Makoto Iwabuchi is a Japanese singer songwriter born in 1953 in Sendai, who became a Christian in 1980. A pioneer of Christian song in Japan since his first album in 1977, he founded the worship movement "Utagoe Petra" and still teaches guitar at Tokyo Christian University.
Makoto Iwabuchi (岩渕まこと, real name Iwabuchi Ryo) was born in 1953 in Sendai, in northern Japan. He started out in 1977 as a singer songwriter with Columbia, releasing the albums "Super Moon" and "Air Pocket," before becoming a Christian in 1980. He then recorded as a duo with Chu Kosaka, another leading figure of Japanese Christian music, a collaboration that lasted until the mid 1990s. Between 1981 and 1983, he sang three consecutive Doraemon movie theme songs, a feat no other artist has matched.
In 1996, he returned to a solo career and founded "Utagoe Petra," a gathering where he writes new worship songs; "God Bless You" remains its signature title. He has taught guitar and ukulele at Tokyo Christian University since 2012, leads the mutual aid association Tohoku Ouendan LOVE EAST, founded after the 2011 earthquake, and became a visiting professor at the Japan Christian Academy of Music in 2024. On his official YouTube channel, MAKOTO BOX, he now also shares his journey through illness, with the same simplicity found in his songs.
- Origin
- Sendai, Japan
- Style
- Christian folk music
- Active since
- 1977 (Christian music since 1980)
- Good to know
- Sang three consecutive Doraemon movie theme songs between 1981 and 1983
- Discography
- More than 30 CDs since 1977, from his duo with Chu Kosaka to the album "Garden" (2025)
How did Makoto Iwabuchi get started?
As a teenager and young adult in Sendai, he signed his first contract with Columbia in 1977 and released two albums in the vein of the Japanese folk scene, "Super Moon" and "Air Pocket." His encounter with the Christian faith in 1980 changed the course of his career: he joined singer Chu Kosaka for a duo that would become a landmark of Japanese Christian music, releasing several albums together up through their retrospective box set "Ashiato" in 1996.
What makes Makoto Iwabuchi distinctive?
Few Japanese artists can claim to have sung three Doraemon movie theme songs in a row, between 1981 and 1983, a rare kind of mainstream recognition for a singer who fully embraces his faith. Since 1996, he has also poured his energy into "Utagoe Petra," a movement where he writes new songs for congregations, and into teaching guitar to students at Tokyo Christian University. His YouTube channel, where he now speaks about his illness with faith filled restraint, shows an artist who keeps creating and bearing witness even through hardship.
Where should you start with Makoto Iwabuchi?
Start with "God Bless You," the signature song of Utagoe Petra, then listen to "Kneeling before the Lord" (主の前にひざまずき), a duet with his wife Yumiko from the album "Tenimo Chinimo." Finish with "Yami ga Asa ni" (When darkness turns to morning), a song written, composed, and performed by Makoto himself during his illness: a quiet prayer about hope that carries through hardship.
songs
God Bless You
The signature song of the Utagoe Petra worship movement he founded, filmed here at the concert marking his 45th anniversary as an artist in 2022.
主の前にひざまずき (Kneeling before the Lord)
A duet with his wife Yumiko Iwabuchi, from the album "Tenimo Chinimo" (Above as below).
闇が朝に (Yami ga asa ni, quand les ténèbres deviennent matin)
A song fully written, composed, arranged, and performed by Makoto himself, recorded during his illness.
Discography
- 2025Garden
- 2013ギタープレイス (Guitar Place)· reissue of a 1995 original album
- 2006岩渕まことベスト (The Best of Makoto Iwabuchi)· compilation of tracks recorded between 1982 and 1993
- 2000HEAVENLY
- 1998永遠鉄道 (The Eternal Railway)
- 1996足跡 (Ashiato)· box set of 6 albums recorded as a duo with Chu Kosaka
- 1991VOICE· with Chu Kosaka and Yukio Suzuki
- 1990PARADISE
- 1978AIR POCKET
- 1977SUPER MOON
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Makoto Iwabuchi?
Makoto Iwabuchi (岩渕まこと) is a Japanese Christian singer songwriter born in 1953 in Sendai. He started out in 1977 in folk music, became a Christian in 1980, and has since devoted his career to worship, notably through the "Utagoe Petra" movement he founded.
What is Makoto Iwabuchi's best known song?
"God Bless You" is his most recognized title, the signature song of the Utagoe Petra worship movement he has led since 1996 in Japanese churches.
Is Makoto Iwabuchi a Christian?
Yes. Having become a Christian in 1980, he has directed his entire musical career toward worship, while also teaching guitar at Tokyo Christian University since 2012.
Where can you listen to Makoto Iwabuchi?
His albums are available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music, as well as on his official YouTube channel, MAKOTO BOX, where he also posts personal videos.
What is the connection between Makoto Iwabuchi and Doraemon?
Between 1981 and 1983, he sang three consecutive Doraemon movie theme songs, a feat no other artist has achieved before or since.
What does Makoto Iwabuchi's YouTube channel cover today?
For the past few years, he has also used it to share, with quiet honesty, his journey through illness and treatment, in keeping with the faith that runs through his songs.