Famous Japanese Composers

Vote for Your Favourite Japanese Composers

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 1 
Ryuichi Sakamoto
(Japanese Composer and Pianist Who Influenced and Pioneered a Number of 'Electronic Music' Genres)
Ryuichi Sakamoto
4
Birthdate: January 17, 1952
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan

Apart from being a keyboardist and songwriter for the Yellow Magic Orchestra, Japanese pianist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto has also been a solo artist and composed tracks for films such as The Last Emperor and The Revenant. He now has a Grammy and an Academy Award in his kitty.

 2 
Hiroyuki Sawano
(Japanese Composer, Arranger and Music Producer Known for His Work on Anime Series, Video Games and Television Dramas)
Hiroyuki Sawano
4
Birthdate: September 12, 1980
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan

A multi-talented personality, Hiroyuki Sawano is a Japanese composer, arranger, musician, and lyricist. He is best known for his work on anime TV series, films, and TV dramas. He has composed music for films and series like Attack on Titan and Blue Exorcist. He started a new vocal project under the name ''SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] in 2014 and has released many albums.

 3 
Ayumi Hamasaki
(Singer, Seiyū, Songwriter, Model, Actor, Singer-songwriter, Composer, Lyricist, Poet, Record producer)
Ayumi Hamasaki
4
Birthdate: October 2, 1978
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Fukuoka

Japanese pop icon Ayumi Hamasaki had started a TV career after moving to Tokyo at 14. She later gained fame with her dance hits and ballads. Also known for her dramatic costumes and videos, The Empress of J-pop has been rendered totally deaf in one ear, owing to a ear infection.

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 4 
Nobuo Uematsu
(Japanese Keyboardist Known for Composing the Musical Scores for the ‘Final Fantasy’ Video Games Series)
Nobuo Uematsu
3
Birthdate: March 21, 1959
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kochi, Kochi, Japan

Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer and musician. A self-taught musician, Uematsu is best known for his work in the Final Fantasy video game series. A prolific composer for several video games, Nobuo Uematsu is sometimes called the Beethoven of video game music. In 2006, he founded his own record label, Dog Ear Records.

 5 
Koji Kondo
(Composer)
Koji Kondo
3
Birthdate: August 13, 1961
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
 6 
Yuki Kajiura
(Musician)
Yuki Kajiura
3
Birthdate: August 6, 1965
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 7 
Joe Hisaishi
(Japanese Composer and Musical Director Known to Explore and Incorporate Different Genres in His Scores)
Joe Hisaishi
4
Birthdate: December 6, 1950
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nakano, Nagano, Japan

Joe Hisaishi is a Japanese composer and musical director who has composed over 100 film scores and solo albums. Active since the 1970s, he has explored and incorporated numerous genres in his work. He often collaborates with animator Hayao Miyazaki and has composed music for most of his films. He has received a Medal of Honour with a purple ribbon.  

 8 
Takahiro Moriuchi
(Musician)
Takahiro Moriuchi
3
Birthdate: April 17, 1988
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan

Takahiro Moriuchi, better known to fans a Taka, soared to fame as the lead singer of the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock. He was previously part of the boy band News. The eldest son of popular singers Shinichi and Masako Mori, he now owns a lavish home in Hollywood Hills.

 9 
Yui
(Singer- Songwriter)
Yui
3
Birthdate: March 26, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Koga, Japan
 10 
Yoko Kanno
(Composer, Singer)
Yoko Kanno
3
Birthdate: March 18, 1963
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
 11 
Kitaro
(Japanese Recording Artist, Composer and Record Producer)
Kitaro
3
Birthdate: February 4, 1953
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
 12 
Isao Tomita
(Musical composer)
Isao Tomita
3
Birthdate: April 22, 1932
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Toyotama District, Tokyo
Died: May 5, 2016
 13 
Akihiro Miwa
(Japanese Singer, Actor, Director and Drag Queen)
Akihiro Miwa
3
Birthdate: May 15, 1935
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nagasaki, Japan
 14 
Daisuke Ishiwatari
(Video game developer, Musician)
Daisuke Ishiwatari
2
Birthdate: August 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa
 15 
Misia
(Singer, Singer-songwriter, Lyricist, Composer, Record producer)
Misia
2
Birthdate: July 7, 1978
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Ōmura

Misia is a Japanese record producer, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her album Mother Father Brother Sister which went on to become the seventh best-selling debut album of all time in Japan. Widely regarded as Japan's first R&B superstar, Misia is also credited with releasing one of the best-selling Japanese singles of all time, Everything.

 16 
Shunji Iwai
(Screenwriter, Film director, Film editor, Film producer, Composer, Lyricist)
Shunji Iwai
2
Birthdate: January 24, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sendai
 17 
Akira Ifukube
(Composer)
Akira Ifukube
2
Birthdate: May 31, 1914
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kushiro, Japan
Died: February 8, 2006
 18 
Toru Takemitsu
(Composer)
Toru Takemitsu
1
Birthdate: October 8, 1930
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: February 20, 1996
 19 
Akiko Shikata
(Singer-songwriter)
Akiko Shikata
2
Birthdate: January 7, 0000
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 20 
Kanon Wakeshima
(Musician)
Kanon Wakeshima
2
Birthdate: June 28, 1988
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 21 
Kimiko Douglass-Ishizaka
(Composer, Pianist)
Kimiko Douglass-Ishizaka
1
Birthdate: December 4, 1976
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany

Kimiko Douglass-Ishizaka is a German Japanese pianist, composer, and former powerlifter and Olympic weightlifter. She achieved popularity in 1998 when she won a national music competition known as Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, along with her brothers Danjulo and Kiyondo Ishizaka. As a Olympic weightlifter, Kimiko competed at the 2008 German championships where she won three medals.   

 22 
Toshiro Mayuzumi
(Composer)
Toshiro Mayuzumi
1
Birthdate: February 20, 1929
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Died: April 10, 1997
 23 
Kan'ami
(Actor)
Kan'ami
1
Birthdate: 1333 AD
Birthplace: Iga, Japan
Died: June 8, 1384
 24 
Kento Masuda
(Composer and recording artist who released his 10th album)
Kento Masuda
1
Birthdate: June 29, 1973
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Katori, Chiba, Japan