9mm Parabellum Bullet

** Vocals & rhythm guitar: 菅原卓郎 (Sugawara Takuro; since 2004)

** Lead guitar (exclusively until 2025), drums (since 2025), backing vocals, piano: 滝善充 (Taki Yoshimitsu; since 2004)

** Bass, unclean vocals: 中村和彦 (Nakamura Kazuhiko; since 2004)

** Support lead guitar: 武田 将幸 (Masayuki Takeda from HERE)

** Support lead guitar: 爲川 裕也 (Yuya Tamekawa from folca)

** Support drums: 渡部 宏生 (Hiroyuki Watanabe from heaven in her arms; since 2025)

Ex members:

** Drums: かみじょうちひろ (Kamijou Chihiro; 2004–2025)

Biography:

9mm Parabellum Bullet (キューミリ・パラベラム・バレット) was formed in March 2004 in Yokohama. It consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Takuro Sugawara, guitarist and backing vocalist Yoshimitsu Taki, bassist Kazuhiko Nakamura, and drummer Chihiro Kamijo, who came up with the band's name. It literally comes from the 9mm Parabellum bullet, though multiple stories exist and the exact origin is unclear. By the time Nakamura joined, the band name had already been settled as “9mm Parabellum Bullet”. According to Sugawara, Kamijo saw the words “9mm Parabellum Bullet” written on a piece of paper on the wall and said it “looked cool”.

Chihiro Kamijo was the initiator and leader of the band.

Piano pieces included in some songs are performed by Taki, while the characteristic shouts are provided by Nakamura. Sugawara is the president and CEO of the band's agency, nonet (since September 2022) which they've been signed to since 2013. Before that, they've been signed to Zankyo Records.

2004–2006: Formation and early years

9mm Parabellum Bullet was formed in March 2004 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, and began performing mainly around the Yokohama area.

In August 2006 they appeared at the live event J TOUR 2006 SUMMER ~DRIVE ON FLAMES~ at Namba Hatch, which is considered their oldest officially listed live performance. Between December 25 and 29, they performed on RADWIMPS’ live tour RADWIMPS TOUR 2006 "Sonata to Iku Fuyu no Tour", leading to a rapid increase in their audience.

During this period, the band signed to under_bar, a sub-label of Reverb Records, and released two early mini-albums, Gjallarhorn in 2005 and Phantomime in 2006, while playing numerous live shows in Yokohama and Tokyo.

2007–2009: Early releases and major label debut

In January 2007, the band appeared at COUNTDOWN JAPAN 06/07, their first major festival, and on February 25 held their first one-man live Kikai no Idenshi at Shibuya O-nest. From May 30 to July 6, they embarked on their first national tour, The World tour.

Later that year, 9mm Parabellum Bullet signed to EMI Music Japan and released The World e.p., which featured newly recorded versions of songs from Gjallarhorn and two new tracks, followed by the Discommunication e.p., which contained the title song and a 35-minute live recording. On October 10, they made their major debut with Discommunication e.p. At the end of 2007, they released their first full album Termination, after which they began their first solo tour.

In the summer of 2008, the band released the double A-side single "Supernova/Wanderland", which also included piano instrumentals of both songs and a third track, "Wildpitch". 9mm Parabellum Bullet were invited to perform at Asian Kung-Fu Generation’s Nano-Mugen Festival at Yokohama Arena, a festival known for featuring both emerging and established acts. They also covered Metallica’s "Motorbreath" for the October 2008 tribute album Metal-ikka.

In October 2008, the band released their second full album Vampire and launched the Vampire Empire Tour 08/09. In April 2009, they released their first live DVD Act I, featuring four concerts from different points in their career.

2009–2011: Revolutionary and Movement

In late spring 2009, the band released the mini-album Black Market Blues e.p., which included a recording of their free live performance at Yoyogi Park as a B-side. The same year, 9mm Parabellum Bullet received their first nomination at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan for "Best Rock Video" with their song Living Dying Message, which they also performed live at the show.

On September 9, 2009, they held their first one-man live at Nippon Budokan, titled 999 (At Budokan). This performance was later included on the Cold Edge e.p., released on September 30.

In early January 2010, they released the single "Inochi no Zenmai", used as the theme for the live-action film Higanjima. The single also includes a cover of Linda Yamamoto’s 1972 song Dou ni mo Tomaranai. The band was featured as Space Shower TV’s monthly artist on V.I.P. in April. It was later announced that April 21, 2010, would mark the release of their third full album Revolutionary, followed by a nationwide tour. A music video was shot for the album’s final track, The Revolutionary.

On June 26, 2011, 9mm Parabellum Bullet performed a one-man live titled Movement YOKOHAMA at Yokohama Arena. Their single "Atarashii Hikari" was released on May 18, followed by their fourth studio album Movement on June 15.

2012–2016: Dawning and Waltz on Life Line

On May 27, 2012, the band held a fully invitation-only MTV Unplugged live for 150 people at Billboard Live Tokyo. That year they also covered Nirvana’s "Territorial Pissings" for the Nevermind Tribute album. Their fourth single, "Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete", followed on October 24.

Following the merger of EMI Music Japan into Universal Music Japan on April 1, 2013, all of the band’s releases continued under the new sublabel EMI Records Japan. Their fifth single, "Answer and Answer", was released on May 29, followed by their fifth album Dawning on June 26.

On November 9, 2013, during the final show of their Breaking The Dawn Tour 2013, the band held their first overseas one-man concert at THE WALL in Taipei, Taiwan. On December 3, they performed as the fourth act to appear at the newly opened EX THEATER ROPPONGI in Tokyo.

In January 2014, it was announced that the band had established their private management office Nonet on July 1, 2013. On February 7–8, 2014, they held 10th Anniversary Live ~Act on E / Act on O~ at Nippon Budokan. That same year, they performed a cover of "Instant Music" for The Pillows tribute album Rock and Sympathy.

In April 2015, the band opened a limited-time POP UP SHOP at Ebisu LIQUIDROOM Gallery KATA, featuring photo and equipment exhibits as well as member appearances. On June 27, they performed on the first day of LUNATIC FEST., hosted by Luna Sea at Makuhari Messe, where Luna Sea bassist J joined them on stage for "Cold Edge".

On September 9, 2015, 9mm Parabellum Bullet released a quadruple A-side single "Hangyaku no March/Dark Horse/Daremo Shiranai/Mad Pierrot". They also contributed a cover to the tribute album We are Disco!!! ~Tribute to The Telephones~.

In January 2016, the band announced their switch to their independent record label Sazanga Records, originally founded in May 2014 by drummer Kamijo, who coined the name “Sazanga” (“3×3=9,” pronounced Sazanga Kyuu). Their sixth album Waltz on Life Line was released on April 27, 2016.

Later that year, on November 9, it was announced that guitarist Yoshimitsu Taki would suspend live activities due to arm issues suspected to be dystonia. The band continued performing live with support musicians while proceeding with new material. They also provided the opening theme songs "Inferno" and "Sacrifice" for the anime adaptation of Berserk.

2018–present: AC 9mm, Deep Blue and The Ultimate Collection

On January 1, 2018, the band announced the start of AC 9mm, an acoustic project featuring rearranged versions of 9mm songs performed by Takuro Sugawara, Kazuhiko Nakamura, and Chihiro Kamijo. Around the same time, it was announced that Taki would gradually return to live performances, fully rejoining by autumn.

On May 28, 2018, they released the music video for the new song "Carry On", used as the theme for the film Neet Neet Neet. The song was made available for free streaming on LINE MUSIC.

On September 9, 2019, 9mm Parabellum Bullet released their eighth studio album Deep Blue on the symbolic date 9/9/9.

On July 31, 2024, the band released their 20th anniversary best-of album The Ultimate Collection -20 Years, 20 Bullets- digitally. The tracklist was selected by fan vote and includes classics such as "Taiyou ga Hoshii Dake" and "Black Market Blues," as well as more recent songs like "Brand New Day" and "One More Time."

After their gig at COUNTDOWN JAPAN 25/26 on December 31st 2025 they suddenly announced that their drummer would leave the band immediately. There was no reason given and no clues at the gig, so fans were speculating what might have happened.

They announced their first gig as a trio on January 8th 2026 a day after and published a new artist picture.

From January 2026, following Kamijo's departure, Taki took over drum duties.

The band performed as a trio, using pre-recorded lead guitar tracks played via a sequencer, while Sugawara handled some of the lead guitar parts himself. From June of that year, they utilized two different live performance formats: a trio lineup and a five-piece lineup that added two support musicians (one on guitar and one on drums; the guitar role was filled by the aforementioned Takeda or Tamekawa).

Hiroki Watanabe, drummer for heaven in her arms and SZKN joined as a support drummer in June 2026. He belonged to the same university club as the members; in addition to being a "possessed member" of Kitsunetsuki—the band featuring Sugawara and Taki—he also performs alongside Taki as a support member for the band envy.

Support Members:

The band has performed live with support members on two occasions:

Temporarily following Taki's arm injury in December 2014, and continuously from June 2016 to the present due to ongoing issues with Taki's arm.

December 2014; July 2016 – November 2016

In December 2014, Taki suffered an arm injury and was medically advised against playing the guitar; consequently, the band performed three shows with a support guitarist. Taki participated by playing the synthesizer.

In June 2016, Taki's arm issues worsened, leading to the cancellation of several shows. Subsequently, starting in July, the band resumed live activities with a five-member lineup that included a support guitarist.

November 2016 – December 2017

Due to Taki's hiatus from live performances, the band operated with a lineup consisting of Sugawara, Nakamura, and Kamijo, plus a support guitarist.

December 30, 2017 – December 31, 2025

After Taki made a full appearance with a support guitarist at an event on December 30, 2017, the band officially resumed live activities in 2018, focusing primarily on self-organized events. From that point on, they performed using either a five-member lineup (including Taki) or a four-member lineup (the other members plus a support guitarist); however, from the 2018 summer festivals until Kamijo's departure, they generally performed as a five-piece band. For some encores and the 2021 tour, they performed as a six-piece band with two support guitarists, while on rare occasions when a support guitarist was unavailable, they performed as a quartet consisting only of the official members. Additionally, in 2025, on occasions when Taki could not participate due to activities with another band, the group performed under the name "9mm Parabellum Bullet [Expand Session]." This lineup consisted of the three members (Sugawara, Nakamura, and Kamijo) plus a guest musician .

Usually, either Takeda or Tamekawa participates as a support member, and at larger venues, the two sometimes share the role by alternating mid-show.

During encores at solo concerts, the band sometimes performs in a six-member formation—known among fans as the “BABEL Style”—with two support members. At festivals or other short-set events, they often appear with only the four official members.

Since 2025, the band has occasionally performed under the name 9mm Parabellum Bullet [Expand Session], featuring guest musicians alongside the three members other than Taki (Sugawara, Nakamura, and Kamijo).

** Eijun Suganami (born October 16, 1979) – Guitar

Guitarist of THE BACK HORN. Supported the band at the live event “SOUND SHOOTER Vol.5” on March 21, 2015. At that event, the three 9mm members except Taki performed with Suganami under the temporary band name “Eijun no Ongaeshi” (“Eijun’s Payback”).

The connection started in March 2014 during the “Kettō Hirōen” tour in Fukushima, when Suganami contracted influenza and was unable to perform. Taki stepped in as THE BACK HORN’s support guitarist, and Suganami later proposed joining 9mm’s show as a return gesture.

** Masayuki Takeda (born November 13, 1980) – Guitar

Guitarist of HERE. Joined as a support guitarist in 2014 when Taki was temporarily prohibited from playing guitar due to injury (during which Taki played keyboards). Since 2016, when Taki’s arm problems continued, Takeda has remained an active support member. He participated in all shows of the “Walk a Tightrope Tour 2022.”

A longtime fan of 9mm Parabellum Bullet, he serves as the honorary chairman of the mobile site “9mm MOBILE.”

** Hayato Mitsuhashi (born November 13, 1982) – Guitar

Also a guitarist for HERE, like Takeda. Participated in the Nagoya show of the “TOUR ON BABEL” on June 25, 2017.

** Yuya Tamekawa (born December 2, 1985) – Guitar

Guitarist of folca. He joined as a support musician in May 2017, following Taki's hiatus from live performances and has frequently supported the band since Taki’s suspension from live activities.. He served as support for the first time at the May 13, 2017, concert at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST after Takeda was unable to make the schedule work and recommended him. Participated in all performances of the “BABEL on Life Line” and “Feel the DEEP BLUE” tours. Occasionally writes official blog posts on behalf of the 9mm members.

It once became a topic among fans when Taiyu Inamura from the band Arukara remarked that Sugawara and Tamekawa looked alike.

From June 2026 onwards

From January 2026, following Kamijo's departure, Taki took over drum duties. The band performed as a trio, using pre-recorded lead guitar tracks played via a sequencer, while Sugawara handled some of the lead guitar parts himself. From June of that year, they utilized two different live performance formats: a trio lineup and a five-piece lineup that added two support musicians (one on guitar and one on drums; the guitar role was filled by the aforementioned Takeda or Tamekawa) .

** Hiroki Watanabe: Drums

Drummer for Heaven in her arms and SZKN. He joined as a support drummer in June 2026. He belonged to the same university club as the members; in addition to being a "possessed member" of Kitsunetsuki—the band featuring Sugawara and Taki—he also performs alongside Taki as a support member for the band envy.

Labels:

under_bar/ Zankyo Record (2004-2006)

Capitol Music (2007-2012)

EMI Records Japan→EMI Records (2013-2015)

Virgin Music [ Note 1 ] (2014)

Sazanga Records/TRIAD (2016 -)

NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan [ Note 2 ] (2016-2017)

Discography:

Studio Albums

[2007.11.14] Termination

[2008.10.15] VAMPIRE

[2010.04.21] Revolutionary

[2011.06.15] Movement

[2013.06.26] Dawning

[2016.04.27] Waltz on Life Line

[2017.05.10] BABEL

[2019.09.09] DEEP BLUE

Mini Albums

[2005.12.08] Gjallarhorn

[2006.09.09] Phantomime

EPs

[2007.05.16] The World e.p.

[2007.10.10] Discommunication e.p.

[2009.06.03] Black Market Blues e.p.

[2009.09.30] Cold Edge e.p.

[2011.09.07] Kamome e.p. (カモメ e.p.)

Best Albums

[2014.07.09] Greatest Hits

[2024.07.31] THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION -20 Years, 20 Bullets-

Official Site:

http://9mm.jp/