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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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 THOMAS SCHUMACHER, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

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

JAN 24 SWIM, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,000

JAN 24 PARAMIDA, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JAN 30 JENNIFER LOVELESS, &c. Vent, Omotesando ¥2,500

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

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

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 ETHEL MESERVE Fever, Shindaita ¥6,800

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 18 WET LEG Toyosu Pit ¥8,800

FEB 18 LUCY DACUS Zepp Shinjuku ¥8,500

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

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

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

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

FEB 23 FRANKIE COSMOS Fever, Shindaita ¥7,500

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

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

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 10 FROST CHILDREN Space Odd, Daikanyama ¥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 28 RPR SOUNDSYSTEM (RHADOO/PETRE INSPIRESCU/RARESH), &c. Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥6,500

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 6 FOLK BITCH TRIO WWW, Shibuya ¥7,000

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

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

APR 16 FOUR TET Toyosu Pit ¥8,800

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

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 4 DURAN, BORIS Fever, Shindaita ¥5,000

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

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

MAY 10 HOT MULLIGAN Fever, Shindaita ¥7,500

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.

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.)

From the archives: Ichiko Aoba, 2016 Japan Times interview

“I get most of my energy for creating stories from dreams.”

Ichiko Aoba, 2016. Photo by James Hadfield

Ichiko Aoba takes her seat at an old-fashioned coffee house in Shibuya, and places a sketchpad and a plump pouch of rolling tobacco on the table. During the hour-long conversation that follows, the tobacco goes untouched, but the sketchpad gets a thorough workout. As she talks, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter reflexively scribbles drawings and kanji characters to elucidate what she’s saying, the way a university lecturer might.

From the archives: Fishmans, 2019 Japan Times interview

“We were ‘just doing it,’ but ‘just doing it’ takes real single-mindedness”

Kin-ichi Motegi of Fishmans, 2019. Photo by James Hadfield

In the eternal present of modern listening, when the entire history of recorded sound is just a few clicks away, some music reverberates for longer. That’s been the case with Fishmans, a cult 1990s act whose blend of dub rhythms and dream-pop reverie continues to lure new fans 20 years after the untimely death of frontman Shinji Sato.

Though they were able to sell out 2,000-capacity venues in their prime, Fishmans never enjoyed widespread commercial success. In an era when Japan’s top-selling artists were shifting millions of copies, they barely registered in the Oricon charts.