There's a feeling in the air these days, not least on these pages, that Japan is becoming more culturally insular. Japanese video games are losing out to South Korea and the West in the race to explore the online frontier; animation, once the standard-bearer of "cool Japan," has retreated into a self-congratulatory onanistic frenzy of recycled cliches and geeky in-jokes; and foreign artists are making up an ever-declining percentage of Japanese music sales.

Despite this, however, there remains a strong desire among Japanese musicians for recognition abroad. One band attempting to give it a go is Tokyo-based rock/postpunk band Praha Depart, who plan, in true do-it-yourself style, to fly out to New York on their own initiative (and at at their own expense) and stamp their mark on the Big Apple.

Guitarist Tsukasa Kameya explains, "The U.S. alternative scene seems still to be very active. Whether it's good or not, I think that depends a lot on your opinion. But for musicians of our generation, bands such as Blonde Redhead, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Kills were a big influence when we were starting up."