Playing a sadistic real-life villain in the Angelina Jolie film ¡°Unbroken¡± clearly took its toll on Takamasa Ishihara, who admits he wept and threw up as he prepared for his final scene. Now back in a more familiar role as the enigmatic musician Miyavi, the man known as the ¡°Samurai Guitarist¡± is flying high once again. The 33-year-old was in a buoyant mood as he sat down with The Japan Times to discuss his experiences on set, his reaction to the film¡¯s critics and his new album, ¡°The Others,¡± which came out this week.

¡°I¡¯m really buzzing about this record,¡± he says, speaking at the Universal Music Japan offices. ¡°Changing to a Telecaster guitar gave it more of an electric sound and, as a result, it¡¯s edgier and more aggressive than anything I¡¯ve done previously. I wrote and recorded a lot of it in Nashville, Tennessee, which was amazing. I¡¯m not really sure how I ended up there, but it was like rehab for me. Up until that point I was all over the place. I had the movie and everything that brings with it, plus a world tour. Honestly speaking, it was overwhelming. As a result I felt a distance growing between myself and music, I just wasn¡¯t enjoying it. That changed in Nashville.

¡°It¡¯s such a soulful place. The whole city is musical ¡ª you go into restaurants and even the waiters can sing. It was the ideal setting to rediscover my creative side and I think that is what I managed to do with this album. I¡¯m not completely satisfied with it ¡ª I know I¡¯ve got more to give ¡ª but I am happy. It¡¯s got a real bite; I just can¡¯t wait to get on stage and perform these songs for my fans here in Japan.¡±