Pascals

Shugo Tokumaru is a fan of this 14-member orchestra, which shares his love of unorthodox instrumentation and penchant for encasing whimsical melodies in baroque arrangements. Formed at a late-night gig in Shimokitazawa in 1995, Pascals took their name from Pascal Comelade, a French-Catalan composer who makes frequent use of toy instruments. Band leader Rocket Matsu sticks mainly to pianica, but he's often overshadowed by the stage antics of Koji Ishikawa, a butch man-child who plays percussion and toys with equal aplomb.