【2026】A Roundup of Japanese Bassists: From Big Names to Rising Stars
When you hear “Japanese bassists,” which players come to mind? The bass is sometimes described as the unsung hero, but it’s the core of a band’s sound, and a great bassist’s groove has the power to move listeners.
In this article, we’ve carefully selected bassists ranging from legendary figures to promising newcomers from the next generation.
Be sure to check them out—you might just discover a talent you didn’t know about!
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[2026] Japanese Bassists Roundup: From the Famous to the Up-and-Coming (71–80)
Ju-ken
A studio musician in high demand among rock artists.
His tough, striking fashion is memorable, but he’s also a hard worker; there’s even a story that, as a support for Tomoyasu Hotei, he mastered slap technique on an upright bass—an instrument he’d never played before—in a short time for a live performance with Brian Setzer.
His driving rock bass is definitely something to learn from.
PunchersMr.Okure
He, who is an indispensable character in Yoshimoto Shinkigeki, also played bass in a band called the Punchers.
He had a stock gag where he was the only one who played out of time, and it seems that’s where his stage name Okure—meaning “delay”—came from.
Dance in the palm (of one’s hand)Fujiwara Misaki
Misaki Fujiwara is the bassist for Sokoninaru, a band formed in Osaka in 2011.
The group is known for its complex compositions that incorporate prog and math rock, and her performances of a wide range of phrases are particularly striking.
On YouTube, under the title “Sokoninaru Light Music Club,” they upload videos of the band covering various songs, where you can fully appreciate her outstandingly high level of musicianship.
Gradated GreyIga Wataru
He’s the one who plays bass on recordings for the now wildly popular Gen Hoshino and serves as the bassist in the backing band of Haruomi Hosono, a treasured figure in Japan’s bassist community.
He also happens to be a licensed architect.
His hallmark is playing excellent bass lines that hit all the right points.
Thinking in Yura Yura Teikokukamekawa chiyo
Chiyo Kamekawa was the bassist of Yura Yura Teikoku, a band that epitomized Japanese alternative and psychedelic rock.
She joined around 1990 and, together with Shintaro Sakamoto and Ichiro Shibata, sustained the band’s golden three-piece lineup until their breakup in 2010.
They made their major-label debut with the 1998 album “3×3×3,” and built a cult following through appearances at Fuji Rock Festival and contributions to director Sion Sono’s film Love Exposure.
Onstage, her long black hime-cut hair and black attire, combined with a motionless stance from which she spun out sinuous, melodic bass lines, left an indelible impression.
After the breakup, she remained active in the underground scene with groups like Keiji Haino’s Fushitsusha and The Stars, and passed away in April 2024 to much lament.
As a bassist who carved out a singular low-end in Japanese psychedelic rock, she continues to influence many musicians.
Akashi Masao
You can’t talk about early B’z without him.
He participated as the arranger for B’z’s early works and played bass at live shows and in recordings.
The image of him whipping his trademark blond hair around while playing bass back then left a strong impression.
[Bass Solo] Kameda Cup: Final!Meguro Yuya
![[Bass Solo] Kameda Cup: Final!Meguro Yuya](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xMpDUUSx3OU/sddefault.jpg)
A highly skilled bassist who won the first Kameda Cup.
A founding member of Project.B, a unit exploring the possibilities of bassists, he is also active as a studio musician.
His hallmark is precise and steady playing.