Kan Mikami (三上寛) takes much of his inspiration from the school of singer/songwriters and blues vocalists. From the rural district of Tsugaru, Mikami's parched voice and plaintive electric guitar (sometimes the only backing) reveals the true spirit of the folkish sad blues, even though he sings in Japanese. Of course, comparisons to Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf are just as far from the truth as Bertolt Brecht or Jacques Brel, but the guitarist weaves elements of all of them to create an undeniably unique style.