Atsuko Seta (瀬田 敦子, Seta Atsuko) (born March 4, 1955) is a Japanese classical pianist. She is particularly successful…Atsuko Seta (瀬田 敦子, Seta Atsuko) (born March 4, 1955) is a Japanese classical pianist. She is particularly successful in Poland, especially in the southwest of the country, regularly performing with the Sudecka Philharmonic orchestra in Wałbrzych and in her native Japan and in Bulgaria. Seta is living in Poland as an Honorable Citizen of Szczawno-Zdroj city. Artistic Director of Chiangmai Ginastera International Music Festival. Honorary Professor of Payap University Thailand. Honorary Chairman of Japan Ginastera Association.
Toshifumi Hinata is a Japanese classical musician and composer. He was born on February 23, 1955, in Tokyo, Japan. He…Toshifumi Hinata is a Japanese classical musician and composer. He was born on February 23, 1955, in Tokyo, Japan. He has composed several albums and composed music for multiple films and television shows including Pavee Lackeen, Long Vacation and Tokyo Love Story.
Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz…Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz and video game soundtracks. Sayama began playing piano as a child and became interested in jazz after seeing the film The Glenn Miller Story. He studied music at Kunitachi College of Music and began playing jazz professionally in the early 1970s, working with Toshiyuki Honda, Shigeharu Mukai, and Kazunori Takeda. He was a member of Shuichi Murakami's trio Ponta Box and also led his own ensembles. In 1991 he began playing with Masahiko Osaka. Sayama also played for video game soundtracks, including Final Fantasy X-2. Sayama died on November 14, 2018, at the age of 64.
Akiko Ebi (海老 彰子, Ebi Akiko; born July 7, 1953) is a Japanese-French pianist. Ebi was born in Osaka. She studied at the…Akiko Ebi (海老 彰子, Ebi Akiko; born July 7, 1953) is a Japanese-French pianist. Ebi was born in Osaka. She studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and won the piano prize of the 41st Music Competition of Japan. Her international career began with her winning second prize in the 1975 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris. She continued her studies with Aldo Ciccolini at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1980, she won fifth prize at the X International Chopin Piano Competition, after which Martha Argerich, who was a member of the jury, took patronage over her.
Kei Akagi (ケイ 赤城/赤城 恵, Akagi Kei; born March 16, 1953) is a Japanese American jazz pianist. In particular, he is known…Kei Akagi (ケイ 赤城/赤城 恵, Akagi Kei; born March 16, 1953) is a Japanese American jazz pianist. In particular, he is known for his work with the Airto Moreira/Flora Purim group and in Miles Davis's band in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Japan, but lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for part of his childhood, until he moved back to Japan at the age of 12. He later returned to the United States at 22. He is associated with the Californian jazz scene at present. He is the Chancellor Professor of Music at the University of California, Irvine.
Ichiko Hashimoto (橋本 一子, Hashimoto Ichiko; born July 1, 1952 in Kobe, Japan) is a jazz pianist, composer and singer.…Ichiko Hashimoto (橋本 一子, Hashimoto Ichiko; born July 1, 1952 in Kobe, Japan) is a jazz pianist, composer and singer. She has also acted in television and film. Hashimoto was born in Kobe, grew up in Tokyo and started playing the piano at the age of five. She attended Musashino Academia Musicae, where she graduated in 1975. Ichiko sometimes performs with her sister Mayumi Hashimoto (橋本 まゆみ, Hashimoto Mayumi).
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 龍一, Hepburn: Sakamoto Ryūichi; January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese…Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 龍一, Hepburn: Sakamoto Ryūichi; January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his YMO bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres. As a film score composer, Sakamoto won an Academy Award (Oscar), BAFTA, Grammy and two Golden Globe Awards. Sakamoto began his career as a session musician, producer, and arranger while he was at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in the mid 1970s. His first major success came in 1978 as co-founder of YMO. He pursued a solo career at the same time, releasing the experimental electronic fusion album Thousand Knives in that year, and the album B-2 Unit in 1980. B-2 Unit includes the track "Riot in Lagos", which had a significant influence on the development of electro, hip hop and dance music. He went on to produce more solo records, and collaborate with many international artists, including David Sylvian, DJ Spooky, Carsten Nicolai, Youssou N'Dour, and Fennesz. Sakamoto composed music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games, and his composition "Energy Flow" (1999) was the first instrumental number-one single in Japan's Oricon charts history. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) marked his debut as both an actor and a film score composer; its main theme was adapted into the single "Forbidden Colours", which became an international hit. His most successful work as a film composer was his original score for The Last Emperor (1987), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, making him the first Japanese composer to win an Academy Award. He continued earning accolades composing for films such as The Sheltering Sky (1990), Little Buddha (1993), and The Revenant (2015). On occasion, Sakamoto also worked as a composer and a scenario writer on anime and video games. He was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture in 2009 for his contributions to music. Sakamoto died on March 28, 2023, from colorectal cancer at the age of 71.
Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi…Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi (久石 譲, Hisaishi Jō), is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic, Western classical, and Japanese classical. He has also worked as a music engraver and arranger. He has been associated with director and animator Hayao Miyazaki since 1984, having written scores for all but one of Miyazaki's films. He is also recognized for his music for filmmaker 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, including A Scene at the Sea (1991), Sonatine (1993), Kids Return (1996), Hana-bi (1997), Kikujiro (1999), Brother (2000), and Dolls (2002), and for the video game series Ni no Kuni. He composed the score for the Oscar-winning film Departures (2008). He was a student of anime composer Takeo Watanabe.
Fumio Itabashi (板橋 文夫, Itabashi Fumio; born March 8, 1949 in Tochigi) is a Japanese pianist and composer. Itabashi…Fumio Itabashi (板橋 文夫, Itabashi Fumio; born March 8, 1949 in Tochigi) is a Japanese pianist and composer. Itabashi began playing piano when he was eight years old, and studied music formally at Kunitachi College of Music, where he first started playing jazz. In the 1970s he worked with Terumasa Hino, Takeo Moriyama, and Sadao Watanabe, in addition to leading his own small ensembles. In the 1980s he did several international tours as a sideman with Ray Anderson and Elvin Jones, and in the 1990s worked with Leo Etoh in a traditional Japanese percussion ensemble called Wa Daiko. In addition to his work in jazz, Itabashi also works as a film score composer, and has done soundtracks for Chinese and Japanese motion pictures.
Kentarō Haneda (羽田 健太郎, Haneda Kentarō; January 12, 1949 – June 2, 2007) was a Japanese pianist, composer and arranger.…Kentarō Haneda (羽田 健太郎, Haneda Kentarō; January 12, 1949 – June 2, 2007) was a Japanese pianist, composer and arranger. He composed for popular anime series, movies and video games. His popular name was Haneken.
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist…Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist in the Japanese jazz fusion and soft rock scenes during the late 1970s and 1980s, later dubbed "city pop".
Takashi Kako (加古 隆, Kako Takashi) (born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and…Takashi Kako (加古 隆, Kako Takashi) (born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and art-music idioms.
Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the…Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the Cantelli Award.
Takehiro Honda (本田竹広, Honda Takehiro; August 21, 1945 – January 12, 2006) was a Japanese jazz pianist and band leader.…Takehiro Honda (本田竹広, Honda Takehiro; August 21, 1945 – January 12, 2006) was a Japanese jazz pianist and band leader. Honda was born in Miyako, Iwate. He started playing piano at age five and studied at the Kunitachi College of Music, where he played in a quartet with Kazunori Takeda. By 1969 he was recording with a trio under his own name. He performed with Sadao Watanabe in 1973 and then formed the jazz-fusion band Native Son with Kosuke Mine, which toured internationally. Other credits include performing or recording with Hiroshi Murakami, Hiroshi Fukumura, Motohiko Hino, Shigeharu Mukai, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Eddie Gómez and Eliot Zigmund. His son is jazz musician Tamaya Honda. He was the brother-in-law of Sadao and Fumio Watanabe.
Minoru Nojima (野島 稔, Nojima Minoru; May 23, 1945 – May 9, 2022) was a Japanese classical pianist. At the time of his…Minoru Nojima (野島 稔, Nojima Minoru; May 23, 1945 – May 9, 2022) was a Japanese classical pianist. At the time of his death he was President of the Tokyo College of Music.
Aki Takahashi (高橋 アキ, Takahashi Aki; born September 6, 1944) is a Japanese pianist specializing in contemporary…Aki Takahashi (高橋 アキ, Takahashi Aki; born September 6, 1944) is a Japanese pianist specializing in contemporary classical music.
Midori Matsuya, 松谷翠 (18 March 1943 – 9 January 1994) was a Japanese pianist, graduated from Tokyo National University…Midori Matsuya, 松谷翠 (18 March 1943 – 9 January 1994) was a Japanese pianist, graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, studied under Kichigoro Sato, Noboru Toyomasu, Naoya Fukai and Lay Lev. His father was a Japanese Jazz pianist, Minoru Matsuya (1910–1995). He taught him how to play the piano since he was a child. He was brought up in an environment to learn both classical and jazz music since his childhood. Also, he learned harmony and composition under Roh Ogura (1916–1990) in Kamakura. In 1973, he left to Germany to study at Universität der Künste Berlin. In 1975, he returned to Japan and engaged in concert, broadcasting and recording activities. He was a professor in Nihon University, Music Department. He was a piano teacher of Hiroaki Zakoji (1958–1987). Composer and vocalist, Fuyuta Matsuya and vocalist, Leo Matsuya are his sons. He recorded his last CD, Light Colored Album, a short time before his death.
Yōsuke Yamashita (山下 洋輔, Yamashita Yōsuke; born 26 February 1942) is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and writer. His…Yōsuke Yamashita (山下 洋輔, Yamashita Yōsuke; born 26 February 1942) is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and writer. His piano style is influenced by free jazz, modal jazz and soul jazz. Since the late 1980s, Yamashita's main performing group has consisted of Cecil McBee (bass), Pheeroan akLaff (drums), and often Joe Lovano (saxophone).
Yuji Ohno (Japanese: 大野 雄二, Hepburn: Ōno Yūji; May 30, 1941 – May 4, 2026) was a Japanese jazz musician and composer.…Yuji Ohno (Japanese: 大野 雄二, Hepburn: Ōno Yūji; May 30, 1941 – May 4, 2026) was a Japanese jazz musician and composer. He is best known for scoring anime installments in the Lupin the Third franchise, which he called his life's work.
Masabumi Kikuchi (菊地 雅章, Kikuchi Masabumi; 19 October 1939 – 6 July 2015) was a Japanese jazz pianist and composer…Masabumi Kikuchi (菊地 雅章, Kikuchi Masabumi; 19 October 1939 – 6 July 2015) was a Japanese jazz pianist and composer known for his unique playing style. He worked with many diverse musicians, including Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, and collaborated with Gil Evans and Tōru Takemitsu.
Izumi Tateno (舘野 泉, Tateno Izumi, (born 10 November 1936 in Tokyo) is a Japanese pianist. Tateno studied at the Tōkyō…Izumi Tateno (舘野 泉, Tateno Izumi, (born 10 November 1936 in Tokyo) is a Japanese pianist. Tateno studied at the Tōkyō Geijutsu Daigaku and is today a professor at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. After a stroke during a concert on 9 January 2002, he had to take a break for some time. Even after medical rehabilitation, he still had paralysis of the right side of his body; since his comeback in May 2004, he has therefore played exclusively with his left hand. Numerous composers dedicated pieces to him specially tailored to his requirements. Tateno has won many prizes and awards. Since 17 September 1990, he has been chairman of the Japanese Sibelius Society (日本シベリウス協会, Nihon Shiberiusu Kyōkai), of which he is a founding member. Tateno is currently active mainly in Finland, where he moved in 1964. In Japan, he has become widely known through the theme tune he performed for the television drama Taira no Kiyomori, composed by Takashi Yoshimatsu.
Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz…Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. Maeda learned piano as a young child, and moved to Tokyo to play and arrange jazz professionally in 1955. There he played with Shungo Sawada's ensemble and founded a group called the Wind Breakers. He joined the West Liners, led by Konosuke Saijo, as a pianist and arranger in 1959. Known as a composer, he penned pieces for The Blue Coats, Tatsuya Takahashi, Nobuo Hara, and Toshiyuki Miyama. He also founded We 3 with Yasuo Arakawa and Takeshi Inomata, and later worked with Inomata again in a trio with Sadanori Nakamure. On 25 November 2018, Maeda died from pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo.
Toshi Ichiyanagi (一柳 慧, Ichiyanagi Toshi; 4 February 1933 – 7 October 2022) was a Japanese avant-garde composer and…Toshi Ichiyanagi (一柳 慧, Ichiyanagi Toshi; 4 February 1933 – 7 October 2022) was a Japanese avant-garde composer and pianist. One of the leading composers in Japan during the postwar era, Ichiyanagi worked in a range of genres, composing Western-style operas, orchestral and chamber works, as well as compositions using traditional Japanese instruments. Ichiyanagi is known for incorporating avant-garde techniques into his works, such as chance music, extended technique, and nontraditional scoring. Ichiyanagi was married to artist Yoko Ono from 1956 to 1962.
Kiyoko Tanaka (田中 希代子; February 5, 1932 [Shōwa 7] – February 26, 1996 [Heisei 8]) was a Japanese pianist and teacher.…Kiyoko Tanaka (田中 希代子; February 5, 1932 [Shōwa 7] – February 26, 1996 [Heisei 8]) was a Japanese pianist and teacher. She was the first Japanese musician to take a leading prize at a major international competition, sharing second prize with Ingrid Haebler at the Geneva International Music Competition in 1952. She went on to become the first Japanese prizewinner at both the Long-Thibaud Competition in 1953 and the International Chopin Piano Competition in 1955. Based successively in Paris and Vienna, Tanaka toured Europe, Japan and South America through the 1950s and 1960s. Her career was cut short in her late thirties by the onset of a connective tissue disease, forcing her to withdraw from public performances. Tanaka made her final orchestral appearance in 1968 and her last recital in 1970, at the age of 38. Afterwards, she taught piano in Tokyo by means of a wheelchair. She left very few commercial studio recordings, and her posthumous reputation rests largely on concert and broadcast tapes reissued from the late 1980s onward.
Ingrid Fujiko (also Fuzjko) von Georgii-Hemming (a.k.a. Fujiko Hemming) (イングリット・フジコ・ヘミング; Japanese name: Ohtsuki Fujiko…Ingrid Fujiko (also Fuzjko) von Georgii-Hemming (a.k.a. Fujiko Hemming) (イングリット・フジコ・ヘミング; Japanese name: Ohtsuki Fujiko (大月フジコ)) (5 December 1932 – 21 April 2024) was a classical pianist.
Hachidai Nakamura (中村 八大, Nakamura Hachidai; January 20, 1931 – June 10, 1992) was a Japanese songwriter and jazz…Hachidai Nakamura (中村 八大, Nakamura Hachidai; January 20, 1931 – June 10, 1992) was a Japanese songwriter and jazz pianist.
Takahiro Sonoda (Japanese: 園田 高弘, Hepburn: Sonoda Takahiro; September 17, 1928 – October 7, 2004) was a Japanese…Takahiro Sonoda (Japanese: 園田 高弘, Hepburn: Sonoda Takahiro; September 17, 1928 – October 7, 2004) was a Japanese classical pianist.
Hiroshi Kajiwara 梶原完 (9 November 1924 in Shanghai – 29 July 1989 in Germany) was a Japanese pianist, a piano virtuoso…Hiroshi Kajiwara 梶原完 (9 November 1924 in Shanghai – 29 July 1989 in Germany) was a Japanese pianist, a piano virtuoso of international renown and music educator Kajiwara Kan was commonly known in Japan as Kajiwara Kan or Kajikan.
Shōtarō Moriyasu (守安 祥太郎, Moriyasu Shōtarō; January 5, 1924 – September 25, 1955) was a Japanese jazz pianist. He…Shōtarō Moriyasu (守安 祥太郎, Moriyasu Shōtarō; January 5, 1924 – September 25, 1955) was a Japanese jazz pianist. He became a leading bebop musician in Japan in the early to mid-1950s, but was never officially recorded. His suicide at the age of 31 contributed to his image as a tragic artistic figure in jazz.
Fujita Haruko (藤田晴子; February 25, 1918 – October 10, 2001) was a Japanese pianist, teacher, music critic, and jurist.…Fujita Haruko (藤田晴子; February 25, 1918 – October 10, 2001) was a Japanese pianist, teacher, music critic, and jurist. Born to a family of jurists, she became one of the leading Japanese pianists of the 1930s. After the Pacific War she turned from music to jurisprudence, becoming one of the first female students enrolled at University of Tokyo. In later life she primarily worked as an academic, music critic, and constitutional scholar.
Minoru Matsuya (松谷穣, Matsuya Minoru; 2 January 1910 – 15 May 1995) was a Japanese jazz pianist, graduated from Tokyo…Minoru Matsuya (松谷穣, Matsuya Minoru; 2 January 1910 – 15 May 1995) was a Japanese jazz pianist, graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He was also known as Jo Matsuya or Yuzuru Matsuya. He lived in Kamakura. He learned piano under renowned Russian pianist Leo Sirota. After World War II, he started playing jazz music in an American base and taught many Japanese jazz vocalists. He was a close friend of Ichiro Fujiyama. He enjoyed performing some works by George Gershwin. He was also a good friend of Roh Ogura and made the first performance of Roh Ogura's work, Sonatine for piano (1937). He was the father of Midori Matsuya.
Motonari Iguchi 井口 基成 (Iguchi Motonari) (17 May 1908, in Tokyo – 29 September 1983, in Tokyo) was a Japanese pianist…Motonari Iguchi 井口 基成 (Iguchi Motonari) (17 May 1908, in Tokyo – 29 September 1983, in Tokyo) was a Japanese pianist and educator.
Yoritsune Matsudaira (松平 頼則, Matsudaira Yoritsune; May 5, 1907, Tokyo, Japan – October 25 or October 30, 2001 in Tokyo…Yoritsune Matsudaira (松平 頼則, Matsudaira Yoritsune; May 5, 1907, Tokyo, Japan – October 25 or October 30, 2001 in Tokyo, Japan) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. Matsudaira was descended, on his father's side of the family, from the Matsudaira clan, related to the Tokugawa clan who ruled Japan as shōgun during the Edo period (specifically from the branch of the family which was enfeoffed at the Hitachi-Fuchū Domain), and on his mother's side of the family from the Fujiwara clan, who were court regents from the 7th to the 12th centuries. His style was influenced by gagaku, the ancient court music of Japan. His music has been frequently performed in Europe. His eldest son, Yoriaki (Yori'Aki) Matsudaira (松平 頼暁) was also a composer.
Rentarō Taki (滝 廉太郎, Taki Rentarō; 24 August 1879 – 29 June 1903) was a Japanese pianist and composer of the Meiji era.…Rentarō Taki (滝 廉太郎, Taki Rentarō; 24 August 1879 – 29 June 1903) was a Japanese pianist and composer of the Meiji era. Taki was born in Tokyo, but moved to many places during his childhood owing to his father's job. He went to Tokyo Music School (now known as Tokyo University of the Arts) and was taught by Nobu Koda, graduating in 1901. One of his famous pieces is "Kōjō no Tsuki" (Moon Over the Ruined Castle), which was included in the songbook for junior high school students, along with the "Hakone-Hachiri" (箱根八里). "Hana" (花, "Flower") is also a well-known song. In the same year, Taki went to the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany for further studies, but fell seriously ill with pulmonary tuberculosis and therefore returned to Japan. He lived quietly in the country afterwards, but soon died at the age of 23. His posthumous work is a solo piano piece called "Urami" (憾, "Regret"), which he wrote four months before he died.
Dame Mitsuko Uchida, (内田光子; [ɯtɕida miꜜtsɯ̥ko]; born 20 December 1948) is a Japanese-English classical pianist and…Dame Mitsuko Uchida, (内田光子; [ɯtɕida miꜜtsɯ̥ko]; born 20 December 1948) is a Japanese-English classical pianist and conductor. Born in Japan and naturalised in England, she is particularly notable for her interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. She has appeared with many notable orchestras, recorded a wide repertory with several labels, won numerous awards and honours (including Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2009) and is the co-artistic director, with Jonathan Biss, of the Marlboro Music School and Festival. She has also conducted several major orchestras.
Chihiro Yamanaka (山中千尋, Yamanaka Chihiro) (born 1976) is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer, born in Kiryū, Gunma…Chihiro Yamanaka (山中千尋, Yamanaka Chihiro) (born 1976) is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer, born in Kiryū, Gunma Prefecture. As of 2025, she was based in Tokyo. She has released more than 30 albums, most of them on Verve Records.
Ryonosuke Hirama (平間 亮之介, Hirama Ryōnosuke) is a Japanese musician, composer, arranger, record producer, pianist and…Ryonosuke Hirama (平間 亮之介, Hirama Ryōnosuke) is a Japanese musician, composer, arranger, record producer, pianist and keyboard player, based in Tokyo and Karuizawa.
Ryoko Kihara (Often spelled as “Lioko Kihara” in her published works, 樹原涼子, Kihara Ryōko) is a Japanese composer…Ryoko Kihara (Often spelled as “Lioko Kihara” in her published works, 樹原涼子, Kihara Ryōko) is a Japanese composer, pianist, music educator, and author.