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From big-name comebacks (Tokyo Jihen, Ken Hirai, Quruli) to hyped works from the currently on-trend (No Buses, Chai, 4s4ki), to those that deserve so much more attention (Masayoshi Fujita, Foodman, Haco), the…
By Ed Cunningham
If the purpose of summery music is to get you in the mood for blissful sun-lounging, carefree holidaying and general balminess, at least three of the tracks below might actually fit that…
After 15 years on stage and on camera in various forms of entertainment all over the world, Australian cross-dressing Kawaiicore metal singer and pro-wrestler Ladybeard has joined with Japanese pop idols Kotomi and…
By Weekender Editor
With past Japanese songs such as “Plastic Love” by Mariya Takeuchi and Miki Matsubara’s “Mayonaka no Door: Stay with Me” suddenly becoming international hits in the last few years, we thought we’d…
By Matthew Hernon
Born to a Japanese mother and a French father, Ukico (stylized as UKICO) spent much of her childhood in the suburbs of Paris. After graduating from Sorbonne University, she moved to Japan…
It’s been around a decade since Jack Atherton was chosen as the drummer for a talented up-and-coming singer-songwriter named Jake Bugg. Along with bassist Tom Roberson, they would tour the world, performing…
Tokyo Weekender’s series TW Creatives features various works by Japan-based writers, photographers, videographers, illustrators and other creatives in a bid to provide one additional platform for them to exhibit their talent. The works submitted…
If one were to describe the sister duo Kitri, it would be “in sync” – in sync with their performance, appearance, harmony and with each other. Both having a background in classical…
By Yukari Tanaka
It’s been a busy spring for great new Japanese music. Hip hop has continued to push ahead with top-notch releases by the likes of Tohji, Punpee and JP the Wavy. We’ve seen…
It’s springtime, and barrel-loads of new Japanese singles have come out over the past few months. Indeed, far too many barrel-loads to reasonably fit into a single introduction; so instead, I’ll dive…
Zane Carney’s new album Alter Ego is the album to listen to when you miss hanging with your friends. It’s for times when you spend 20 minutes replying to an email only to…
By Nick Narigon
This May, the IlluminArt Philharmonic Orchestra will embark on a four-concert tour of Japan, performing in Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya and Yokohama. The orchestra will be led by its Artistic Director, Tomomi Nishimoto…
It’s like a tickle in the brain, when you hear a song for the first time and there’s something that sounds familiar. This is a common occurrence when listening to music, especially…
By Lisandra Moor
A domestic hit in the late ’70s that has become an international one four decades later, “Mayonaka no Door: Stay with Me” by the late singer Miki Matsubara is now being re-released on…
At 23 years old, Charlie Sparks has infiltrated two fields hardly welcoming of such young faces: architecture and music production. In the latter, he’s even received the nickname “Baby Techno,” from a…
By Taylor Stewart
Being in the presence of a rock god — even with strict social distancing measures in place — can be daunting. But with Sugizo, it’s easy. He takes time to remember our…
By Lisa Wallin
Kicking off 2021 in great form, January was a particularly strong month for new Japanese music. As well as the tracks below, the very end of December saw the release of Keiichi…
Starting off the year with a bang (for Haru Nemuri, quite literally) there were some terrific new Japanese singles released in January. Beyond those below, there were other great tracks from Chai,…
