Japanese Guitar Pedal Companies

Japanese Guitar Pedal Companies: Quality Guitar Pedals From Japan

What are the best Japanese guitar pedal companies in the industry today? Japan has always been known for their technological ingenuity, so the hunt for some of their lesser-known stompbox brands will surely yield some interesting results.

Through the decades, Japan has established a solid reputation of being one of the top producers of electronic goods. This was before American and European companies transferred to China for cheaper labor – a move that emboldened the sleeping giant to foray into musical instrument and audio equipment production.

Whereas China relied on mass-producing cheap guitars, amps and pedals to dominate the world market, Japan’s strategy was either to beat or match the quality of western-made products. Because of the Japanese people’s love for technology, the “Land of the Rising Sun” became widely-known as leaders in manufacturing consumer electronics.

Since the inception of the electric guitar, Japan has always played an integral part in the development of various gears and gadgets. This is well-reflected through their rich urban culture, which blends seamlessly with the boldly innovative music that Japanese artists have been churning out for generations.

Big name Japanese guitar pedal companies

Boss

Boss, the best-selling effects pedal company in the world, is a division of Roland Corporation (also a prominent manufacturer of electronic musical instruments). Boss is easily the most recognizable guitar pedal brand in the world and is used by musicians of all levels. 

Boss pedals were originally made in Japan until they moved production to Taiwan in the ‘90s.

Ibanez

Owned by Hoshino Gakki, Ibanez was the first Japanese musical instrument company to break through the American and European market. Although the brand is widely-known for their outstanding guitars and basses, they’ve also been actively putting out some quality stompboxes to go along with their famous Tube Screamer overdrive pedals.

Roland

Aside from their Boss line of guitar pedals and world-renowned synthesizers, Roland Corporation also produces guitar pedals under the Roland brand name. However, one of their most successful effects units is the Roland RE-201, which was designed similarly to an amp head and not a stompbox.

Independent Japanese guitar pedal companies

Boutique Japanese guitar pedal companies are producers of top-notch stompboxes and they have been gaining much traction among musicians, even with their limited presence in music stores.

Here are some of the more popular independent Japanese guitar pedal brands today:

  • 320design

As the name suggests, 320design was founded by a talented graphic designer and this is evident on the clean, sharp look of their pedals. But make no mistake about it, 320design guitar pedals boast some superior tones to go along with their aesthetically-pleasing enclosures.

  • Bananana Effects

If you haven’t heard or tried any guitar pedal by Bananana Effects, you are missing out on a ton of sonic possibilities. Bananana Effects pedals offer unique mind-bending sounds that will definitely satisfy the most adventurous musicians out there.

  • Studio Daydream 

Studio Daydream started out as a small workshop in Osaka in 2008 where they still make their handmade guitar effects pedals today.  With their unwavering passion for producing high-quality audio equipment, Studio Daydream has grown into a much bigger brand with a broader range of supporters.

  • Free the Tone

Free the Tone guitar pedals are made by Yuki Hayashi, who is also behind the development team of pedal company Providence. Free the Tone is considered by the U.K.-based music store Andertons Music Co. as one of the best boutique pedals in the industry.

  • Hayashi Craft

Handcrafted in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Hayashi Craft are rare, high-quality guitar pedals. Even though Mr. Hayashi’s brand has very limited operations and no marketing at all, his products are still making a buzz among guitar players for the superb sound and look of their guitar pedals. 

  • Human Gear

Human Gear caught the attention of pedalheads when Chris Wolstenholme of Muse incorporated one in his arsenal. Owned by Hiroshi Yagi, Human Gear offers very durable, idiosyncratic-sounding stompboxes.

  • Providence

With a development team headed by Yuki Hayashi and Atsuki Saito, Providence has been successfully producing high-quality boutique effects. One of the most famous Providence guitar pedals is the Delay ‘80s that John Mayer started using sometime in the 2010s and stuck with ever since.

  • Katana Sound

Combining the excellent sound quality of Western gears with the diligence and attention to detail of Japanese craftsmen, Katana Sound is one of the more popular boutique pedals to come out from Japan in the recent decade.

  • Shin’s Music

Shinichi Suzuki, the owner of Tokyo-based Shin’s Music, is a highly-respected engineer who has earned the tremendous trust of professional musicians in Japan and overseas. His company provides custom-made equipment such as guitar pedals and they cannot be easily imitated by makers of mass-produced knock-offs.

  • ZenZero Electronics

Based in Tokyo and owned by an Italian, ZenZero Electronics specializes in handmade guitar pedals. ZenZero Electronics successfully balances design and function to come up with sleek, impressive-sounding, pedals.

Japan Pedal Builders Alliance (JPBA)

The Japan Builders Alliance or JPBA is the independent pedal builder’s union of Japan. The group was formed as a way to join the 2020 Sound Messe in Osaka and has since then been producing “greater pedals, with love for players.”

Here are the up-and-coming guitar pedal brands that form the JPBA:

  • A.S.P. Gear
  • D.N. Effects
  • Factory of the Apes
  • Seaside Sounds
  • Sound Frog
  • Sound Project SIVA
  • Vin-Antique

How good are Japanese guitar pedals?

Electronics from Japan have always been equated with superior quality and the stompboxes that Japanese guitar pedal companies have been releasing in the past decade are no exception. Because of the passionate and meticulous nature of Japanese guitar pedal makers, you can expect that their gadgets are of the highest standard. And they can get creative with their pedals’ aesthetics too!

Boss, Ibanez and Roland are already among the most trusted Japanese brand names in the global market, but companies such as Bananana Effects and Free the Tone are just as impressive with their one-of-a-kind boutique guitar pedals. The only downside with some of the boutique stompboxes made by these Japanese guitar pedal companies is that they are quite difficult to find and they could get a little pricey at times. 

Fortunately, Japanese guitar pedal companies are always looking for ways to get their products to the people, so if you have the budget and the patience to wait, you can try ordering the likes of Katana Sound, Studio Daydream or ZenZero Electronics through their official websites now.