When you hear about artists and musicians from Yamagata Prefecture, who comes to mind?
Maybe not many, but in fact, Yamagata has produced some very famous artists and musicians!
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of artists from Yamagata Prefecture all at once.
From band and idol group members to producers and composers/arrangers, we’ve picked broadly across genres—so take this opportunity to give their music a careful listen!
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Bands, artists, and singers from Yamagata Prefecture (1–10)
SupernovaSugawara Takuro (9mm Parabellum Bullet)
Takuro Sugawara, who handles vocals and guitar for the rock band 9mm Parabellum Bullet formed in Yokohama in 2004, hails from Tsuruoka City in Higashitagawa District, Yamagata Prefecture.
As he writes the majority of the band’s lyrics, it’s clear he helps shape 9mm Parabellum Bullet’s distinctive world.
The fact that he regularly reads works by Haruki Murakami and Osamu Dazai may further attest to his literary talent.
Since 2015, he has also showcased his abilities through a wide range of musical activities, including solo acoustic tours and album releases.
huge nuisanceAbe Yoshiharu (UNICORN)
Yoshiharu Abe, the keyboardist of the five-member rock band UNICORN who currently works under the name ABEDON, is from Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture.
When people think of UNICORN, many strongly associate the band with Tamio Okuda, who is also renowned for his solo work and as a producer.
However, did you know that UNICORN is a highly skilled band in which every member—despite their differing musical styles—can write lyrics, compose music, and sing, and that the band’s leader is Yoshiharu Abe? In addition, in 2000 he produced the rock band Kishidan, who were still active in the indie scene at the time, demonstrating his stature as a top-tier musician and producer.
Tears of Lapis LazuliHayashibe Satoshi
Singer-songwriter Satoshi Hayashibe, who made his debut after consecutive wins on the music variety show “THE Karaoke★Battle,” hails from Shinjo City in Yamagata Prefecture.
His debut single, “Aitai,” released in 2016, spread largely through word of mouth as “the song that makes you cry the most right now,” and became such a hit that it topped the national cable broadcast charts just four months after its release.
Beyond his music career, he showcases his multifaceted talents as an actor and radio personality.
In 2018, he also began performing lyrical song concerts under the name “Hayashibe Satoshi,” carrying on Japanese school songs and children’s songs.
Even now, he continues to soothe listeners’ hearts with his beautiful, heartrending voice.
I don’t wanna die.Mineta Kazunobu (Ging Nang BOYZ)
Kazunobu Mineta, who began his music career as a member of the rock band GOING STEADY—often credited with igniting the youth punk boom—and now performs solo under the name Ginnan BOYZ, hails from Yamanobe in Higashimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture.
His songs—featuring candid lyrics, lyrical melodies, and a faintly wistful voice—create a nostalgic atmosphere within the direct, emotionally charged message of so-called youth punk, a world that perhaps only Mineta can express.
Beyond music, he also appears in films and television dramas as an actor, steadily amplifying his presence with his distinctive aura.
New TokyoAsakura Saya
Singer-songwriter Saya Asakura, who began studying folk songs in second grade and the shamisen in fourth grade, is from Yamagata City in Yamagata Prefecture.
She won the national title twice at the National Folk Song and Dance Competition for Children.
Even before her debut, she drew attention mainly on video-sharing sites with her distinctive musical style—covering famous songs in the Yamagata dialect and performing with shamisen and folk-style arrangements.
In 2013, she was appointed as a “Yamagata City Treasure PR Ambassador,” and she continues to thrive with a unique musicality that only an artist from Yamagata can express.
Her songs, which place particular emphasis on regional dialects within the Japanese language, have earned acclaim not only in Japan but also overseas.
Silent movieSazārando
A rock band from Yamagata Prefecture formed in 2001 by four childhood friends.
With a fragile, wistful vocal style and nostalgic songs, they won both the Audience Award and the Grand Prize at the Sendai round of Yamaha’s TEEN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL, which led to their major-label debut.
They are also known for their strong ties to their hometown; for example, Dream of reunion from their first album SCREEN was chosen as the image song for the Yamagata gubernatorial election.
Although they disbanded in 2008, just four years after their major debut, their high-quality songs continue to be cherished by fans.
HON-NOMAHO EMPiRE、NOW EMPiRE（EMPiRE）
Although they are an idol group, the six-member group EMPiRE has garnered support not only from men but also from young women, and both MAHO EMPiRE and NOW EMPiRE are from Yamagata Prefecture.
Like BiSH, which took the J-POP scene by storm as a “punk band without instruments,” they are artists under WACK.
Even within a group where each member has a striking individuality, MAHO EMPiRE’s vocal ability and NOW EMPiRE’s dance performance particularly stand out.
As BiSH has announced its disbandment in 2023, EMPiRE are idols expected to energize the J-POP scene in their stead.