Tokyo Gigs August 2026

AUG 1 R0TTEN, LIL PEACE, MON/KU, YAPORIGAMI, &c. Buoy, Kitasenju ¥3,000

AUG 2 ZAZEN BOYS, KAZUKI TOMOKAWA, MACHIDA JIZOSON, &c. Loft, Shinjuku ¥5,500

AUG 2 DJ HOLIDAY, MERZBOW, PAYBACK BOYS, THE WEST AGROS, &c. Bush Bash, Koiwa ¥3,300

AUG 2 LE MAKEUP, MARE INTERNO, MIHAMAASMELODIES Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,700

AUG 3 PU POO PLATTER, MAYA ONGAKU Fever, Shindaita ¥5,500

AUG 4 YOUKI NOSEYAMA, NAOAKI MIYAMOTO Soup, Ochiai ¥1,500

AUG 4 PU POO PLATTER, TAKURO OKADA QUARTET Aoyama Moonromantic ¥5,500

AUG 4-8 MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCHESTRA Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥14,000

AUG 5 HANAZONO DISTANCE, FUGASI, WADA/MIRAI/HAMACHI Aoyama Moonromantic ¥3,000

AUG 5 SUGAR YOSHINAGA/KENTARO NAKAO/ATSUSHI MATSUSHITA Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥4,000

AUG 6 JOY HEIGHTS (TATSUYA NAKAMURA/OTOMO YOSHIHIDE/TATSU/&c.) Fever, Shindaita ¥6,000

AUG 6 LOLOET, HUGEN, FUGA AKASE/SAYAKA BOTANIC/HAMACHI Aoyama Moonromantic ¥3,000

AUG 6 SATOMIMAGAE, YUMI IWAKI, SOSHI TAKEDA Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥2,500

AUG 7 DYGL Fever, Shindaita ¥5,000

AUG 7 AT HER OPEN DOOR, RYECROFT, ARCAS, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,700

AUG 8 KEIICHI SOKABE, SLIGHT SLAPPERS, 2MUCH CREW, &c. Spotify O-Nest/7th Floor, Shibuya ¥4,800

AUG 8 A.B.L, STELGRRRUIG, RAWDRAX, KALASVVARA, &c. Soup, Ochiai ¥2,500

AUG 8 QUE DJ, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,000

AUG 9 SEIICHI YAMAMOTO & THE PLAYGROUND EAST, HONJITSUKYUEN Red Cloth, Shinjuku ¥4,000

AUG 9 KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI Bar Isshee, Sendagi ¥500 + tip

AUG 9 SAICOBAB Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,800

AUG 9 KIERAN DALY, AMI YOSHIDA, SEAN COLUM, PEEQ Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

AUG 9 ACIDGELGE, ACID TAMIYA 346, ACIDWHITEHOUSE, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥3,500

AUG 10 CLAUDIO SIMONETTI'S GOBLIN Billboard Live, Roppongi ¥8,900-¥11,600

AUG 10 LIMITED TOSS, USK, EPHEMEGRA, PORTAL (DJ), &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,300

AUG 11 KOHEI KAMOTO, MILO OYAMADA, NOËLLE, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,500

AUG 11 P-IPLE, THE TELEPASHITS, WORST TASTE, FALLOPIAN DISCO FORCE, &c. Nakano Moonstep ¥3,000

AUG 12 NICK OLIVERI, AZARAK, BLASTING ROD Fever, Shindaita ¥4,500

AUG 12 XIANG/SHINPEI RUIKE/TAKASHI SEO Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

AUG 13 DAVID BYRNE SGC Hall Ariake ¥15,000-¥22,000

AUG 13 STEVE LACY Toyosu Pit ¥12,000

AUG 13 HOLLY HUMBERSTONE Duo Music Exchange, Shibuya ¥8,000

AUG 14 MASAYO KOKETSU/MITO/KOJI OHTA Bar Isshee, Sendagi ¥500 + tip

AUG 14 TV TAIRIKU ONDO, BONNO VIBE, OUKURAMIRAI Aoyama Moonromantic ¥3,500

AUG 15 OLEDICKFOGGY, SEPPUKU PISTOLS, MEANING, &c. Fever, Shindaita ¥4,000

AUG 15 TV TAIRIKU ONDO, FIRE BOYS, WAKUSEI TSUSHINSHA Aoyama Moonromantic ¥3,500

AUG 15 CYST (IGLOOGHOST/BABII), &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,500

AUG 16 HIKASHU, TV TARIKU ONDO Haremame, Daikanyama ¥4,000

AUG 16 EIKO ISHIBASHI/JIM O'ROURKE, KEI MATSUMARU Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥4,800

AUG 19 MEI EHARA, YUMA ABE, WATARU KAKUBARI (DJ) Club Quattro, Shibuya ¥4,500

AUG 19 WHAM-O, KIRIHITO, MOOOLS, IROIRO Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥3,500

AUG 19 RAI TATEISHI, TATSUHISA YAMAMOTO Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

AUG 20 AFRIRAMPO, OTOBOKE BEAVER, MERZBOW, SUPER JET KINOKO Fever, Shindaita ¥4,500

AUG 20 MARTIN ESCALANTE/TATSUYA YOSHIDA/NATSUKI KIDO Mandala, Kichijoji ¥3,500

AUG 20 HINA/TATSU/ATSUHIRO ITO, KONTON UZUMAKI, TOOTWO, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000

AUG 21 GREEN MILK..., LFQ, ROUJIN NO SHIGOTO, TIALA, &c. Bush Bash, Koiwa ¥2,500

AUG 22 ARCHEUS, USURABI Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

AUG 22 WANCHAI CONNECTION, OWLGALL, SLOWMARICO, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,500

AUG 22 BABY J, NASTHUG, RYUU, &c. Circus Tokyo, Shibuya ¥3,500

AUG 26 POKETTO Hako Gallery, Yoyogi-Uehara ¥3,000

AUG 25 LINDIGO FAMILY W/ ANNA SATO, ODUCHU Aoyama Moonromantic ¥5,000

AUG 26 NAO KODAMA, MASAMI TAKASHIMA Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

AUG 27 SACHIKO M Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,500

AUG 28 AZYMUTH & SABRINA MALHEIROS WWW X, Shibuya ¥8,500

AUG 28 AKKOGORILLA W/ FRIENDS, WANG DONG DOODLE, &c. Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥3,500

AUG 28 KUNIKAZU TANAKA/KENICHI MATSUMOTO/RYUICHI YOSHIDA Bar Isshee, Sendagi ¥500 + tip

AUG 29 KAKUHAN, FLYING RHYTHMS, UNDEFINED, COMPUMA (DJ) WWW, Shibuya ¥4,500

AUG 29 CAN IS, MITSURU TABATA/KENTARO NAKAO UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,500

AUG 30 DO THANK ANAL, SALADABAR, ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK, &c. Club Goodman, Akihabara ¥3,800

AUG 30 MIYAMA MCQUEEN-TOKITA/SUZUERI Bar Isshee, Sendagi ¥500 + tip

AUG 30 POCOPEN + NISHIWAKI, KOMORI + YUSA Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

AUG 30 YUKI NAKAGAWA W/ TATSUHISA YAMAMOTO Polaris, Minami-Aoyama ¥3,200

AUG 30-31 MARY HALVORSON'S AMARYLLIS SEXTET Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥8,800

AUG 31 FLO Toyosu Pit ¥12,000

AUG 31 MIYAMA MCQUEEN-TOKITA/AKIRA SAKATA Bar Isshee, Sendagi ¥500 + tip

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

Tokyo Gigs September 2026

SEP 2 RACING MOUNT PLEASANT Unit, Daikanyama ¥7,500

SEP 3-4 THE ROOTS Billboard Live, Roppongi ¥17,900-¥22,000

SEP 4 BUFFALO DAUGHTER, THE HATCH Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥4,800

SEP 5 KUNIKO KATO: STEVE REICH PROJECT Persimmon Hall, Meguro ¥4,500

SEP 5 SISTERS IN THE VELVET, AYATO Spread, Shimokitazawa ¥3,000

SEP 5-6 BILL LAURANCE TRIO Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥8,800

SEP 7 LEBANON HANOVER Shibuya Ongakudo ¥7,900

SEP 7-9 THE RESIDENTS: 'ESKIMO' Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥11,000

SEP 8 THEE MARLOES, MINAMI ISHIWATA SOUL INST. SESSION Haremame, Daikanyama ¥8,000

SEP 9 THEE MARLOES, TINY STEP "SOUTHSIDE" TRIO WWW X, Shibuya ¥8,000

SEP 9 CRACK CLOUD, TRAMHAUS Aoyama Moonromantic ¥8,000

SEP 9 ADRIAN SHERWOOD, NIGHTMARES ON WAX, &c. Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥8,000

SEP 10 ELEPHANT GYM, MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS WWW X, Shibuya ¥5,800

SEP 10 NADJA: 'SEEMANNSGARN', NIJURASEN, RISA TAKEDA Theater Guild, Daikanyama ¥4,500

SEP 10 MUI ZYU, KUROIWA ASUKA TO YORU Aoyama Moonromantic ¥4,500

SEP 10 NIA ARCHIVES Zepp Shinjuku ¥8,000

SEP 11 AIDAN BAKER, SAYAKA BOTANIC, NOBUYUKI TERUI Chiteo, Otsuka ¥2,500

SEP 10 NADJA: 'CUT'/'LABYRINTHINE', KAOGANAI, TATTERED THE WALL, &c. Soup, Ochiai ¥4,000

SEP 13 MEITEI, SUGAI KEN Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥4,800

SEP 13 YUKO IKEMA, KOKYU WITH GYPSIES Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

SEP 16 FISHBONE, MAYSON'S PARTY EX Theater Roppongi ¥8,000

SEP 17 ASH Unit, Daikanyama ¥8,500

SEP 17 CARCASS Toyosu Pit ¥9,500

SEP 18 ASH Club Quattro, Shibuya ¥8,500

SEP 18 REMON NAKANISHI & SUZUME NO TEARS WWW, Shibuya ¥5,500

SEP 18 CARCASS Space Odd, Daikanyama ¥9,500

SEP 19 THE DAMNED Toyosu Pit ¥11,000

SEP 19 HANAZONO DISTANCE, MIRUIZOKU Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

SEP 20 ROUJIN NO SHIGOTO, SECOND TO NONE, TRIADOF13TH, &c. Earthdom, Shin-Okubo ¥5,500

SEP 20 GOAT, FLYING RHYTHMS Wall&Wall, Omotesando ¥7,000

SEP 20 KEIJI HAINO/RICO KOBAYASHI Gekkasha, Jimbocho ¥3,500

SEP 20 EIKO ISHIBASHI, HIROKO SEBU, TATSUHISA YAMAMOTO Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥4,000

SEP 21 SEPTETO SANTIAGUERO Club Quattro, Shibuya ¥TBC

SEP 21 ROUJIN NO SHIGOTO, NEPENTHESS, AZARAK, OGAHM, &c. Earthdom, Shin-Okubo ¥5,500

SEP 22 IBOIBO TAIZEN, FUTENZOKU UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,500

SEP 23 IBOIBO TAIZEN, KATSUREI UFO Club, Higashi-Koenji ¥3,500

SEP 24 BELLE & SEBASTIAN: 'TIGERMILK' Kanadevia Hall, Suidobashi ¥9,800/¥12,000

SEP 25 BELLE & SEBASTIAN: 'IF YOU'RE FEELING SINISTER' Kanadevia Hall, Suidobashi ¥9,800/¥12,000

SEP 26 PQ, SA YUU, NON-BOYCOTT Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥2,500

SEP 29 US Liquidroom, Ebisu ¥6,500

SEP 29 JHARIS YOKLEY + BIGYUKI Blue Note Tokyo, Minami-Aoyama ¥8,000

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

Tokyo Gigs October 2026

OCT 1 CAROLINE, MY NEW BAND BELIEVE Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥10,000

OCT 1 TOMORA Tokyo Garden Theater, Ariake ¥15,000/¥17,000

OCT 3 MARK ROBINSON, TRUE LOVE ALWAYS, CINDY Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥4,000

OCT 8 TORU TAKEMITSU: BEYOND THE CENTENARY VOL. 1 Tokyo Opera City, Hatsudai ¥5,000

OCT 8 SUDAN ARCHIVES Duo Music Exchange, Shibuya ¥8,500

OCT 10 CINDY, APRIL MAGAZINE, THE MOMENT OF NIGHTFALL Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,500

OCT 11 MARK ROBINSON, TRUE LOVE ALWAYS, PERVENCHE Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,500

OCT 13 EZRA COLLECTIVE Toyosu Pit ¥9,000

OCT 15 MARINA TANTANOZI, FRANTZ LORIOT, PHILIPP EDEN, &c. Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥3,000

OCT 16 YĪN YĪN Spotify O-East, Shibuya ¥6,500

OCT 22 CA7RIEL & PACO AMOROSO Toyosu Pit ¥9,800/¥12,800

OCT 24 KEIJI HAINO/AYUO Nanahari, Hatchobori ¥4,000

OCT 24 ZERO LIFE, SUNDIALLL, ORPHIDS, TRIADOF13TH, &c. Forestlimit, Hatagaya ¥2,000

OCT 25 YUTA ORISAKA SGC Hall Ariake ¥8,500

OCT 25 GIANTS CHAIR, DIRT COPY, DON CARNAGE, MIRROR Era, Shimokitazawa ¥6,500

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

Tokyo Gigs November 2026

NOV 4 THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JOUJOUKA WWW X, Shibuya ¥22,000

NOV 6 TOUCHÉ AMORÉ Unit, Daikanyama ¥7,500

NOV 9 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Toyosu Pit ¥11,000

NOV 23 WOLF ALICE Toyosu Pit ¥9,900

NOV 24-25 TYONDAI BRAXTON Sogetsu Hall, Akasaka ¥9,000

NOV 24-25 IRON MAIDEN K Arena, Yokohama ¥15,000-¥30,000

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

Tokyo Gigs December 2026

DEC 8 JAMES BLAKE Zepp Haneda ¥14,000-¥16,000

DEC 9 MAYA ONGAKU The Garden Hall, Ebisu ¥5,500/¥6,000

DEC 14 DIE SPITZ Space Odd, Daikanyama ¥7,500

DEC 15 DOMI & JD BECK Toyosu Pit ¥9,900

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

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.

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.)

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.