Classical music by Japanese composers. Recommended classical music.

When we hear the term “classical music,” many of us immediately think of works by well-known foreign composers.

These pieces are often used in various everyday contexts with different arrangements, and there are many works that people have naturally heard at least once and can name right away.

However, if you’re asked to name classical works by Japanese composers, fewer people may be able to answer quickly.

Here, we focus on classical music composed by Japanese composers and highlight representative works.

This is recommended even for those who regularly enjoy classical music but haven’t listened much to works by Japanese composers.

Playlist

Classical music by Japanese composers. Recommended classical music.
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	November StepsTakemitsu Tōru		Toru Takemitsu’s masterpiece: a fusion of Western and Japanese music
2	Piano ConcertoYashiro Akio		Akio Yashiro’s masterpiece Piano Concerto
3	Rhapsody of JapanIfukube Akira		Introduction to Akira Ifukube’s orchestral work Japanese Rhapsody
4	Rhapsody for OrchestraToyama Yuzo		A fusion piece of Japanese folk song and orchestra composed by Yuzo Toyama
5	SF Symphony Fantasy No. 1Ifukube Akira		An orchestral work reconstructed from Akira Ifukube’s tokusatsu film music
6	Overture in D majorYamada Kōsaku		Yamada Kōsaku’s first orchestral work in Japan
7	Ihatov SymphonyTomita Isao		Expressing Kenji's world with Hatsune Miku
8	Symphony TapkaraIfukube Akira		Godzilla composer uses Ainu folklore as a theme
9	Music for Symphony OrchestraAkutagawa Yasushi		An orchestral work that was Yasushi Akutagawa’s breakthrough piece
10	Flute Concerto, First MovementOdaka Naotada		The Appeal of Takatada Odaka’s Flute Concerto
11	Kobiki-uta (Woodcutters’ Song) for OrchestraKoyama Kiyoshige		An introduction to Koyama Kiyoshige’s orchestral work “Kobiki-uta” (Woodcutter’s Song)
12	Flute Concerto, Second MovementOdaka Naotada		A woodwind concerto where Eastern and Western beauty converge
13	Flute Concerto, 3rd MovementOdaka Naotada		The Allure of Takamasa Odaka’s Flute Concerto, Third Movement
14	Elegy for the Crested IbisYoshimatsu Takashi		An orchestral piece mourning the extinction of the crested ibis
15	Echo Patterns for Children’s Choir and OrchestraMiyoshi Akira		A children's chorus and orchestra work with an anti-war theme
16	Three Japonismes (Orchestral Version)Majima Toshio		An ambitious East–West fusion work for wind ensemble by Toshio Mashima
17	regretTaki Rentarō		Features and background of Rentarō Taki’s posthumous piano piece “Regret” (“Urami”)
18	Victory Cry and PeaceYamada Kōsaku		Japan's first symphonic work by Kōsaku Yamada
19	sand ripplesHoshina Hiroshi		Hoshina Hiroshi’s wind ensemble piece, Fūmon, is highly regarded.
20	Cyber Bird ConcertoYoshimatsu Takashi		A masterpiece of Takashi Yoshimatsu’s saxophone concerto
21	Fantasy on Osaka Folk SongsŌguri Yutaka		A piece by Hiroshi Ohguri that expresses Osaka culture through Western music
22	BugakuMayuzumi Toshirō		A fusion work of traditional culture and contemporary music
23	Interoceptive cosmosYuasa Joji		Introduction to Joji Yuasa's Atonal Music Works
24	Warship MarchSetoguchi Fujikichi		The composer of the Gunkan March is Tokichi Setoguchi.
25	Piano Concerto No. 3 “Kamikaze”Ōsawa Toshihito		Hisato Ohzawa's pioneering piano concerto is being reevaluated
26	Horn Concerto “Time of Blossoming”Hosokawa Toshio		Contemporary classical works by Toshio Hosokawa
27	Mount FujiTada Takehiko		A highly difficult choral work composed by Takehiko Tada in 1956
28	Dances of the Left and Dances of the RightHayasaka Fumio		In a Gagaku-style piece, the left and right themes develop alternately.
29	New Ceremonial MarchDan Ikuma		Festive March Performed at the Crown Prince's Wedding
30	Ballet Music: Rhythm of LifeSugada Isotarō		Isotarō Sugada’s East-West Fusion Music
31	Parodic fourth movementFukai Shirō		Sophisticated musical works of prewar Japan
32	Symphonic Poem “Flower of the Mandala”Yamada Kōsaku		A symphony composed by Kosaku Yamada, inspired by a friend’s poem
33	Cello ConcertoOdaka Naotada		Composed during wartime, premiered 20 years after the composer's death
34	On the night of GethsemaneMatsumura Teizō		An orchestral work on the theme of Christ composed by Teizo Matsumura
35	Symphony No. 1Abe Kōmei		A masterful symphony fusing the West and Japan
36	Ohmutakara, Opus 20Yamada Kazuo		Kazuo Yamada’s magnificent orchestral works
37	Symphony No. 1Hashimoto Kunihiko		Kuninobu Hashimoto’s Celebration Piece for the 2600th Year of the Imperial Era
38	Symphony No. 5 “Simplex”Ikebe Shinichirō		Complex Ostinato Development
39	BanquetMayuzumi Toshirō		Toshiro Mayuzumi’s Banquet is a masterpiece that fuses orchestra and saxophone.
40	Piano ConcertoMiyoshi Akira		A piece with a jazzy sense of speed and rich percussion
41	Symphony No. 1Betsugu Sadao		Sadao Bekku's symphonies are rich in color.
42	Requiem for Mixed ChorusChihara Hideki		A work that fuses the Japanese sense of song with Latin
43	Fantasia Sakura SakuraHirai Kōsaburō		Contemporary piano piece of Japanese traditional music
44	EARTHMuramatsu Takatsugu		An inspiring piece that plays the beauty of nature
45	Lament from Symphony No. 5 “Hiroshima”Ōki Masao		A symphony that expresses the tragedy of the atomic bomb through sound
46	Theme and Variations for Piano and OrchestraMatsudaira Yorinori		A groundbreaking masterpiece that fuses gagaku and jazz
47	Symphony No. 3MOROI Saburō		A symphony that expresses the despair during the war
48	Violin ConcertoŌguri Yutaka		A symphony based on the folk music of Osaka and Tokushima