• New "Japanese Music" channel includes J-pop and City Pop, as well as ambient sounds and gaming soundtracks

• Exclusive playlists curated by local artists including Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Takuya Kuroda

• The launch highlights the growing popularity of Japanese music, with streams of Japan Lo-fi & Chill growing over 700% on Deezer at the end of last year

K-pop isn't the only musical export making waves across the globe. Japanese music is hitting all the right notes with music fans around the world. Global audio streaming service, Deezer, is ready to showcase the incredible talent of Japanese artists to fans worldwide with its new "Japanese Music" channel. The dedicated channel brings fans a selection of playlists that capture the sounds and culture of Japan, ranging from J-pop and J-rock to Onsen and meditation.

The channel follows a huge boom in streams across a variety of Japanese genres on Deezer. Our "Japan Lo-fi & Chill" playlist grew an astonishing 705% in November 2020*, while J-pop surged by a third (33%) during the first global lockdown in March.

Following the revival of Japanese fan favorites Miki Matsubara's "Mayonaka no Door / Stay with me" and Mariya Takeuchi's "Plastic Love',' we've created top genre playlists to help you discover more local gems. Users can dive into 12 playlists to discover new tracks and genre-defining sounds like City Pop and Japan Anime, through to J-Rock and Japanese Hip Hop. Our local editor will constantly update and expand our Japanese channel with new local favorites and playlists.

We'll also treat fans to exclusive curated playlists by renowned musicians like J-pop artist, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and Jazz trumpeter, Takuya Kuroda. For those wanting to tap into traditional Japanese culture, there's calming spa music in our new "Japanese Onsen" playlist. "Japan Ambient" and "Japanese Headspace" are also here to help you self-soothe.

If you're a gamer or anime fan, you'll be happy to know we've included soundtracks of anime movies and series as playlists. Relive your favorite moment or scene by listening to critically acclaimed films and anime such as My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Your Name and Attack on Titan.

For gamers, our exclusive "Persona Series Classics'' playlist will immerse you into the world of iconic characters like Joker and the Phantom Thieves of Hearts from ATLUS' Persona 5. You'll also discover the official soundtrack from hits like CAPCOM's Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter, Mega Man Series and Street Fighter. Gamers can also dive into music from KOEI TECMO GAMES, Atelier and Dynasty Warriors, as well as Sony Interactive Entertainment's Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, The Last Guardian and ICO soundtracks. If you can't decide where to start, try our "Japanese Gaming Music" playlist. Here you'll find a selection of songs from each of these games, in one convenient place.

"Japanese artists have always added their own unique twist to beloved genres. From J-Pop to Japanese Lo-Fi Hiphop and City Pop - it has its own flavor and sound that resonates particularly well with music fans today. We created a dedicated channel that embodies all the music and sounds that are representative of Japan, and not just the hits. That's why you'll find a wide variety of playlists, categories and genres. It's our way of championing local artists that deserve a platform to be heard," said Robin Wilms, Deezer's Head of content EAA.

The new Japanese Music channel is available worldwide on Deezer from today. New tracks and playlists will be continually added in the coming weeks.