Few Japanese jazz pianists are as strikingly original, either as composers or performers, as Hiromi Uehara, who performs under her given name only. Hiromi has an instantly recognizable style, featuring a dense flurry of notes and chords that recalls Art Tatumwho, not surprisingly, is one of her idols…. ...

Halcali is a sort of manufactured band, but like the Monkees, it works out well, so why complain? The band started with members of Rip Slyme Ryo-z and DJ Fumiya (AKA Oshare Track Factory) looking for outside projects to write for and produce. Through Tanabe Agency auditions were arranged looking for… ...

One of the most talented new artists on the Japanese pop music scene is female singer Ayaka Hirahara, who made an incredible debut in December 2003 with the single "Jupiter." Taking its melody from the "Jupiter" section of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, the song sold steadily over several… ...

Puffy (comprising Yumi Yoshimura and Ami Onuki) debuted in 1996 with the single "Asia No Junshin (Pure Heart of Asia)", which sold more than 1 million copies. The duo specialize in an upbeat pop pastiche with songs like songs like "Circuit no Musume" (Circuit Girl) and "Korega… ...

Tamio Okuda comes across as just a regular, ordinary guy. In his bio, equal prominence is given to his work as a producer, as a solo artist – and being a keen black-bass fisherman. When performing live or in videos, Okuda looks like he just got out of bed, wearing T-shirt and jeans and in need of a shave…. ...

High and Mighty Color, known to fans as "haikara", is a sextet that juxtaposes well-executed hard rock overlaid with clear, melodic vocals. Hailing from Okinawa, High and Mighty Color follows several other Okinawa bands. most notably Mongol 800 and Orange Range, to hit it big nationwide in… ...

Sandii is a colorful veteran of the Japanese music business, who has gone through a number of stylistic changes over time, yet still maintained a substantial audience. Born Sandii Suzuki in Hawaii, with a mix of Japanese, Spanish and American blood, she moved to Tokyo in the early 70s and became a DJ… ...

Singer/songwriter G. Rina is a Japan born and raised young woman who is a quarter English. She uses only the letter "G" from her full English family name (which she does not reveal on her official website), and places it in front of her given name, as is Japanese custom. Her music is also… ...

The Gospellers are a five-man a cappella band composed of Tetsuya Murakami, Kaoru Kurosawa, Yuji Sakai, Youichi Kitayama, and Yutaka Yasuoka. Formed in 1991, the members of the group originally met in the Street Corner Symphony a cappella club at prestigious Waseda University. The Gospellers released… ...

Seminal is an overused word in the rock critic’s lexicon, but it certainly applies to Yellow Magic Orchestra. The pioneering electro-pop band was formed in 1978 by classically-trained keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto, Happy End bassist/lkeyboardist Haruomi Hosono and former Sadistic Mika Band drummer Yukihiro… ...