NICO Touches the Walls

NICO Touches the Walls were a Japanese rock alt-band formed in 2004 by Mitsumura Tatsuya (vocals, guitar), Furumura Daisuke (guitar), Shingyouji Shotaro (bass), and Tsushima Shotaro (drums). They gained early recognition after winning the prestigious Lotte Prize at the Yamaha Teen Music Festival in 2004, and released two indie mini-albums two years later: Walls Is Beginning and runova x handover. These set the stage for their first studio album, Who are you? released on Ki/oon Records. NICO Touches the Walls later rose to prominence with hits like "Broken Youth" (2008), which became the ending theme for the anime Naruto Shippuden, and "Diver," which was used as an opening for the same series in 2011. With albums such as Aurora (2009)—which cracked the Oricon Top 20—and Passenger (2011)—which also reached the Top 2—the band have continued to evolve their sound while maintaining a strong following both in Japan and internationally. Their discography includes collaborations with various artists and contributions to anime and film soundtracks. They have put out albums at a steady rate over the years, always breaking into the Top 10 or 20 in Japan. Quizmaster, which went to number 12, became their final offering in 2019. After nearly two decades of shaping Japan's rock scene, the band officially disbanded that year, leaving behind a legacy of chart-friendly yet innovative rock music.