Himekami, a Japanese new age music group, was founded in 1980 by composer Yoshiaki Hoshi. Their music was influenced by the folk songs and ethnic music of the Tohoku region. Initially named Himekami Sensation, they released their debut album Oku no Hosomichi in 1981. The group changed its name to Himekami in 1984 and continued to release albums such as Mahoroba (1984), Kaido (1985), and Hokuten Genso (1986). Their song "Kaze no Inori" from the album Homura (1993), was also notably used in the NHK Taiga drama segment Homura Kikō. Following Yoshiaki Hoshi’s death on October 1, 2004, at age 58, Himekami returned with the album Ama Takami no Kuni in 2008, with Yoshinori Hoshi taking over as the "second generation."
