Forty-some years ago, a young Japanese boy came into possession of one of the greatest albums ever recorded: Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder. That moment became the spark that ignited a lifelong journey into becoming one of the most influential figures in Japanese pop and R&B: Toshinobu Kubota.
Kubota’s path into music began in earnest in 1981, when he met Ichiro Haneda at Komazawa University. The two formed a band called Hottentots, marking Kubota’s first serious step into the music scene. Just a year later, he entered the Eastwest ’82 contest, where his exceptional vocal ability earned him the Best Vocalist award.
As his reputation grew, Kubota began appearing as a guest vocalist on various projects, including works by famous jazz pianist Naoya Matsuoka (松岡直也). By the mid-1980s, he had expanded his role beyond performing, establishing himself as a songwriter and composer for major Japanese artists such as Hiromi Iwasaki, Kyoko Koizumi, and Toshihiko Tahara. This period of behind-the-scenes work allowed him to refine his sound—an increasingly confident blend of Japanese pop sensibilities with the groove and phrasing of American R&B.
That evolution culminated in his debut album, Shake It Paradise, released on September 10, 1986. The album arrived at a pivotal moment when Japanese pop music was beginning to more fully embrace the influence of American R&B.
THE MUSIC
- Ryu-sei No Saddle⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Olympic Wa Hinokuruma⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Shake It Paradise⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Missing⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Shitsui No Down Town⭐⭐⭐⭐
- To the Party⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Mou Hitori No Kimi Wo Nokoshit⭐⭐⭐
- Somebody's Sorrow⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Dedicate (To M.E.)⭐⭐⭐
- Inside Carnival⭐⭐⭐
- For You⭐⭐⭐
THE VIERDICT
I once came across a YouTube comment calling Toshinobu Kubota the “Japanese Bruno Mars.” I couldn’t tell if it was meant as a compliment or not—after all, Bruno Mars himself has often faced accusations of “pretending to be Black.” But I get the comparison. I’ve always believed that if music is truly the universal language, then race doesn’t matter. That said, it’s clear that Kubota took inspiration from groups like New Edition and Boyz II Men, building his sound around that smooth, radio-friendly R&B style.
In the 1990s, Kubota even tried to cross over into the U.S., moving to New York with the determination to break into the American market. Unfortunately, it never really panned out. Perhaps if he had taken the “Bobby Caldwell approach”—keeping his face in the shadows and letting the music speak for itself—he might have stood a better chance. The truth is, Kubota wasn’t offering something radically different from what Black artists were already perfecting at the time.
Still, that doesn’t make his music disposable, far from it. Shake It Paradise proves Kubota had a keen ear for R&B hooks and arrangements, delivering a record that feels both globally informed and distinctly his own. Tracks like “Ryūsei no Saddle” and the title cut “Shake It Paradise” still hold up today—if they came on in a club, I’d have zero complaints. The album is undeniably a product of its time, a prototypical mid-80s pop-R&B record, but it’s executed with such polish despite being a bit clichéd.
Shake It Paradise is like a “familiar dish, well-cooked.” You’ve tasted it before, but there’s comfort in the familiarity, and a certain satisfaction in how skillfully it’s prepared. That being said, if you want to listen to the best Kubota has to offer, just listen to his compilation album THE BADDEST. It has all of his best songs of the 80s (except Dance if You Want it, for some odd reason), it's the best way to experience the Kubota at his peak.
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