The website of the visual kei band the Gazette (stylized as the GazettE) sadly announced that the group’s bassist Reita passed away on April 15. He was 42. No further information was given about his death. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all fans who have supported and loved him and all […] The post Reita From Visual Kei Band The Gazette Dies Aged 42 appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

Kyushu is considered a music haven, known as the birthplace of highly influential musicians from Misia to Yosui Inoue. The region is home to a wide range of climes, from the beautiful beaches of Kagoshima to the concrete jungle of Fukuoka city; unsurprisingly, the types of music coming out of the island vary greatly as […] The post 5 Artists To Help You Dive Into Kyushu’s Underground Music Scene appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the United States on Monday afternoon in what is the first state visit by a Japanese leader since Shinzo Abe in 2015. Ahead of Thursday’s trilateral summit with the American President Joe Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Kishida will meet with Biden at the White House for a […] The post J-Pop Phenomenon Yoasobi to Perform for President Biden at White House appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

In yet another example of “who asked for this,” in Japanese marketing, Japanese fast food chain Mos Burger has just announced a new music record label called Mos Records. This recording branch is said to have been created to “support the dreams of staff working at Mos Burger stores,” and as a result, is only […] The post Mos Burger Launches Employee-Only Record Label ‘Mos Records’ appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

Opera singer, actor, tv personality and linguist. These are just some of the many roles that Paolo Andrea Di Pietro has undertaken while building one of the most unique careers in Japan. To Japanese-speaking audiences, he’s known for the AirPay commercial that went so viral it became an ongoing series. Anime fans might recognize his […] The post The Classically Trained Opera Singer Behind Your Favorite Video Game Scores appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

Goat, often referred to as goat (jp) to avoid confusion with the Swedish band, is a minimal Japanese percussion band headed up by Koshiro Hino (also of YPY and Kakuhan). Ex-Kodo taiko member Rai Tateishi (who occasionally moonlights on flute) and Manisdron’s Takafumi Okada form the percussion section, joining Akihiko Ando on saxophone as you’ve […] The post Goat Picks 5 Albums to Add to Your Playlist appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

Get ready for a red-hot summer alongside excellent music with Summer Sonic 2024. The annual music festival takes place on August 17 and 18 in both Chiba and Osaka, Japan. Much like previous years, the 2024 festival features a revolving line-up, with several acts performing one day in Osaka, the next in Chiba and vice […] The post The Full Summer Sonic 2024 Lineup appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

On this day in 1999, the now non-binary solo artist Hikaru Utada released their seminal record First Love. By the summer of that year, it had sold more than 7 million copies and has since shifted over 10 million units worldwide. A quarter of a century on, it remains the best-selling Japanese album of all time. Songs from […] The post Hikaru Utada Releases First Love | On This Day in Japan appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

Tiny droplet-like notes tinkle one by one into your ears. Gently spaced, each note, when it comes, is like dew on grass in the early morning. It’s calm, unrushed and soft. It’s kankyo ongaku. What is this genre and why is it important? Minimalism at its finest, this is music which places emphasis on the […] The post The Calming World of Kankyo Ongaku Music appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more

Yoshiki Hayashi — known mononymously as Yoshiki — is a household name here in Japan due to his piano-playing prowess and storied history as one of Japan’s most celebrated rockstars. But he has also been working on something off the stage and on the runway. Debuting at the Milan Fashion Week fall/winter 2024 shows was […] The post Embrace Your Inner Rockstar With Japanese Musician Yoshiki’s New Fashion Brand appeared first on Tokyo Weekender ..read more