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December 31, 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...
Ukraine risks losing all Russian land it seized within months, U.S. says
Ukrainian soldiers carry the coffins of three comrades killed in recent fighting in eastern Ukraine during their funeral in the western city of Lviv on Dec. 20.
Japanese Princess Kako turns 30
As an adult member of the Imperial Family, Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad this year.
South Korea's worst plane crash in decades leaves 179 dead
Rescue personnel are seen near the tail section of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft after the plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Sunday.
U.S. military coordination unit eyed in central Tokyo
A Self-Defense Forces soldier from a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile unit takes part in a drill at Yokota Air Base in Fussa, western Tokyo, in August 2017.
Shohei Ohtani ends blockbuster year with baby announcement
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, attend a Lakers game in Los Angeles on Dec. 8.
Japan’s weather in 2024: Record temperatures hurt people’s health and wallets
People cover themselves with umbrellas during a hot summer day in Tokyo's Ginza district in August. Temperatures shot up in early July, even before the official end of the rainy season, and the high temperatures persisted well into the fall.
How Hokkaido quietly became a culinary treasure trove in 2024
The central Hokkaido city of Asahikawa made headlines this year when one of its suburbs was named as the best place to live in Japan — a ranking earned in part due to the community's many outstanding restaurants and cafes.
Bling-Bang, baby: The J-pop soundtrack of 2024
Hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts' uptempo “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” quickly became a TikTok favorite after its release days into 2024, which helped turn the song into a Billboard Japan Hot 100 topper for 19 weeks before rising up viral streaming charts around the world.
Shohei Ohtani ends blockbuster year with baby announcement
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, attend a Lakers game in Los Angeles on Dec. 8.
Flu cases surge above ‘warning’ levels in much of Japan
Authorities are calling for utmost vigilance as Japan heads into the New Year holiday season, when many people plan getaways.

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