Inoran

, better known exclusively by his stage name Inoran, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Luna Sea since 1986. He started his solo career in 1997. Luna Sea disbanded in 2000, and he formed Fake? with Oblivion Dust vocalist Ken Lloyd a year later. In 2005 he left Fake? and founded Tourbillon with Luna Sea vocalist Ryuichi Kawamura and Hiroaki Hayama. He rejoined Luna Sea when they reunited in 2010, and in 2012 formed Muddy Apes with bassist Taka Hirose and guitarist Dean Tidey, both from Feeder, and 8otto's vocalist Maeson. In 2011, Inoran became the first Japanese musician to have a signature model guitar with Fender.

==Early life== From about fourth grade until sixth, Inoran was obsessed with baseball. He did not listen to any popular music until he saw a music program on Television Kanagawa in his first year of junior high school. The first record he ever bought was Colour by Numbers, followed by Van Halen and Quiet Riot albums. Inspired, he began playing his father's classical guitar, but wanted an electric one. So he bought a red Stratocaster-like guitar and started a band in his second year of junior high. His interest in Western music coincided with his meeting J, who asked to borrow his copy of Howard Jones' album ''Human's Lib''. J was a better guitarist than Inoran at the time, and taught him to play. The following year, Inoran began listening to independent Japanese bands and attending their concerts, such as 44 Magnum and D'erlanger's first concert with Kyo on vocals. He also wrote his first song that year. J and Inoran specifically chose a high school that had a light music club because they did not know anyone as passionate about music as themselves, but were disappointed to learn that they were already more skilled than their seniors. Although he played in bands throughout high school, Inoran said he did not devote his life to music until he graduated. He estimated that, if you include those done for fun and one-offs for school festivals, he was in about 10 bands in his school years. The drummer of one of these was the younger sister of Sugizo.