{"title":"Sony Japan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSony Japan is a Japanese record company that was incorporated in April 1991. Its predecessor, CBS\/Sony Records Inc., was established in 1968 as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and U.S. conglomerate CBS to distribute music releases in Japan. Over the years, the company underwent several name changes, including becoming CBS\/Sony Inc. in 1973 and CBS\/Sony Group Inc. in 1983.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn March 1988, four wholly owned subsidiaries were merged into CBS\/Sony Group: Epic\/Sony Records Inc., Columbia Music Entertainment Inc., Sacra Music, and Ki\/oon Music International. Until March 2007, Sony Music Japan also had its own North American sublabel called SMEJ Associated Records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. operates independently from the US-based Sony Music Entertainment Inc., which is owned by Sony Corporation of America. Many Japanese CDs released between 1991 and 2007 feature a mould manufacturing print around the center hole with the abbreviation 'SMJ' indicating it was pressed by Sony Music Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"machikaze-roman","title":"Machikaze Roman","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 2007, Rolling Stone Japan declared Happy End’s \u003ci\u003eKazemachi Roman\u003c\/i\u003e to be the greatest Japanese rock album of all time. For a band that can boast such an accolade, Happy End still isn’t all that well-known in the West. If you’re a hardcore J-rock fan, you probably think Happy End aren’t as interesting or cool as noisier artists from the 1970s like, say, Flower Travellin’ Band. Today Happy End are celebrated in Japan, yet Kazemachi Roman sold fewer than 10,000 copies the year it was released, and it’s still not available on streaming services. By this point, Happy End should be as documented and famous as Love or even Os Mutantes, but they are rarely if ever mentioned in the same breath. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e When Happy End first formed in Tokyo in late 1969, the Beatles were basically kaput, which should give you an idea of how much had already happened in Western popular music. In Japan, pop music transformed more slowly, to some degree because it was constantly being measured against the West.  Aside from fringe experimental psychedelic outfits like Speed, Glue \u0026amp; Shinki and Les Rallizes Dénudés, Japanese countercultural pop music in the mid-to-late ’60s was largely divided into two camps. On one side were “Group Sounds” acts, basically the Japanese equivalent of bands you’d find in the Nuggets box set; they combined skunky garage rock with kayōkyoku, a mix of Western scales and traditional Japanese music. The other faction was folk, either “campus folk” amateurs trying to reconstruct mid-’60s West Coast coffeehouses, min’yo artists attempting to re-create indigenous and traditional Japanese music, or unvarnished protest folk in the vein of early Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Language was another demarcation: Group Sounds bands would often sing or perform covers in English, on some level in the hopes of appealing to American listeners, while folk acts sang in Japanese, a purposeful act of resistance toward U.S. cultural dominance.  The members of Happy End weren’t interested in either side, let alone the debate itself. Actually, they thought it was all pretty lame. Guitarist Shigeru Suzuki puts it bluntly in a 2014 documentary for the Japanese TV station NHK BS Premium: “Honestly, I thought Group Sounds was pretty boring. In the end, it was just an extension of the traditional Japanese ballad. The folk musicians had good melodies, but … their rhythms were just boring.” At heart, Happy End felt that in trying so hard to either win over America or defy it, both sides were defined by their relationship to the West. The message of rock’n’roll might be universal, but the music is inescapably Western; you had to bring Japan to rock’n’roll, rather than try to force rock’n’roll to be Japanese. Pitchfork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"Clear LP","offer_id":50426387398987,"sku":"2171367","price":49.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/image001_5cecab41_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726808697"},{"product_id":"pacific","title":"Pacific","description":"\u003cp\u003eLong awaited reissue of \u003ci\u003ePacific\u003c\/i\u003e, originally released in 1978. Reuniting the best session musicians Japan had to offer to make an album that would evoke the atmospheres of the South Pacific islands, the kind of places Japanese people spend their vacations.\u003ci\u003e Pacific\u003c\/i\u003e is a treat to the ears; its theme of the southern Pacific ocean and its warm cerulean waters relax its listeners with a fusion of city pop, soft jazz, and that good old 1970s funk while remaining surprisingly fully instrumental throughout all contributions from artists Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, and Tatsuro Yamashita. A true cult LP and an inspiration for a lot of so called \"vaporware\" music. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCosmic Surfing,\u003c\/i\u003e which was later included in YMO’s debut album \u003ci\u003eYellow Magic Orchestra,\u003c\/i\u003e appears for the first time on this album.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"LP - Blue","offer_id":50426999439691,"sku":"1081869","price":64.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":50426999931211,"sku":"2013914","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/20b3b6e0-a78e-436a-916b-c6fd09805d6e_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726820258"},{"product_id":"neo-geo","title":"Neo Geo","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis solo album, his seventh in total, was co-produced with Bill Laswell for worldwide release and features top musicians from different genres,  including Sly Dunbar and Bootsy Collins. Based on electronic sound with organic and ethnic musical elements such as Okinawan and Balinese traditional music,  the album was recorded in Tokyo and New York, and released in over 20 countries around the world, making it a milestone in his solo career. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx4.","offer_id":50446708277579,"sku":"2199300","price":189.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50446708605259,"sku":"2199632","price":57.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/NEO_GEO_0e5a128a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727061711"},{"product_id":"rebirth-of-tbm-the-japanese-deep-jazz-compiled-by-tatsuo-sunaga","title":"Rebirth of \"TBM\" The Japanese Deep Jazz, Compiled by Tatsuo Sunaga","description":"\u003cp\u003eTBM label compilation, selected and supervised by the record keeper Tatsuo Sunaga. A set of two compilation LPs from the legendary 'Japanese jazz' label 'TBM' (three blind mice), which is also popular overseas, particularly in Europe! The fresh, unprecedented selection of tracks by a well-known DJ and the comprehensive guide to the label make this an album that can be enjoyed by jazz maniacs and beginners alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSide A 1. Delix dance \/ Nakamura Teruo Group 2. Nardis \/ Masaaki Kikuchi, Hideto Kanai, Masahiko Togashi (mono) Side B 1. Tones for Jones Bones \/ Fumio Karashima Trio 2. A New Shade of Blue \/ Naosuke Miyamoto Sextet 3. Sunset on the Street \/ Nao Wada Quintet + 1 Side C 1. Feel Like Makin' Love \/ Isao Suzuki Sextet 2. Sundae sing \/ Toshiyuki Miyama and New Hardware 3. Lady T \/ Fukui Isao Quartet Side D 1. Green caterpillar \/ Masaru Imada Trio + 2 2. Maiden voyage \/ Tatsuya Takahashi and Tokyo Union 3. Ain't nothing new under the sun \/ Ayako Hosokawa with Toshiyuki Miyama and New Hard\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50523624341835,"sku":"2057361","price":64.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/image002_fc2b1f78_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728021316"},{"product_id":"mignonne","title":"Mignonne","description":"\u003cp\u003eTaeko Onuki's third original album, featuring many classic songs covered by artists like Akiko Yano, Mariya Takeuchi, and Noriyuki Makihara,  includes tracks such as \"Yokogao,\" \"Totsuzen no Okurimono,\" and \"Umi to Shonen.\" This album is a crucial work that leads into her European  sound-oriented trilogy Romantique, Aventure and Cliché. Arranged by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Ichizo Seo, the album also features an impressive lineup of musicians including Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi,  and Shigeru Suzuki. It includes \"4:00 A.M.,\" which has gained significant popularity overseas.     This is the fifth reissue of the analogue record, now presented in a 180g heavyweight vinyl edition, cut by the world-renowned Bernie Grundman\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50531246014795,"sku":"2210159","price":49.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Mignonne_Mastered_by_Bernie_Grundman_15023e50_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728101086"},{"product_id":"title-1","title":"MOTHER O.S.T.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoudtrack to the video game. Includes tracks by Catherine Warrick, Jeremy Holland Smith, Jeb Million, Louis Philippe, Jeremy Budd, St. Paul's Cathedral Choir, \u0026amp; Keiichi Suzuki.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":51800704024907,"sku":"R4652-5894","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/41E7c_6GyfL.jpg?v=1746984579"},{"product_id":"casiopea","title":"Casiopea","description":"\u003cp\u003e-\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":51800821301579,"sku":"R6251-4695","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3779584-2578255.jpg?v=1746987372"},{"product_id":"in-another-dream","title":"In Another Dream","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis album serves as a unique exploration of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"49\" data-end=\"62\"\u003eSailor Moon\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e universe, providing fans with an intimate glimpse into the characters' inner worlds beyond the main storyline.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":51801692209483,"sku":"R6596-6584","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2388511.jpg?v=1747004853"},{"product_id":"happy-end","title":"Happy End","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHappy End’s first album, the timeless masterpiece “Happy End” released on heavy weight 180g vinyl for the first time! Latest 2024 cutting from the original master. Pressed at Sony’s Shizuoka factory.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":53546759160139,"sku":"2235006","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Screenshot2025-10-06at11.09.58PM.png?v=1759806646"},{"product_id":"animal-crossing-o-s-t","title":"Animal Crossing O.S.T.","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal soundtrack release of the Wii game \u003ci\u003eAnimal Crossing\u003c\/i\u003e. A lovely one for anyone who’s spent time with its gentle world, this edition brings together the music that helped define the game’s easygoing charm. Warm, familiar, and full of atmosphere, it’s a soundtrack that lands just as well on the turntable as it did in-game.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Japan","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":58253404766539,"sku":"R9950-4866","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3971685-3548984.jpg?v=1787693589"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_2e4c25fe_thumbnail_4096_a9d394f5-3210-4e8e-b7f0-6bf17782aa29.jpg?v=1726808679","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/sony-japan.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}