Things are kicking off everywhere, it seems — from Chile to Hong Kong, protesters, mostly young, have been taking to the streets to demonstrate against an array of injustices over the past few months. Japan, on the other hand, seems to have embraced inaction, and recent, comparatively low-key actions to highlight the threat of climate change seemingly attest to a certain apathy.

It's a familiar trope about the country, but on Oct. 26 Tokyo-based DJ and producer Mars89 did his best to blast a hole in it. Alongside Mari Sakurai, Miru Shinoda and Onjuicy — armed with both pounding techno and euphoric jungle — he led hundreds of demonstrators on a tour of the capital's Harajuku and Omotesando neighborhoods, with many participants spontaneously joining the strange procession as it passed. The protest brought together people under a long list of complaints, ranging from opposition to hate speech and delays to disaster relief, to tax evasion and government corruption. The whistles and flashing batons of the police only added to the rave-like vibe.

While this might not point to growing politicization on a wider scale, it is indicative of the way political and social issues have gained greater visibility in Tokyo's underground dance music scene recently.