Yuzuru Kashiwabara

Yuzuru Kashiwabara (born 柏原譲; December 20, 1968) is a Japanese bassist born in Japan most famous for his work in dub/rock group Fishmans where he played a primary role. Kashiwabara is also known for his membership in bands Polaris and So Many Tears, as well as generally floating from project to project as support bassist.

Kashiwabara was most interested in dub/reggae music as he grew older, taking a liking to Jamaican reggae in particular as he learned bass guitar. He joined Fishmans in 1988 after previous bassist Hisamatsu left the group after one year of service, presumably after meeting the band members at Meiji Gakuin University. He would play exclusively in Fishmans as a primary member until he decided to leave the band out of disinterest with the music industry in late 1998. His last concert with the group was supposed to be December 28, 1998 @Akasaka Blitz, and it was for a short time, but Kashiwabara would rejoin the group for future performances after band leader Shinji Sato's passing in 1999. He formed Japanese rock group Polaris in 2000 with Yusuke Oya (from LaB LIFe), a band that carries a very similar dream pop/dub sound to Fishmans' later career. He also created the Japanese downtempo group Otouta in 2007 with Kotaro Maruyama and Bondo Tsuji, as well as 2011's So Many Tears alongside Kin-Ichi Motegi and Takashi Kato. Kashiwabara is also a member of Fishmans tribute collective Fishmans+. Today, he serves as an essential support member in modern Fishmans performances, appearing at every performance since Sato's passing.

The CD Extra Dictionary has this to say about Kashiwabara:

Untranslated Japanese

かしわばらゆずる【柏原譲】（人）
1) フィッシュマンズのベーシスト。６８年１２月２０日生まれ。
2) デカくて重くてブットいベースはフィッシュマンズ・サウンドの大黒柱。そして機械に対する探求心は他の追随を許さない。テレビゲーム機から自動車まで、これまでに分解したマシンは一万五千種を越えるばかりか、その７割を復元。とにかく構造を知ること、それがユズルの人生のテーマ。そんなわけで、フィッシュマンズの元に届いた新しい楽器、機材はすべて彼の手によってネジ一本まで構造が暴かれ、使いこなすための基礎理論が打ち立てられる。フィッシュマンズ・サウンドに打ち込みやサンプラーが多用されるようになったのも、おそらくは彼の機械への偏見なき好奇心によるものだと推測されている。
3) 寡黙にして常に“自分自身でいること”を心掛け、調子にのったり浮かれて我を忘れるということはない。ライブの最中、どんなに会場中がすべてを忘れて盛り上がろうと、ユズルくんだけは冷静に状況を把握している。その落ち着いた風貌、表情からはとてもそうは見えないが、実はフィッシュマンズのメンバー中、最年少。
4) 好物は唐揚げ。アンチ巨人。得意料理はカレー。

English Auto-translated Using Google Translate, Edited for Comprehension

Yuzuru Kashiwabara (person)
1. Fishmans' bassist. Born on December 20, 1968.
2. His heavy, thick bass is the backbone of Fishmans' sound. And his curiosity about machines is unmatched. From video game consoles to cars, he has disassembled more than 15,000 machines, and restored 70% of them. Yuzuru's life goal is to know about the structure of each of them. That's why he uncovers the structure of every new instrument and machine Fishmans gets, down to the last screw, and establishes the best theory on how to use it. It's speculated that the heavy use of programming and samplers in the Fishmans sound is probably due to his unbiased curiosity about machines.
3. He is quiet and constantly "tries to be himself", and never gets carried away or loses his sense of self. During a live, no matter how excited everyone else in the venue is, Yuzuru-kun always stays calm and composed. That calm appearance and facial expression make it very hard to believe, but he is actually Fishmans' youngest member.
4. His favorite food is fried chicken. Anti-Giants. His specialty dish is curry.

Trivia[]

Kashiwabara is most often seen with one of his iconic baseball caps on. His most famous is a white hat which reads "Family | Ford, Mercury | Carlisle, PA" across its front.