In addition to Yellow Magic Orchestra, Haruomi Hosono (bass), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums and vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards) have made a lot of really interesting music and influenced whole movements of Japanese pop music.
One of my favorites is drummer Takahashi’s 1981 solo album, Neuromantic. Sci Fi synth pop at its eeriest, with Takahashi’s out-of-body vocals hovering over the whole like a slightly ugly angel on your shoulder.
Takahashi and Hosono reunited in the late 90’s to form the electronic duo SKETCH SHOW. Their minimalist glitchy pop blends robotic discipline with human emotion in a truly elegant way. The music is patient and mature, yet infused with their great sense of humor and absurdity. The blend of acoustic and electronic sounds influenced many artists such as Towa Tei, Cornelius, Takako Minekawa, and many others from the Shibuya Kei movement as well as western artists like Psapp, Tunng, and the Books.