MBW's World Leaders series shines a light on influential industry figures overseeing key international markets. In this feature, we meet Manubu Tsujino, President of Sony Music Labels and a prominent figure in the Japanese music industry.

Unveiling the Global Journey of Japanese Music with Manubu Tsujino

Manubu Tsujino's Journey from Journalism Aspiration to A&R Success

Manubu Tsujino initially dreamed of becoming a newscaster but ended up becoming one of Japan's most prominent A&R execs. After graduating from university in Osaka in 1996, he joined Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. and spent nearly three decades at the company. His career took various turns, including stints in record store sales, promotion for both international and domestic music, and sales promotion. It wasn't until 2005 that he became an A&R. For his first two years as an A&R at SMEJ, he didn't have any major hits. However, in 2007, everything changed. Inspired by TLC and Sporty Thievz, a group from Osaka called RSP covered Japan's biggest reggae hit, Lifetime Respect by Dozan Miki, re-producing it from a female perspective. This track became a hit in Japan, selling around 2 million downloads, and gave Tsujino the understanding of how to create hits as an A&R. His career trajectory continued to rise, and he became the Managing Director of Sony Music Records in 2015 and the President of Sony Music Labels in 2019. He also served as Director of SMEJ since 2023.

The Synergy between Japanese Music and Anime

SMEJ believes that synergy with anime is crucial for Japanese music to make its way into the global market. Artists signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan have seen significant global success this year. Hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts' single, Bling-Bang-Bang-Born, released in January, became a viral hit, spending several weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and racking up over 500 million streams on Spotify alone. The duo also teamed up with Dua Lipa for a remix of her single Illusion. Bling-Bang-Bang-Born was used as the opening theme for the hit anime series Mashle: Magic and Muscles, highlighting anime as one of the main drivers behind the global rise of Japanese-language music. Luminate's 2023 Year-End report showed that the share of Japanese language tracks in the Top 10,000 global tracks increased from 1.3% in 2022 to 2.1% last year.

YOASOBI's Success at Coachella and the Importance of Live Appearances

YOASOBI performed at Coachella for the first time in 2024. This was a significant event as it showed the growing recognition of Japanese acts on the global stage. The Orchard's staff played a crucial role in the worldwide sales of YOASOBI's Into the Night. Seeing a Japanese artist receive thunderous applause from tens of thousands of American fans moved Manubu Tsujino to tears. Last summer, he attended Head in the Clouds in Los Angeles and witnessed the same excitement. Live appearances at festivals abroad are crucial for raising the profile of Japanese acts as it deepens the fans' connection with the artists.

MILLENIUM PARADE's Global Deals and the Integrated Global Strategy

MILLENIUM PARADE recently signed a deal with Epic Records in the US and RCA in the UK. This is significant as it shows the growing recognition of Japan-born acts in the other Top 3 largest recorded music markets. Millennium Parade has exceptional creativity from a global perspective and talent that is relevant in both music and visual arts. This is the first time implementing a truly integrated global strategy with the three parties working together.

Strategies to Take Advantage of the Rising Popularity of Japanese-Language Music

The key is to connect the dots. Currently, while the songs are well-known, the recognition of the artists performing them is lacking. This can be attributed to the pandemic and the impracticalities of English education in Japan. Many Japanese people with higher education can read and write in English but struggle with speaking it, affecting promotion efforts. The goal is to develop J-POP as a distinct genre and gain acceptance in regions like Asia, Europe, and the US. This requires actively pursuing collaborations with local artists and co-hosting events.

The Historical Difficulty of Breaking Japanese-Language Acts Globally

Until the Internet connected the world, Manubu Tsujino didn't see much possibility for Japanese music to break globally. Kyu Sakamoto's SUKIYAKI hit No. 1 on the US charts in 1963, but after that, no Japanese-language song even made the Top 20. The Japanese music market peaked in 1998, and although new formats were introduced, the physical market still accounted for a large portion. It wasn't until after the pandemic that the industry seriously focused on the global market. K-POP's success gave Japanese music an opportunity to learn.

Current Market Trends and Predictions

The key to making Japanese songs successful seems to be their companionship with distinctive animations and illustrations. This is the 'Net Creator Culture' or 'Vocaloid Culture' in music. Kenshi Yonezu and Ayase of YOASOBI come from a Vocaloid producer background, and 'Kikuo' who was signed last year is doing shows with large audiences in North and South America, showing that this culture is spreading worldwide. Looking ahead, the global strategy for Japanese music has just begun. It's not about a one or two-year perspective but a five or 10-year outlook. The aim is to work towards global expansion like K-POP.

If There Was One Thing to Change in the Music Business

Manubu Tsujino is constantly supported by his team and runs the organization together with them. From an optimistic perspective, he hopes that Japanese products and Japanese entertainment fandoms can give people around the world the opportunity to rediscover the quality of Japanese products.World Leaders is supported by PPL, a leading international neighbouring rights collector with best-in-class operations that help performers and recording rightsholders around the world maximise their royalties. Founded in 1934, PPL collects money from across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. It has collected over £500 million internationally for its members since 2006.