LM.C was founded by maya, a support guitarist for musician Miyavi in the support band Ishihara Gundan (Ishihara being Miyavi's real last name, Gundan means 'brigade' or 'army' in Japanese) and a guitarist...

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Versailles is a visual-kei band noted for their quick rise to international notoriety. The group was formed in March 2007 by singer KAMIJO and guitarist HIZAKI. Bassist Jasmine You, who had previously...

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Formed in Okinawa in 2001, Orange Range is known as a "mixture hip-hop" band. A sextet, the band comprises Ryo (low range vocals), Hiroki (mid range vocals), Yamato (high range vocals), Naoto...

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More of a lifestyle accoutrement than a band, Capsule creates music to complement the Eames chair in your corner and the Motherwell on your wall. The brainchild of composer, lyricist, designer, cinematographer,...

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YUI is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. She is currently signed to Studioseven Recordings and attached to the talent agency Stardust Promotion. ...

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Luminaries of the much-hyped Shibuya-kei scene, the Pizzicato Five's music combines Burt Bacharach songcraft with go-go kitsch; chanteusy murmurings backed by an updated pastiche of everything that...

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The GazettE is a Japanese visual kei[1] alternative metal band formed in early 2002, currently signed to PS Company, King Records and CLJ Records. In March 2002, Ruki, Uruha, and Reita (all former band...

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UVERworld (ウーバーワールド) is an influential rock band known for their mixture of musical genres such as hard rock, electronic, and post-punk. Uverchan, the band's mascot, is a fictional bear-bat...

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Morning Musume, literally "morning daughter", is a pop culture phenomena that launched in 1997. While in some ways reminiscent of Onyanko Club (or in American terms something like a cross...

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Born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1986 to a Japanese mother and half-Japanese father, Beni Arashiro is the first member of the all-girl Bishojo Club 31 to simultaneously pursue a career as a solo artist....

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The 5.6.7.8's formed in Tokyo in 1986. Since then the line-up has changed many times, with the constants being singer/ guitarist Ronnie "Yoshiko" Fujiyama, and drummer Sachiko. The band embraces...

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Chage and Aska were THE J-pop success story in the late '80s and early '90s. The two natives of Fukuoka Prefecture first came to the public's attention by winning the 1979 Yamaha Popular Song Festival,...

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Proclaiming themselves "The Most Powerful Japanese Girlie Pop Rock", the band Scandal comprises four high school girls from Osaka: Haruna Ono (vocals, guitar), Tomomi Ogawa (bass, vocals),...

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In Japan's "chew 'm up and spit 'm out" idol culture, Aya Ueto has had a run longer than most. The Tokyo native, born in 1985, has been a force on the radio and television, and in theaters...

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 Aqua Timez formed in 2000 after two of the original members, the vocalist and bass met on the internet and discovered that they attended the same university. At their formation with all their...

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Eikichi Yazawa, born September 14, 1949 in Hiroshima, is a veteran rock music figure, with such an incredibly devoted following that it is tempting to call him the Japanese Elvis. He first burst onto...

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A tried-and-true J-pop promotional tactic is to get some overseas exposure for an artist and then tell the often credulous Japanese media that he or she has really made a splash in the U.S., Britain,...

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Despite the sleepy image their name might suggest, The Pillows have been relentlessly rocking for over 20 years, and handling many of the details of their careers themselves. The group formed in 1989,...

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m-flo are one of the biggest names in Japanese hip-hop, and became such by bringing together foreign influences and Japanese sensibilities. The group's nucleus of composer/ trackmaker/producer Taku...

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Happy End was a band consisting of bassist/vocalist Haruomi Hosono (previously with Apryl Fool, later of Yellow Magic Orchestra), guitarist/vocalist Eiichi Otaki, guitarist/ vocalist Shigeru Suzuki...

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Yasutaka Nakata is a Japanese music producer and DJ. He formed Capsule in 1997 with vocalist Toshiko Koshijima, acting as both composer and producer for the group, which debuted in 2001.  In addition...

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 Yoshiki Hayashi (林 佳樹, born November 20, 1965, in Tateyama, Japan) is a musician, songwriter and producer. Throughout his professional career...

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One of the Japanese music scene's most interesting and consistently creative artists is Ringo Shena, a hard-rocking singer-songwriter who has carved out a unique niche for herself ever since her debut...

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Sugizo is a Japanese musician, currently playing guitar in supergroup Skin, X Japan, and Juno Reactor.  Brought up by classical music as his parents played in the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra,...

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The kings of Japanese heavy metal are unquestionably the group Loudness. The band was formed in 1981 from the ashes of Lazy, which had contained guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi....

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Chatmonchy is an all-girl guitar rock trio originally hailing from Tokushima Prefecture. The current lineup is Eriko Hashimoto (guitar, vocals), Akiko Fukuoka (bass, chorus), and Kumiko Takahashi (drums,...

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Luna Sea was one of the biggest ever "visual kei" bands, active between 1989 and 2000. The band first formed in May 1989 as Lunacy but changed their name to Luna Sea in November 1990. The band played...

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Pop/R&B singer Thelma Aoyama, often romanized from katakana to Teruma Aoyama, was born in 1987 in Nara, Japan. Her love for music started early, and at the tender age of three she became a huge...

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Dué le quartz (デュールクォーツ) was a Japanese visual kei rock band that formed in December 1998 and signed to PS Company, a sub-division of Free-Will. The band opened a fanclub on August...

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Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, or "Suka Para" as they are usually referred to, were formed as party band in the late 80's, by a group of young musicians. After over one thousand live shows,...

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Seiko Matsuda, the most super of all super idols, and is still going strong in the entertainment business even though she is now in her 40's. Of course many American and European rock bands carry on...

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Show-Ya was a female heavy metal band that briefly enjoyed big popularity in Japan, and made a valiant attempt at making it worldwide. Formed in 1984, the group's very first gig was in at Dingwall's...

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Like the Beastie Boys, their default western counterparts, Scha Dara Parr masterfully balances mass public appeal with strong credibility among kids and artists alike - a balance which has helped them...

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Decked out in head to toe black leather, shades, greased up hair and delivering a devastating cherry bomb guitar attack, Tokyo's Guitar Wolf are cooler than you are. Like the Ramones - an obvious influence...

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Tommy february6 is one of several side projects (including the similarly named Tommy heavenly6) by The Brilliant Green vocalist Tomoko Kawase, with the curious name being a reference to the date of...

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Comprising Yuki Isoya (vocals), Yoshihito Onda (keyboards), Kohta Igarashi (drums), and Takuya Asanuma (guitar), Judy and Mary played pop punk that was defined by Yuki's distinctive vocal style, superb...

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Tomoyasu Hotei has been major star in Japan for over 20 years, sold over 25 million albums, and is increasingly well known internationally. Possessing strong skills as both a guitarist and songwriter,...

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Influenced heavily by the music of artists such as the Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin, blues/rock artist Superfly has been making western music of the 60s and 70s popular in 21st century Japan through...

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Two famous Japanese died in 1989. One was Emperor Hirohito, now known posthumously as Emperor Showa. The other was enka singer Hibari Misora (which translates as "beautiful skylark" - the...

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Minmi is a good example of how many Japanese musicians are confidently adapting and incorporating musical influences from all over the world into their music, which in her case is a blend of R&B...

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Jun Onose (小野瀬 潤), or J, is the former bassist of the Japanese band Luna Sea. He was born August 12, 1970. He still plays bass, but also sings lead vocals in his own band. His...

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After a performance as Tommy february6 in 2003, Kawase took off her glasses and donned a much more alternative look to create Tommy heavenly6, a brand new character with a modern rock sound....

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Sisters Naoko and Atsuko Yamano joined with buddy Michie Nakatani in December of 1981 to form the band Shonen Knife.The Osaka based band played in livehouses in the Kansai area, and built up a following...

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DOES (ドーズ) is a three-piece rock band. DOES was formed in Fukuoka prefecture in 2000, and did musical activities such as composition and performing there. Until 2005, some members were changed...

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The singing duo known as Pink Lady consisted of Keiko Masuda and Mitsuyo Nemoto, who were usually referred to as Kei and Mie. The two Shizuoka girls were "discovered" through an NHK talent...

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Yoshio Akeboshi, more commonly known as Akeboshi, is a Japanese pop and folk singer mainly known for the song "Wind", which was the first opening for the TV anime series Naruto. ...

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SMAP, said to stand for Sports Music Assemble People, are the most successful of the idol groups created by the iconic idol factory Johnny's Jimusho (literally Johnny's Office, usually seen in English...

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