The group's music is performed by traditional Japanese musical instruments.

"I have a feeling of ambivalence about Japanese instruments," he once said.

Look, we've got all these Japanese instruments for you, why don't you play something on this lot?

They also incorporate a wide variety of other Japanese instruments in their ensembles.

Japanese instruments such as the shakuhachi and the shamisen were also added.

"I have a feeling of ambivalence about Japanese instruments," the soft-spoken composer said.

Ran loved to eat and was skilled at playing the shamisen, a stringed Japanese instrument.

Utsusemimaru has his own version of the ringtone, which sounds like the chorus played using Japanese instruments.

In part the rebound can be ascribed to the rising yen, which has made Japanese instruments less of a bargain.