From Fast Picking to Acoustic: Famous Japanese Guitarists
When people talk about famous guitarists, overseas names often come up, but there are plenty of incredible guitarists right here in Japan too!
Some of them are active on the global stage as well.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of Japanese guitarists we can proudly present to the world.
From blazing fast shredders to soulful, emotive players, from crisp cutting to slap techniques—each guitarist has their own unique charm.
Be sure to find your new favorite!
Get ready to meet a lot of super cool guitarists!
Playlist
| From Fast Picking to Acoustic: Famous Japanese Guitarists | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1east | Tell Mehide（X JAPAN） |  play_arrow | hide's charisma and musical influence |
| 2east | Active Three MinutesUkigumo (Tōkyō Jihen) |  play_arrow | Ryôsuke Nagaoka, the guitarist of Tokyo Jihen |
| 3east | #1090Matsumoto Takahiro (B’z) |  play_arrow | A top-tier musician known as the guitarist of B’z |
| 4east | guitar soloTakasaki Akira (LOUDNESS) |  play_arrow | The world-renowned guitarist of LOUDNESS |
| 5east | thrillHotei Tomoyasu (BOØWY) |  play_arrow | Legendary BOØWY guitarist with diverse musical activities |
| 6east | single-minded; wholehearted; devoted; earnestTsuneta Daiki (King Gnu) |  play_arrow | Daiki Tsuneta, a talent pursuing musical diversity |
| 7east | infinite loopImai Hisashi (BUCK-TICK) |  play_arrow | A distinctive guitarist who supported BUCK-TICK |
| 8east | Pandora’s boxEjimaharushi (Porukadotto Sutingurei) |  play_arrow | Harushi Ejima of Polkadot Stingray |
| 9east | All of the YouthYamauchi Souichirou (Fujifaburikku) |  play_arrow | Soichiro Yamauchi, guitarist of Fujifabric |
| 10east | COCOARei |  play_arrow | Rei from Hyogo, a uniquely expressive guitarist |
| 11east | Love the warzNakajin（SEKAI NO OWARI） |  play_arrow | Nakajin of SEKAI NO OWARI, a versatile musician |
| 12east | Love is allANCHANG（SEX MACHINEGUNS） |  play_arrow | SEX MACHINEGUNS, ANCHANG from Ehime |
| 13east | Risingmiyako（LOVEBITES） |  play_arrow | Metal guitarist Miyako with a classical background |
| 14east | The End of the WorldAbe Futoshi (THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT) |  play_arrow | The musical life of the legendary guitarist, Abe Futoshi |
| 15east | Melody of a Small LoveKitsutaka Fumihiko (Kinniku Shoujo-tai) |  play_arrow | Fumihiko Kitsutaka, the speed guitarist of the rock world |
| 16east | SmokyChar |  play_arrow | The appeal of Japan’s leading guitarists |
| 17east | brideSakazaki Kōnosuke (THE ALFEE) |  play_arrow | Sakazaki of THE ALFEE, a master of musical instruments who is active as an MC |
| 18east | READY TO FLYKōsaka Masayoshi |  play_arrow | An individualistic guitarist who masters both technique and musicality |
| 19east | Real?MIYAVI |  play_arrow | A solo guitarist’s brilliant performance |
| 20east | Distance of the Starry SkyTakamizawa Toshihiko (THE ALFEE) |  play_arrow | Toshihiko Takamizawa, the guitarist of THE ALFEE |
| 21north_east | Forever LovePATA（XJapan） |  play_arrow | X JAPAN, the virtuoso guitarist PAATA |
| 22north_east | HeartŌwatari Akira (Do As Infinity) |  play_arrow | Guitarist Ryo Owatari’s Diverse Musical Endeavors and Talent |
| 23north_east | Sacred EternityShinida (VOLCANO) |  play_arrow | Musical activities of the metal guitarist She-Ja |
| 24south_east | Like a Flourishing Flower -Neo Visualizm-MIYAVI |  play_arrow | The Allure and Music of the Samurai Guitarist |
| 25east | RomeoAsai Kenichi (Blankey Jet City) |  play_arrow | Benji, a rock band and guitarist |
| 26east | SpainWatanabe Kazumi |  play_arrow | The treasured jewel of the guitar world, Kazumi Watanabe’s tone |
| 27east | chain gangMajima Masatoshi (THE BLUE HEARTS) |  play_arrow | Māshi, the guitarist of a punk band |
| 28east | flower burialKen（L’Arc〜en〜Ciel） |  play_arrow | A heavy-smoking guitarist, captivating in tone |
| 29east | KARATEOmura Takayoshi |  play_arrow | Legendary metal guitarist, MI JAPAN graduate |
| 30east | Prince of HellRūku Takamura (Seikima II) |  | Luke Takamura, Seikima-II guitarist, multi-talented musician |
| 31east | LAST STARDUSTRYU（BLOOD STAIN CHILD） |  play_arrow | RYU from the trans metal scene is captivating. |
| 32east | Love Magic PotionROLLY (Scanch) |  play_arrow | Rock band Scanch, Laughing Guitar |
| 33east | In FutureUbugata Shinichi (ELLEGARDEN) |  play_arrow | Engineer, former guitarist of ELLEGARDEN |
| 34east | The night before the revolution at ground zero.Katada Satoshi (5-jigen BOY.) |  play_arrow | Guitarist Satoshi Katada, active with a space-themed focus |
| 35east | Thread of DawnMachiya (Wagakki Band) |  play_arrow | Machiya, a guitarist active with Wagakki Band |
| 36east | Wax MuseumACE(Seikima II) |  | ACE guitarist of Seikima-II, distinctive music |
| 37east | DEAR MY BLUEYonekawa Hideyuki (C-C-B) |  play_arrow | C-C-B guitarist with a bold tone and virtuosic playing |
| 38east | Has a tattooTabuchi Hisako (NUMBER GIRL) |  play_arrow | A female guitarist active in many bands |
| 39north_east | – WHITE HOLE –DAITA (moto SIAM SHADE) |  play_arrow | Active as a technically skilled rock guitarist |
| 40south_east | Crazy HorseTsuchiya Kohei (THE STREET SLIDERS) |  play_arrow | Active across a wide range as a rock guitarist |
| 41south_east | TRUTHAndō Masakazu (T-SQUARE) |  play_arrow | Leader of T-SQUARE and renowned guitarist |
| 42south_east | Good EnoughIchika |  play_arrow | Guitarist ichika, popular for his otherworldly tapping technique |
| 43south_east | DropletKENTARO（DAIDA LAIDA） |  play_arrow | Guitarist KENTARO’s high-level, standout performance |
| 44south_east | Telecastic fake showTK (Rin toshite shigure) |  play_arrow | The vocalist of Ling tosite sigure, an idiosyncratic/unique guitarist |
| 45south_east | Sugar Song and Bitter StepSaitō Kōsuke (UNISON SQUARE GARDEN) |  play_arrow | Rock band guitarist with an international career |
| 46south_east | Time goes byItō Ichirō |  play_arrow | Ikkūn is a popular guitarist. |
| 47east | You May DreamAyukawa Makoto (Shīna & Rokettsu) |  play_arrow | Sheena, the half-Japanese guitarist, Kyushu-dialect rock |
| 48east | I Won’t Turn Off My RadioYokoyama Ken (Hi-STANDARD) |  play_arrow | The achievements of Ken Yokoyama, a Japanese punk rock guitarist |
| 49east | JAGUAR 13haruhata michiya (TUBE) |  play_arrow | Michiya Haruhata of TUBE: Diverse Musical Activities and Technique |
| 50east | LAST SCENELeda（Far East Dizain） |  play_arrow | A metal guitarist achieving global success with ESP |
| 51east | My Past Life, Many Lifetimes AgoKuwabara Akira (RADWIMPS) |  play_arrow | The delicate performance of RADWIMPS’ lead guitarist |
| 52east | TemptationHISASHI（GLAY） |  play_arrow | GLAY’s lead guitarist, active in a wide range of musical pursuits |
| 53east | Summertime BluesYamamoto Kyoji (BOWWOW) |  play_arrow | Guitarist of the rock band BOWWOW |
| 54east | Memories of the Alhambra PalaceMuraji Kaori |  play_arrow | A classical guitarist who has been active since childhood |
| 55east | Get Off of My WayJan Ken Joni-(MAN WITH A MISSION) |  play_arrow | Vocalist and guitarist of a werewolf band |
| 56east | I want to be kinder.Saitō Kazuyoshi |  play_arrow | The melancholic singer is actively performing as an instrumentalist. |
| 57east | fateTerauchi Takeshi |  play_arrow | Terry is the pioneer of the electric guitar. |
| 58east | STORMSugizo（LUNA SEA） |  play_arrow | SUGIZO: An unconventional guitarist from a musical family |
| 59east | Explosive Pannier-sanKidamotifo (tricot) |  play_arrow | Add color to tricot’s distinctive irregular time signatures |
| 60east | Nomura Yoshio |  play_arrow | Guitarist and music producer from an idol background. |
| 61east | Temptation・Lips・SHADE・HEROESTAKURO（GLAY） |  play_arrow | Guitarist who is the central figure of GLAY and is in charge of songwriting and composing |
| 62east | Todey’s songYamagishi Ryūnosuke (LIFE IS GROOVE) |  play_arrow | A prodigy guitarist boy is making a big splash in the music world. |
| 63east | VenusAnly |  play_arrow | Anly from Okinawa performs an improvised loop set |
| 64east | Blade · Cobalt BlueSuganami Eijun (THE BACK HORN) |  play_arrow | Guitarist of a rock band, literary lyrics |
| 65east | Metaphor feat. FeryquitousIchika Nito |  play_arrow | The success of Ichika Nito, a guitarist popular on social media |
| 66east | DominoYamazaki Masayoshi |  play_arrow | Masayoshi Yamazaki’s music is full of talent and charm. |
| 67east | Space BoatJōshima Shigeru (TOKIO) |  play_arrow | Shigeru Joshima of TOKIO: His Love of Guitar and Musicality |