How to Access Live Music in Japan (and Why You've GOTTA Do It!)

[@boywunderkind]

Harry got me into concerts in Shimokitazawa in the first place, and I’m glad to see him show off the scene here too! I will +1 Basement Bar, love the place

[@Mkrabs]

Spot on! If you're planning to have an unforgettable experience in Japan/Tokyo, _the Live Music scene is something you should experience_ (alone or with others). Thank you again for the amazing time on Tokyo. Without your immense work curating a list of event and advertising this on the Japan travel discord server, I would have missed out on talented artists and the people I met during the events. ❤

[@GruntCatcher]

One day we’ll come visit, one day!

[@hoongfu]

Thanks for the guide! Saved this for the next time I'm in Tokyo!

[@SolidestVirus]

Thank you for sharing, I'm planning to go to japan next month! I have so many music events I want to visit!!!

[@hedoban_nord]

Great helpful video, thank you!

[@arizona_iced_out_boy]

I recently stumbled upon your channel and you're literally doing my dream job. I'm a foreigner living/working in IT in Japan and a huge underground music junkie who loves going to ライブハウス. It's very much so a 漠然として夢 but, someday I want to quit IT and just interview Japanese bands and translate it to the west. It's so criminal how good the music scene is here and I want the rest of the world to learn about it. Edit: Also on the photo/video thing, it's always dependent on the venue and the band, but most of the time it's a hell yes. Super big bands though are still a hard no. Small bands on the other hand love it especially if you tag them on instagram.

[@Osomioo]

That's so cool. I'm also hoping to move to Japan to live/work. How did you find a job there and what role did you end up working? How is it so far for you?

[@Jokyusan]

I'm curious if you've ever checked out the idol scene in Japan? There's definitely a lot of groups who would be under the Rock genre, whilst being an idol group.

[@angura_live]

Yes I have, and I hated every second of it! Band culture and idol culture exists in much the same spaces (live music venues), but they are fundamentally very different. Band culture is about performances of self expression and audiences listening to what the artist has to say, while idol culture is about giving the fans exactly the service they want. In my experience, the latter comes with a pretty horrible dark side: badly-behaved fans (mostly middle-aged men) acting like they are entitled to treat performers (mostly young women and girls) how they like-shouting, grabbing, creepy messages, creepshots etc., exploitative management brainwashing teenagers into sacrificing everything for them to make a profit, loss of the performers’ personal identity as they sanitise themselves for the audience, and basically no right for the performers to say “No,” lest they upset the fans. Idol lovers might point to their favourite group and say “This isn’t so bad!” but the abuse is undeniably rampant, there’s a lot you can’t see, and it’s basically the default when you create a culture based entirely around fulfilling the audience’s every desire. I have friends who are current or ex-idols, and the stories I’ve heard are depressing. Watch the documentary Tokyo Idols if you want to see the reality of what goes on in that world. It’s on KZbin.

[@Jokyusan]

@@angura_live You kind of have to mix in more with it to get an idea of how the idol industry really works. There's a lot of stigma surrounding it, but it's not all true, but at the same time that's not to say there's not idol companies that make it hard for the idols under their management. Otaku are heavily supportive of idols, and there's only a small percentage of fans that can actually be considered "creepy", plus groups would ban fans for stepping over the line, there's always clear rules in place. There is more a stronger sense of support, fans who are introduced to the story of this idol, and why they want to work hard, and fans get underneath that and say "Let's work hard to achieve that!" I was always one to see the word IDOL attached to a group and think "I don't like that", but when I happened to listen to a group who were actually idol without realizing, I found it wasn't all so bad. There's also a very clear line between an idol's professional and personal life. I've spoken to fans of a group I like before and they've mentioned they've sat on the train or coach before a few seats forward of the very girls they're going to see perform, and they just leave them be, because they're not on the clock.

[@iznworld]

@@angura_live I’d like to share my thoughts on this because it feels like there's judgment towards idol culture, but at the same time, the negative aspects of band culture is being overlooked. You mention "badly-behaved fans", are you saying there aren't badly-behaved fans in the band culture? I could even add that many of them are under the influence of drugs or are even drug addicts. But that might come off as generalizing, which seems to be what I’m getting from your comment as well. Also are you suggesting that there are no agencies that exploit new singers or bands? Unfortunately, just like in any industry, there are. Don't get me wrong, I agree with some or most of the aspects you said. Even though there are many agencies today that prioritize the well-being and identity of idols there is alot of space for improvement. I’ve attended idol shows, band performances, and solo singer concerts in Japan, and I loved every moment of it. You know what all of them had in common ? The people, the energy, the excitement, the music. I met amazing people of all ages and genders, not middle-aged men like you might be implying. Many of them are people I still keep in touch with, and I plan to meet again when I return to Japan. Just saying, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot. :)

[@ustatvofficial]

Nice video mate

[@maxterminatehole2086]

cool. now i can go to total feedback shoegaze party

[@pannawatphijarnwanit6306]

i randomly found BASEMENT bar and it was wild XD, a naked american guy dancing and people were signing his body and his ehhh balls.. lmao fun night. not sure what was the band that perform called but it seems like anyone can grab the microphone and freestyle but i wasnt sure if it was freestyle because it sounded so good and not sure if those guys with mic are customers or artists that supposed to be performing. it was confusing

[@ajhilton7]

Great video, and you're right that music shows in Japan should be a must do. I went to Idorise festival back in March, which is for underground, alternative idol groups based in a number of venues around Shibuya, and it was without doubt one of the best musical experiences I've ever had! Bought a ticket on the day without any problems, got a wristband and you could just move between the venues freely depending on what groups you wanted to see. The crowds for all groups were wild! Doing the choreography, calling chants and engaging with the idols. A lot different experience to you I think, but idol crowds are very unique to anything you'll experience in the west. So much so that I'd go back to Japan just to experience it again.

[@shackymgee9885]

thanks so much!! doing excellent work!! Any tips for more obscure music? Like psytrance? We get alot of awesome japanese djs in australia so they must be playing somewhere there haha

[@angura_live]

Thank you! Venues here do not specialise much by genre (although they do have “personalities” based on the tastes of the booking staff), so there isn’t any place you can go to to be guaranteed to see one kind of music. I would check those DJs’ social media to find where they usually play in Japan! That said, Spread in Shimokitazawa, Space in Shinjuku, and clubasia in Shibuya are likely good places to start.