JAM Project ("JAM" standing for "Japan Animationsong Makers") are a Japanese anison band founded on July 19, 2000, by anison singer Ichirou Mizuki. The band is composed of many vocal artists well known in the anime music industry. Aside from the many anime, tokusatsu, and video game theme songs the band has performed together, each member is famous for their own solo performances of Japanese theme songs. JAM Project is known to worldwide audiences for their theme music contributions to Garo and One-Punch Man.
History JAM Project was founded in 2000 by veteran singer Ichirou Mizuki, who sought to revitalize the fiery spirit of earlier anime songs. He recruited fellow veterans of that space, including Hironobu Kageyama and Masaaki Endoh, who remain members of the group.
The following year, JAM Project began a long association with the Super Robot Wars franchise, performing "Hagane no Messiah" for the PlayStation game "Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden." In 2002, Mizuki and Eizo Sakamoto stepped back from the group but three members would join. Masami Okui had released a number of albums and had performed openings for shows including Slayers and Revolutionary Girl Utena. Hiroshi Kitadani, previously a member of the bands Stagger and Lapis Lazuli, entered the world of anime songs via One Piece and its first of several opening themes he has performed for the long-running series. Yoshiki Fukuyama, like Kageyama, Endoh and Mizuki, was a veteran of the anime world. In the 1990s, he was the singing voice of Basara Nekki in Macross 7.
In 2005, the group began another long association with the Garo franchise, writing opening themes for nearly all iterations of the franchise, both anime and live-action. Kageyama voices Madou Ring Zaruba in every release of the show.
In 2007, JAM Project announced plans to perform outside East Asia. Since 2008, the group has performed internationally with regularity, in cities such as Baltimore, Washington, Rotterdam, Abu Dhabi and Paris, typically in conjunction with anime conventions. 2008 also marked the release of "No Border," their first single not connected with an anime or video game.
In the summer of 2012, they teamed up with Animetal USA for a limited national concert tour called the . From 2011 to 2014, Japanese composer and conductor Takayuki Hattori served as orchestral arranger on several albums and tours.
In 2015, JAM Project celebrated its 15th anniversary with a series of concerts that contained 39 songs in its setlist chosen from all their previous albums, the most songs in any of their concerts to date. They also released a CD based on a new ultra-high quality (UHQ CD) standard containing re-arranged and re-recorded hits voted on by fans. The same year, the group exposed itself to a new audience through "THE HERO! ~Ikareru Kobushi ni Honō wo Tsukero~" (lit. "Set Fire To The Furious Fist)", their opening for the first season of One-Punch Man. The music video, filmed in San Francisco, has accumulated more than 50 million views on YouTube.
In 2020, the group celebrated its 20th anniversary with the release of the album The Age of Dragon Knights. JAM Project worked with prominent peers, including Yuki Kajiura, GRANRODEO, ALI PROJECT, angela and members of FLOW. The group also released JAM Project 20th Anniversary Complete BOX, which includes all of the group's albums, a collection of its foreign-language recordings, Blu-rays of a concert and other footage, and a 300-page booklet.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a planned tour to be scuttled. Kageyama, however, credited the unplanned break with rejuvenating the band's creative drive. That rebirth is the subject of the 2021 documentary Get Over -- JAM Project the Movie.
On January 22, 2026, Capcom announced JAM Project would provide the theme for Alex in downloadable content for Street Fighter 6. The song is titled "GO! ALEX!〜 Kibō tanjō 〜" (GO! ALEX! Hope is born).
The group's producer is Shunji Inoue, the founder of Lantis and a former bandmate of Kageyama. JAM Project is managed by HIGHWAY STAR, which also represents Kageyama, Endoh and Kitadani in their solo careers. In 2021, HIGHWAY STAR spun off from Bandai Namco, with the new business including Lantis recording and production assets, and relationships with artists including JAM Project.
Members Hironobu Kageyama – founding member Masaaki Endoh – founding member Hiroshi Kitadani – joined in June 2002 Masami Okui – joined in March 2003 Yoshiki Fukuyama – joined in March 2003 Ricardo Cruz (semi-regular member) – joined in June 2005.
Cruz occasionally composes and performs with the group. He is heard on songs including "Neppu! Shippu! Cybuster," "Gong," "Stormbringer," "Sempre Sonhando 〜Yume Oibito〜" and "Seijaku no Apostle"
Former members Eizo Sakamoto – founding member; stopped activity with the band in March 2003 prior to Fukuyama and Okui's joining, referring to it as . He returned to perform in the band's 10th anniversary reunion concert in 2010. Rica Matsumoto – founding member; announced on April 7, 2008, that she was taking time off from the band to focus on her solo work, since becoming an indefinite hiatus. She returned briefly in 2010 to help write the 10th anniversary version of "KI・ZU・NA" on the album MAXIMIZER ~Decade of Evolution~. Ichirou Mizuki – founding member; formally reduced his status to "part-time member" in August 2002, following the band's second live concert. He returned to sing in the single "Stormbringer" in 2006. He also returned to perform in the band's 10th anniversary reunion concert in 2010. The singer died on December 6, 2022, due to lung cancer.
Discography
Albums Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions JPNOricon JPNBillboard JAM First Process Released: March 21, 2002 Label: Victor Entertainment Format: CD — — Maximizer ~Decade of Evolution~ Released: June 9, 2010 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 18 21 Victoria Cross Released: April 6, 2011 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 38 34 Thumb Rise Again Released: October 23, 2013 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 21 22 Area Z Released: June 29, 2016 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 23 24 Tokyo Dive Released: October 18, 2017 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 24 23 The Age of Dragon Knights Released: January 1, 2020 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 40 29 The Judgement Released: September 28, 2022 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 41 55 "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Best albums Title Album details Peak chart positions JPNOricon JPNBillboard Best Project ~JAM Project Best Collection~ Released: March 6, 2002 Label: Lantis Format: CD — — Freedom ~JAM Project Best Collection II~ Released: September 3, 2003 Label: Lantis Format: CD — — JAM-ism ~JAM Project Best Collection III~ Released: September 23, 2004 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download — — Olympia ~JAM Project Best Collection IV~ Released: April 5, 2006 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 37 — Big Bang ~JAM Project Best Collection V~ Released: July 4, 2007 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 39 — Get over the Border ~JAM Project Best Collection VI~ Released: August 6, 2008 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 24 54 Seventh Explosion ~JAM Project Best Collection VII~ Released: November 25, 2009 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 38 50 Going ~JAM Project Best Collection VIII~ Released: May 11, 2011 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 12 9 The Monsters ~JAM Project Best Collection IX~ Released: November 14, 2012 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 24 21 X Cures Earth ~JAM Project Best Collection X~ Released: July 2, 2014 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 28 26 X Less Force ~JAM Project Best Collection XI~ Released: June 17, 2015 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 21 18 Thunderbird ~JAM Project Best Collection XII~ Released: November 2, 2016 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 30 25 A-Rock ~JAM Project Best Collection XIII~ Released: October 31, 2018 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download 24 19 Max the Max ~JAM Project Best Collection XIV~ Released: July 27, 2022 Label: Lantis Formats: CD, digital download "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Singles #Single titleAnime/Video Game/TokusatsuYearPeak positionSalesAlbum JPN1 éX-Driver 2000 — — Best Project2"Danger Zone" éX-Driver Movie — —3"Storm" Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo — —4"Soultaker" The SoulTaker 2001 — —5 Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden 75 —6"Fire Wars" Mazinkaiser — —7"Crush Gear Fight!" Crush Gear Turbo — —8"Over the Top!" Kikou Busou G-Breaker — —9"Lady Fighter!" Sunrise Eiyuutan — —10 Crush Gear Turbo 2002 — — Freedom11"Go!" Super Robot Wars Impact 72 —12"Get up Crush Fighter!" Crush Gear Turbo Movie — —13 Gravion 58 —14 Machine Robo Rescue 2003 120 —15"Little Wing" Scrapped Princess / Galaxy Angel AA (ED) 45 7,77816"Skill" 2nd Super Robot Wars Alpha 25 7,44717"The Gate of the Hell" Mazinkaiser vs. the Great General of Darkness 88 — Jam-ism18"Destination" Sunrise World War 84 —19 Gravion Zwei 2004 37 12,08920"Victory" Super Robot Wars MX 38 8,91221"Dragon" New Getter Robo 64 4,06822"Voyager"Panda-Z 88 3,25323 Yu-Gi-Oh! GX 115 2,251 Olympia24"Muv-Luv Alternative Insertion Song Collection"Muv-Luv 2005 40 572825 Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation 68 7,09226"Gong" 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha: To the End of the Galaxy 22 16,25027 Garo (TV series) 2006 41 6,98328"Break Out" Super Robot Wars OG: Divine Wars 24 12,243 Big Bang29"Rising Force" Super Robot Wars OG: Divine Wars 2007 40 6,44130"Stormbringer" Kotetsushin Jeeg 71 2,55331"Divine love" Saint Beast 74 2,33632"Dragon Storm 2007" — —33"Rocks" Super Robot Wars: OG 36 6,675 Get over the Border34"No Border" 2008 44 4,03235"Crest of "Z's"" Super Robot Wars Z 40 4,703 Seventh Explosion36 Sgt. Frog 76 2,17737"Space Roller Coster Go Go!" Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 4: Gekishin Dragon Warriors 2009 115 76638 Tomica Hero: Rescue Fire 62 3,71339 Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact! 45 4,38440"Battle No Limit!" Battle Spirits Shounen Gekiha Dan 56 1,68041 Ragnarok Online 18 4,867 Going42 Tomica Hero: Rescue Fire 63 1,57843"Transformers Evo." Transformers: Animated 2010 47 3,33744"Maxon" Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector 36 5,10545"Vanguard" Cardfight!! Vanguard 201153 3,25946"Noah" 2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Hakai-hen 40 3,283 The Monsters47"Believe in My Existence" Cardfight!! Vanguard 19 8,50248 Garo: Makai Senki 2012 22 6,48149"Limit Break" Cardfight!! Vanguard 42 3,82650 2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen 41 4,27751"Wings of the Legend"2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation 37 3,112 X Cures Earth52 Bakuman 3 2013 75 1,06953 Space Battleship Yamato 2199 51 1,95154 Garo: Yami o Terasu Mono 46 2,15555 3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Jigoku-hen 2014 40 2,832 X Less Force56"Breakthrough" Nobunaga the Fool 44 2,39457 Garo: Makai no Hana 53 2,60558 Garo: The Carved Seal of Flames 52 1,25859"B.B." Garo: The Carved Seal of Flames 2015 62 1,286 Thunderbird60 3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Tengoku-hen 44 1,72461 Garo: Gold Storm Sho 50 1,26162 One-Punch Man 19 100,000+63 Cyborg 009 VS Devilman — —64 Garo: Crimson Moon 44 1,54665 Garo: Crimson Moon 2016 65 87066 Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Moon Dwellers 70 1,53167"The Brave" Yūsha Yoshihiko 50 2,504 A-Rock68"Dragonflame" Zero: Dragon Blood 2017 70 1,08869"The Exceeder / New Blue" Super Robot Wars V 61 1,21470 Super Robot Wars X 2018 62 —71 "Tread on the Tiger’s Tail/RESET/D.D～Dimension Driver～"Super Robot Wars T (OP/ED) / Super Robot Wars DD (OP) 2019—— Max the Max72