In a similar vein to the Sushi collections of the mid- and late '90s, the Japan for Sale series gathers an eclectic selection of hip sounds from Japan. But while albums like Sushi 3003 focused mostly on Shibuya-kei artists such as Kahimi Karie and Pizzicato Five, Japan for Sale draws from dance, hip-hop, and indie artists on Sony Music Japan. Japan for Sale, Vol. 3 is about as diverse and cohesive as the two volumes that preceded it, offering some truly great moments, including Polysics' synth pop jaunt "Black Out Fall Out" and DJ Krush's atmospheric "The Lost Voices," which also features Sly & Robbie, as well as some slightly less-successful entries, such as Goku's somewhat tedious, lengthy hip-hop opener, "Time," and Mai Hoshimura's underwhelming "Stay With You." For the most part, though, Japan for Sale, Vol. 3 features solid tracks from artists whom even fans of Japanese music may not be familiar with, such as the underrated Guitar Vader, whose "Super Brothers" graced the soundtrack of the similarly underappreciated Dreamcast video game Jet Grind Radio and sounds just as quirky and fun here. The Brilliant Green's "I'm a Player in TV Games" -- one of the few tracks sung in English on the comp -- and Takkyu Ishno's "Gimme Some High Energy" are two of the other standout tracks here, each delivering the creativity and postmodern approach expected of Japanese music without resorting to clichés. Ultimately, the Japan for Sale series may not be as definitive as the Sushi compilations were, but they do deliver a taste of what's going on in contemporary Japanese music. Fans of pop art will also appreciate Shag's cover for Japan for Sale, Vol. 3 (he also did the art for volume two), though it's a little puzzling that the album doesn't feature visuals by a Japanese artist. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
