With over 27 albums to her name, as well as soundtracks, pop tunes and department store jingles, songwriter and performer Akiko Yano needs no introduction in her native Japan. Now, thanks to French label Wewantsounds, who are reissuing her records for the first time outside Japan, the rest of us can enjoy her eclectic music without having to travel. Akiko chats to Good Fortune’s Jazz about her long-running collaborations with Yellow Magic Orchestra, improvisational piano playing, and how she was perceived when she began her career back in 1976.

Photo: Akiko Yano Iroha Ni Konpeitou record cover.