In some respects, Japanese popular music has a very distinctive sound that can make it difficult for non-Japanese audiences to engage with.
Although there’s a lot of great mainstream Japanese music to be found, many casual admirers of Japanese pop culture are only exposed to the material that’s consistently at the top of the charts.
Large idol groups such as AKB48 have been dominating the music scene in Japan in recent years, and while they’re obviously extremely cute and very popular in Japan, that high-pitched, sugary-sweet vocal style can be a little harsh on Western eardrums, while solo acts like Hamasaki Ayumi can come across as quite nasally to a non-Japanese audience.
The point of this article is to offer some alternatives to Japanese music that might better appeal to the Western listener, but that is not totally divorced from the mainstream Japanese pop/rock sound. To that end, I’ll be going over several Japanese bands and soloists that could be worth your time checking out if you’re after something current, but still just a little off the beaten track. While several of these recommendations have in fact featured very highly multiple times on the Oricon chart, they can sometimes be overshadowed by larger or better-financed acts.
Although they’re officially listed as a pop group, I have trouble thinking of Kalafina as pop simply because they don’t fit the conventional image, either in terms of physical style or actual sound. Formed by legendary composer Kajiura Yuki in 2007, they’re a 3-member band whose harmonies are truly a feast for the ears. You wouldn’t guess by looking at them (especially Keiko in the middle there, who puts me in mind of a slightly mischievous pixie), but each vocalist has an incredibly rich voice, and fabulous stage presence. While their music videos aren’t exactly exciting, they’re always a pleasure to watch thanks to their general charisma and gorgeous clothing choices – usually a mix of slightly fantastical Lolita-inspired wear.
Single suggestions: ‘progressive’, Lacrimosa’, and ‘Magia’ (but really, there’s no single I don’t like).
Sid
Sid is a visual kei band, but unlike a lot of other visual kei bands I actually like their sound. I’m not knocking the genre at all, but visual kei often isn’t especially Western-friendly, either in terms of general aesthetic or overall musical style. While many bands of this type tend to limit themselves to hard rock or metal, Sid mixes it up a lot and makes for an experience that’s less intense yet more interesting than a lot of visual kei material I’ve been exposed to. They were formed in 2003 and since then have some waves in the Japanese music industry, with some of their songs being used for major anime titles like Bleach, Kuroshitsuji and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
Single suggestions: ‘Ranbu no Melody’, ‘Rain’, and ‘Monochrome no Kiss’.
YUI
I was a bit iffy about putting YUI on this list at first – not because I don’t like her music (on the contrary, I think she’s a fabulous vocalist), but because she’s become household name in Japan and therefore perhaps already well-known enough amongst any Western listener with a curiosity for Japanese music. What made me want to put her on the list anyway is the quality of her voice. Unlike the majority of extremely popular Japanese female singers, YUI has quite a low-pitched vocal style with a husky sound to it. She’s also got a lot of credibility as an artist, in that she writes and composes her own songs and plays her own instruments – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano and drums. Her songs have a nice earthy feel to them, and her catchy upbeat tunes are just as good as her ballads.
Single suggestions: ‘Again’, ‘Rain’, and ‘Tomorrow’s Way’.
Kawase Tomoko
This singer has had an interesting career so far, in that she has two separate musical personalities (Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6) and is also the lead vocalist of another musical act (The Brilliant Green). While february is a persona inspired by British and American 1980s synth pop, heavenly is more influenced by rock and punk, although still has a sound mainstream enough to be considered pop/rock. People seem to have a love of either one or the other, but both acts have a lot of fun and enthusiasm to them – and I’m fairly sure that she knows how to poke fun at herself as well, what with album names like Strawberry Cream Soda Pop Daydream and Gothic Melting Ice Cream’s Darkness Nightmare. If Kawase’s music reminded me of any one Western artist it would be Avril Lavigne back in her first couple of years. In terms of styling, they even sometimes look a bit similar.
Single suggestions (you get more then 3 since, musically-speaking, she’s more than one person): ‘Ash Like Snow’, ‘Lonely in Gorgeous’, ‘Ready?’, ‘Pray’, and ‘Papermoon’. Yeah, I’m a heavenly girl.
abingdon boys school
Formed in 2005 by Nishikawa Takanori of T.M Revolution fame, abingdon boys school is a rock band whose name has pretty much nothing to do with the British school of the same name (although they are wearing uniforms in some of their music videos). As an alternative rock band, they’re a bit different to a lot of other popular rock bands around Japan, but not that unfamiliar to non-Japanese listeners in terms of general style. Influenced by 1980s and 90s hair bands, their sound reflects something of their musical inspirations: Van Halen, Jane’s Addiction, and Hanoi Rocks. Given that they’ve taken their cues from glam rock/glam metal, it’s understandable that they’ve got some visual kei flavour to them, but nothing that’s too out there.
Single suggestions: ‘JAP’, ‘Howling’, and ‘Strength’.
SCANDAL
They’re a 4-member girl band but don’t let that put you off – these ladies sound nothing like most other mainstream Japanese pop/rock girl bands, and even less like the material that I was exposed to on the school bus, thank god. What keeps SCANDAL fresh, other than their not-too-pop sound, is that while they have a lead singer, everyone chips in on the music with their own very distinct vocals. SCANDAL’s energy is also hard to ignore; perhaps because of their start as regular street performers, they’ve got a very lively vibe and are all cute as buttons to boot. Although they started out as an indie group, the band is now tied to a major label and has released several very well-received singles. They’re also starting to get pretty popular with overseas fans, but fortunately have managed to keep hold of their fun garage rock charm for many of their songs.
Single suggestions: ‘Shunkan Sentimental’, ‘Doll’, and ‘Namida no Regret’.
Kimura Kaela
A pop/rock singer with a hint of punk flavour, Kimura is a half-Japanese, half-British singer with a lot going for her. While her music is very accessible, her music videos show that she’s not afraid to be experimental, and there’s a lot of variety to be had within the scope of sound that’s presented to us. This latter aspect is probably what I like most about Kimura – her voice is distinctive enough to stand out from other popular Japanese female soloists, but she also never seems to release a single that sounds too similar to the one that came before it. Granted, it’s to be expected that any given musician’s style will change to a certain extent over time, but when I was first listening to a couple of Kimura’s songs, it was hard to believe that she was the same person. Overall, her work tends to have an optimistic yet down-to-earth feel to it.
Single suggestions: ‘Kidoairaku plus ai’, ‘Banzai’, and ‘Magic Music’.
Chemistry
I’m not much of an R&B fan, but this 2-man band mixes R&B and pop into a smooth mix that’s surprisingly easy to swallow. In 2000 they won Asayan (a talent search variety show) and debuted with Sony Music the following year with a single that went straight to the top of the charts. What I like most about Chemistry (other than the fact that they make R&B bearable) is that the duo work really well together – there’s no strong one and weak one, and no playing at lead versus backup either. And because there’s not a whole heap of Japanese duos out there in comparison to the bigger groups and solo artists, Chemistry has a fresh, catchy vibe about them that makes their music very appealing. As of April 2012 the band’s activities have been put on hold so that the duo can work on some solo material, but I believe they’ll be back in the not-too-distant future.
Single suggestions: ‘Period’, ‘Merry-go-round’, and ‘Life goes on’.
