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	Ancient CapitalDEZOLVE		DEZOLVE is a next-generation fusion jazz band.
3	BLUE LAGOONKōsaka Masayoshi		Introduction to Masayoshi Takanaka’s signature song “BLUE LAGOON”
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	In the SpacesupeKUTORAMU		Spectrum's innovative musicality
10	CyclingPRISM		Legendary debut album track by Prism
11	SEA LINE “RIE”Kadamatsu Toshiki		Toshiki Kadomatsu’s 1987 fusion album
12	Cosmic SurfingYellow Magic Orchestra		YMO’s “Cosmic Surfing” is innovative electronic music
13	Ready to FlySadistics		Introducing Sadistics' classic song, Ready to Fly
14	Before You GoKarioka		A classic Carioca song that evokes a tropical sunset
15	Straight to the TopWatanabe Sadao		A classic song by Sadao Watanabe in collaboration with Dave Grusin
16	SOLID DANCEshanbara		Shambala is an urban J-pop from the late ’80s
17	DunhuangTRIX		The pinnacle fusion of TRIX 'STYLE'
18	HerculesParachute		Introduction to Parachute’s signature song, Hercules
19	HOPEkakukeihō kurabu		Let's listen to the Rectangular Wave Club's classic song 'HOPE'
20	City ConnectionHino Terumasa		Terumasa Hino’s classic album City Connection
21	DOMINO LINECASIOPEA		Fusion music of Casiopea
22	Sweet IllusionSakamoto Ryūichi & Kakutōgi Sesshon		An unusual fusion and rock session
23	AganaKawasaki Ryo		A session by a studio musician with a legendary jazz musician in the United States
24	Mi AmoreMatsuoka Naoya		Akina Nakamori’s signature tearful Latin fusion song
25	BELIEVIN’NANIWA EXP		NANIWA EXPRESS Hot Fusion
26	MORNING LIGHTPRISM		Fusion music perfect for waking up in the morning
27	FACEST-SQUARE		Sena’s theme song, a high-velocity ensemble
28	MONSTER MASHIma Tsuyoshi		A refreshing guitar piece by Tsuyoshi Kon
29	The Sea of DiracFukamachi Jun		Jun Fukamachi’s distinctive rhythms and dynamic compositions
30	BurninKishida Keishi		Kishida Megumi’s technical drum piece
31	HEART OF EARTHKorekata Hirokuni		Introduction to signature songs by guitarists from the Kansai region
32	Sky HighMatsubara Masaki		Masaki Matsubara's smooth guitar
33	AsiaMukaiya Minoru		Minoru Mukaiya's synthesizer music works
34	L’esprit de l’exil RevisitéLu7		Lu7's grand sci-fi instrumental track
35	UnforgettablePRISM		The skillful and diverse music of PRISM
36	Alibabasupēsu sākasu		Signature song of Space Circus.
37	twilightYamane Asai		A jazzy number famous for activity with George Yanagi
38	I’ll Be ThereWatanabe Kazumi		High-level instrumental of the legendary project KYLYN
39	Sports MenHosono Haruomi		Fusing diverse styles with electro sound
40	LEFT-HANDED WOMANŌmura Kenji		Introduce Kenji Omura’s guitar pieces
41	Midnight CircusNOBU CAINE		A funky track by NOBU CAINE
42	You Can Make ItNoriki		Healing music by a Kyoto pianist
43	A Silent LoveChikin Shakku		Sexy ballad of Chicken Shack
44	I believe in youAkiyama Kazumasa		Kazumasa Akiyama’s Jazz Roots Guitar Piece
45	HOLLYWOOD ILLUSIONKikuchi Himiko		From luxurious strings to urban sound
46	LineKikuchi Masaaki		A funky epic with fusion influences
47	NESSANoro Issei		Upbeat Latin track as background music
48	game; play; amusementHonda Toshiyuki		Family Game incidental music, saxophone quintet
49	Savanna Hot LineNative Son		Powerful performance by a skilled Japanese fusion band
50	Still Be BopHino Terumasa		Terumasa Hino’s representative 1980s fusion work
51	RENDEZVOUSWatanabe Sadao		Sadao Watanabe’s saxophone piece, characterized by a shimmering tone
52	vibrationKasai Kimiko		A song whose Japanese version was released first
53	SensationSensation		A new fusion from an Osaka-born instrumental band
54	Far East ManŌmura Kenji		Characterized by the guitarist’s dry sound
55	It’s My TimeJinbo Akira		Akira Jimbo’s Gentle Rhythm
56	Seaside SunsetMOTO&MASU		A combo piece by a genius arranger and guitarist
57	The Tokyo TasteSadisutikksu		Fusion bands after Sadistic Mika Band
58	MORNING FLIGHTMALTA		MALTA, moving your body with a lively groove
59	BelievinNANIWA EXP		The thriving scene and popularity of Kansai fusion bands
60	last trickSato Hiroshi		A 1979 work of diverse sounds by Hiroshi Sato
61	The afternoon horizonMatsuoka Naoya		The coolness of a summer seaside by Naoya Matsuoka
62	UNICORNWatanabe Kazumi		Kazumi Watanabe’s aggressive guitar track
63	Plumed BirdKōsaka Masayoshi		A fine, fast-paced guitar-driven track
64	SAUDADEKōsaka Masayoshi		Resort vibes with Masayoshi Takanaka’s refreshing guitar tunes
65	AzureAmano Kiyotugu		A Jazzy Guitar Piece by Kiyotaka Amano
66	FLAMINGISSEI NORO INSPIRITS		A fusion band's song
67	Funky PunchJIMSAKU		Jinsaku, a rich/thick sound with just two instruments
68	SnoozeKarioka		A Brazilian instrumental music track from Rio (Carioca)
69	Happy Go LuckyShioya Satoshi		Satoshi Shioya’s funky piano piece
70	WEST WEATHERKorekata Hirokuni		Introduction to Hirokuni Korekata’s Guitar Compositions