Japanese shred guitarist
If you’re into rock, metal, or simply love guitarists and guitar tones, chances are you also enjoy lightning-fast soloing.
As a guitarist, almost everyone has probably wanted to master a fast-picking phrase at least once, right? In this article, we’ll introduce captivating fast-playing guitarists, focusing on musicians active in Japan.
While “shredding” might make you think of the metal scene, we’ll be spotlighting not only metal but also highly regarded technicians from jazz and fusion.
Now, let’s dive in and listen to some blazing speed that’s gone in the blink of an eye!
- From Fast Picking to Acoustic: Famous Japanese Guitarists
- [J-Pop] A Collection of Japanese Songs with Difficult/Technical Guitar Parts [2026]
- Fast-picking guitarists of the world
- [2026] A compilation of Japanese songs/J-pop with cool guitar solos
- Classic Japanese metal songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Makes you want to play it! Japanese rock with the coolest guitar riffs
- [2026] Extreme Technique! A Roundup of Overseas Technical Guitarists
- [J-Pop] A compilation of popular songs with irresistible guitar cutting [2026]
- [All Genres] Introducing Masterpieces of Guitar Instrumentals!
- The quintessential shapely guitar: guitarists who favor the Flying V type
- The depth of guitar sound. A collection of songs with cool guitar.
- A high-energy band number! A hype, crowd-pleasing track with male vocals.
- [2026] A roundup of classic Western songs with awesome guitar solos
Japanese shred guitarists (41–50)
SHEDFukuda Hiroya (ex.ANTHEM)
Hiroya Fukuda is a guitarist who was active with ANTHEM until 1990.
For a time he retired from music due to hearing loss and worked as a photographer, but he made a full comeback as a guitarist on ANTHEM’s 25th Anniversary nationwide tour.
His trademarks include cranking out jagged, high-volume chords and using the whammy bar to add depth to his sound, but in true heavy metal fashion his fast playing is also compelling.
Because his chord attack is so sharp and his whammy work so expansive, his bursts of speed really stand out when it counts.
I have lived with the sunNakagawa Daijirou (JYOCHO)
A new project started by Daijiro Nakagawa, guitarist of the Kyoto-born band Uchuu Conbini.
His clean-tone guitar phrases are highly skillful and tasteful.
The bursts of high-speed tapping woven in between are vivid and addictive.
In conclusion
We’ve rounded up a selection of guitarists known for their stunning speed picking.
While fast playing might make you think of metal, this time we’ve picked recommended guitarists from a variety of genres.
If you found a favorite among those introduced here, be sure to check out more of their songs and study their guitar techniques!