Kenji Kawai (川井 憲次, Kawai Kenji; born April 23, 1957) is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the…
Kenji Kawai (川井 憲次, Kawai Kenji; born April 23, 1957) is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films, video games and ice shows. Among his credits are Toei's: Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever, Tsui Hark's Seven Swords and Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon; Wilson Yip's Ip Man; Mamoru Oshii's films: The Red Spectacles, StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops, Ghost in the Shell, Mobile Police Patlabor and Assault Girls. He also worked on the OVA and TV anime adaptations of: Vampire Princess Miyu, The Sky Crawlers and Avalon; the anime adaptations of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½ and Maison Ikkoku; the live-action adaptation of Gantz and Hideo Nakata's films: Ring, Ring 2, Chaos, Dark Water and Kaidan. His nephew, Hidehiro Kawai, is a bassist in Fox Capture Plan, an instrumental band.
Famous Japanese People: Music Arranger
Music Arranger: 157 people
Toshiyuki Honda (本多 俊之, Honda Toshiyuki; born April 9, 1957) is a Japanese jazz musician and composer. Honda's father…
Toshiyuki Honda (本多 俊之, Honda Toshiyuki; born April 9, 1957) is a Japanese jazz musician and composer. Honda's father was a jazz critic, whose name was also Toshiyuki Honda. As a jazz musician, he learned flute and saxophone, and worked in the late 1970s with George Otsuka and the Burning Waves ensemble. In the 1980s he worked with Chick Corea, Tatsuya Takahashi, and Kazumi Watanabe, as well as leading his own ensemble, Super Quartet. He was also a member of the ensemble Native Son. Starting in the late 1980s, Honda turned increasingly toward composing for film and television, as well as working in record producing. He composed the soundtrack for the Juzo Itami film A Taxing Woman in 1987, which raised his prominence as a film scorer. He went on to compose the score for all but one of the rest of Itami's films.
Masao Akashi (明石昌夫, Akashi Masao; March 25, 1957 – May 19, 2025) was a Japanese music arranger in distributors Being…
Masao Akashi (明石昌夫, Akashi Masao; March 25, 1957 – May 19, 2025) was a Japanese music arranger in distributors Being Inc., mainly in their label B-Gram Records. In 1988, he debuted as arranger in debut single Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite by Japanese hard-rock band B'z. By 1998, his arrangement work had been involved with many Being artists including Manish, Wands and Zard. Although Akashi was no longer working for Being Inc., he sometimes provided producing jobs for various artists such as Naomi Tamura, Maria, Color Bottle and Sonoda Band. Akashi died on May 19, 2025, at the age of 68.
Akira Mitake (見岳 章; born November 11, 1956) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo. He is known for his collaborations with…
Akira Mitake (見岳 章; born November 11, 1956) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo. He is known for his collaborations with director Yukihiko Tsutsumi, including such films as Chinese Dinner (2001), 2LDK (2003), EGG (2005) and Taitei no Ken (2007). Mitake composed "Kawa no nagare no yō ni" (川の流れのように), Like the Flow of the River, a song recorded by Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora.
Minoru Mukaiya (向谷 実, Mukaiya Minoru; born 20 October 1956) is a Japanese musician best known as the former keyboardist…
Minoru Mukaiya (向谷 実, Mukaiya Minoru; born 20 October 1956) is a Japanese musician best known as the former keyboardist of the jazz fusion band Casiopea and producer of the Train Simulator series of Japanese video games. Mukaiya joined Casiopea during its formation in 1977 (with guitarist Issei Noro, drummer Takashi Sasaki and bassist Tetsuo Sakurai) and remained in the group until their hiatus in 2006. Since leaving the band he has created his own musical production team, "Mukaiya Club." He also serves as the president and CEO of the company Ongakukan, which produces professional train simulators for Japanese transit systems and has distributed video games to the general public. Mukaiya has also appeared in the event of Nico Nico Douga. Mukaiya has composed around 200 distinct melodies for over 110 subway stations in Japan. In 2019, British television presenter James May interviewed Mukaiya for episode 3 of James May: Our Man in Japan, discussing Mukaiya's involvement in composing melodies for train stations. In episode 11 of Great Japanese Railway Journeys, broadcast in April 2026, Mukaiya was interviewed by Michael Portillo and a figure of about 300 melodies was given by Mukaiya.
Keiichi Oku (奥 慶一, Oku Keiichi; born October 14, 1955, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese keyboardist, composer…
Keiichi Oku (奥 慶一, Oku Keiichi; born October 14, 1955, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese keyboardist, composer and arranger. He was the keyboardist in the Japanese band Spectrum from 1979 to 1981. In 2009, he won the JASRAC International Award for the background music used in the Ashita no Nadja anime television series from Toei Animation.
Toshiyuki "Toshi" Watanabe (渡辺 俊幸 Watanabe Toshiyuki; born February 3, 1955) is a Japanese musician and composer, known…
Toshiyuki "Toshi" Watanabe (渡辺 俊幸 Watanabe Toshiyuki; born February 3, 1955) is a Japanese musician and composer, known for writing film scores.
Kohei Tanaka (Japanese: 田中 公平, Hepburn: Tanaka Kōhei; born February 14, 1954) is a Japanese composer, arranger…
Kohei Tanaka (Japanese: 田中 公平, Hepburn: Tanaka Kōhei; born February 14, 1954) is a Japanese composer, arranger, conductor and singer-songwriter. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. He has created numerous musical scores for anime television series, OVAs, films, video games and tokusatsu series including Choushinsei Flashman, Gunbuster, Sakura Wars, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, Betterman, and One Piece.
Hiroyuki Namba (難波 弘之, Nanba Hiroyuki; born September 9, 1953) (occasionally credited as Hiroyuki Nanba) is a Japanese…
Hiroyuki Namba (難波 弘之, Nanba Hiroyuki; born September 9, 1953) (occasionally credited as Hiroyuki Nanba) is a Japanese musician. He has composed for and arranged songs from Japanese anime, OVA and video games. Notably, Hiroyuki Namba composed for Dallos, the first anime Original video animation. However, in the United States, he is known for composing the soundtrack to the Armitage III film. Namba plays keyboards in Sense of Wonder, a Japanese progressive rock band.
Akira Inoue (井上鑑) (born 8 September 1953), is a Japanese keyboard player, composer, arranger and producer. He was the…
Akira Inoue (井上鑑) (born 8 September 1953), is a Japanese keyboard player, composer, arranger and producer. He was the recipient of the 23rd Japan Record Awards arranger award.
Kuniaki Haishima (蓜島邦明) is a Japanese musician and composer. He is known for his music in several anime and tokusatsu…
Kuniaki Haishima (蓜島邦明) is a Japanese musician and composer. He is known for his music in several anime and tokusatsu shows, as well as video games, films and dorama. His compositions for the Fuji TV series Tales of the Unusual are his most famous work, though he also composed the soundtrack for Metroid: Other M for the Wii, for which he is known abroad.
Toshiyuki Arakawa (荒川 敏行, Arakawa Toshiyuki; born 1953 in Japan) is a music composer, arranger and member of the…
Toshiyuki Arakawa (荒川 敏行, Arakawa Toshiyuki; born 1953 in Japan) is a music composer, arranger and member of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC). He graduated from the Department of Literature at Chuo University and afterwards Nippon Columbia joined as music director. He currently works as a music producer, arranger and singer.
Yoshikazu Suo (周防 義和, Suo Yoshikazu; born in 1953) is a Japanese musician from Tokyo, Japan. He has composed and…
Yoshikazu Suo (周防 義和, Suo Yoshikazu; born in 1953) is a Japanese musician from Tokyo, Japan. He has composed and arranged music for films and dramas, among others.
Tsugutoshi Gotō (後藤 次利, Gotō Tsugutoshi), born February 5, 1952, is a Japanese songwriter, bassist and music producer.…
Tsugutoshi Gotō (後藤 次利, Gotō Tsugutoshi), born February 5, 1952, is a Japanese songwriter, bassist and music producer. Gotō broke into the Japanese music industry playing bass on tour for artists like Sadistic Mika Band, Bread & Butter and Shiro Kishibe. He went on to write and produce songs for other artists including Kenji Sawada, Miyuki Nakajima, Shizuka Kudō, and various idol singers. In 1980, Gotō won Song of the Year at the Japan Record Award for his work on Kenji Sawada's song "Tokio". In 1983, Gotō married former idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi. The pair divorced four years later. In 1987, he contributed the soundtrack for the Famicom/NES version of the video game Ultima III: Exodus. In 1994, he married former Onyanko Club member Sonoko Kawai. Gotō also joined several musical units like Draw4 in 1990, gym in 2003, Non-Chords in 2004 and WAIP in 2006.
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.
Kazuhiro Morita (森田一浩 or Morita Kazuhiro, born 1952 in Tokyo; died 2021) was a Japanese composer and arranger. Morita…
Kazuhiro Morita (森田一浩 or Morita Kazuhiro, born 1952 in Tokyo; died 2021) was a Japanese composer and arranger. Morita studied with Yoshio Hasegawa at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He is known as an arranger, reworking pieces like Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, Galánta Dances by Zoltán Kodály, Don Juan and an excerpt from Salome by Richard Strauss, The Miraculous Mandarin by Béla Bartók, Symphony No. 1 by Gustav Mahler, the second suite from the ballet Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninoff. He is also noted for his arrangements of anime scores (including Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki's Delivery Service) and his original compositions. He taught at Shobi University. From 1991 to 1994, he served as a member of the Japan Band Clinic Committee. Since 2015, he has also been selected as a member of the selection committee for the All Japan Wind Orchestra Competition. He died on August 25, 2021, from multiple myeloma.
Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and…
Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and guitarist. He first became known as a member of the influential rock band Happy End in the early 1970s, before starting a solo career and becoming a prolific session musician. As of 2006, Suzuki had contributed to 588 recordings. In 2019, Suzuki's high school band Skye reunited and released their first album.
Hideki Matsutake (born August 12, 1951 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer, arranger, and…
Hideki Matsutake (born August 12, 1951 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer, arranger, and computer programmer. He is known for his pioneering work in electronic music and particularly music programming, as the assistant of Isao Tomita during the early 1970s and as the "fourth member" of the band Yellow Magic Orchestra during the late 1970s to early 1980s. Through his participation in the session recording of Ryuichi Sakamoto's 1978 album Thousand Knives, he joined the recordings of Yellow Magic Orchestra during 1978–1982 as their sound programmer, to become known as "the fourth member" of the group. In 1981, he formed a unit of his own under the name Logic System, which released its latest album in 2020. He also continued to take part in solo activities by YMO members such as Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi beyond the group's breakup in 1983. He was also a member of the video game music group Akihabara Electric Circus in 1988 and composed music for the 1996 video game Guardian Heroes. Matsutake was also a member of the musical group MONOLITH, which was responsible for creating the music for various Dragon Ball video games and insert songs from 1990 through the mid 2000s. Today, Matsutake is also Chairman of Japan Synthesizer Programmers Association (JSPA).
Takanori Arisawa (有澤 孝紀, Arisawa Takanori; April 2, 1951 – November 26, 2005) was a Japanese composer and arranger best…
Takanori Arisawa (有澤 孝紀, Arisawa Takanori; April 2, 1951 – November 26, 2005) was a Japanese composer and arranger best known for composing the Sailor Moon and Digimon (Seasons 1-4) anime series. He wrote music for the series, including its video games. Born in Tokyo, Arisawa began to learn piano at the age of 20. After graduating from Senzoku Gakuen College, Arisawa started his career in 1980 by composing "Shinjuku Transfer". He worked for the Tokyo Broadcasting System and wrote several TV dramas. From the 1990s until his death, Arisawa began composing for anime series exclusively. His work on Sailor Moon was initially based on pop music, but gradually began to change to those found in classical music. Sailor Moon was successful and Arisawa won several awards for his work. After Sailor Moon, Arisawa composed music for several shows, including the Digimon series, until his death from bladder cancer in 2005.
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.
Tetsuji Hayashi (林 哲司, Hayashi Tetsuji; born August 20, 1949) is a Japanese composer, singer-songwriter, and arranger…
Tetsuji Hayashi (林 哲司, Hayashi Tetsuji; born August 20, 1949) is a Japanese composer, singer-songwriter, and arranger known for his influential contributions to the development of J-pop and city pop during the 1980s. He was exposed to Western pop music from an early age, sparking his passion for music. He honed his skills as a composer and arranger, and in 1978, he composed Mariya Takeuchi's debut album, Beginning, followed by her hit single "September" in 1979 and "Mayonaka no Door" for Miki Matsubara that same year. His collaborations extended to other prominent artists such as S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe, Masaki Ueda and Junichi Inagaki. Despite initially planning retirement in 2008, Hayashi returned to the spotlight due to fan support at a commemorative concert. Since then, he has continued to compose and produce music. His legacy was celebrated with the release of the compilation album 50th Anniversary Special A Tribute of Hayashi Tetsuji: Saudade in 2023, accompanied by a concert showcasing his impact.
Toshio Mashima (真島 俊夫, Mashima Toshio) (21 February 1949 – 21 April 2016) was a Japanese composer born in Yamagata…
Toshio Mashima (真島 俊夫, Mashima Toshio) (21 February 1949 – 21 April 2016) was a Japanese composer born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.
Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and…
Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and synthesizer player.
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.
Shunichi Tokura (Japanese: 都倉 俊一, Hepburn: Tokura Shun'ichi; born 21 June 1948) is a Japanese composer and was the…
Shunichi Tokura (Japanese: 都倉 俊一, Hepburn: Tokura Shun'ichi; born 21 June 1948) is a Japanese composer and was the chair of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) from 12 August 2010 to 31 March 2016. In April 2021, he was appointed commissioner for Cultural Affairs of Japan.
Kōji Makaino (馬飼野 康二, Makaino Kōji; born 26 January 1948) is a Japanese pop music composer, arranger, and musician. He…
Kōji Makaino (馬飼野 康二, Makaino Kōji; born 26 January 1948) is a Japanese pop music composer, arranger, and musician. He is the elder brother of composer Shunichi Makaino.
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".
Mitsuo Hagita (萩田光雄, Hagita Mitsuo), born June 16, 1946, in Shizuoka, Japan, is a Japanese arranger, composer and…
Mitsuo Hagita (萩田光雄, Hagita Mitsuo), born June 16, 1946, in Shizuoka, Japan, is a Japanese arranger, composer and musical producer.
Koji Shitara (設楽 幸嗣（こうじ）, Shitara Kōji; born June 4, 1946) is a Japanese composer and former actor. Beginning his…
Koji Shitara (設楽 幸嗣（こうじ）, Shitara Kōji; born June 4, 1946) is a Japanese composer and former actor. Beginning his career as a child actor in 1951, he appeared in 30 films before transitioning to composing, inspired by his uncle, Tōru Takemitsu.
Jun Fukamachi (深町 純, Fukamachi Jun; May 21, 1946 – November 22, 2010) was a Japanese jazz fusion composer, arranger…
Jun Fukamachi (深町 純, Fukamachi Jun; May 21, 1946 – November 22, 2010) was a Japanese jazz fusion composer, arranger, and keyboardist. He played with The Brecker Brothers and Steve Gadd and released albums for Polydor and Toshiba in the 1970s.
Shigeaki Saegusa (三枝 成彰, formerly 三枝 成章; Saegusa Shigeaki; born July 8, 1942) is a Japanese composer.
Maki Asakawa (Japanese: 浅川マキ, Hepburn: Asakawa Maki; January 27, 1942 – January 17, 2010) was a Japanese jazz and blues…
Maki Asakawa (Japanese: 浅川マキ, Hepburn: Asakawa Maki; January 27, 1942 – January 17, 2010) was a Japanese jazz and blues singer, lyricist and composer. Known as the "Queen of the Underground" (アングラの女王, Angura no Joō), she was an important voice of Japan's urban counterculture.
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.
Kyōhei Tsutsumi (筒美 京平, Tsutsumi Kyouhei) (born Eikichi Watanabe, 28 May 1940 - 7 October 2020), was a Japanese…
Kyōhei Tsutsumi (筒美 京平, Tsutsumi Kyouhei) (born Eikichi Watanabe, 28 May 1940 - 7 October 2020), was a Japanese composer, record producer and arranger. Tsutsumi began his career as a songwriter about 1966, and he came to prominence as a composer of Ayumi Ishida's chart-topping hit "Blue Light Yokohama" in the late 1960s. He has released nearly 3,000 compositions to date, over 500 of which have entered the Japanese Oricon singles chart. Tsutsumi is the most commercially successful composer of the Japanese popular music of last five decades, selling over 76 million units on the country's singles chart from 1968 onwards. Two of his compositions won the grand prix of Japan Record Award— "Mata Au Hi Made" performed by Kiyohiko Ozaki in 1971 and "Miserarete" by Judy Ongg in 1979. Tsutsumi himself has also won the awards for best songwriting category five times. Recognized for his long-term contribution to establish Japanese popular music, Tsutsumi received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon by the Government of Japan in November 2003. Tsutsumi died of aspiration pneumonia on October 7, 2020, after home recuperation, at age 80.
Katsuo Ohno (Japanese: 大野克夫, Hepburn: Katsuo Ōno; born September 12, 1939 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and composer…
Katsuo Ohno (Japanese: 大野克夫, Hepburn: Katsuo Ōno; born September 12, 1939 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and composer who has scored multiple films and anime. His most notable works are theme music of detective drama Taiyō ni Hoero! and anime series Detective Conan. As keyboardist, Ohno was a member of the group sounds band The Spiders from 1961 to 1970, and the rock supergroup Pyg from 1971 to 1972, which led to him becoming a member of the Takayuki Inoue Band and a backing instrumentalist for Kenji Sawada from 1972 to 1979.
Katsuhisa Hattori (服部 克久, Hattori Katsuhisa; November 1, 1936 – June 11, 2020) was a Japanese classical composer who…
Katsuhisa Hattori (服部 克久, Hattori Katsuhisa; November 1, 1936 – June 11, 2020) was a Japanese classical composer who also wrote music for anime films, television series and OVAs. Hattori was a respected composer in Japan; his style was classical, although he was experienced and respected in many other genres, such as New Age, Jazz, etc. He was the son of Ryoichi Hattori and the father of Takayuki Hattori, both musical composers as well. Besides being a composer, he was a producer and music supervisor for many years and had his own publishing company, Hattori Music Publishing. He was also a pianist, judge and chairman for the Tokyo music festivals.
Seiji Yokoyama (横山 菁児, Yokoyama Seiji; March 17, 1935 – July 8, 2017) was a Japanese incidental music composer from…
Seiji Yokoyama (横山 菁児, Yokoyama Seiji; March 17, 1935 – July 8, 2017) was a Japanese incidental music composer from Hiroshima. He graduated from the Kunitachi College of Music in 1957. Yokoyama is best known for his work on the anime series Saint Seiya and Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and for his symphonic sound for many television programs. In 1992, he won the JASRAC award for his work on Saint Seiya. On July 8, 2017, Yokoyama died from pneumonia at age 82.
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.
Isao Tomita (冨田 勲, Tomita Isao; 22 April 1932 – 5 May 2016) (often known simply as Tomita) was a Japanese composer…
Isao Tomita (冨田 勲, Tomita Isao; 22 April 1932 – 5 May 2016) (often known simply as Tomita) was a Japanese composer regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music as well as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements. In addition to creating note-by-note realizations, Tomita made extensive use of the sound-design capabilities of his instrument, using synthesizers to create new sounds to accompany and enhance his electronic realizations of acoustic instruments. He also made effective use of analog music sequencers and the Mellotron, and featured futuristic science-fiction themes, while laying the foundations for synth-pop music and trance-like rhythms. Many of his albums are electronic versions and adaptations of familiar classical music pieces. He received four Grammy Award nominations for his 1974 album based on music by Claude Debussy, Snowflakes Are Dancing.
Shunsuke Kikuchi (菊池 俊輔, Kikuchi Shunsuke; November 1, 1931 – April 24, 2021) was a Japanese composer who was active…
Shunsuke Kikuchi (菊池 俊輔, Kikuchi Shunsuke; November 1, 1931 – April 24, 2021) was a Japanese composer who was active from the early 1960s until 2017. He specialized in incidental music for media such as television and film. Kikuchi was regarded as one of Japan's most highly demanded film and TV composers, working principally on tokusatsu and anime, popular action films, jidaigeki, and television dramas.
Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやま こういち, Sugiyama Kōichi; April 11, 1931 – September 30, 2021) was a Japanese composer, conductor…
Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやま こういち, Sugiyama Kōichi; April 11, 1931 – September 30, 2021) was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was best known for composing for the Dragon Quest franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, television shows, and pop songs. Classically trained, Sugiyama was considered a major inspiration for other Japanese game music composers and was active from the 1960s until his death in 2021. Sugiyama was also a council member of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC), board member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals, and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society. Prior to his death, the Japanese government honored him with Order of the Rising Sun and named him a Person of Cultural Merit. Sugiyama was also active in politics and activism, promoting ideas such as Japanese nationalism while denying Japanese war crimes.
Hajime Kaburagi (鏑木 創, Kaburagi Hajime; 27 February 1926 – October 2014) was a Japanese music composer. His another…
Hajime Kaburagi (鏑木 創, Kaburagi Hajime; 27 February 1926 – October 2014) was a Japanese music composer. His another name was Taichi Tsukimizato. Kaburagi is best known as a composer of hit song Ginza no Koi no Monogatari which was sung by Yūjirō Ishihara and Junko Makimura.
Chumei Watanabe (渡辺 宙明（ちゅうめい ）, Watanabe Chūmei), born Michiaki Watanabe (渡辺 宙明（みちあき）, Watanabe Michiaki), (August 19…
Chumei Watanabe (渡辺 宙明（ちゅうめい ）, Watanabe Chūmei), born Michiaki Watanabe (渡辺 宙明（みちあき）, Watanabe Michiaki), (August 19, 1925 – June 23, 2022) was a Japanese film score and television score composer. He worked on various tokusatsu shows and mecha anime.
Sugii Kōichi (杉井幸一; 1906 - 1942) was a Japanese bandleader, composer, arranger, conductor, singer, and accordionist who…
Sugii Kōichi (杉井幸一; 1906 - 1942) was a Japanese bandleader, composer, arranger, conductor, singer, and accordionist who was one of the pioneers of Japanese jazz. His musical arrangements skillfully bridged Eastern and Western styles, combining American orchestral jazz with Japanese pop and Chinese folk music to create a sophisticated and melodic hybrid style which one scholar has deemed, "among the most compellingly original in Japanese prewar and wartime jazz", and another scholar has called "the apex of wartime jazz" in Japan.
Jiro Nakano (中野 二郎 = Nakano Jirō) (10 April 1902 – 10 June 2000) was a Japanese composer, conductor and arranger from…
Jiro Nakano (中野 二郎 = Nakano Jirō) (10 April 1902 – 10 June 2000) was a Japanese composer, conductor and arranger from Aichi Prefecture. He composed works for solo guitar, solo mandolin and Mandolin orchestra.
Yukiko Onishi (大西 由希子, Ōnishi Yukiko; born December 25, 1990), known as Yucco Miller (ユッコ・ミラー, Yukko Mirā) is a…
Yukiko Onishi (大西 由希子, Ōnishi Yukiko; born December 25, 1990), known as Yucco Miller (ユッコ・ミラー, Yukko Mirā) is a Japanese jazz and jazz fusion saxophonist, composer and YouTuber. She is known for her pink-dyed hair and being a popular saxophone player, appearing in overseas jazz festivals in South Korea and Malaysia while also appearing on many television programs.
Hitoshi Okamoto (岡本 仁志) is a Japanese guitarist, composer, arranger and the former member of the J-pop band Garnet Crow…
Hitoshi Okamoto (岡本 仁志) is a Japanese guitarist, composer, arranger and the former member of the J-pop band Garnet Crow in years 1999 to 2013, as well as some of his own solo releases.
Shuhei Naruse (Japanese: 鳴瀬 シュウヘイ, Hepburn: Naruse Shūhei) is a Japanese musician, composer, and music arranger from…
Shuhei Naruse (Japanese: 鳴瀬 シュウヘイ, Hepburn: Naruse Shūhei) is a Japanese musician, composer, and music arranger from Kyoto Prefecture. Naruse attended Ritsumeikan University. His major debut as a musician was in the rock band DEVELOP=FRAME where he played keyboards. He has since worked on the composition and arrangement for various Avex Trax musical artists, including the soundtracks of Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider Kiva, and Kamen Rider Fourze. He also composed the soundtracks for the anime series MegaMan NT Warrior, Mega Man Star Force, and Sket Dance. For his work on Kamen Rider Kiva, he plays keyboard in the "limited rock unit" Tetra-Fang as SHUHEI.
Hijiri Kuwano (桑野聖, Kuwano Hijiri; born February 12) is a Japanese violinist, composer and arranger. Kuwano began…
Hijiri Kuwano (桑野聖, Kuwano Hijiri; born February 12) is a Japanese violinist, composer and arranger. Kuwano began taking violin lessons at age six and studied under Yonosuke Ishii, Shizuko Ishii and Chikashi Tanaka. While attending Tokyo University of the Arts, he performed as a guest concertmaster at Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra. Before graduating from the university, he became interested in playing non-classical music and started performing with Toshihito Nakanishi, who inspired him in many ways. Kuwano also started a career as composer, when he produced an album published together with a photobook by Kenji Ishikawa, Moonlight Blue. Kuwano handled string arrangements for albums and movies for Kome Kome Club and began his career as arranger as well. Kuwano worked on recordings, concerts with various artists, movies and video games as a soloist and as the "Hijiri Kuwano strings group". He is credited in Whisper of the Heart, Shall We Dance, Nobody Knows, Kind of Love, Melody of Oblivion, Good Luck Girl!, Final Fantasy XIII and numerous other productions as a performer, composer and arranger. He is also known as the violin player in the battle theme "Blinded by Light" in Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII (composed by Masashi Hamauzu). He works closely with Hamauzu and Imeruat (Masashi Hamauzu and Mina) as a supporting artist. He toured with Imeruat to Europe and Hong Kong and performed several pieces on "α" Clock: World Time, Sony Global website (composed by Masashi Hamauzu).
Maiko Iuchi (井内 舞子, Iuchi Maiko; born January 2) is a Japanese composer and arranger. Much of her work is for video…
Maiko Iuchi (井内 舞子, Iuchi Maiko; born January 2) is a Japanese composer and arranger. Much of her work is for video games and anime.