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December 23, 2024
 

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Ryotaro Aoki
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 7, 2017
J-pop duo Scott & Rivers on writing Japanese lyrics
When American musician Scott Murphy first came to Japan in 2001, he could only say a few phrases in Japanese.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 26, 2017
Figuring out who to watch at this year's Fuji Rock Festival
The 2017 edition of Fuji Rock Festival boasts one of the more eclectic lineups the long-running gathering has had in recent years. The headliners tell the tale: Cartoon rockers Gorillaz share the same font size as electronic pop star Bjork and dance music weirdo Aphex Twin. Dig deeper and you'll find...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 25, 2017
For Uhnellys, surviving Tokyo's live-scene circuit has been an exercise in perseverance
When you're an independent rock band, maintaining a do-it-yourself ethic long-term can be difficult. Many acts eventually have to scale back, and dreams of a musical career turn into the reality of having a really cool hobby. Uhnellys, however, have kept up the fight.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 11, 2017
Rock act Boris marks 25 years with an album inspired by fans
Halfway through my conversation with Atsuo, drummer and spokesman for drone metal trio Boris, I bring out an original CD copy of the group's 1996 release, "Absolutego."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 21, 2017
Review: After Hours provides powerful rock and a strong statement of intent
"Standing against those that ruin art," was the tagline for the After Hours festival, which took place across four venues in Shibuya on April 9. The sponsor-free event, curated by the bands Mono, Downy and Envy, featured more than 30 artists from a wide range of backgrounds and genres, coming together...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 18, 2017
Dustin Wong is open to opinion on his latest album with Takako Minekawa
Musician Dustin Wong returned to Japan five years ago and, despite having grown up here, he encountered a few cultural differences after coming back.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 4, 2017
Envy, Mono and Downy devise a dream lineup for After Hours music festival
It's no secret that the Japanese music industry has a hollowing-out problem; you are either a pop act on a major label with high levels of exposure or an obscure underground act for whom not losing money on a show is a major success. Guitarist Nobukata Kawai of hardcore band Envy knows the latter reality...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 12, 2017
Noise outfit Endon takes a hard look at itself in the mirror
The term "noise music" has come to define a variety of artists and sounds, from guitar feedback to drones to white noise. Japan is certainly no stranger to the concept, birthing formidable pioneers of the genre such as Merzbow, Hijokaidan and Incapacitants over the years. However, singer Taichi Nagura...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 5, 2017
Yoshiki: 'We had to make our own world'
Yoshiki Hayashi hardly sleeps. The drummer, pianist, songwriter and leader of rock band X Japan has been in and out of the country constantly these past few months, promoting his band's new documentary film, "We Are X." At the same time he has been performing solo concerts, recording and squeezing in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 26, 2017
What's in a name? Just ask Cairophenomenons
When a band changes its name, it sometimes signifies a switch in artistic direction. For indie band Cairophenomenons — previously known as Cairo — the decision was far more practical, even if the new moniker is a bit of a mouthful.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 9, 2016
Review: Yoshiki at Tokyo International Forum
Despite being billed as a solo tour, X Japan's Yoshiki Hayashi's "Yoshiki Classical" tour is undoubtedly deeply rooted in the lore of one of the biggest rock acts of the country.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 1, 2016
Tokyo Comic Con calls on Hollywood's big guns for star power
As we sit down for an interview, Tokyo Comic Convention Committee Chairman Mitsuaki Munegumi casually points to a glass case in the center of the room.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 20, 2016
Ogre You Asshole flirts with tension on latest album
The members of Ogre You Asshole are bracing for something. At least, that's what the title of their seventh album, "Handoru o Hanasu Mae Ni" ("Before Letting Go of the Handle") suggests. (The album's official English title is the less tense "Everythingsomethingnothing.")
CULTURE / Music
Nov 17, 2016
Yoshiki prepares for classical tour amid a new appreciation for his legacy
Not many musicians are able to say that they've taken the stage at both New York City's Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall, two of the most prestigious venues in rock and classical music, respectively. Drummer, pianist and songwriter Yoshiki Hayashi, however, is stepping up to take claim of that...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 9, 2016
Crypt City turns into the alt-rock supergroup we didn't see coming
Despite what his mammoth bass guitar sound may suggest, rock band Crypt City bassist Kentaro Nakao is comically self-deprecating at times.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 25, 2016
Will Hikaru Utada's new album 'Fantome' change the rules of modern J-pop?
'As trends fade into the cultural rearview mirror, Hikaru Utada is a prime candidate to bring back what J-pop has lost in her absence: relatability.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 18, 2016
The Novembers have an 11th-hour (or 11th-year) rock epiphany
Yusuke Kobayashi, singer and guitarist of rock band The Novembers, is wearing a black Pink Floyd T-shirt and sipping a tea as I sit down to chat with him in a cafe in Tokyo's Ebisu neighborhood.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 10, 2016
Bo Ningen: 'We're Japanese, but a London band'
Though seasoned music festival veterans overseas, the four members of British rock band Bo Ningen had never been to a Japanese event until Fuji Rock in 2013.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 3, 2016
Muddy Apes' style of rock knows no borders
When looking at the pedigree of rock quartet Muddy Apes, it's hard not to mention the term "supergroup." After all, the band's members — which consist of bassist Taka Hirose of British rock act Feeder, guitarist Kiyonobu "Inoran" Inoue of Japanese arena-rock band Luna Sea, vocalist Masaki "Maeson"...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 15, 2016
Review: Sugizo and Inoran at Zepp DiverCity
From superheroes to presidential elections, 2016 seems to be a year of infighting and rivalries. It has even trickled down into Japanese rock, as Sugizo and Inoran, the two guitarists from renowned rock act Luna Sea, went toe to toe with their respective solo bands in their first double headliner show...
Zelenskyy to replace Ukraine ambassador to Japan
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky delivers a speech during a handover ceremony of Self-Defense Force vehicles to Ukraine, at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, in May last year.
Bankruptcies and suicides rise as Japanese struggle with mounting debt
Lawyers estimate that personal bankruptcies in Japan are on track to reach the highest since 2012 this year.
Honda and Nissan consider mutual production of vehicles, report says
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2023.
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
For baseball fans, 2024 brought The Summer of Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season, against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 19.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
Is Japan finally ready to tap its abundant geothermal energy potential?
Steam rises from a geothermal plan in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture. Despite its long history and potential, geothermal provided just 0.3% of Japan's overall energy mix in the fiscal year from April 2023
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
North Korea aiding Russia where it needs it most, Canadian general says
North Korean special forces soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang in April 2017.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?
By Kathryn Wortley

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.12 : Kose Corp.Kose takes pride in creating beauty in the world
mission sustainability vol.12 : Kose Corp.Kose takes pride in creating beauty in the world

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