Recommended bands, singers, and artists from Osaka Prefecture

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

What kind of artists come to mind when you hear “artists from Osaka”? Not only those who speak in the Osaka dialect—there are actually many artists from Osaka who usually speak standard Japanese as well.

In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of bands and singer-songwriters from Osaka all at once.

We’ve picked artists across genres and generations—from those whose Osaka roots are widely known to those whose hometown isn’t as well recognized—so please take a look.

Recommended Bands, Singers, and Artists from Osaka Prefecture (121–130)

GEM

Fine! 〜fly for the future〜Kumashiro Jurin, Murakami Rara

GEM / Fine! 〜fly for the future〜 (Short ver.)

Fine! 〜fly for the future〜Kumashiro Jurin, Murakami Rara

GEM is a dance and vocal group formed in 2012, and members Julin Kumashiro and Runa Murakami are from Osaka Prefecture.

This song was released in 2016 as their fifth single.

It reached No.

3 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and is strongly recognized as the last single featuring member Maia Takeda before she went abroad to study.

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SerendipityKuraki Mai

Mai Kuraki “Serendipity”

SerendipityKuraki Mai

Originally from Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, she moved to Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture after her debut.

Her debut single “Love, Day After Tomorrow,” released in 1999 when she was 17, became an extraordinary hit for a newcomer, selling 1.4 million copies despite having no tie-in, and she quickly rose to major-artist status.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced many artists from Osaka Prefecture so far.

It feels kind of familiar when you discover a celebrity from your hometown, doesn’t it? Some artists might usually speak standard Japanese, so you may have been surprised to learn, “Wait, they’re from Osaka!?” If you enjoyed any of the songs by the Osaka artists we featured this time, be sure to check out more of their music as well!