Famous Japanese Musicians

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 1 
Suzuka Nakamoto
(Metal Singer Best Known as a Member of the Kawaii Metal Band 'Babymetal')
Suzuka Nakamoto
8
Birthdate: December 20, 1997
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hiroshima, Japan

Japanese kawaii metal sensation Suzuka Nakamoto is best known for being part of the band Babymetal. Also known as Su-metal, she entered the world of showbiz with Jewel Drop commercials and later won a kids’ audition. She has also been part of the idol girl group Sakura Gakuin.

 2 
Rina Sawayama
(Singer)
Rina Sawayama
4
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. 
 3 
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.

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 4 
James Iha
(Musician)
James Iha
3
Birthdate: March 26, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
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 5 
Miyavi
(Singer, Guitarist)
Miyavi
4
Birthdate: September 14, 1981
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Konohana-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture

Miyavi is a Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and record producer. Apart from being an entertainer, Miyavi is also a volunteer at UNHCR; since 2013, he has been visiting several refugee camps across the world. He was made an official UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in November 2017.   

 6 
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.

 7 
Ayumi Hamasaki
(Singer, Seiyū, Songwriter, Model, Actor, Singer-songwriter, Composer, Lyricist, Poet, Record producer)
Ayumi Hamasaki
5
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.

 8 
Koji Kondo
(Composer)
Koji Kondo
6
Birthdate: August 13, 1961
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
 9 
Nobuo Uematsu
(Japanese Keyboardist Known for Composing the Musical Scores for the ‘Final Fantasy’ Video Games Series)
Nobuo Uematsu
5
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.

 10 
Tomohisa Yamashita
(Singer, Actor)
Tomohisa Yamashita
4
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.

 11 
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.  

 12 
Kyu Sakamoto
(Singer)
Kyu Sakamoto
4
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.

 13 
Mitsuko Uchida
(Classical pianist, conductor)
Mitsuko Uchida
4
Birthdate: December 20, 1948
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Atami, Shizuoka, Japan
 14 
Hikaru Utada
(Singer-Songwriter and One of the Best-Selling Musical Artists in Japan)
Hikaru Utada
1
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.

 15 
Naoki Urasawa
(Artist)
Naoki Urasawa
4
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.

 16 
Gackt
(Japanese musician)
Gackt
4
Birthdate: July 4, 1973
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Okinawa Prefecture
 17 
Yuki Kajiura
(Musician)
Yuki Kajiura
4
Birthdate: August 6, 1965
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 18 
Hide
(Former Lead Guitarist of the Rock Band 'X Japan')
Hide
4
Birthdate: December 13, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Died: April 2, 1998

Hide (real name: Hideto Matsumoto) began his music career as lead guitarist for the metal group X-Japan. He achieved fame as a musician, singer-songwriter and record producer during the 1990s. His untimely death at just 33 shocked the music fans around the world.

 19 
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.

 20 
Yoko Kanno
(Composer, Singer)
Yoko Kanno
4
Birthdate: March 18, 1963
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
 21 
Yoshiki
(Japanese musician)
Yoshiki
3
Birthdate: November 20, 1965
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture
 22 
Yui
(Singer- Songwriter)
Yui
4
Birthdate: March 26, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Koga, Japan
 23 
Hyde
Hyde
3
Birthdate: January 29, 1969
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Wakayama, Wakayama, Japan
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 24 
Yuma Asami
(Japanese Actress and Singer)
Yuma Asami
3
Birthdate: March 24, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gunma, Japan

One of Japan’s most well-known adult stars, Yuma Asami had begun her career at age 18. She mostly worked with studios that specialized in soft porn. The Grand Prix award-winning actor was later diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Post-recovery, she ditched the adult industry and began working as a singer.

 25 
Masayoshi Takanaka
(Guitarist)
Masayoshi Takanaka
2
Birthdate: March 27, 1953
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 26 
Alice Sara Ott
(Classical pianist)
Alice Sara Ott
2
Birthdate: August 1, 1988
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Munich, Germany

German-Japanese classical pianist Alice Sara Ott began learning the piano at age 5. At 13, she was the youngest finalist of the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy Competition ever. She has also designed bags and app stickers. In 2019, she announced on Instagram that she had been suffering from multiple sclerosis.

 27 
Kitaro
(Japanese Recording Artist, Composer and Record Producer)
Kitaro
2
Birthdate: February 4, 1953
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
 28 
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.

 29 
Isao Tomita
(Musical composer)
Isao Tomita
2
Birthdate: April 22, 1932
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Toyotama District, Tokyo
Died: May 5, 2016
 30 
Damo Suzuki
(Musician)
Damo Suzuki
2
Birthdate: January 16, 1950
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Japan

Damo Suzuki is a Japanese musician best known for his association with the German experimental rock band Can where he was the lead singer from 1970 to 1973. Suzuki, who has been living in Germany since the 1970s, is an exponent of a genre of experimental rock called Krautrock, which was developed in the 1960s and 1970s in West Germany.

 31 
Alan Shirahama
(Actor and DJ who is a member of Exile and also the leader of the Japanese all-male dance and music group Generations from Exile Tribe)
Alan Shirahama
2
Birthdate: August 4, 1993
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 32 
Akiko Yano
(Singer-songwriter, Jazz musician)
Akiko Yano
2
Birthdate: February 13, 1955
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 33 
Akihiro Miwa
(Japanese Singer, Actor, Director and Drag Queen)
Akihiro Miwa
2
Birthdate: May 15, 1935
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nagasaki, Japan
 34 
Donna Burke
(Singer, Seiyū)
Donna Burke
2
Birthdate: December 12, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Perth

Donna Burke is an Australian singer, narrator, voice actress, and businesswoman. Apart from contributing to anime songs and TV commercials as a voice actress, Burke also contributes as a lyricist. In 2007, a documentary named Climate in Crisis which was narrated by her won the silver medal at the New York Television Festival. 

 35 
Misia
(Singer, Singer-songwriter, Lyricist, Composer, Record producer)
Misia
2
Birthdate: July 7, 1978
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: ÅŒmura

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.

 36 
Daisuke Ishiwatari
(Video game developer, Musician)
Daisuke Ishiwatari
2
Birthdate: August 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa
 37 
Kami
(Musician)
Kami
2
Birthdate: February 1, 1972
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ibaraki, Japan
Died: June 21, 1999
 38 
Peter Barakan
(DJ, Broadcaster, author best known as the presenter for Begin Japanology and Japanology Plus on NHK World)
Peter Barakan
3
Birthdate: August 20, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: London, England
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 39 
Midori
(Violinist)
Midori
0
Birthdate: October 25, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Height: 4'11" (150 cm)
 40 
Shunji Iwai
(Screenwriter, Film director, Film editor, Film producer, Composer, Lyricist)
Shunji Iwai
1
Birthdate: January 24, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sendai
 41 
Angela Aki
(Singer-songwriter, Pianist)
Angela Aki
2
Birthdate: September 15, 1977
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Itano, Tokushima, Japan
 42 
Tomoyasu Hotei
(Guitarist, Singer-songwriter)
Tomoyasu Hotei
2
Birthdate: February 1, 1962
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Takasaki, Gunma, Japan
 43 
Mai Kuraki
(Japanese Singer-Songwriter and Record Producer)
Mai Kuraki
1
Birthdate: October 28, 1982
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Funabashi, Chiba, Japan

Mai Kuraki is a Japanese R&B and pop singer-songwriter best known for her debut album Delicious Way, which is the ninth best-selling Japanese album of all-time. Kuraki is the only female singer to release singles that have been successively debuting in the Top 10 since 1999. 

 44 
Akira Ifukube
(Composer)
Akira Ifukube
2
Birthdate: May 31, 1914
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kushiro, Japan
Died: February 8, 2006
 45 
Ai
(Singer-songwriter)
Ai
1
Birthdate: November 2, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
 46 
Toru Takemitsu
(Composer)
Toru Takemitsu
1
Birthdate: October 8, 1930
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: February 20, 1996
 47 
Chris Hart
(Singer)
Chris Hart
1
Birthdate: August 25, 1984
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States
 48 
Olivia Lufkin
(Singer-songwriter)
Olivia Lufkin
1
Birthdate: December 9, 1979
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
 49 
Akiko Shikata
(Singer-songwriter)
Akiko Shikata
1
Birthdate: January 7, 0000
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
 50 
Kanon Wakeshima
(Musician)
Kanon Wakeshima
1
Birthdate: June 28, 1988
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan