I recently have gotten my hands on quite a bit of Japanese CDs. Since I feel the urge, here’s 3 quick reviews of a few that I’ve been listening to lately:

1) II - Yoshida Brothers (2004)
Ah yes, the Yoshida Brothers. If you like Japanese folk music (particularly that played with a shamisen), these brothers from Hokkaido make great music. Their CD, “II” has a great mix of original material and traditional songs.
My favorite song on the album is “Mirage (Shinkiro).”

2) THE BADDEST 2 - Toshinobu Kubota (1993)
While Toshinobu Kubota’s “The Baddest 2″ may be a bit dated the music still holds up well. Kubota is a Japanese R&B artist whose voice is right up there with his American counterparts. Despite being R&B, his songs are quite distinct. There is even some a capella featured.
My favorite song on the album is “Dance if You Want It.”

3) DA BEST OF DA PUMP - Da Pump (2001)
It’s quite easy to understand why pop group Da Pump is so famous in Japan. Their high-energy, jamming songs are very catchy. The quartet has great vocal chemistry that is quite noticible.
My favorite song on the album is “Stay Together.”