Shizuka Miura

Shizuka Miura (三浦 静香, Miura Shizuka, IPA: [ɕizɯᵝka̠ mʲiɯ̟ᵝɾa̠]; 7 March ???? – c. 31 January 2010) was a Japanese ball-jointed doll maker, singer, songwriter, and guitarist.[1][2] She became recognized in Japan for her doll work. Worldwide, Shizuka is best known for having been the founder and front woman of the rock band Shizuka.[3][4][5]

This article is about the Japanese musician and doll maker. For the band, see Shizuka (band). For other uses, see Shizuka.

Shizuka Miura
三浦静香
Shizuka at Heaven's Door, Tokyo
(10 June 2001)
Born
静香

Japan
Died(2010-01-31)31 January 2010
Japan
Cause of deathSuicide
NationalityJapanese
Occupation
Years active–2010
Known forShizuka
Spouse(s)
  • Maki Miura (−2010)
Relatives
  • Hisaka (sister)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
Years active1992–2010
Labels
  • PSF
  • Persona Non Grata
  • Last Visible Dog
  • Fra, Inc.
Associated acts

Biography

Shizuka Miura was a protégée of master dollmaker Katan Amano, who also introduced Shizuka to the art of dollmaking.[6][7] She became known in Japan as an accomplished doll artist, notably for her gothic dolls as influenced by Katan.[3][4] Mason Jones commented on his visit to Shizuka and her then spouse Maki Miura:

Not too many people know that Shizuka was also recognized in Japan for her doll work. She studied under master dollmaker Katan Amano, and made some stunning, haunting dolls. Years ago when my wife was researching modern Japanese dolls (partially for an article I published in Ongaku Otaku magazine), Shizuka and Maki very kindly invited us to their apartment, where we visited them and got to see a number of Shizuka's dolls, which were seated all around the small living room.[4]

— Mason Jones

In about 1992, Shizuka started her musical career by adapting some of her poetry into songs.[6] Her earliest known musical performance was at the former Tokyo live venue 20000V on 21 November 1992. It was later released in a C54 self-titled compact cassette with a total of five tracks.[8] Three other cassette tapes were also released under the title "静香" (Shizuka); most of them had portraits of Shizuka as their cover art.[9][10][11] With the band, she worked on the release of a studio album,[12] three live albums,[3][13][14][15] and two video albums,[16][17][18] besides having performed in many live shows in Japan, two tours in the United States,[4][19][20] and a festival in Scotland.

Musically, her vocals are often ethereal, reverberated, slow and tremulous, characteristics that connoted sadness and a "haunting, gothic atmosphere".[3][19][21]

Shizuka died on circa 31 January 2010. Her cause of death was suicide.[1][3] Jones wrote on his blog that "it may have been due to medication",[lower-alpha 1] but it remains publicly unknown.[4] On 25 April, a DVD-video album was released by PSF Records as a visual tribute to Shizuka, which contains one of the last live performances by her group recorded at ShowBoat (a Tokyo live venue) on 30 December 2008.[lower-alpha 2][1][18]

Notes
  1. Extended excerpt: "(...) it was a suicide. Apparently, it may have been due to medication, but at this point we'll simply never know".[4]
  2. The PSF Records website described Owari no Nai Yume as "the last ever performance by her [Shizuka's] group".[lower-alpha 3] However, on 11 April 2017, Maki Miura announced on his Facebook profile the Tokyo Flashback P.S.F. compilation album release containing "狂気の真珠" (Kyōki no Shinju) Shizuka's song, which was, according to Maki, recorded at Kameido Hardcore (a Tokyo live house now closed) in March 2009.[lower-alpha 4]

References
  1. "Shizuka / Owarino nai yume (DVD)". PSF Records. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. "PSFD-178 Shizuka / Live/Traditional Aesthetics". PSF Records. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  3. Cummings, Alan (11 March 2010). "Shizuka Miura". The Wire. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  4. Jones, Mason (15 February 2010). "Shizuka R.I.P." Ongakublog. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  5. Thores (15 February 2010). 弔月. Goo. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  6. Huang, Evelyn "ethereal" (c. 2001). 最接近天國的異界之音──靜香 [The sound of the outer world closest to heaven – Shizuka]. Rocker Magazine (Interview) (in Chinese). Translation support by seat. Taiwan. Pixnet. Archived from the original on 30 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  7. Sakamo (6 September 1997). 港湾労働者達の怒りが今こそ爆発する [The anger of the harbor workers is now exploding] (in Japanese). YOUテレビ. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  8. Release "静香" by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  9. Release "静香 II" by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  10. Release "静香 III" by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  11. Release "No.4" by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  12. Release "天界のペルソナ" by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  13. "Release "Live Shizuka" by Shizuka". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  14. "Release "Tokyo Underground 20, Jul'95" by Shizuka". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  15. Release "伝承美学" by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  16. Release "静香" (VHS) by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  17. "Release "Hikyoku no Seiseki: Live at Manda-La2 1993 & Studio Ams 1994" by 静香". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  18. Release "終わりのない夢" by 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  19. Aquarius Records; Eclipse Records. "Shizuka Tokyo Underground '95". Last Visible Dog Records. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  20. 静香. MusicBrainz. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  21. McFarlane, Dean. "AllMusic Review by Dean McFarlane". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  22. Miura, Maki. "Tokyo Flashback: P.S.F. — Psychedelic Speed Freaks release announcement". Facebook. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.

Further reading
  • Huang, Evelyn "ethereal" (2001). 最接近天國的異界之音──靜香 [The sound of the outer world closest to heaven – Shizuka]. Rocker (Interview) (in Chinese). Translation support by seat. Taiwan. Pixnet. Archived from the original on 30 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  • 花水木. ja:花水木 (in Japanese). No. 1, 創刊号. Japan. pp. 2–6. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
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