New (and old) music from Japan – 2025 addendum

A few more notable releases from the year gone by

While I didn’t feel much appetite for putting together a 2025 albums of the year list (I already compile a few for different publications and end up feeling dissatisfied with all of them), there were a bunch of releases that kept nagging at me to at least acknowledge their existence in writing. The attention economy means that a lot of music seems to disappear from view almost as soon as it’s been released, a victim of our appetite for newness. So let me just take stock of a few more worthwhile albums (and one single) from 2025, some of which didn’t get nearly the attention they deserved.

Tokyo Gigs January 2026

JAN 3 CAPTAIN VINYL, SOICHI TERADA (LIVE), MANAHA, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 4 PET SHOP BOYS, UNDERWORLD, KNEECAP, &c. Makuhari Messe, Chiba ¥19,500

JAN 4 HAKUSHI HASEGAWA Billboard Live, Roppongi ¥6,500-¥9,200

JAN 4 GUITAR WOLF, THE COURETTES, SAKURANZENSEN, &c. Loft, Shinjuku ¥5,000

JAN 5 KNEECAP EX Theater Roppongi ¥8,800/¥9,800

JAN 5 UNDERWORLD Toyosu Pit ¥15,000

JAN 5 TV TAIRIKU ONDO Spotify O-Nest, Shibuya ¥3,500

JAN 5-6 MINYO CRUSADERS Cotton Club, Marunouchi ¥7,500/¥10,000

JAN 6 PET SHOP BOYS Tokyo Garden Theater, Ariake ¥18,000-¥30,000

JAN 6 MISSING HEADS, AKA-JAM, MOMI UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,500

JAN 7 TAKURO OKADA, FUMI ENDO Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥4,000

JAN 7 GASENETA, MASUMI HARA, FUKURO UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,000

JAN 8 MARC ALMOND Billboard Live, Roppongi ¥10,500-¥13,200

JAN 9 OTOBOKE BEAVER, SPOILMAN Aoyama Moonromantic ¥4,500

JAN 9 CARL STONE/AYAKO KANDA/TATSUYA YOSHIDA, RUINS, &c. Showboat, Koenji ¥4,000

JAN 9 PREGNANT, SA YUU, BONSTAR, LOOLOWNINGEN Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥3,000

JAN 9 CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN, TWELVE (DJ), &c. Haremame, Daikanyama ¥2,000

JAN 9 RYOTARO MIYASAKA, NILOUFAR SHIRI, WU FAN-QI, &c. Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

JAN 9 BADGER, VECSILLE B2B OGASAWARA, MOOTOE, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,400

JAN 9 OLIVIA MENDEZ, JOTON, COMM, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 10 UQUWA, WAKUSEI-NO KAZOEKATA, GISHIKI Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000 (afternoon)

JAN 10 MINORU SATO -M/S, SHIZUO UCHIDA, NOBUKI NISHIYAMA, &c. Soup, Ochiai ¥2,500

JAN 10 MILIAN MORI (LIVE), NAO TOKUI, SAKUMA, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 11 SATOKO FUJII ORCHESTRA TOKYO, THIS IS IT!, &c. Pit Inn, Shinjuku ¥3,850 (afternoon)

JAN 11 ARTURO LANZ, ATSUHIRO ITO, TOMOHIKO SAGAE, &c. UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥4,500

JAN 11 NATSUKI TAMURA/SATOKO FUJII, OTOSHIDAMA BAND, &c. Pit Inn, Shinjuku ¥3,850

JAN 11 HIDENKA/VJ IROHA, POWER, SHINJI WADA, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000

JAN 11 JORDAN BLANKENSHIP, SLAUGHTER TABLE, SPACEGRINDER, &c. Soup, Ochiai ¥2,000

JAN 11 THE MARQUIS IS DEAD, ALIX VAN RIPATO, KAOGANAI, &c. Kagurane, Kagurazaka ¥3,800

JAN 11 JAN AND NAOMI Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

JAN 12 EIKO ISHIBASHI & JIM O'ROURKE, TORSO Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥4,000

JAN 12 AKIRA SAKATA/TRIPLE EDGE Pit Inn, Shinjuku ¥3,850

JAN 12 GEMI, AKII, VAN WILKINS, GENICK, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,000

JAN 13 KEIJI HAINO/JIM O'ROURKE/OREN AMBARCHI Showboat, Koenji ¥5,000

JAN 13 REIZEN, KYOSUKE TERADA, NAPALM KATAOKA Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000

JAN 13 PIG CITY, KANDARIVAS, NEGATIVE SUN, &c. Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥3,500

JAN 13 BO NINGEN, GRIMM GRIMM Fever, Shindaita ¥5,000

JAN 14 CITIES AVIV, BURQA BOYZ, BLEED BOI, BOTSU VS NUL, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,500

JAN 16 JORDAN BLANKENSHIP, JENA JANG, VANISHING VILLAIN, &c. Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,000

JAN 16 FRANCESCO TRISTANO (LIVE), TUNE A.K.A. FUKUI, JUN, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 16 SGAMO, MAR’ONE, H4RDY, JACOTANU, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,000

JAN 16 FOODMAN, JACKSON KAKI, MLOSIMS, MARS89 (DJ), &c. Secret location, Nishiazabu ¥2,500

JAN 17 LIN HSIAO-FENG/OTOMO YOSHIHIDE/WU YEN-HSUAN Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,000 (afternoon)

JAN 17 NAOYUKI MASUDA/MASAMI IRUMAGAWA/MARCOS FERNANDES, &c. Pool, Sakuradai ¥2,800

JAN 17 HIROAKI MAKI/TAKUTO SAKAIBARA, TUBO, HANO/RUIKE/LYALL Soup, Ochiai ¥3,000

JAN 17 ANCHORSONG, AOUB BAND SET, IN THE SUN, &c. Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥3,000

JAN 17 HÉCTOR OAKS, EPLOG, TERESA, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 17 BOTSU AKA NGS (LIVE), DJ DREAMBOY, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000 (night)

JAN 18 MEI EHARA Club Quattro, Shibuya ¥5,000

JAN 19 MOMMA Space Odd, Daikanyama ¥7,000

JAN 19 OTOMO YOSHIHIDE SPECIAL BIG BAND Baroom, Minami-Aoyama ¥7,000

JAN 20 GEZAN, NIKON, NOT WONK Fever, Shindaita ¥5,000

JAN 20 ULTRADEMON, GUERRE MALADIE FAMINE (DJ), KYOZETU 666, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥3,000

JAN 20 WEDNESDAY Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥7,600

JAN 21 BAR ITALIA Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥8,400

JAN 21 GEZAN, THE HATCH, DOGO Fever, Shindaita ¥5,000

JAN 22 MEN I TRUST, MEI SEMONES Tokyo Garden Theater, Ariake ¥9,800/¥11,000

JAN 22 CRYS COLE/TAKU UNAMI/SHOKO NUMAO/&c. Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥2,500

JAN 22 MIHAMAASMELODIES, SISTER PAUL, BOTSU AKA NGS (DJ), &c. Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥3,000

JAN 22 HARU NEMURI, SEIKO OOMORI Loft, Shinjuku ¥5,000

JAN 22 XUDAN, VMO High, Koenji ¥3,500

JAN 22 KAZUO IMAI/ROGER TURNER Velvetsun, Ogikubo ¥3,500

JAN 22 AKIRA SAKATA, KAFKA IBIKI, KOICHI MAKIGAMI BAND Star Pine's Cafe, Kichijoji ¥4,000

JAN 22 ERMHOI W/ THE ATTENTION PLEASE, TAMTAM Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥3,800

JAN 23 MEI SEMONES Duo Music Exchange, Shibuya ¥7,800

JAN 23 OHZORA KIMISHIMA Tokyo Garden Theater, Ariake ¥7,500

JAN 23 MAX LIGHT/NOAH PREMINGER Pit Inn, Shinjuku ¥7,150

JAN 23 MOHER, AOI TAGAMI/TOMO ANDO Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

JAN 23 VIONS, BEE AND CUCUMBER, MANULNECO, &c. Star Pine's Cafe, Kichijoji ¥4,000

JAN 23 THOMAS SCHUMACHER, Q'HEY, MAYURI, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 23 FELIPE GORDON, LILY & MUSE, NEKTAR Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥2,500 (night)

JAN 23-24 KAKU P-MODEL Toyosu Pit ¥7,700

JAN 24 RAY, MORERU, JUN TOGAWA Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥6,000

JAN 24 ROGER TURNER/KATSUHISA UCHIHASHI/MICHIYO YAGI Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,500

JAN 24 DEMSKY, LIKE WEEDS, VENA/KAVA Soup, Ochiai ¥3,000

JAN 24 HIKASHU, REMON NAKANISHI & SUZUME NO TEARS, &c. Star Pine's Cafe, Kichijoji ¥4,000

JAN 24 LILBESH RAMKO, AOTO, ACAPULCO, &c. Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥2,300

JAN 24 KAZUO IMAI/DAYSUKE TAKAOKA Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

JAN 24 VMO, AGE FACTORY, LILBESH RAMKO, ICAN HAREM, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥4,500 (night)

JAN 24 SWIM, CRUSH3D, GT&KYOU, SRATAH, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,000

JAN 24 PARAMIDA, KUNIYUKI (LIVE), PARADICE, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 25 YUKO IKEMA AND NON-WORKING VILLAGE Pit Inn, Shinjuku ¥3,500 (afternoon)

JAN 25 HIKASHU, INOYAMALAND, DOMESTIC MITA BAND Star Pine's Cafe, Kichijoji ¥4,000

JAN 25 STRIP JOINT, POT-POURRI Soup, Ochiai ¥3,000

JAN 25 OSOYOOS, ROB NOYES/TOMO, MOTOMU MIURA, HITODAMA Green Apple, Koenji ¥1,500

JAN 25 CHIHEI HATAKEYAMA/TATSUHISA YAMAMOTO/&c. Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥4,000

JAN 25 AYAMI SUZUKI, CAZU-23/METHODD, DJ EMERALD, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,300

JAN 25 TETUZI AKIYAMA/MISAKI MOTOFUJI/KIYOMITSU ODAI Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

JAN 26 MAINLINER UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,500

JAN 26 YUMIKO TANAKA/YUKIKO SHIINA SAKURAZAWA Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

JAN 27 VIAGRA BOYS Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥7,800

JAN 27 YOSI HORIKAWA, SAPPHIRE SLOWS, TATSURO MURAKAMI, &c. Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥2,000

JAN 27 SAMM HENSHAW EX Theater Roppongi ¥9,500/¥11,000

JAN 27 NPLGNN, EFEEWMA, ELEMENT, OYUBI (DJ), &c. Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥2,800

JAN 28 TATSUHISA YAMAMOTO Hako Gallery, Yoyogi-Uehara ¥3,000

JAN 28 TAKURO OKADA BAND WWW, Shibuya ¥4,000

JAN 28 URBANGARDE, JUN TOGAWA Loft, Shinjuku ¥6,000

JAN 29 BORIS 'PINK' 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Club Quattro, Shibuya ¥4,400

JAN 29 HIROAKI MIZUTANI/FUMIO YASUDA/YASUHIRO YOSHIGAKI Pit Inn, Shinjuku ¥3,300

JAN 29 AICHER, RYOKEN MIYAZAKI, JUNPEI ISHIHARA, &c. Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥2,500

JAN 29 EN CREUX, HUH/YAN, TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA, T.MIKAWA, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000

JAN 30 SUSHIBOYS, PAS TASTA Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥4,300

JAN 30 JENNIFER LOVELESS, GCBG & JOE O, KENGOTAKI, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 30 BARRY CAN'T SWIM (DJ), OKADADA, DJ WILDPARTY Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,000

JAN 30 REGIS X LIAM ANDREWS, NOCO, MAYUDEPTH, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥2,500 (night)

JAN 30-31 DAVID BINNEY/LOUIS COLE/PERA KRSTAJIC Cotton Club, Marunouchi ¥8,500/¥11,000

JAN 31 EIICHI HAYASHI/YUICHI USHIODA/KEIGO IWAMI/MAKI NAGATA Pit Inn, Shinjuku ¥3,300

JAN 31 A CONCRETE MUR, KUMORIGAHARA, JYUNJYO MAZERAN UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,000

JAN 31 LOOPRIDER, SUN MOON HOLY CULT, BAHBOON, &c. Ruby Room, Shibuya ¥2,000

JAN 31 AYRTBH, IN THE SUN, 100MADO (DJ), &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000

JAN 31 EN CREUX/LEO OKAGAWA Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

JAN 31 CHAMI X YAZI, ELLI ARAKAWA, YANNY, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

JAN 31 BILLY WOODS, BY STORM, DOS MONOS, BBBBBBB, &c. Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥7,000 (night)

JAN 31 ALBINO SOUND, AROW, MARS89, TEI TEI, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥3,000 (night)

JAN 31 HARUKA, YOU FORGOT, TORUS, SIGNAL, &c. Womb, Shibuya ¥3,000

All prices are for advance tickets, unless otherwise noted. Schedules are liable to change at short notice.

Tokyo Gigs February 2026

FEB 1 MEI SEMONES Duo Music Exchange, Shibuya ¥7,800

FEB 1 KEIJI HAINO/GIOVANNI DI DOMENICO/TATSUHISA YAMAMOTO Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥4,000

FEB 1 DAVID BINNEY/LOUIS COLE/PERA KRSTAJIC Cotton Club, Marunouchi ¥8,500/¥11,000

FEB 1 SLOW CRUSH, ANORAK! Nine Spices, Shinjuku ¥6,000

FEB 1 OTOMO YOSHIHIDE/HIROSHI YAMAZAKI Baroom, Minami-Aoyama ¥5,000

FEB 1 2BD (SUGAR YOSHINAGA/YUMIKO OHNO) Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥4,500

FEB 2 SLOW CRUSH, SANS VISAGE Shelter, Shimokitazawa ¥6,000

FEB 2 KANKI GENSUKE 3/GIOVANNI DI DOMENICO Shichoshitsu, Jimbocho ¥3,500

FEB 2 KANAKO NUMATA/TAKASHI MASUBUCHI Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

FEB 3 SHOJI HANO/MAKOTO KAWABATA/MITSURU TABATA Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

FEB 4 AUTECHRE, KOHEI MATSUNAGA Zepp Divercity, Odaiba ¥8,800

FEB 4-5 NELS CLINE CONSENTRIK QUARTET Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥8,800

FEB 5 KOENJI HYAKKEI Koenji High ¥4,000

FEB 5 TEXPACK, AONI, PAVILION, DEAD BY INCHES Nine Spices, Shinjuku ¥3,500

FEB 5 ETHEL MESERVE Fever, Shindaita ¥6,800

FEB 6 SOICHI TERADA, IMAI, E.O.U (DJ), FELINE (DJ) WWW, Shibuya ¥3,500

FEB 6 CATERINA DE NICOLA, NVR, TZII, KEI KOBAYASHI (DJ), &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000

FEB 6 HAMACHI, YAGIHIROMI Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,000

FEB 6 KAMELIIA, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

FEB 6 ESKHA, EMILIO, PARTY FISH, STRATAH, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,000

FEB 6 DOS MONOS, ODD FOOT WORKS, THE ORAL CIGARETTES, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥5,800 (night)

FEB 6-7 AVISHAI COHEN NEW TRIO Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥11,800

FEB 7 TENORS IN CHAOS, FREEDOM RIDERS WWW X, Shibuya ¥7,500 (afternoon)

FEB 7 TOKYO GAKUSO: NEW YEAR'S GAGAKU Suntory Hall, Akasaka ¥3,000-¥6,500

FEB 7 THE ALBUM LEAF, JEJUNE, ETHEL MESERVE Club Quattro, Shibuya ¥TBA

FEB 7 TG.ATLAS, UNRIPE, ROJIN NO SHIGOTO, &c. Nine Spices, Shinjuku ¥3,400

FEB 7 TAIGEN KAWABE, TEMPLE OV SUBSONIC YOUTH Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

FEB 7 TOKYO MINYO CLUB Baroom, Minami-Aoyama ¥5,000

FEB 7 HAMACHI/ITOKEN Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

FEB 7 NAO YOSHIOKA, KIEFER WWW X, Shibuya ¥7,500 (evening)

FEB 7 HAMDI, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥TBC

FEB 7 ROZA TERENZI, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

FEB 7 AURORA HALAL, DJ MARIA, DJRUM, PRIORI (LIVE), &c. Womb, Shibuya ¥4,000

FEB 7 OBJEKT X CCL (ALL NIGHT), ZUNDOKO DISCO, RYOGO, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥4,000

FEB 8 TG.ATLAS, UNRIPE, AKUTAGAWA Shelter, Shimokitazawa ¥3,400 (afternoon)

FEB 8-10 AVISHAI COHEN QUINTET Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥11,800

FEB 8 NOTHING, WHIRR, ENVY Unit, Daikanyama ¥9,000

FEB 8 HAMACHI/MASAHIDE TOKUNAGA/LEO OKAGAWA Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

FEB 9 MY BLOODY VALENTINE Tokyo Garden Theater, Ariake ¥18,000/¥20,000

FEB 9 NOTHING, WHIRR, YURAGI Fever, Shindaita ¥9,000

FEB 9 BONJINTAN (SAKATA/O'ROURKE/DI DOMENICO/YAMAMOTO) Shichoshitsu, Jimbocho ¥3,800

FEB 9 TAMANARAMEN, POISON GIRL FRIEND WWW, Shibuya ¥3,500

FEB 9 HAMACHI/RYOTARO MIYASAKA/MISAKI MOTOFUJI Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

FEB 10 INFINITY SONG Billboard Live, Roppongi ¥11,200-¥13,900

FEB 10 ERMHOI, MASAMI TAKASHIMA Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

FEB 10 MAX COOPER (3D/AV LIVE SHOW) Unit, Daikanyama ¥5,000

FEB 11 SACHIKO M Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,000

FEB 12 MONO NO AWARE, DOS MONOS, GOTCH Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥6,500

FEB 12 PETERPARKER69, SUSHIBOYS WWW X, Shibuya ¥5,000

FEB 12 AYAMI SUZUKI, RISA TAKEDA Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

FEB 13 MOE, MERZBOW, TRIADOF13TH, LFQ, &c. Bush Bash, Koiwa ¥3,300

FEB 13 250, STUTS, ICHIKO AOBA/KEIGO OYAMADA/U-ZHAAN, &c. Spotify O-East, &c., Shibuya ¥8,800

FEB 13 COURTNEY BAILEY, &c. Womb, Shibuya ¥3,000

FEB 14 THE GENBAKU ONANIES, FORWARD, THE SLOMOTIONS, &c. Earthdom, Shin-Okubo ¥2,900

FEB 14 AT HER OPEN DOOR, RYECROFT, HOSHINA ANNIVERSARY, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,700

FEB 14 QUANTUM ARIA (CARL STONE/AKAIHIRUME) Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

FEB 14 SESSHOW NI ZETSUBOW, HANAZONO DISTANCE, &c. Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥2,800

FEB 15 YOKUJITSU, CUSPER, RERUN LANCE, PRAYMATE Soup, Ochiai ¥2,500

FEB 15 ACADEMY FIGHT SONG, NINE DAYS WONDER, MELT-BANANA, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥4,500

FEB 15 GUITAR ENSEMBLE NEGISHI Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

FEB 15 ENTH, HOTVOX, LILBESH RAMKO, PETERPARKER69, UNHOLY11 Unit, Daikanyama ¥4,500

FEB 17 FRANKIE COSMOS, YANUSHI WWW X, Shibuya ¥7,500

FEB 18 WET LEG Toyosu Pit ¥8,800

FEB 18 LUCY DACUS Zepp Shinjuku ¥8,500

FEB 18 REONA/AKIRA SAKATA Shichoshitsu, Jimbocho ¥3,500

FEB 19 ALEX G EX Theater, Roppongi ¥8,000/¥9,000

FEB 19 PINKPANTHERESS Toyosu Pit ¥12,800/¥32,800

FEB 19-20 GEESE Space Odd, Daikanyama ¥6,000

FEB 21 MASASHI YAMAMOTO/TETSU NAGASAWA/SHIBATETSU Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

FEB 21-22 MAC DEMARCO Kanda Square Hall ¥8,500

FEB 22 FUMI ENDO Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥2,000 (afternoon)

FEB 22 ROJIN NO SHIGOTO, KANDARIVAS, BELMADIGULA, &c. Earthdom, Shin-Okubo ¥3,500

FEB 22 DOWSER, H. NAGASHIMA/M. TERAI/R. FUKUOKA Club Doctor, Ogikubo ¥3,000

FEB 23 FRANKIE COSMOS Fever, Shindaita ¥7,500

FEB 23 BARANAMBU, MAJUTSU NO NIWA Club Doctor, Ogikubo ¥3,000

FEB 24 THE BETHS WWW X, Shibuya ¥7,500

FEB 24 KAZUO IMAI TRIO, PRO ET CONTRA TOKYO UNIT/JUN MORITA Club Doctor, Ogikubo ¥3,000

FEB 24-26 BUTCHER BROWN Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥8,800

FEB 25 BEHEMOTH, NIDHOGG Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥12,000

FEB 25 NĒNĒZ Haremame, Daikanyama ¥5,200

FEB 26 DOGO, DOS MONOS/KEI MATSUMARU WWW, Shibuya ¥3,500

FEB 27 LOLOET WWW, Shibuya ¥4,000

FEB 27 SOUMBALGWANG, FUJAYOH, PROM, &c. Nine Spices, Shinjuku ¥2,800

FEB 27 ALMA, AYAMI SUZUKI, HARRISSON (DJ), &c. Knock, Koenji ¥2,000

FEB 28 324, SWARRRM, BROB, AKBK, OTUS Earthdom, Shin-Okubo ¥3,500

FEB 28 HAKUSHI HASEGAWA, PAS TASTA, PETERPARKER69, &c. Zepp Shinjuku ¥6,600

FEB 28 MASAMICHI KINOSHITA, MAHAKIT MAHANIRANON/YUJI ISHIHARA Ftarri, Suidobashi ¥2,500

FEB 28 CHANGSIE, DJ HEALTHY, K WATA, SIMO CELL (LIVE), &c. WWW β, Shibuya ¥2,800

All prices are for advance tickets, unless otherwise noted. Schedules are liable to change at short notice.

Tokyo Gigs March 2026

MAR 1 SATOKO INOUE PIANO RECITAL: WORKS BY JO KONDO Suntory Hall, Akasaka ¥4,000

MAR 4 ALEX VENTLING WAVEMAKERS, &c. Haremame, Daikanyama ¥4,000

MAR 7 MANI NEUMEIER/KAZUHIDE YAMAJI/MITSURU TABATA UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,500

MAR 9 MONETOCHKA Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥14,500

MAR 10 FROST CHILDREN Space Odd, Daikanyama ¥7,000

MAR 13 ODISSEE & GOOD COMPNY, DJ MURO Unit, Daikanyama ¥6,000

MAR 15 GLIXEN Nine Spices, Shinjuku ¥7,000

MAR 16 GLIXEN, &c. Fever, Shindaita ¥7,000

MAR 17-18 SAM GREENFIELD Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥8,800

MAR 21-23 LISA LOEB Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥9,900

MAR 23 TODD RUNDGREN NHK Hall, Shibuya ¥14,800-¥19,800

MAR 25 TOE, DAICHI YAMAMOTO Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥6,000

MAR 25 TEXAS 3000, DJ BOTSU AKA NGS WWW, Shibuya ¥3,000

MAR 28 RPR SOUNDSYSTEM (RHADOO/PETRE INSPIRESCU/RARESH), &c. Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥6,500

MAR 28 CAMPANELLA W/ SHOBBIECONZ, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥4,800 (night)

MAR 31 JUN TOGAWA Tokyo Kinema Club, Uguisudani ¥6,500

All prices are for advance tickets, unless otherwise noted. Schedules are liable to change at short notice.

Tokyo Gigs April 2026

APR 1 PUMA BLUE Zepp Shinjuku ¥7,800

APR 2 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER Zepp Divercity, Odaiba ¥8,800

APR 4 DILLINGER FOUR Fever, Shindaita ¥7,500

APR 4 HIYAMUTA KEI BAND, PRAHA DEPART Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥3,500

APR 6 FOLK BITCH TRIO WWW, Shibuya ¥7,000

APR 9 STELLA DONNELLY Duo Music Exchange, Shibuya ¥6,800

APR 10 MAYHEM Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥9,800

APR 10 DADDY G, DON LETTS Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥6,500 (night)

APR 13 HONG KONG FUCK YOU, ABIGAIL, MERZBOW, &c. Earthdom, Shin-Okubo ¥5,000

APR 13 OTOBOKE BEAVER Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥4,000

APR 15 HEART TO GOLD, HAIKI Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥5,000

APR 16 FOUR TET Toyosu Pit ¥8,800

APR 19 HEART TO GOLD, HAIKI Nine Spices, Shinjuku ¥5,000

APR 20 EDDIE VEDDER Tokyo Garden Theater, Ariake ¥16,000/¥19,000

APR 23 INCAPACITANTS/MASATAKA FUJIKAKE/JUNJI HIROSE, KIRIHITO, &c. Showboat, Koenji ¥3,000

APR 26 SENSELESS APOCALYPSE, ANATOMIA, NEPENTHES, COFFINS, &c. Bush Bash, Koiwa ¥2,500

APR 27 NAPALM DEATH, MERZBOW, GROWL THE CLOWN Club Quattro, Shibuya ¥9,800

APR 29 ARNY MARGARET, ÅLBORG Three, Shimokitazawa ¥5,500

All prices are for advance tickets, unless otherwise noted. Schedules are liable to change at short notice.

Tokyo Gigs May 2026

MAY 1-2 KRAFTWERK SGC Hall Ariake ¥19,000/¥20,000

MAY 3 KEIJI HAINO Showboat, Koenji ¥5,000

MAY 4 DURAN, BORIS Fever, Shindaita ¥5,000

MAY 5 SPARKS, CORNELIUS SGC Hall Ariake ¥11,000-¥16,000

MAY 6 SPARKS Duo Music Exchange, Shibuya ¥12,000

MAY 7 HOT MULLIGAN Nine Spices, Shinjuku ¥7,500

MAY 9 HOT MULLIGAN WWW X, Shibuya ¥7,500

MAY 10 SYMPHONIC METAMORPHOSES Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Ikebukuro ¥9,000-¥17,000

MAY 10 HOT MULLIGAN Fever, Shindaita ¥7,500

MAY 11 BATHS WWW, Shibuya ¥5,500

MAY 23 HIATUS KAIYOTE, SNARKY PUPPY SGC Hall Ariake ¥9,800-¥14,000

All prices are for advance tickets, unless otherwise noted. Schedules are liable to change at short notice.

Tokyo Gigs June 2026

JUN 3 J.I.D Ebisu Garden Hall ¥9,000

JUN 4 TORTOISE Zepp Shinjuku ¥9,500

JUN 9 THE BETA BAND Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥8,800

All prices are for advance tickets, unless otherwise noted. Schedules are liable to change at short notice.

Tokyo Gigs July 2026

JUL 4 MAYA ONGAKU Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥5,000

All prices are for advance tickets, unless otherwise noted. Schedules are liable to change at short notice.

New (and old) music from Japan – Winter 2025 edition

Notable releases I’ve finally got around to writing about

We’re deep into Album of the Year review season – The Wire and The Quietus both just dropped theirs – so what better time to publish an article I started working on back in, er, August? No idea why this took so long to come together, though the usual feeble excuses (work, travel, inertia) apply. Over the past week, I’ve found a bunch more releases I want to write about, so there may be more to come before the year is out.

New (and old) music from Japan – Spring 2025 edition

Notable new Japanese releases and reissues

This might be a return to regular programming, but no promises. Things have been quiet on the work front recently, which has given me more time to sift through my Bandcamp pile and ferret out the good stuff. Here are some of the releases and reissues from the first three months of the year (plus one straggler from 2024) that have grabbed me. I should note that some of these snuck up on me gradually, rather than revealing all their charms on first listen. An album as subtle and intelligently crafted as Eiko Ishibashi’s Antigone wasn’t designed for the streaming era, which is all the more reason to cherish it.

Notable Japanese releases from 2024

Good music from a (mostly) bad year

I fell out of the habit of posting album reviews during 2024, partly because I simply wasn’t listening to as much Japanese music as I had done in the previous few years. Still, it felt remiss not to acknowledge a few of the highlights of a year that, by most objective measures, was pretty wretched. I’m grateful to the handful of people who gave me a much-needed nudge to write this, and also to my friend Ian F. Martin for showing how it should be done with his defiantly unpunctual zine, Last Year’s Music. (I’d post a link, but I’m afraid you’ll have to seek out a physical copy.)