Japanese — In Stock — LPs 
A special section of Japanese language records -- city pop, J-pop, and other styles unique to the culture of Japan!
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(Items 1 – 54 of 54)
For Life (Japan), 1979. Near Mint- ... $29.99
Features some nice arrangements from Shigeru Suzuki! LP, Vinyl record album
(Original Japanese pressing – FLL-5030 – with obi, lyric insert, and unused poster!)
Warner/Lawson (Japan), 1986. New Copy (reissue)... $39.99 49.99
There's a cinematic look to the cover of this set by singer Tomoko Aran – and there's almost a cinematic presentation to the music too – but all in the best sort of 80s style you might hope for at the time! The work was put together by arranger Hideo Saito and Toru Shigemi – and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(2023 remaster – with obi!)
Warner/Lawson (Japan), 1982. New Copy (reissue)... $39.99 49.99
Tomoko Aran sound a fair bit jazzier here at points than some of her other 80s work on the Japanese scene – but she also follows up those moments with more than enough of the catchy rockish tunes that made her such a big star at the time! Arrangements on the record are by Masamori Sasaji, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(2023 remaster, with obi!)
East World/Lawson (Japan), 1988. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 54.99
A beautifully moody record fron Maki Asakawa, and a set that may well be one of her most striking ever – thanks to a stripped-down approach to recording that often mixes her vocals with just a bit of piano and saxophone – handled by Toshiyuki Honda throughout! The vibe here is very ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
East World/Lawson (Japan), 1985. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 54.99
Maki Asakawa looks as dark and moody as ever on the cover, but there's actually a few moments here that seem to have a spark of positivity – although maybe one that's just in the instrumentation and production, which seem to borrow a bit from some of the darker side of the UK spectrum at the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Great Japanese pressing – with obi!)
Universal/Lawson (Japan), 1996. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99
A well-done batch of music for the initial season of Japanese TV show Long Vacation – served up with a sense of variety and depth that's a great change from American television music for a program of this nature! Cagnet put the whole thing together, but they've got a good sense of variety ... (Soundtracks, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1969. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $46.99 54.99
The drums are definitely exciting here – really tight rhythms that drive most of these cuts into a funky frenzy – even if the groove is more based on American soul of the late 60s than the African rock promised in the title! Most of the tunes are covers, but remade here as really hip ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1981. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
Mighty nice work from Kyoko Furuya – a singer who has a bit more soulful depth than some of her contemporaries on the city pop scene – working here with the sort of backing that might be more like British soul overall, in a way that really lets Kyoko get at some of the richer currents ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Special Japan Record Day Release – with obi!)
MFX/180g, 1985. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99 29.99
A wonderfully home-grown take on 80s funk – served up here by Japanese guitarist Minoru Fushimi, who brings all sorts of instruments into the mix as well! The style is maybe a bit like some of the electro funk from the east coast scene at the time – beats, basslines, and keyboards ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Columbia (Japan), 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $44.99 59.99
One of the more soulful albums ever cut by Japanese vocalist Mieko Hirota – a set that mixes her warmly raspy style with some equally warm electric backings – all with a vibe that's a bit like Esther Phillips' albums for Kudu Records! Arrangements are by Hiromasa Suzuki and Kiyoshi ... (Vocalists, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Special Japan Record Day Release – with obi!)
Columbia (Japan), 1966. Near Mint- Gatefold ... $19.99
A very groovy session from Japanese singer Miko – recording here in the US with hip grooves from the Billy Taylor Trio! The style is almost even cooler than some of Billy's own records of the time – as the rhythms are open and flowing, which makes for a really sparkling feel to the set ... (Vocalists, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Recent Japanese reissue, with obi.)
Haruomi Hosono, Takahiko Ishikawa, & Masataka Matsutoya —
Aegean Sea ... LP CBS/Victory (Italy), 1979. New Copy (reissue)... $27.99 29.99
A sweet little record from this Japanese trio – all instrumental, and put together in a style that blends elements of electro pop, electric fusion, and maybe a bit of sound library funk! The tunes are all pretty vivid – maybe evoking the scene in the title – but they also have ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Union/Cinedelic (Italy), 1970. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99 32.99
A Japanese take on the sound of late 60s Woodstock – one that kind of takes all the best songs from the famous festival, then distills them into a batch of short, tight, funky jazz instrumentals! The approach is very cool – more funky than hippie, especially since the album begins with ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition colored vinyl pressing!)
Express/Universal (Japan), 1970. New Copy (reissue)... $44.99 49.99
A record with a staid sort of cover, one that hides all the great funky energy underneath – as the set's a killer album from Japanese drummer Takeshi Inomata, working here with his Sound Ltd group in a wonderful blend of jazz, funk, and psychedelic mode! There's a fantastic swirling of ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Kimiko Kasai with Herbie Hancock —
Butterfly ... LP Columbia/Be With (UK), 1979. New Copy (reissue)... $36.99 39.99
A legendary pairing of talents – as Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai works alongside Herbie Hancock – in a setting that's very much on the soul side of the spectrum! Both Herbie and Kimiko started out with a straighter jazz sound in their early years – but by the end of the 70s, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Teichiku/Cinedelic (Italy), 1973. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99 39.99
Shamisen never sounded so groovy before – thanks to excellent work from Akira Ishikawa & His Count Buffalos – who are working here at their funky 70s best! The album mixes great sounds from Count Buffalos with the solo talents of Rinsoye Kida on shamisen – the traditional ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition!)
VAP/Lawson (Japan), 1987. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
Very catchy work from Momoko Kikuchi – one of those city pop singers with a style so sweet, you might even forget that you can't understand the lyrics! As with some of Kikuchi's other albums of the time, the whole thing's a really well put-together whole – unified songs and sound ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Well-done reissue – with a vintage-style cover, and obi!)
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
A fantastic funky album from 70s Japan – one that has the shakuhachi work of Kifu Mitsuhashi mixed with these slow-stepping grooves that have plenty of warm electric touches! The style is nice and mellow – almost as if a Japanese reed musician got the chance to record for CTI Records ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
Really cool work on shakuhachi – and a set that's way more than just the ballads you might expect from the title! Japanese reed player Kifu Mitsuhashi definitely uses some older modes here, and begins the set as such – but as the record moves on, more contemporary instrumentation comes ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Special Japan Record Day Release – with obi!)
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
A great blend of funky jazz and wooden flute – the Japanese shakuhachi reed instrument, blown by Kifu Mitsuhashi here – then mixed with some larger backings that almost have a CTI Records sort of groove! The approach is similar to some of the best 70s projects from Hozan Yamamoto ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Special Japan Record Day Release – with obi!)
King/Mr Bongo (UK), Late 60s. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $27.99 33.98
60s jazz meets Japanese bamboo flute – all in a session with a great mix of groovy and exotic touches! The record's a unique meeting of jazz and folkloric elements – done in a style that's a bit like some of the late 60s sessions of this nature on MPS, but a fair bit groovier overall ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Express/Universal (Japan), 1971. New Copy (reissue)... $44.99 49.99
Funky, fuzzy, and outta site – a really wonderful set of extended psychedelic jazz numbers from twin tenorists Takeru Muraoka and Takao Uematsu! The set's billed as a live tenor "battle" on the cover – but it's hardly the sort of record that you'd hear from American players ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Tokuma/P-Vine (Japan), 2002. New Copy ... $19.99 39.99
A great little record from Japanese singer Yoko Nagisa – an artist who's clearly got a 70s look on the cover, and who really brings that to the record too – mixing in bits of jazz and bits of soul, at a level that maybe makes the whole thing feel like some blend between vintage work by ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Nice Japanese pressing – with obi!)
Victor (Japan), 1980. Near Mint- ... $14.99
Beautifully sensitive vocal work from Japanese singer Mari Nakamoto – recording here with hip small combo backing that includes alto and flute from Frank Strozier, keyboards from Barry Miles, piano from Harold Mabern, guitar from Joe Beck, and drums from Louis Hayes! (Vocalists, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes obi. Back cover has some very light aging, but this is a great copy overall.)
East World/Lawson (Japan), 1984. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
Noriki is keyboardist Soichi Noriki – who plays Fender Rhodes, Hammond, and other keys here – in a setting that's a nice blend of soulful fusion and some of the Japanese crossover modes of the time! There's just a bit of vocals on the record – courtesy of singer Yuri Kokubu ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Philips/Lawson (Japan), 1983. New Copy (reissue)... $28.99 49.99
Junko Ohashi is a Japanese singer from the city pop generation – but she gets a really soulful setting here, thanks to a strong backdrop of players from American jazz and soul! The set was recorded in New York, with production from Teruo Nakamura – who seems to take Junko into vocal ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Columbia/Mondo Groove (Italy), 1981. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99 29.99
Lovely work from Eri Ohno – one of the deeper voiced singers in the city pop generation, and an artist who's able to work here with a nice mix of soulful styles! The record's got some leaner backings than other projects of this nature – really just a small combo, pictured with Eri on ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Better Days/Lawson (Japan), 1986. New Copy (reissue)... $28.99 49.99
Electro funk from the Japanese scene of the 80s, but at a level that's nicely deeper than some of the more commercial material of the time – handled with lots of guitar and vocals from Makoto Matsushita, who really seems to have gotten a bit hipper since his First Light work! The vibe is ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Special Japan Record Day Release – with obi!)
P-Vine (Japan), 2008. New Copy ... $28.99
Beautiful later work from Japanese singer Yoshiko Sai – but tracks that are every bit as sublime as her classics! Sai has this vocal range that's incredible – an ability to slide up and down the scale that's somewhere in the territory of Minnie Riperton or Kate Bush – even though ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Great Japanese pressing – with obi!)
Blow Up/Lawson (Japan), 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $28.99 54.99
A 70s classic from Nanako Sato – a singer with a great mix of sweet, sultry styles – and one who often brought a bit of jazz into her work as well, even though the record's not exactly a jazz album overall! Arrangements and keyboards are by Yuji Ohno, an artist who always knew how to ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Nice Japanese pressing, with obi!)
Palto Flats, 1984. New Copy ... $20.99 23.99
A really unusual album from the Japanese scene of the 80s – a set that was unissued at the time, but which is right in line with the other groundbreaking music of Yazuaki Shimizu! At some level, there's echoes of the instrumental experiments of Ryuichi Sakamoto going on here – but at ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Sad Disco (Japan), 1990. New Copy (reissue)... $39.99 49.99
A late bit of city pop from Japan – a record that maybe circulated more on cassette than any other format at the time, but which shows that the best sounds of the style were still alive and well at the start of the 90s! Kumi Showji is a really wonderful singer – working here in ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Sad Disco (Japan), 1990. New Copy (reissue)... $39.99 49.99
There's plenty of soul on this early 90s record from Japanese singer Kumi Showji – a nice update of older city pop modes, tuned a bit more towards Anglo R&B styles that were breaking big at the time – with some of the rhythms you might hear in the new jack generation, mixed with our ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(We're not sure, but we think this might be the first-ever vinyl release of the record!)
RCA (Japan), 1981. Near Mint- ... $29.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Original Japanese pressing – RHL-8515 – with booklet. Cover is faded a bit at the spine. Booklet has some aging.)
Big Beat (UK), 1960s/1970s. New Copy ... $19.99 28.99
Blazing 60s & 70s string-shredding mastery from Japan's great guitar instrumentals guru Takeshi Terauchi – whose playing matches the greatest 50s & 60s rock guitar gurus in both dexterous ability and pulpy mood setting! Takeshi put his own unique spin on the chugging styles of the ... (Rock, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1988. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
Penny Tohyama recorded this sweet 80s set over in LA – and unlike some of her city pop contemporaries, she mixes in some English lyrics with the tracks – at a level that, combined with the west coast production, really give the record a sort of universal pop vibe! The album's got ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Heavy Japanese pressing!)
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1983. New Copy (reissue)... $42.99 49.99
There's a sexy robot pictured on the cover, but the real guiding force of this sweet little set might be producer Hikaru Flash Kanematsu – who we can always thank for adding a bit more groove to the mix! The set was issued in Japan, but has a tight 80s soul groove that's like some of the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Elec/WRWTFWW (Switzerland), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $35.99 39.99
A record of incredible beauty, yet one that's also almost impossible to describe in words – as this second set from Japanese singer Hako Yamasaki has her really moving past the first one – coming across with an even richer sound in her vocals, and mixing just the right amount of ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Tsunawatari (with bonus track) ... CD 16.99
JVC (Japan), 2021. New Copy ... $28.99 58.99
A record with a title that translates as "music is a gift" – and a set that certainly feels like one from the great Akiko Yano! You might know Yano's beautiful work of the 80s, and think that she's only the subject of reissue campaigns over the years – but she still sounds ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Toshiba/Universal (Japan), 1971. New Copy (reissue)... $44.99 49.99
Not nearly as primitive as you might guess from the title – and instead, a heady batch of electric funk from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s! The album's got a heavy dose of percussion at the bottom – drums and more, interwoven with lots of electric guitar in the rhythms ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Light In The Attic, Late 60s/Early 70s. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ... $39.99
A much-needed look at the Japanese rock scene at the start of the 70s – one that was going through as many amazing changes as the world of music in the US and UK, but which has always been far out of reach for most listeners in the English-speaking world! The collection's not super-undergroun ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Black vinyl pressing, with obi and booklet.)
Toshiba/Universal (Japan), 1961. New Copy ... $44.99 49.99
All-star jazz from the Japanese scene of the early 60s – a record that's almost in the Verve Records jam session or JATP style – as it features some of the greatest players on the Japanese scene of the time, coming together on some really long tracks that take off in a beautiful way! ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Toshiba/Universal (Japan), 1961. New Copy ... $44.99 49.99
A key showcase of some of the fantastic groups who were starting to shape the sound of jazz on the Japanese jazz scene at the start of the 60s –a set that's a nice contrast to the first volume in this series, which featured all of the different musicians jamming together! Here, leadership is ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
London, 1956. Very Good+ ... $14.99 19.99
A really wonderful assortment of work from the jazz club scene in Tokyo, mostly located around Ginza at the time – as you can see by the images on the cover! There's a nice variety of work here – including recordings from the groups of Shoji Suzuki, Aira Watanabe, Toru Mori, Hiroshi ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Heavy red label US pressing.)
Big Beat (UK), Late 60s. New Copy Gatefold ... Just Sold Out!
Groovy, moddish, magnificent and sunny girl pop from The Land Of The Rising Sun – pummeling drums, jumping arrangements and groovy vocals from the mid-to-late 60s Japanese scene! This is fantastic stuff, any kitch or novelty appeal you might be expecting is kind of muted by the exceptional ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Light In The Attic, Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy 2LP ... $39.99 42.99
A totally wonderful compilation – and a fantastic way to dip into the world of Japanese city pop – a genre that most of us missed back in the day, in large part because most of these records never made it to the record racks in the US! As fans know, the movement was a huge crest of ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
180g (UK), Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $39.99 45.99
An essential collection of work from the Japanese scene of the 70s – as set that really gets at the "something special" that made jazz from this generation so unique! Japanese musicians were early adopters of American modes – and the scene had great bop recordings from the ... (Funky Compilations, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
180g (UK), Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $39.99 44.99
A wonderfully wide-ranging look at the more unique aspects of Japanese jazz from the 60s onward – a set that mixes together spiritual tracks, bossa nova, and some surprisingly soulful tracks too – all from records that were only ever issued in Japan! If you've heard the great first ... (Funky Compilations, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
180g (UK), Late 60s/1970s. New Copy ... $28.99 34.98
A fantastic dip into the world of Japanese funk during the 70s – a great place to start if you don't want to slap down big money for expensive imports – and a set that's also got a fair bit of obscure numbers in the lineup, even if you have some of the material from this time! The ... (Funky Compilations, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
180g (UK), 1970s. New Copy ... $28.99 34.98
A fantastic document of the lost funk legacy of 70s Japan – music that's often different than the jazz and pop work of the decade that sees greater reissue, and which shows a very strong influence from the American scene! The rhythms here are wonderful – sometimes in the best funky ... (Funky Compilations, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
180g (UK), Late 70s/1980s. New Copy ... $28.99 34.99
A really fantastic entry in this really great series – one that shows just how strongly the spirit of invention continued in the world of Japanese music as it moved into the 80s! As with previous volumes, the work here is a unique hybrid of influences from American and Japanese sources ... (Funky Compilations, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Wonderful World/Lawson (Japan), 2023. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $52.99 59.99
A mighty nice set of tracks from the contemporary Japanese scene – a tribute to years of great work by the Wonderful World label, served up here in a mix of covers and unusual tunes done just for the project! Styles cover a nice range – there's some jazzy bits, clubby moments, and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Lawson (Japan), 2023. New Copy 2LP ... $52.99 59.99
A cool collection of contemporary work from Japan – a collection of different artists all put together in a wonderful blend of clubby cuts, soulful moments, and plenty of other surprises in between! The project is a celebration of the group Petrolz, but the music within is very different ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
King (Japan), 1958. Near Mint- ... $22.99 26.99
Poll winners from the Japanese scene of the late 50s – stepping out in a special live performance from the time! The album's almost got a Verve Records sort of feel – especially from the all-star tip – and tunes are more swing than bop, although there's definitely a few modern ... (Jazz, Japanese) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s Japanese pressing, with insert – SKK 3019. Cover has some light wear, but vinyl is great!)
(Items 1 – 54 of 54)
