Yano was introduced to JAPAN by Ryuichi Sakamoto of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and in 1982 they met at the AIR Studios in London to record an album, "Ai Ga Nakucha Ne" ("There Must Be Love"). The record company, Japan Record, released the album as a set with a book of photography and at a lower price, as requested by Yano. After her 1984 album "Oh Hisse, Oh Hisse", Yano took a one-year break from recording music to raise her children, and decided to refocus her career on jazz, which led to the 1989 album "Welcome Back" featuring Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Peter Erskine. She relocated to New York City in 1990.