Muhammad Ibadurrohman
The prestigious Billboard Global Power Players list, which annually spotlights the most influential executives shaping the music business outside the United States, has recognized Takeshi Okada, President and CEO of Warner Music Japan. This marks Okada’s inaugural inclusion on the esteemed roster, underscoring his pivotal role in navigating and expanding the reach of Japanese music on the international stage. His recognition comes at a critical juncture for the Japanese music industry, which is experiencing remarkable domestic growth and an intensified focus on content exports. In an exclusive interview with Billboard JAPAN, Okada delved into a spectrum of topics, from the strategic deployment of Japanese artists overseas and the unique dynamics of the superfan market to the burgeoning value of music back catalogs.
A New Era for Warner Music Japan: Leadership and Strategic Direction
Takeshi Okada assumed the leadership of Warner Music Japan as President and CEO in December 2024. Reflecting on the approximately 18 months since his appointment, Okada highlighted the foundational shift initiated under his tenure. From day one, his vision has been clear: to leverage the expansive global network of the Warner Music Group (WMG) and the specialized expertise embedded within individual international markets to propel Japanese artists onto the global stage. This strategic imperative has begun to yield tangible results, fostering a growing momentum within WMG’s global headquarters and its various international affiliates to actively support Japanese talent. A robust framework for strategic coordination has been meticulously established, allowing for a more streamlined and effective approach to global artist development. Okada expressed confidence that these efforts would continue to deliver significant outcomes, not only within Japan but across international territories. This proactive stance is particularly relevant given the increasing global appetite for diverse musical genres and the strategic importance of Japan as a cultural powerhouse.
Japanese Artists on the Global Stage: Breakthroughs and Strategies
The interview highlighted several concrete examples of Warner Music Japan’s successful global outreach initiatives. A significant milestone occurred in May 2025, when Number_i, a prominent Japanese group, inked a label deal with America’s prestigious Atlantic Records. This partnership represents a crucial gateway for Japanese artists into the highly competitive U.S. market, providing them with the backing of a major international label known for its diverse roster and global reach. Such a deal not only amplifies Number_i’s potential but also serves as a powerful testament to the growing appeal and marketability of J-Pop internationally.
Another strategic move was the comprehensive agreement signed with artist Yuki Chiba in July 2025. Chiba, currently based in Los Angeles, embodies the new paradigm of internationally oriented Japanese artists. His recent collaboration, “Medellín Takai,” with Colombian artist Feid, demonstrates a proactive approach to cross-cultural musical exchange. Okada envisions Yuki Chiba as a blueprint for future Japanese artists looking to establish a global presence, noting the influx of collaboration offers from various overseas artists that Chiba has received. Beyond individual collaborations, Chiba’s work with Lil Moshpit on “Annyeonghaseyo” generated considerable buzz, particularly in Korea and other Asian markets, leading to a surge in user-generated content (UGC) online. This phenomenon underscores the potential for specific tracks to transcend national borders and ignite true global hits in unexpected regions, moving beyond the traditional Japan-U.S. axis. Looking ahead, Okada expressed an ambition to bring a Yuki Chiba-hosted music festival to Japan, featuring invited international artists, further cementing Japan’s role as a hub for global musical interaction.
The broader context for these initiatives is Japan’s national focus on increasing content exports. The Japanese government has set an ambitious target of reaching 20 trillion yen in content exports by 2033, encompassing music, anime, manga, and other cultural products. While individual Japanese artists are indeed expanding their global footprint, Okada acknowledges that these successes are often isolated or confined to specific genres and tracks. For Japanese music to truly achieve a global "explosion" as a cohesive movement, he stresses the imperative of showcasing J-Pop as a "collective front." Japan’s musical landscape is renowned for its rich diversity, where genres like idol music, rock, and pop coexist, frequently influence one another, and each commands immense popularity. The primary challenge, as Okada identifies it, lies in effectively presenting this vast and vibrant diversity as a unified whole to international audiences. This would require coordinated marketing efforts and a narrative that highlights the breadth and depth of Japanese musical creativity, potentially leveraging Japan’s existing "soft power" assets like anime and gaming to introduce J-Pop to wider audiences.
Japan’s Unique Domestic Music Market: Resilience and Innovation
While global expansion is a key objective, Warner Music Japan also operates within a uniquely robust domestic market. In 2025, the Japanese music industry recorded an impressive 8.9% growth, a figure that significantly surpassed the global music industry’s growth rate of 6.4% in the same period. This exceptional performance is noteworthy, especially considering that the global industry is largely driven by streaming. In Japan, however, the growth extended beyond the streaming market to include a substantial increase in the packaged product segment.
Okada elaborated on this fascinating dichotomy. Over the past few years, streaming has indeed gained widespread adoption in Japan, aligning with global trends. Yet, paradoxically, physical CDs continue to sell remarkably well, making Japan the world’s largest physical music market. In recent years, there has even been a growing international demand for Japanese physical releases, which are often meticulously crafted to resonate deeply with fans and offer high perceived value. Okada sees tremendous untapped growth potential in this sector, emphasizing the need to redefine and enhance the value proposition of physical formats to further stimulate demand.
This phenomenon often baffles international music executives. Okada recounted frequent discussions with Warner Music Group colleagues from other countries, who express astonishment at the continued vitality of physical sales in Japan. Queries like, "CDs are still selling at Tower Records in Japan? Are Japanese record shops using some kind of magic?" are common. Okada clarifies that there is no magic involved. Instead, Japan has consistently sustained its physical music business, a segment that many other countries prematurely abandoned. Crucially, Japanese labels have continuously provided unique experiences and added value that enable listeners to connect and engage with their favorite artists on a much deeper, more personal level. This unwavering commitment to fan experience and value creation is, according to Okada, the true engine behind Japan’s enduring physical media success. This includes elements such as special edition packaging, bonus content, and fan engagement events tied to physical purchases, which collectively foster a profound sense of connection between artists and their dedicated followers.
The Power of Fandom: ‘Oshi-katsu’ and its Global Implications
Central to Japan’s unique market dynamics is the concept of oshi-katsu, a term describing intense fan activities focused on supporting a particular idol or artist. Okada highlighted a significant distinction between the Japanese style of oshi-katsu and the concept of "superfan" as understood overseas. While Warner Music colleagues globally are familiar with the term oshi-katsu, Okada observes that the sheer intensity and specific manifestations of this culture are often not fully or accurately comprehended internationally.
In overseas markets, the term "superfan" typically refers to an individual who has purchased artist merchandise or attended live performances at some point. This definition, however, falls short of capturing the multifaceted reality of Japanese oshi-katsu. Okada pointed out the difficulty for international executives to grasp the extent of Japanese fan dedication, where multiple versions of a CD are often produced, each featuring different members or exclusive content, and dedicated fans enthusiastically collect every single variant. This level of engagement, often involving significant financial investment and time commitment, underscores a profound emotional connection and loyalty that drives consistent physical sales and deeper artist interaction. Understanding and potentially adapting elements of oshi-katsu could offer valuable insights for global artist engagement and monetization strategies, particularly in an era where direct fan-artist relationships are increasingly valued.
Unlocking Catalog Value: A Global and Local Imperative
Beyond the superfan market, significant attention is also being directed towards the enduring value of music back catalogs. The inherent diversity and depth of Japanese music make its catalog particularly rich with potential. Warner Music Group has a dedicated department focused on global catalog marketing, which meticulously analyzes data from platforms like Luminate on a daily basis to devise innovative initiatives and marketing strategies aimed at continuously elevating the value of their extensive catalog.
Okada noted a recent trend where tracks from the 2000s and 2010s are experiencing heavy streaming activity. The resurgence of Japanese City Pop, which unexpectedly exploded in popularity overseas, serves as a prime example of how older tracks can suddenly find a new global audience. It is crucial, Okada emphasized, to identify these early signals—including user-generated content (UGC) that often drives these trends—and take proactive steps to amplify them. This involves constant communication across international teams. For instance, Okada recounted being contacted by the President of Warner Music Italy about a song by Sal Da Vinci buzzing in Japan, illustrating the real-time, cross-regional intelligence sharing that informs their catalog strategy.
The global music industry is witnessing a growing number of countries where back catalogs are streamed more frequently than new music. As the catalog continues to expand and the streaming market matures, the share of revenue generated by catalog titles is projected to grow significantly. Warner Music Group has cultivated extensive global expertise in enhancing catalog value, fostering a culture of sharing best practices across its various markets. Simultaneously, Warner Music Japan plans to maintain its commitment to allocating substantial budgets and resources to new music releases, recognizing the importance of nurturing contemporary talent. This dual strategy acknowledges the critical balance between leveraging existing assets and investing in future content.
Strategic Global Integration: Staffing and Cross-Cultural Collaborations
Warner Music Japan’s global strategy extends beyond artists and catalog, encompassing strategic staffing and cross-cultural collaborations. While the domestic market remains vital, the importance of overseas exports has led to an innovative staffing solution. Since last year, Warner Music Japan has stationed dedicated Japanese staff members full-time in Warner’s Los Angeles office. Previously, an international team in LA was responsible for all regions and countries outside the U.S., covering a vast portfolio from Japan and the U.K. to Latin America and Korea. By stationing a dedicated person solely for Japanese music, communication has become incredibly seamless, and the team is already observing tangible results in terms of increased global exposure and strategic alignment. Inspired by this success, discussions are now underway within WMG about whether staff from South Korea and other countries should adopt similar dedicated placements in the LA office, highlighting a potential new model for international market penetration.
Exporting Japanese music is not solely about sending Japanese artists abroad; it also encompasses achieving global reach through collaborations between international artists and Japanese culture or content. A prime example is the recent collaboration between American artist Ashnikko and Japanese singer Konomi Suzuki for the fourth season of the globally popular anime series, Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World, which began airing in April. This type of cross-cultural synergy, where international artists engage with beloved Japanese intellectual property, offers a powerful avenue for expanding the global footprint of Japanese music and culture. Warner Music Japan plans to actively pursue and foster such collaborative models going forward, recognizing their potential to transcend traditional market boundaries and tap into diverse fan bases worldwide.
Charting the Future of Japanese Music
Takeshi Okada’s inclusion on Billboard’s Global Power Players list is a clear indicator of Warner Music Japan’s growing influence and its strategic importance within the global music landscape. Under his leadership, the company is pursuing a multifaceted approach that harmonizes the unique strengths of Japan’s domestic market—its robust physical sales and intense oshi-katsu fan culture—with an aggressive and intelligently executed global expansion strategy. By leveraging Warner Music Group’s vast network, fostering international artist collaborations, strategically deploying dedicated personnel, and unlocking the enduring value of its deep catalog, Warner Music Japan is actively bridging the gap between local phenomenon and global impact. Okada’s vision for showcasing J-Pop as a collective, diverse front, coupled with innovative approaches to fan engagement and catalog management, positions Japanese music for continued international ascent, reinforcing its status as a significant and dynamic force in the global entertainment industry. This strategic foresight and proactive engagement are crucial as the music world increasingly embraces cultural diversity and seeks authentic connections with artists from every corner of the globe.
This interview by Naoko Takashima first appeared on Billboard Japan.
