Kotaro Oshio (押尾 コータロー, Oshio Kōtarō, real name: 押尾 光太郎) is an acoustic guitarist from Japan. Born in Osaka Prefecture, on February 1, 1968, he is best known for his work on the steel string guitar. Oshio is a part of Sony Music Japan's SME Records division.

Oshio's music
Oshio's music is classified within various categories including pop, new age, and jazz. Oshio's musical technique includes fingerpicking, tap harmonics, and a unique strumming style referred to as a "nail attack" in which he slaps the strings with the nails of his middle and ring fingers which is inspired by Michael Hedges. While his albums include mostly original material, Oshio is also known for his covers and movie soundtracks. His unique skill in interpretation and arrangement can be heard in tracks such as Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence from his album Starting Point.

Oshio's career
Oshio released his first indie record in December, 1999, which was followed by a second indie album in March, 2001. In July 2002, he released his first major record label album Starting Point and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival with B.B. King.

Discography
Love Strings (March 24th, 2001 in Japan)
Oshio Kotaro (October 11th, 2002 in Japan)
Starting Point (July 10th, 2002 in Japan)
Dramatic (June 18th, 2003 in Japan)
Be Happy (June 23rd, 2004 in Japan)
Bolero! Be Happy Live (December 15th, 2004 in Japan)
Panorama (September 7th, 2005 in Japan)
Color of Life (November 29th, 2006 in Japan)
Blue Sky, Kotaro Oshio Best CD (Jan 31st, 2007 in Japan)
Nature Spirit (Jan 1st, 2008 in Japan)
You & Me (Oct 1st, 2008 in Japan)
Tussie Mussie (Mar 11, 2009 in Japan)
Eternal Chain (Aug 5, 2009 in Japan)
Hand to Hand (Jan 12, 2011 in Japan) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.