Famous Japanese Lyricists & Songwriters

Vote for Your Favourite Japanese Lyricists & Songwriters

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 1 
Rina Sawayama
(Singer)
Rina Sawayama
3
Birthdate: August 16, 1990
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Niigata, Japan
Rina Sawayama is known for her unusual blends of pop with R&B, club music, nu-metal, and other genres. Born in Japan, the singer/model moved with her family to the UK at age 5. She is also a Cambridge graduate and a queer icon who identifies as pansexual and bisexual. 
 2 
James Iha
(Musician)
James Iha
3
Birthdate: March 26, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 3 
Tomohisa Yamashita
(Singer, Actor)
Tomohisa Yamashita
2
Birthdate: April 9, 1985
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Funabashi, Chiba

Tomohisa Yamashita is a Japanese singer, TV host, and actor. After joining talent agency Johnny & Associates at the age of 11, Yamashita has been active on TV ever since. He is best known for his portrayal of Kusano Akira in the 2005 TV drama Nobuta Wo Produce. Over the years, he has won several Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix awards.

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 4 
Kyu Sakamoto
(Singer)
Kyu Sakamoto
2
Birthdate: December 10, 1941
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Died: August 12, 1985

With his Billboard number one track Sukiyaki, Kyu Sakamoto became the first to score a pop number one with a song entirely sung in Japanese. Born to a restaurateur, he had started his career singing in jazz clubs. He died in a 1985 plane crash that killed over 500 people.

 5 
Naoki Urasawa
(Artist)
Naoki Urasawa
2
Birthdate: January 2, 1960
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

Award-winning Japanese manga artist Naoki Urasawa is best known for his thriller Monster and the sci-fi 20th Century Boys. Fans love his intricate and psychologically complicated plots. He also teaches at the Nagoya Zokei University and is a skilled rock musician who once performed as Bob Lennon.

 6 
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.

 7 
Hikaru Utada
(Singer-Songwriter and One of the Best-Selling Musical Artists in Japan)
Hikaru Utada
0
Birthdate: January 19, 1983
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States

Hikaru Utada is a Japanese-American singer, producer, and songwriter. She achieved popularity after releasing her first Japanese-language studio album First Love, which became Japan's best-selling album of all time. Utada was regarded as the most influential artist of the 2000s in Japan. She is also one of the most decorated Japanese artists of her generation.

 8 
Yui
(Singer- Songwriter)
Yui
2
Birthdate: March 26, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Koga, Japan
 9 
Kazunari Ninomiya
2
Birthdate: June 17, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Katsushika, Tokyo

Kazunari Ninomiya is a Japanese singer, radio host, songwriter, voice actor, and actor. He is best known for his association with the popular boy band, Arashi. Over the course of his successful career, Kazunari Ninomiya has won several prestigious awards, such as Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix, Japan Broadcast Film Arts Award, Hochi Film Award, Hashida Award, and Galaxy Award.

 10 
Crystal Kay
(Japanese Pop Singer Known for Her Prolific Singing Career)
Crystal Kay
2
Birthdate: February 26, 1986
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Crystal Kay is a Japanese singer, actress, songwriter, and radio host. Crystal is best known for her album Almost Seventeen which has sold more than 400,000 copies, earning her platinum certificate from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). She is also known for her collaborations with popular recording artists like Chemistry and BoA.
 11 
Akiko Shikata
(Singer-songwriter)
Akiko Shikata
1
Birthdate: January 7, 0000
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 12 
Rokusuke Ei
(Television presenter, Lyricist, Essayists)
Rokusuke Ei
0
Birthdate: April 10, 1933
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
Died: July 7, 2016
 13 
Duran
(Singer-songwriter, Guitarist)
Duran
0
Birthdate: December 10, 1984
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan