An Easy Intro To Japanese Music

[@banjohead66]

For myself, it's taken years to accumulate a huge catalog of Japanese bands I love and I really don't mind having engaged the time and effort. I've been dedicated to it long enough that KZbin and Spotify recommendations are including same-day releases of new artists that align to my very varied tastes. I'm currently finding roughly 12 new artists that I especially like each month. If you're as particular about music as I am, you'll probably find very little value in charts based on who's currently selling well. Your best bet might be to sample through the artists represented here, follow the ones you dig, let the recommendations come, follow the recommendations you dig, repeat... If you're a critical listener, this will absolutely work for you as well as it has for me. Also watch for collaborations/side projects/solo work among the artists you like. Watch the other artists that the artists you like produce or take on tour. This playlist is evolving over time and will continue to do so -- breeze through it, skip the ones that don't resonate, follow the artists that do resonate and that world will reveal itself to you in a big way. kzbin.info/aero/PL8r8yVoff2DJWQFqXqkLQZ6Ykuhsn8HjS open.spotify.com/playlist/5Kot699hNBeyQS2vB6ihCi?si=29bc3abfdf364b60

[@Ratgar26]

I see some great artists there, Glim Spanky and Polkadot Stingray being my favourites. I personally miss some Band Maid, Wagakki Band, Scandal or One Ok Rock. Cheers!

[@cyberxspeed]

Check out LUNA SEA. This Jrock band influenced many other Japanese bands.

[@hadisyuaib8613]

What do you recommend to radiohead guys?

[@winterwarden]

@@hadisyuaib8613 therapy

[@vic7623]

Thanks!! Will definitely check this out.

[@howardkurtus7069]

Mass of fermenting dregs is the goat

[@banjohead66]

Hell yeah!

[@Skyzius]

fishmans my goat

[@romanius3878]

One of my favourite bands ever

[@cocobearnoski]

Thhhhheeee goat

[@Akugi]

True

[@coolbrotherf127]

Most people start to learn Japanese for understanding anime and/or manga, but I actually started to understand and learn more about Japanese music. It's really cool to go from just enjoying the singing and music of a song to being able to fully understand the lyrics and subtleties of meaning and wordplay in the language.

[@BenDover-cm5mo]

Same here. I am doing it for Japanese music!

[@remyfru]

I’d love to learn their language in order to understand more about their music and their cars!

[@Random1217-o1d]

Same

[@hommeboy]

the passage into japanese music is a never ending one. it's the type of music that makes you want to search deeper and deeper for more.

[@Kitsune-kun663]

fr, I find myself listening to even more obscure and experimental Japanese music each day

[@ibukunokunoye4795]

​@@patatasfritas490 it's quite hard

[@abigfatpotato8468]

real shit james harden

[@Promtheus211]

​@@abigfatpotato8468😂

[@I_Have_The_Most_Japanese_Music]

I know what you mean.

[@sentopain]

98.12.28 is my favorite live performance of all time, first time I heard it was such a cathartic experience. Also wanna mention my personal favorite Japanese band Lamp, their entire discography is soul warming

[@zaitsevvadym]

I'm really thankful to you that you mentioned Lamp. If it wasn't for your comment, I would have never discovered them. I'm now listening to their For Lovers 2004 albums and completely amazed

[@tsugmakumo2064]

Japan has the 2nd largest music industry in the world. And I'd say it has the widest variety of sounds in the world. The depth of their market is insane, I still manage to find great artists even though i listened to thousands of album.

[@belii3426]

thousands of albums???????????????????

[@imrananif8351]

@@belii3426 easy to listen to that many if u really love music.

[@ososnake97]

@@imrananif8351 yeah, during the pandemic i listened a 1000 albums, which doesnt sound too much but it is indeed a lot

[@ibukunokunoye4795]

You're absolutely right

[@quincy9908]

The one that has the highest variety is definitely the US. Literally more diverse background so cultures music mix more. While Japanese really just does American music, but with a different accent (music accent not actually one).

[@VersusThem]

As others pointed out, Casiopea, T square and Masayoshi Takanaka are absolute LEGENDS, and loved by the community, they HEAVILY influenced videogames music and city pop too. Also, please please please, listen the album "The rainbow goblins". Oh, and The Pillows is its own mood

[@DarkCl0ud30]

Surprised not to see Masayoshi Takanaka on here, his guitar style is so great and upbeat. He’s a lively guy who owns, and has live played a massive surfboard guitar. Amazing music and an important part of city pop!

[@Sillylemon]

Coolest man alive

[@edamame6363]

His rainbow goblin is one of my forever favs

[@kurisuuuuuuu]

same, i was actually mad when he said that other guy was the coolest man in the world and not takanaka, such disrespect for the goat will not be tolerated

[@tangosucka1142]

@@kurisuuuuuuu masayoshi is my guy

[@danigomez9573]

@@kurisuuuuuuu takanaka is the goat but let me tell you, yamashita isnt just some guy! hes prob the second coolest guy

[@NexusBecauseWhyNot]

This list is amazing! Between my dabbles with Junko Ohashi, Casiopea, Omega Tribe, Suneset Rollercoaster and Shibusashirazu, I was stuck in finding a cohesive route though Japan's amazing musical works... I am glad there are people like you to guide us

[@NexusBecauseWhyNot]

Also I am dropping here more artists for people to try out: Wink Taeko Ohnuki Shizuka Kudo Saori Yuki Cindy Aiko Mariya Takeuchi Anri Kingo Hamada Masayuki Suzuki Macross Ling Tosite Shigure Co Shu Nie Maximum the Hormone Mondo Grosso Yoasobi

[@naturaleo2831]

​@@NexusBecauseWhyNotmakoto matsushita literally the king

[@4Gunzo]

Another big one, Casiopea that’s relatively underrated, especially since it’s more so jazz fusion. Great band definitely belongs in this discussion.

[@noamsiebert5056]

T-Square entered the chat

[@treefish2666]

@@noamsiebert5056 T-Square 🔛🔝

[@LewisMarsh.]

was looking for thissss

[@fakebluedarknt2577]

@@noamsiebert5056 T square and casipea are THE GOATS!

[@ommban]

one of the greatest bands i've ever listened to.

[@skylerstook6696]

Awesome video! I took a college class last semester on how music evolved through Japan, all the way from pre-western contact into the hyperreal JPOP stuff. A lot of the more modern material we covered, you covered as well. Glad to see you covered the Yamashita, Hosono, Ohnuki, and Sakamoto connection, as when I found out about that I was super blown away. Interestingly with regards to Tatsuro Yamashita, a lot of his big hits were due to tie-ins with commercials and movies such as his tie-in with the JR Tokai christmas commercial in 1989 (if I recall correctly).

[@cassiephobia]

I see Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, I click. No New World is such a slept on album.

[@cterence1767]

Sugar ❤

[@tiertaco]

@@cterence1767that is my favorite track from that banger album

[@ladyinwight]

TBH i think its my least favorite release from them, i like their newest album more. their self titled ep will probably always be my favorite though

[@SikkeOst]

Sugar, my beloved. Same reason i clicked

[@Bas-qh1wx]

its overrated imo

[@choualacreme2808]

Nujabes and all artists that participate to the citypop era are my personal favorite 🥰

[@zurcasi]

same

[@tss3393]

"Cuz the beat, plus the melody, makes me speak of L-O-V-E eloquently, so evidently!"

[@Jemunari]

I was lucky enough to meet Mukai from NUMBER GIRL in February. He is such an awesome dude. Love that band so much.

[@maxterminatehole2086]

the band is disband cause of covid. lucky you man.

[@Jemunari]

@@maxterminatehole2086 They actually disbanded because they had other projects that they are working on. I asked him if they would return ever and he was adamant that they wont. I was super lucky to meet him though, he is a true musical hero of mine and we shared a beer briefly backstage in a venue in Shimokita. I was at their final show too last December in Yokohama... several encores! Plus they played Toumei Shoujou four times, as if they did not want to stop.

[@frozec8568]

@@Jemunari did you ask him anything about zazen boys? im excited if theyre gonna make a new album now that miya's on there...

[@Jemunari]

@@frozec8568 I saw them one week later after the meeting haha. They were absolutely fantastic, first time seeing them too. When I met Mukai he was opening for an anniversary event of one of my favorite small venues, by playing stuff from his Acoustic and Electric project. Was unbelievable.

[@sappukei3618]

Holy shit you're one lucky guy!!

[@Shibby4L]

Toe is so underrated, particularly their drummer and the absolute best underground Japanese sound I personally enjoy is this band called ikd-sj. They’re a self described heavy ambient grunge/metal band inspired by traditional kagura. Never hear anything like them before they’re phenomenal. If you played horror gamer back in the day and beat siren blood curse they’re the dudes on the track that plays during the ending.

[@SheliakDragon]

Man, I'm glad toe got a cameo. I wish LITE also got a bit of the spotlight but I guess that's what the video is about, people will just have to explore the branches for themselves.

[@rodrocha8063]

toe live is so magical

[@shadicboy]

Absolutely love toe. After listening to mostly western/british math rock, toe led me into the world of Asian math rock and Asian rock in general. If you like toe, you might want to look into soha (formerly known as 44°+). Takaaki Mino from toe has mixed+mastered some of their stuff, and it's really not far from their sound.

[@cueclue]

Takashi Kashikura is really underrated. Every rhythmic pattern he has created is original and has the power to move people.

[@celfhelp]

not to diminish this video (or the extensive effort behind it) at all, but i think the difficulty of 'getting into' japanese music as a westerner is a huge part of what makes it borderline magical once you learn how to navigate it all it's been about 12 years for me now, almost entirely consumed by it, and it's still hard to accurately lay out my journey/approach (not that anyone asked); basically just a never-ending cycle of reading interviews, looking up bands/artists mentioned in those, paying attention to shows and who plays with who, repeat forever, training my algorithms along the way imo the biggest boon for us breaking into their realm is the fact that it's all so goddamn intertwined. my best friend in Japan is a guy i "met" through email after the guitar player of Tricot mentioned his band in an interview 8 years ago. my current favorite band i discovered because of posts from a girl in a punk-idol group. shit like this happens all the time and i think that's what really draws me in the hardest. japan's broader "music scene" is a lot like the west 15-25 years ago, especially the midwestern "underground" scene i grew up in: music in general is the strongest binding factor, not the genres or styles or fashions, etc. "music is music", plain and simple. the passion for music itself is what brings everyone together, not just a 'favorite genre', and the friendgroups are as tight-knit and supportive as they are overlapping and expansive i took my first trip to japan back in march, finally met my aforementioned friend in person, and went to more shows in 30 days than i have in the last probably 15 years in the States; i've been preaching the gospel of japanese music for a very long time and i still ended up feeling a little unprepared for the sheer scope and dynamics of it. again, no disrespect to anyone, but if i may: while i don't want to post a playlist or a list of names, i *will* strongly encourage you to look into Gezan if you haven't already: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4bVcqp6oqmfapo kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6WXnYx9hpJmg5Y (two live performances that basically cover their range of sound) and a two part pseudo-documentary covering the annual music fest they put on (i think you'll enjoy this in particular; probably spot some familiar faces as well): kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooixhHatZs93Z9E kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYS8onaOoLN0h9E (i gotta stop rambling) i generally don't like the "guide" or "playlist" approach, but you give some solid starting points here and explain them briefly but well; nothing like what i would do if i were to try. lmao long-winded curse forever if you ever want to engage in a tailspin conversation about JP music, hit me up. haha also peep Downt if you like American Football anyway, great work/video, man! ok bye 👋

[@eneteachedos]

I got into Japanese music around 2004 with L'Arc~en~Ciel and X Japan, i think them were a big discovery for a lot of people outside Japan

[@jetenginee.]

based. theyre a couple of my favourites

[@habibzd]

yhea, me too!@@jetenginee.

[@Shockwave99999]

I loved Driver’s High

[@wheresmygrasses1549]

⁠@@Shockwave99999Yeah was introduced by GTO

[@laptopkiller2861]

needs part 2, this is an amazing video.

[@ShoesInTheDryer]

Thanks, idk if I'd necessarily do a part 2 of this, but maybe a similar thing that focuses on a specific area like Japanese punk or city pop or the new rock stuff surrounding Happy End.

[@brenoI999]

@@ShoesInTheDryer would really love to see it, so as your take on something like Midori

[@Sam_thefool]

@@ShoesInTheDryer or could yo please do Japanese dreampop/shoegaze, this genre have big enough online resources for you (if you not already listening to them) and long enough clear history. Alot of amazing band with distinctive style differ from Western shoegaze.

[@iketanisan]

​@@ShoesInTheDryer every music KZbinr talks about city pop, but almost no one delve into the jungle of beautiful Japanese shoegaze. honeydip, my dead girlfriend, kinoko teikoku, Tokyo shoegazer - and many more, Japanese shoegaze is incredibly big, and I think its history too. thanks for the videos, they are really interesting.

[@Fightookaishii]

@@ShoesInTheDryer how about japanese math rock

[@spacelemming4493]

The pillows have allways been my favorite japanise band, almost evry song is nostelgic. Im not technical with music but my freind compared their music to the beatles singing over a navarna backing. Im glad there getting more recognition now. Hybrid rainbow just does something to me

[@Bighomie39]

More of a Last Dinosaur guy myself, but I see it

[@dreamchasingcat]

I looove BUMP OF CHICKEN’s cover of Hybrid Rainbow on The Pillows’ tribute album!

[@Anotherdiego7484]

@@Bighomie39 🤝

[@supermahmoud]

Growing up listening to Japanese music, specially Video Games Soundtracks, made me love them so much, Yuzo Koshiro, Michiru Yamane, Motoi Sakuraba, Nobuo Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura, Noriyuki Iwadare, Koichi Sugiyama, Yasunori Mitsuda, Hiroki Kikuta... to name a few, they always have something special even if they use the same Western hardware and genres, and they influenced me as an artist as well. Thank you for this amazing video, you made me discover more Japanese artists, I really appreciate it.

[@coconuthead1361]

I got into Japanese music from math rock, and my love of it just grew. Now I live in Japan and get to see a bunch of local artists live

[@no.7893]

living the dream

[@cterence1767]

Did you see dregs last year? They were amazing!

[@coconuthead1361]

@@cterence1767 wish I could have, only got here about eight months ago, and I got about three years left

[@cterence1767]

@@coconuthead1361 oh yeah plenty of time. If you're anywhere near Tokyo or Osaka you'll be fine. They might even tour further than that, but I'm in Tohoku and needed to go down to Tokyo to see them sadly

[@MrJapanApan]

I have been to japan several times and will go again in decemeber. Im interested in seeing local/semipro band (pref rock but like most things) but its kind of difficult to find gigs. Usally only the big artists and band are announced. But i dont wanna spend 100 dollars for one show. Two years ago i saw Moshimo live (found dates on spotify). Should i keep looking around spotify or is there any specific site you use?

[@mrahzzz]

Woah, 4 minutes in and I feel like you've already given a coherent breakdown of the reason behind the struggle to dive into Japanese music (and other world music). I would have left pretty satisfied with even just that, but that was only the first 6th of this video??! Amazing. This is an easy thumbs up from me. I'm pumped about this video.

[@kayanono]

I cant express how happy i got when the Nujabes part started

[@griffins5655]

Same! It’s funny I discovered him back in middle school, but at the time his name wasn’t very well known outside of the underground hip hop scene. Now though it feels like he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves! The godfather of Lo-Fi! ❤❤❤

[@TheBurrito171]

@@griffins5655 Lo-Fi comes from early underground hip hop far predating Nujabes :) It comes from the fact that the music was homegrown, with low budget. So everything was low fidelity just because of where it came from. It became a defining stylistic choice of underground hip hop, which greatly influenced Nujabes. Lo-Fi is not a genre. Rather, like flanging guitar is to Goth Rock; it is a characteristic feature of the genre of "underground hip-hop" (basically just hip-hop that isn't pop-ified). Thus, it spreads to other sub genres based on hip-hop, like chillhop, trip-hop, and Jazz-hop (which is where Nujabes fits more cleanly). I attribute people using "Lo-Fi" as a genre specifically to younger generations being exposed to underground hip-hop subgenres and hybrid genres primarily through youtube compilations that used "Lo-Fi" as a title tag rather than the actual genre names.

[@MFsecret1]

@@TheBurrito171I learned something new thanks for the information

[@joebob5338]

This video is amazing. Looking across the timestamps and seeing literally all of my favorite musicians felt so beautiful. Thank you for this!

[@okisweirdstories]

Awesome, I've been waiting for a video like this! I too got into Japanese music through anime. You know how they say that the music you listen to in your teens ends up being your go to music for the rest of your life? Well that's pretty much me with Japanese music. Some favorites are: Sotaisei Riron, Jun Togawa, Kaneko Ayano, Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro, Seiko Oomori, Shinsei Kamattechan, Frenesi, and L'Arc en Ciel.

[@xbob808x]

Nice list, I'm friends with some of the members or Boku tachi no iru tokoro, you're the first person outside Japan I've ever seen mention them! Seiko was also my fav before her whole scandal thing.

[@snail736]

Sick list dude, I love your videos!

[@mariuspoppFM]

​@@xbob808x scandal?

[@TheKnightXavier]

Kaneko Ayano is fantastic!

[@whimsicalgods]

frenesi and Seiko Oomori? incredibly based pick

[@Pattk0ii]

Tricot are in my opinion on the best bands in the world, they bring a very innovative sound with high energy and incredible vocals, also their bassist is a beast

[@alaskausn]

huge number girl fan here! i dont quite remember how i found them but it was during a rough period of my life, and all the noise and angst really resonated with me. its so true how u like the albums more the more u listen to them, and the way u described them makes me feel like i understand just why i loved them so much at the time, and why i continue to love them years on. thank u for spreading the word abt them, and all this other lovely music! (akfg are also one of my favorites ever.. lovely video!)

[@ZakLanglois]

Through listening to number girl I came across the band eastern youth, i think you might enjoy their music too!

[@ElTovarish]

The fact that there's not a chapter about shiina Ringo, tells you how much amazing music is born in Japan.

[@NK-qi1ez]

I’m Japanese.I personallyrecommend (Psychedelic rock) 1.betcover!! 2.yura yura teikoku 3.fishmans 4.kimisima oozara 5.rashinban(or boredoms) (other than that) 1.Lamp 2.kaneko ayano 3.yuta orisaka 4.kilingi

[@leonardomarquesbellini]

What do you think about 88Kasyo Junrei? Their beats and melodies always felt incredibly energetic and authentic to me.

[@bobskywalker2707]

Thanks for these recommendations! You’ve just given me a whole slew of new songs! Cheers!

[@NK-qi1ez]

@@leonardomarquesbellini I have hardly listened to that band's music. But I know they are highly rated. And if you like psychedelic Japanese bands, how about kikagakumoyo? Although they are a Japanese band, they are based in Europe and are more popular overseas than in Japan. They have already disbanded, but last year's album, Kumoyo Island, contains a lot of oriental psychedelic elements, and I think you'll be hooked just by listening to it. I like to talk, so I will talk a lot. Yurayura Teikoku is a cult-like band that was active around 2000. Their last album, Hollow, is a must-listen. They felt that Yura Yura Teikoku was completed with this album and broke up the band. It is a famous board that remains in the history of Japanese rock. betcover!! is an up-and-coming band led by the young, overwhelmingly talented Jiro Yanase. I highly recommend watching their live footage on KZbin. I think that Fishmans already has a lot of recognition overseas, but they are a dub and reggae band. Their live album, the last song of the men's farewells, is a long 50-minute long song, but we recognize that it is tremendously appreciated. I love to talk so please comment

[@rosemizer]

betcover!!! is so fucking amazing. I love that band

[@ただの人-s9e]

ニッチすぎん？

[@airi24]

Nano, hitsujibungaku, and Ai Higuchi fill my trifecta of artists that perfectly reflect my inner feelings. Ai Higuchi’s “minamikaze/south wind” is probably up there with my favorite songs of all time and I want everyone to hear it

[@kemarcusdepay1853]

If you haven't checked out Shiina Ringo. I highly recomend it. She is really one of those artists that the more you find out about her the more you realize how amazing she really is. Shoso Strip and Kalk Samen are both easily 10/10s.

[@houstonwehaveagamermoment]

I found out about her through Unchain’s cover of Marunouchi Sadistic which was used as a fan ED for Chainsaw Man and I’ve loved all the music I’ve come across from her. Loved the opening she did for Jigokuraku so much too

[@pookapeeka]

Shiina Ringo is awesome!

[@darkoriano]

Tokyo Jihen is AMAZING!

[@aldeayeah]

Souretsu is the most epic song about abortion you'll ever hear

[@alu8445]

youtube recommended a recorded live show of her like 4 years ago and now she is one of my favourite artists, i love her sound

[@leonelramos4898]

I love that you used a song from Charly García at the beginning, he is one of the greatest artist from Latin America, a must listen for everybody that loves great music. He's one of the most versatile artist that I ever seen

[@yoshibros8904]

I've been listening to number girl a lot recently and it's probably the reason why your video appeared in the recommendations section. I love this band, they're great especially when you read lyrics of some songs. They use simple yet really emotionally powerful lines from which you can directly imagine things they're singing about. Also their cover of bloodthirsty butcher's "poolside" is great

[@tardiobscurus]

My exact point in making my first playlist in the channel. Cause i wanted to share my view of a niche genre booming in a different country. The albums you listed here are great choices in expanding your horizon!

[@surgodt]

Another one of my favourite japanese math rock bands is "toe". I would consider both "for long tomorrow" and "the book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety" to be some of the best music in the genre, and from japan in general I like it that much. But yeah really good blend of post-rock atmosphere with the crazy drumming of math rock.

[@ekasaputro7218]

ive only been listening to them for about 3-4 years, but man they are sick! to say that "goodbye" is my favourite song sounds a bit cliche but everytime i listen to it that just hit. "sonny boy rhapsody" is also a good one.

[@SheliakDragon]

Yeah man, toe just got the vibes. I had the pleasure of seeing them live in Singapore back in 2015 and they did not disappoint.

[@susytdu3584]

SO REAL! I LOVE TOE

[@LondonJapanSociety]

This video is unreal. I'm half Japanese and grew up in the UK, but I mostly listened to Japanese bands in high school and University. I’m genuinely shocked how in-line the suggestions in the video are with the bands I listened to growning up - AKFG, Nujabes, Fishmans, Tricot, Number Girl, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, Cornelius... all so amazing and you did a brilliant job describing their music (even the bands that you didn't delve into but showed little clips of like Pillows, Quruli, Ling Tosite Sigure, Toe and My Dead Girlfriend, love them all) The way you explained understanding Number Girl's sound was perfect - I also didn't really get them on the first few listens, but I think it was Omoide in my head that suddenly unlocked everything for me, and now they're probably my favorite band of all time. Will definitely be sharing this video with friends - great work!

[@ufooooooooooooooooo]

I skimmed through the comments to see what bands are mentioned and if the video mentions what you just listed then maybe we've all got a similar taste in music. Actually makes me happy because now I know the recommendations that I haven't heard from here are gonna be good!

[@estefankarau7007]

As a Japanese music nerd I'm fascinated with this video. Haruomi Hosono is my favorite artist, and I truly feel he deserves more recognition in the west. Also I love that you threw in B roll of lesser know artist like Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her who I never expected to ever see thrown in to a video. Great job!

[@TVs_Brent]

Hey this video opened up an entire world for me and I'm glad you made it. Thanks a million, big dog!

[@dweblinveltz5035]

Great video. We need more of this. I admit that I clicked because I saw Mass in the thumbnail, and I wouldn't have thought of them as being especially notable in this discussion. I like them (have owned a vinyl for years now), but still didn't consider them that important in the bigger picture. I've been digging into Japanese music since I was about 14, roughly two decades now. You're right that it's hard to chronologically tie influences, but it helped me to track collaborations. Similar to how you detailed the collabs in Sunshower, you can look at any album and be surprised that this-person or that-person was involved somehow, then go off and check out their stuff. My earliest Japanese artist I remember seeking out was Yoko Kanno after hearing the opening of Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of a Heroic Knight. Even today, I'm still finding new music by other artists or from other works that has Kanno's involvement. Akino Arai is also great, and Lodoss (as well as Outlaw Star) definitely stuck her in my ear-memory. For me personally, one of the most important Japanese groups is Malice Mizer. There's plenty of Visual Kei that came along-side them and after, but nothing is quite like Mizer. All three eras of the group are great for their own reasons, and plenty of the members went off solo to varying degrees of success. Of course, Gackt became one of the most famous solo acts in Japan, period. I could talk about this stuff all day, but again, great vid.

[@syn3rman65]

My man really dropped a banger in his first couple of vids. This is insanely well written, narrated and edited so I'm hoping you take off!

[@hedoban_nord]

That was very interesting, thanks! I only recently began diving into the japanese music scene (starting with BABYMETAL) and am fascinated about how many great artists there are in Japan that I never heard of before.

[@makko2048]

huge fan of japanese music here!! first of all, when I tell you I've heard and listened to every single one of these japanese genres, I mean I've listened to EVERY SINGLE ONE. I've waited for so long for more people to discover the more obscure japanese hits and finally make a video on it. The blends of music expressed here literally mirror what I listen to, and I couldn't be more greatful/appreciative for the attention it's getting. Like most, I started listening to japanese music through exploring anime ops/endings that I really liked and completely spiraled from there. From the wondrous jazz of ryo fukui; to the hard rock of bands like masu dore, melt banana, zazen boys, and number girl; to the fermented feel of bands like yura yura teikoku and tempalay; to the savory sound of city pop through tatsuro yamashita and current j-rock through king gnu; this video covered a large portion. I know you couldnt have covered it all, but really, thank you so much for illuminating a good variety of music I love and exposing more future fans to it. Looking forwards to a part 2 maybe diving more into each genre!!

[@Expanses02]

Found your video on Nujabes subreddit, I am surprised how well this video is done from research, scripting and editing perspective, definitely something I would not expect from someone below 100k subs let alone 100 subs. I had been trying to find a guide to enter Japanese music for so long, since my only introduction to those were Anime openings or soundtracks, but this video definitely made me aware of a lot of things that I didn't care to explore, thanks for this.

[@CheapVodka75]

just earned a sub. It's unbelievable how youtube doesn't promote this type of passionate, well researched, and just generally way more interesting content. Like you absolutely did to me what I expected of your video: you introduced me to a world I now want to explore by myself. That's what it should be about. So a big thank you for your video.

[@jordanisdeadd]

saw you share on reddit ! came for nujabes and fishmans, stayed for the introduction to new great music. wonderful write up / essay. im excited to come back for more :)

[@elijah3757]

wow you bringing up Ryo Fukui, Taeko Ohnuki, Cornelius, Nujabes (obviously), Asian Kung0fu Gen., Tricot, AND Mass of Fermenting Dregs, has truly validated my inner music dweeb for Japanese music instilled into me since ever. I appreciate that level of goat-edness

[@momentArhythm]

Fun fact about the live Dregs footage, that was their first ever european show at Arctangent festival 2022! I saw them there and even met them, genuinely some of the nicest people on earth

[@ULTRAliam]

I wish I went. I like to think they will come back to the UK one day, but I highly doubt it

[@violettegami4582]

this video made me remember a vlog I watched a long time ago, where the vlogger attends a Japanese music festival. There, one of the foreign musician that he interviewed said something about the reason why he loved Japanese music that struck me. He said that Japanese music has some sort of wonder created by oxymorons. Japanese music consists of songs with a sad melody paired with a happy and energized beat, blues songs with lyrics that encourage you, or happy songs full of melancholy lyrics. And that, for me, is one of the biggest reasons why I always fall back to Japanese music as my comfort songs

[@Drstrange3000]

I'm glad you mentioned this! I love the contrast of happy and sad sounds in Japanese music. It has a nostalgic, melancholy feel. It is very relaxing.

[@RyanTeo]

Was it the video posted by Adam Neely when he played with the J- Music Ensemble and interviewer Patrick Bartley? Mixing Jazz and J-Pop m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXe7lKqsbr18icU Interesting discussion about what he feels is distinctive about Japanese music (Jpop, anime, jazz) from the perspective of a jazz musician and how he traces the various factors that influence its evolution.

[@no-brakes]

What's incredible is that all the words in Japanese end with vowels (a, i, u, e, and o) with one exception for the letter n. Yet their rap music is impactful n powerful.

[@danteshollowedgrounds]

Very.

[@giuseppeagresta1425]

Yep, consonants are *always* followed by a vowel, except in the case of the ん "n" you mentioned

[@sanny8716]

To be fair, it's a lot easier to rhyme when you have so few options

[@no-brakes]

@サニャSanny its about number of options. U into jpns rap?

[@sanny8716]

@@no-brakes I've heard a fair share of it and have a few favorite artists I don't know if I'd go as far as to say I'm "into it"

[@AlotlikeArham123]

Honestly man. Well done on intro to Japanese music. You provided giants for every different genre. Starting there we can explore associated artists to each. You really know your Japanese music.

[@igorluisk2]

Asian Kung fu Generation is my favorite band and i watched they live in Sao Paulo in 08/07/2017 was probably the best day of my life. I love Tricot, mass of the fermeting dregs too. Today i "found" "Cody Lee" too, wich is an amazing band too. Also, great job my dude.

[@jasoncornelius8740]

I had the honor to meet and work with quite a few of the artists you mentioned. Amazing choices

[@chackBC]

Great choice! Here is some my favorite. 相対性理論(Soutaiseiriron) きのこ帝国(kinoko teikoku) 青葉市子(Aoba Ichiko) ゆらゆら帝国(Yurayura teikoku) 神聖かまってちゃん(Shinsei kamattechan) Thanks from Japan!

[@Adv3.]

Kinoko teikoku my beloved

[@g-alicenine]

I discovered Visual Kei nearly 20 years ago, and fell in love with the genre immediately. After that is was easy to fall in love with the different kinds of music Japan has to offer, and I still listen to it more than music from other languages. There's just something about the language and use of instruments for me.

[@FauxieDaoJia]

Shiina Ringo is peerless imo. Her skill set, varied accomplishments, unmatched versatility as a composer means there's nobody quite like her, neither in Japan or elsewhere.

[@railedshingo]

I've heard marunouchi sadistic by her which was truly good, can u recommend any other songs tho?

[@FauxieDaoJia]

@@railedshingo Tsumi to Batsu, Honnou... really it's good just to listen to the first 3 solo albums in order - Muzai Moratorium, Shouso Strip, and Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana. They're all eclectic, even the debut (in the context of jpop/jrock) but get increasingly experimental.

[@railedshingo]

@@FauxieDaoJia thx for the recommendations dude, I'll surely listen them :D

[@rodrocha8063]

She’s definitely my favorite Japanese artist, but I must say she’s not doing anything really great since the 2010’s… and her concerts feel plastic (although amazing to hear her singing live).

[@FauxieDaoJia]

@@rodrocha8063 Really? I think stuff like TOKYO, Gate of Hades, and Narrow Road are basically primo Ringo. That song Toogood from a few months ago, to me, is a perfect little journey. I think she's the most versatile female composer on the planet.

[@ricardoteg]

My man, you have selected so many sounds and styles that I was sure existed in japanese music, but had never found, that you've given me the inspiration to go dive in again. Also, wholeheartedly agreeing with you on 2 or 3 of these people gives me the confidence that your recommendations are more solid than diamonds.

[@dumbmonika3188]

I think that theres a small section for more modern artists like Zutomayo ,Eve , Tuyu and Yorushika . They are all amazing and i thing everyone who is interested in Japanese music should give them a try .

[@konstant_ly]

A friend of mine absolutely loves Eve. I should give a try.

[@tehSweezyy]

Zutomayo is goated

[@dumbmonika3188]

@@tehSweezyy her new song tho , its fire

[@tehSweezyy]

@@dumbmonika3188 as always yes

[@Bighomie39]

​@konstant_ly yeah dude, just throw on the Smile CD, it's pretty good. Personally, I vastly prefer his more energetic cuts over the more sad-sounding stuff, but his energetic songs REALLY hit.

[@aduck8myshoes]

I jumped into the Japanese music wormhole almost 20 years ago, and I still found a couple new listens from this video! I can tell how much you really love and appreciate stuff from across the whole spectrum from having Fishmans and a 2 second cutaway clip to a theater stage of Idol Nante Yobanaide in the same vid lol. That's what I truly love about the JPN music scene is that there is so much unique crossover between all genres, and no matter where I end up I can find something to add to my library. To any new listeners, this is a fantastic video to watch, and every album I knew I recommend. Don't be intimidated by the album art flow charts or long lists of "essentials" that float around. Find one album, artist, or even just a song you really like, find some people who like that same thing, and see what else is on their lists. I've found other fans are always the best resource for what to try next. To throw some personal recs out there, try Gacharic Spin for some high-power zany rock, lyrical school for a mix of pop and hip hop, and producer Mondo Grosso for some jazzy electronic beats.

[@dewaeryadi7776]

what makes me fall in love with japanese music is the variation of genre, style, visual and the lyrics, japan is the melting pot of music culture. btw my favorite japanese band of all time is School Food Punishment also RIP Ryuuichi Sakamoto the legend

[@RuthRandoms]

Thank you for this video, the time it took to do and the thought and knowledge / research that has gone into it is much appreciated. I've just said goodbye to my Japanese lodger who rented my spare room for the last 4 months so I wanted to just explore a bit of Japanese music. Thanks again!

[@dearkazuscorner2549]

Great video!! Perfume and Tricot are two of my favorite bands, not only from japan, but all-time!!

[@Funfun61]

All of this was wonderful. Truly appreciate it and I can't wait to look at the clouds and listen to some amazing music!

[@eyvweblog]

I really hope more people get into Fantasma and the Shibuya-kei scene overall. There's a lot of amazing music there. Great vid!

[@makko2048]

couldn't agree more! I was surprised 800 cherries wasn't mentioned in the shibuya-kei section

[@FranciscoSantos-nt8jt]

One of the best videos on KZbin. Just incredible. Thank you for sharing all this knowledge with the rest of us. Your voice over was spot on and it really looks like you're speaking from the heart about all this bands and artists. Can't tank you enough, really.

[@andrechapatte5652]

Why does this have so few views??? This video is AWESOME

[@gerrysnatabraja]

spot on! a really comprehensive introduction towards the japanese musics in general. two things I'd like to add are 1) the japanese rock/disual kei era in 2000s with L'Arc en Ciel and XJAPAN; and 2) the 2010-2020s JPop that originated from the vocaloid scene (Kenshi Yonezu, YOASOBI, etc)

[@emilysanders5020]

great video! love all the artists you presented here, they deserve the spotlight!

[@snail736]

Came from your Reddit post on shibuya-kei, glad it was given a good mention.

[@kazekui]

love the DJ Krush shoutout - legend- he did a song with twigy and ACO called ‘tragicomic’ which is perfection to me- (huge recommend for ACO as well, i find her older stuff to be reminiscent of Bjork)

[@sidhant4647]

I have been a huge fan of modern Japanese music in the form of YOASOBI, Kenshi Yonezu, King Gnu and ling tosite sigure but I've really done a deep dive into it like this so I'm definitely listening to all the recommendations! (Also I'm with Connor in that I have no idea how math rock works and why its named that)

[@hozefish666]

You should listen to ACIDMAN if you haven't already

[@SheliakDragon]

It's called math rock because of the odd time signatures, or so I've been told. But honestly, I wish it was called something else because it makes it harder to get people into all the great bands that fall into this genre. If you need more recommendations, check out toe ("Goodbye" is a good start), LITE (their "Phantasia" album is a personal favorite), mouse on the keys (especially "saigo no bansan"), FULLARMOR (sadly, they only have 2 albums) and yes, ACIDMAN. Also, not math rock, but I'd like to give a special mention to Vola and The Oriental Machine, the band fronted by Number Girl's Ahito Inazawa. Their dark dancy brand of rock is fun.

[@dave.8]

Judging by your list of artist I doubt you would like the artist shown in the video. Me personally Im just like you, the mainstreammajor label artists have so much replay value in their songs and super high production value that anything less than this eg...those indie artists and rock bands just dont satisfy my ears anymore

[@sidhant4647]

@@dave.8 well personally I've been listening to Tricot on repeat for a while now so

[@ninjapistol14]

Try listening to ALI (Alien Liberty International) for an amazing jazz/rock feel

[@sam6000]

So happy to hear about your AKG appreciation. Super worth beyond all praise. Their music, and especially the album you chose is jusy so amazing. Definitely one of the most consistently amazing bands ever.

[@AlbinoTuxedo]

Mass of the Fermenting Dregs is an incredible band, really glad to see more people talking about it

[@JiroAzuma]

I recently started listening to more japanese music and managed to break that barrier and find a lot of gems so I was excited to see someone put a video like this together especially with Ryo being in the thumbnail

[@tokemetal666]

all of the artists here are amazing, great video and taste in music!!!

[@redacted6022]

Shocked to not see mervilles by Malice mizer one of the most unique and amazing albums out there truly one of the best Japanese bands of all time

[@vxachu]

I was so happy to see Mass of Fermented Dregs on here. I haven't heard of anyone talk about the band and I find their music so captivating and unique.

[@gab3chamberbass632]

Thank you so much for making this! I'm going to japan soon and want to bring back music! This seems like a great place to start.

[@kadenhariri6645]

My love for Japanese music has actually turned into me learning the language and planning to study in Japan in the near future. Aside from the citypop core I was introduced to Japanese music with, I really enjoy more modern artists like Superfly or Rina Katahira. Every time I dive into an artist's discography, I find other collaborators or similar bands that just leave me thirsting for more, it's wonderful.

[@bigboopus5059]

I've listened to most of these albums, but getting to hear about their careers, influence and tragedies gives me so much more appreciation for their music, so thanks for that. Solid list, and I'm gonna go re-listen to them now.

[@realdocloco]

I agree, the problem with the japanese scene is where to start ... but I realize I search the same way than for western artists: when I love an artist or band, I try to know what are his influences, who they played with before, what are they currently listening to, who produced them, who did their producer produce before and so on. See, you mentioned Number Girl - it's interesting to follow their (amazing) guitarist Tabuchi Hisako, and realize she (and NG) was a huge influence on another artist, Shiina Ringo (and she even played with her briefly). Shiina is IMO one of the most important artists of this beginning of the XXI century - if you have only one album to listen to, you have to get "Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana", you won't believe your ears, there's every genre you mentioned here .. .all in one. Master piece. But we were following Hisako Tabuchi - in 2018, she was asked to be part of the indie/punk trio PEDRO. The singer-bassist Ayuni D (25 years younger) is also member of the alt-idol group BiSH, so it was a weird mix ... but it worked wonderfully, thanks to Tabuchi incredible talent on the guitar, but also Ayuni's determination to make rapid progress. Their three albums are a blend of indie rock with pop sensibility, high quality stuff. Last year, Tabuchi went back to Number Girl for a very welcomed reunion. I could go on for days, so I stop but if you did'nt listened to Ringo's "Kalk samen" yet, do it in a hurry 😊.

[@theotherfanboy]

The algorithm is hitting because I've never heard of you or your channel but the MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS thumbnail brought me here. Here's a sub.

[@sinkdemon5813]

man, it's great to see a video on the japanese music scene. Amazing picks for introduction to different genres. Since u talked about number girl you should cover bloodthirsty butchers, i'd love to hear what you have to say on their catalog or at least kocorono and birdie. i made one which focused mostly on the 7e.p label-related artists who make this sort of folky music that incorporates some naivist/noisy/dissonant stuff from time to time

[@ShoesInTheDryer]

I haven't done the deep dive on Bloodthirsty Butchers yet but after getting into Number Girl I did check out them and Zazen Boys and really liked what I heard. Don't know anything about the folky bands in your video though. A chunk into it and Yumbo with their Neutral Milk Hotel, weird ass instrumentals are at the very least interesting to me lol.

[@mailsprower1]

Thank you for this video! Even though I already knew and listened to most of the artists you mentioned, I feel like I found an entire new iceberg for myself, and that is thanks to all the snippets of live performances and MVs you collected here. Thing is, for a long time I was just listening to bands and making a mental picture out of sound exclusively, but now I am looking forward to checking all the show recordings and band channels. I think it really helps you to get a close relationship with the artists. Also kudos to your simple but concise commentary about the artists and their inspirations. Cornelius is new to me, and I will get to it right away, as well as Hosono's solo work. P.S. I do think there is something special about Mass of Fermenting Dregs, at least they're a band I keep consistently thinking about, and they kinda shine above others. But I don't know what it is myself! Some kind of... comforting honesty?

[@Borobin248]

I recently spent a lot of time in Shimokitazawa the home of a lot of live rooms nowadays and it was an incredible experience. A lot of the well known underground artists play the same small venues and the bands (both well known and unknown) all support each other when they have album releases, it's a really nice little community. The great thing about these venues is you can also talk to all the artists after their performances and they are all such lovely people. There are normally a line ups of 1-4 artists in one night each with a set of 30-45 minutes so you always get a great selection of different music and most of the time entry is only about 3000 yen! I was lucky enough to see MOFD which were of course amazing but also a lot of other bands/artists that stood out to me, some of the main ones being: Hachimarizer, フー・ドゥ・ユー・ラブ (Who Do You Love?), ぎがもえか (Gigamoeka), Takaaki Otomo + Miki Tokoyama and E.scene.

[@VersusThem]

The Shimokitazawa music scene right now needs to find a way to weaponize Bocchi the rock and to show itself to the world

[@roobsthedoobs2429]

Scenery is such an amazing album! I’m so glad I discovered it, perfect mix of chill piano jazz

[@hyyyyl7903]

Loved the video! Japanese "hyperpop" or whatever (with a strong foundation in the Japanese netlabel scene) is really cool atm. Pas Tasta, Peterparker69, Starkids, Tohji, e5, cyber milk chan, trash angels, okadakun, hirirhiri, amane uyama++

[@pugiguess6548]

this is a great vid dude, and i love fishmans

[@aflyingmother3580]

Honestly, Ryo Fukui's Scenery used to help me out when I was feeling low. There's something about it, and honestly that was what introduced me to some of the Jazz I listen to today.

[@simonrichardsfilms]

Really awesome video. I was happy to see Fishmans and Nujabes getting some love. Looking forward to check out each of the other artists.

[@josiethompson5739]

Damn, not even a single mention of Akiko Yano. Originally part of Yellow Magic Orchestra's lineup, she jumped off to do her own thing that is honestly just all pure gold. Heavy influences from jazz, funk, fusion - even maybe some punk/new wave? Tokimeki and Tadaima are two of my favorite albums of all time. I guess you did briefly mention her ex-husband Ryuichi Sakomoto.

[@brobruh7850]

Ms. Akiko is a legend in her own right. Her album Futaribocchi de Ikou (meaning something like Let’s Both Go Alone) is full of collaborations who are all worth checking out! I think YMO could be its own video. Each member came from and went on to do really amazing things.

[@Eric_X]

One of my favorite Japanese artist has gotta be nujabes, his contribution to lofi and his sick chill beats are just so beautiful, and discography is also great, from the luv sic discography, modal soul, and more.

[@sometoastedcat]

Saw this on the tricot subreddit and this did not disappoint. Great video and I plan to check out all of these I haven't heard! If you're ever looking for some relaxing j-folk I heavily recommend Ichiko Aoba if you haven't heard her before.

[@davidhiew8542]

Relaxing folk? Do give Humbert Humbert a spin.

[@alwan1414]

I'm so happy that you brought my two favorite band, tricot and mass of the fermenting dregs!!

[@netrunner2.0]

tricot are one of my favourite bands rn. so freakin good

[@nicholaswilliamsart]

I know this wasn't easy to make. thank you for the effort put in and finding these beautiful people. I'll be listing for quite some time.

[@tiIki]

Haven't heard of perfume before, but other than that I LOVE every single album you've talked about. I'll be sure to check Perfume out. Great video!

[@draedonlongley2259]

Perfume is so incredible, they're genuinely my favourite musicians alive, they have my entire heart

[@oyakawa579]

日本の音楽についての深い考察、研究素晴らしいですね！ とても面白かったです！

[@lucciqs]

someone make a spotify playlist out of this IM BEGGING YOU

[@everylead]

Glad there are more people talking about japanese music, especially j-rock, in this format. I love talking about it and love seeing other people talking about it. Also glad to see Ajikan's World World World as a possible fave album. I ranked it as number one in one of my vids