Masterpieces of Japanese fusion—From nostalgic classics to recent recommendations—

Fusion is a hybrid music genre that, while rooted in jazz, blends many elements ranging from rock and world music to electronic music and even classical.

In Japan as well, a fusion boom erupted from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, and bands and artists achieving major commercial success appeared one after another.

This time, we’re focusing on Japanese artists and bands to introduce classic tracks from Japanese fusion.

Please enjoy the brilliance of Japanese fusion—music that has greatly influenced the history of J-pop and features many key figures in the recently buzzworthy genre known as city pop!

Playlist

Masterpieces of Japanese fusion—From nostalgic classics to recent recommendations—
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	ASAYAKECASIOPEA		The appeal of Casiopea’s signature song “Asayake”
2	BLUE LAGOONKōsaka Masayoshi		Introduction to Masayoshi Takanaka’s signature song “BLUE LAGOON”
3	Ancient CapitalDEZOLVE		DEZOLVE is a next-generation fusion jazz band.
4	TRUTHT-SQUARE		T-SQUARE’s classic song TRUTH, the F1 theme song
5	YOU BABEMatsubara Masaki		Introduce Masaki Matsubara’s fusion masterpieces
6	SUPER SAFARINative Son		Native Sun's signature song, SUPER SAFARI
7	UnicornWatanabe Kazumi		Introduce Kazumi Watanabe’s signature songs
8	ROUND TRIPDimension		DIMENSION's "ROUND TRIP" is a baseball broadcast theme song.
9	SEA LINE “RIE”Kadamatsu Toshiki		Toshiki Kadomatsu’s 1987 fusion album
10	CyclingPRISM		Legendary debut album track by Prism
11	Cosmic SurfingYellow Magic Orchestra		YMO’s “Cosmic Surfing” is innovative electronic music
12	Ready to FlySadistics		Introducing Sadistics' classic song, Ready to Fly
13	In the SpacesupeKUTORAMU		Spectrum's innovative musicality
14	Straight to the TopWatanabe Sadao		A classic song by Sadao Watanabe in collaboration with Dave Grusin
15	Before You GoKarioka		A classic Carioca song that evokes a tropical sunset
16	HerculesParachute		Introduction to Parachute’s signature song, Hercules
17	HOPEkakukeihō kurabu		Let's listen to the Rectangular Wave Club's classic song 'HOPE'
18	City ConnectionHino Terumasa		Terumasa Hino’s classic album City Connection
19	DunhuangTRIX		The pinnacle fusion of TRIX 'STYLE'
20	SOLID DANCEshanbara		Shambala is an urban J-pop from the late ’80s
21	DOMINO LINECASIOPEA		Fusion music of Casiopea
22	Sweet IllusionSakamoto Ryūichi & Kakutōgi Sesshon		An unusual fusion and rock session
23	FACEST-SQUARE		Sena’s theme song, a high-velocity ensemble
24	BELIEVIN’NANIWA EXP		NANIWA EXPRESS Hot Fusion
25	MORNING LIGHTPRISM		Fusion music perfect for waking up in the morning
26	AganaKawasaki Ryo		A session by a studio musician with a legendary jazz musician in the United States
27	Mi AmoreMatsuoka Naoya		Akina Nakamori’s signature tearful Latin fusion song
28	MONSTER MASHIma Tsuyoshi		A refreshing guitar piece by Tsuyoshi Kon
29	Sky HighMatsubara Masaki		Masaki Matsubara's smooth guitar
30	HEART OF EARTHKorekata Hirokuni		Introduction to signature songs by guitarists from the Kansai region
31	UNICORNWatanabe Kazumi		Kazumi Watanabe’s aggressive guitar track
32	LEFT-HANDED WOMANŌmura Kenji		Introduce Kenji Omura’s guitar pieces
33	Alibabasupēsu sākasu		Signature song of Space Circus.
34	BurninKishida Keishi		Kishida Megumi’s technical drum piece
35	The Sea of DiracFukamachi Jun		Jun Fukamachi’s distinctive rhythms and dynamic compositions
36	I’ll Be ThereWatanabe Kazumi		High-level instrumental of the legendary project KYLYN
37	Sports MenHosono Haruomi		Fusing diverse styles with electro sound
38	AzureAmano Kiyotugu		A Jazzy Guitar Piece by Kiyotaka Amano
39	Midnight CircusNOBU CAINE		A funky track by NOBU CAINE
40	Savanna Hot LineNative Son		Powerful performance by a skilled Japanese fusion band
41	You Can Make ItNoriki		Healing music by a Kyoto pianist
42	A Silent LoveChikin Shakku		Sexy ballad of Chicken Shack
43	AsiaMukaiya Minoru		Minoru Mukaiya's synthesizer music works
44	twilightYamane Asai		A jazzy number famous for activity with George Yanagi
45	Still Be BopHino Terumasa		Terumasa Hino’s representative 1980s fusion work
46	I believe in youAkiyama Kazumasa		Kazumasa Akiyama’s Jazz Roots Guitar Piece
47	vibrationKasai Kimiko		A song whose Japanese version was released first
48	LineKikuchi Masaaki		A funky epic with fusion influences
49	Far East ManŌmura Kenji		Characterized by the guitarist’s dry sound
50	game; play; amusementHonda Toshiyuki		Family Game incidental music, saxophone quintet
51	BelievinNANIWA EXP		The thriving scene and popularity of Kansai fusion bands
52	It’s My TimeJinbo Akira		Akira Jimbo’s Gentle Rhythm
53	L’esprit de l’exil RevisitéLu7		Lu7's grand sci-fi instrumental track
54	UnforgettablePRISM		The skillful and diverse music of PRISM
55	HOLLYWOOD ILLUSIONKikuchi Himiko		From luxurious strings to urban sound
56	NESSANoro Issei		Upbeat Latin track as background music
57	SensationSensation		A new fusion from an Osaka-born instrumental band
58	last trickSato Hiroshi		A 1979 work of diverse sounds by Hiroshi Sato
59	Seaside SunsetMOTO&MASU		A combo piece by a genius arranger and guitarist
60	The Tokyo TasteSadisutikksu		Fusion bands after Sadistic Mika Band
61	The afternoon horizonMatsuoka Naoya		The coolness of a summer seaside by Naoya Matsuoka
62	RENDEZVOUSWatanabe Sadao		Sadao Watanabe’s saxophone piece, characterized by a shimmering tone
63	Plumed BirdKōsaka Masayoshi		A fine, fast-paced guitar-driven track
64	SAUDADEKōsaka Masayoshi		Resort vibes with Masayoshi Takanaka’s refreshing guitar tunes
65	FLAMINGISSEI NORO INSPIRITS		A fusion band's song
66	Funky PunchJIMSAKU		Jinsaku, a rich/thick sound with just two instruments
67	SnoozeKarioka		A Brazilian instrumental music track from Rio (Carioca)
68	Happy Go LuckyShioya Satoshi		Satoshi Shioya’s funky piano piece
69	WEST WEATHERKorekata Hirokuni		Introduction to Hirokuni Korekata’s Guitar Compositions
70	MORNING FLIGHTMALTA		MALTA, moving your body with a lively groove