March 27, 2026 | Tokyo, Japan | Team RJHH
The Japanese media and music landscape has just reached a symbolic milestone in the integration of hip-hop culture into the mainstream. On March 27, 2026, national broadcaster NHK officially announced a major collaboration: producer and MPC virtuoso STUTS teams up with living Japanese pop legend Taeko Onuki to compose the new theme for flagship morning show Asa Ichi.
An Intergenerational Meeting at the Top
Titled “Ohayo” (Good Morning), this new track was written and composed entirely for the occasion. NHK’s choice is no coincidence. By pairing STUTS, a leading figure in contemporary J-Rap, with Taeko Onuki, a timeless icon whose influence spans from City Pop to Shibuya-kei, the public broadcaster seeks to capture both young and nostalgic audiences.
For STUTS, this opportunity cements his status as an indispensable artist in the industry. It bears reminding that he is far more than a simple “beatmaker”; he is recognized as a complete creator, serving simultaneously as producer, artist, MPC player, and sound engineer. His ability to “Keep the Groove Going” has become his trademark, allowing him to move between the underground and institutional productions with rare ease.
Hip-Hop Joins Japan’s Breakfast Table
The use of a STUTS production for a programme like Asa Ichi speaks to the normalization of hip-hop in Japan. Long confined to Shibuya clubs or streaming platforms, the genre is now making itself heard at dawn in Japanese homes. “Ohayo” promises to blend the rhythmic precision of STUTS’s MPC with the melodic warmth and crystalline voice of Taeko Onuki, creating a morning atmosphere that is both dynamic and soothing.
This collaboration is part of a broader trend in which Japanese institutions are turning to talent from the urban scene to freshen up their image. For purists of the genre, seeing an artist who built his reputation on syncopated rhythms and collaborations with the elite of Japanese rap — such as IO or Punpee — reach such a platform is a victory for the recognition of hip-hop producers’ artistry.
