Rock music in Japan has become reliant on programming, synthesizers and new technology. While that electronic advancement has made it easier for bands to start out through D.I.Y. websites, new artists can sometimes lack live-performance techniques and the experience of interacting with an audience. ...

The end of the year is approaching, which means — if you’re not stuck in the house watching popular music show “Kohaku Uta Gassen” with Grandma — it’s time to party hard. For those who like beats, there are tons of dance-music events across ...

Two up-and-coming electronic musicians, Matthewdavid and Anenon, are in Japan to support the local branch of Los Angeles-based, nonprofit Internet radio station Dublab and they’ll tour five cities with some of this country’s next big dance acts. Having released the album “Outmind” via the ...

Turning 80 this year hasn’t interrupted Isao Tomita in his search for new musical possibilities. Known to many as the father of Japanese electronic music, the artist is about to turn his latest dream into a (virtual) reality, by collaborating with computer-generated diva Hatsune ...

the GazettE celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and what better way is there to spend an anniversary than with a trip abroad. Well, sort of. The band isn’t headed overseas, but its new album, “Division,” has already set sail to 62 countries and ...

The biggest event of the year for AKB48, the 48-member pop group that’s the most popular music act in Japan today, arrives next Wednesday. Thousands of fans are expected to fill the historic Nippon Budokan to watch, while Fuji TV will broadcast the three-hour ...

Sekaitekina Band are pretty optimistic. Their name basically translates as “global band,” and while it may sound a bit lame at first, you can’t fault them for aiming high. Debut albums run the risk of being messy affairs, especially in Japan, where young acts ...

Sho Asakawa is visibly excited. The vocalist from Tokyo rock band Plasticzooms has just come from Tower Records in the capital’s trendy Shibuya district, where an exhibition of his artwork and clothing are accompanying the promotional display for his band’s new album, “Starbow.” Asakawa ...

How might typical Japanese music fans look if they stopped worrying about social norms? Take a look at British-based psychedelic-rock band Bo Ningen and you may find the answer. I meet the band at a cafe after they’ve wrapped up a day in the ...

Alternative-rock subgenres have been sabotaged by J-rock bands whose lack of uniqueness has made a once-exciting genre stale. This year, though, 0.8 Byo to Shogeki recaptured that alternative spirit from the 1990s with “1-bo 2-bo 3-bo 4-bo 5-bo 6-bo Toyo no Techno.” The track ...

The two-week winter vacation surrounding New Year’s Eve is great news for kids and a little extra work for parents. The idea of giving your brain a break from school might not be the healthiest way to spend this time. To get kids out ...