Japan Honours Black Music

This year, in honour of Black Music Month, we’re exploring the undeniable impact of Black music and musicians around the world. Japan has a rich history of embracing Black music that began when jazz was imported a century ago. From the rock 'n' roll that introduced kids in the ’60s to a new form of expression to the soul and R&B and fusion that became the backbone of the city pop movement in the late '70s to the beats and rhythm of hip-hop, reggae and house music adopted by mainstream J-pop artists in the '90s, Black music has always been a huge factor in pushing popular music forward in Japan. Here, we showcase the influences found in the biggest recent mainstream hits, as well as the musicians that continue to import and keep up with the latest trends of Black culture. Dive into our Black Music Month playlist, and if you hear something you like, save it to your library.