Toshimara Hara (born March 31, 1977), who goes by his stage name Toshiya, is a Japanese Heavy Metal bass guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work as bass guitarst for the experimental metal band Dir en grey. Before joining the band in 1997, he was already an active musician who played for the Visual Kei bands D+L and GO:SICK. In addition to being a musician, he is also an illustrator and fashion designer.
Toshiya provides examples of:
- Cool Shades: He loves them and keeps thinking of buying a new pair every spring.
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: One of the best male examples in 1990s Visual Kei, and considered a near-rival to his contemporaries: Mana of Malice Mizer and fellow bandmate Shinya, before he changed styles. He carried over elements of the style in his more recent appearances.
- Expy: Fans may note many similarities between him and Mana, due to their eerily similar visual styles. Nowadays, however, fans have pointed out his striking
◊ resemblance to EXO-M's Tao◊.- He can also be considered the East's answer to Fieldy as of recent years, due to their similar playing styles.
- Groupie Brigade: Is the only other Dir En Grey member to have a huge and active following of rabid fangirls AND fanboys (the other being rhythm guitarist Die). And yes, he tends to flirt with them during lives.
- Guyliner. Especially during his most Visual phases. He claims to rarely use it in recent years, but he still does for photoshoots and some lives.
- Man in a Kilt: His Elegant Gothic Aristocrat skirt has become a staple of his Visual image.
- Older Than They Look: One of the youngest-looking among his bandmates, despite being a man in his mid-forties.
- Otaku: Likes anime and manga, and it shows in his visual style.
- Stage Names
- Visual Kei: Takes the prize for being one of two blatantly Visual members of the band (the other being Shinya), even during their least visual phases. And while the rest of his bandmates did return to experimenting with VK, he is still well ahead of them in terms of style.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: One of the most feminine crossdressers ever in Visual kei, and almost in direct competition with Shinya as to "who is the better loli" during the band's Visual years.
