Written by Leti
Ayasa Tamura (Japanese: 田村 絢沙, Tamura Ayasa) is a Japanese chief executive officer and producer. She is the co-founder of FUSE, formed in 2016, alongside Kwak Yoseob.
History[]
Early life & education[]
Ayasa Tamura was born on May 14, 1985, and raised in Aichi, Japan. Growing up in a family of educators—her father and her mother both music teachers—she developed a deep appreciation for sound from an early age.
She attended Aichi Prefectural Asahigaoka High School, where she excelled in music and literature, often directing school plays with original scores she composed herself. In 2003, Tamura enrolled at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, studying Music Production and Sound Engineering, and graduated in 2007 with honors.
Career[]
2005-2016: Early years & FUSE[]
Tamura’s career began in 2005, during her university years, when she interned at Avex Trax, assisting on production for artists like Ayumi Hamasaki and Koda Kumi. After graduating in 2007, she joined Johnny & Associates as a junior producer, working on tracks for groups like Arashi. By 2010, she had risen to a full-time producer role, but she grew restless with the agency’s conservative approach, craving more experimental freedom.
In 2012, Tamura left Johnny & Associates to freelance, producing for indie J-pop acts and collaborating with international artists in genres like synthwave and EDM. At a 2014 music conference in Tokyo, she met Kwak Yoseob, a South Korean songwriter with a similar passion as her. In 2016, Tamura co-founded FUSE with Kwak, establishing its headquarters in Tokyo with a Seoul office.