: 4, 2003: 3, 2004: 3, 2005: 2, 2009: 1, 2010: 2, 2012: 1, 2013: 1, 2014: 1, 2016: 2, 2017: 1, 2018: 1, 2020: 1, 2023: 1, 2024: 6, 2025: 1
- Main labels/studios
- CD (15), デジタル・ダウンロード (8), 12cmCD (3)
- Debut work
- HEAVY METAL GUITAR BATTLE Vol.1
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Representative work | love me, I love you |
| Representative work | Hadashi no Megami |
| Representative work | Taiyou no Komachi Angel |
| Representative work | LOVE PHANTOM |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.houseofstrings.jp/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/bz_official_insta/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%BE%E6%9C%AC%E5%AD%9D%E5%BC%98
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1345739
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-08-26
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Tak Matsumoto born?
Born March 27, 1961 (age 65).
Where is Tak Matsumoto from?
Tak Matsumoto is from Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.
What does Tak Matsumoto do?
Tak Matsumoto works as Guitarist, Singer, Singer-songwriter, Music producer, Arranger.
What agency is Tak Matsumoto with?
Tak Matsumoto is with VERMILLION.
How long has Tak Matsumoto been active?
1981 -.
What is Tak Matsumoto known for?
Notable works include love me, I love you, Hadashi no Megami, Taiyou no Komachi Angel.
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