Despite having had its musical reputation sullied by Yasushi Akimoto's decision to make it the home of SKE48, the first offshoot of pop-idol army AKB48, Nagoya is home to one of Japan's most vibrant independent music scenes.
Going back into its history, the capital of Aichi Prefecture was home to two of the most celebrated bands of the 1980s punk era, with the influences of the furious Genbaku Onanies and the poppier Star Club both extending far beyond their hometown. As well, mid-paced psychedelic rockers Katsurei emerged out of the murk of Nagoya's scene at roughly the same time, demonstrating that the city had more to offer than pogoing and hard riffs.
Throughout the '80s and '90s, however, Nagoya kept one of its greatest delights to itself. Nohshintoh is a band that defies any easy description, sharing the playful, musical quirks of German new-wave, antipop eccentrics Der Plan with a wealth of flights of fancy all of their own that wind through dub, tropicalia and children's toy music, all presented with a chaotic sense of theater.
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