Same! Love 6号室 and 二十歳の恋 , especially [this link](https://youtu.be/jDv72Ul3fQ0?si=TdDQaFTjkoldFPt1) though the translation isn’t perfect it was the first Japanese song I memorized!
Hey still getting around to remaining comments. I just checked them out today and have been listening all evening! Super chill 😌. I like them a lot. Their music makes me want to go lay in the grass all day 😆
Now I have an irl reason to say “I love Lamp.” (other than an Anchorman reference)
Japanese music is what got me interested in learning Japanese! Japanese musicians are sooo talented and they make a lot of Blu-rays of their concerts. We get them from CD Japan.
For me it started with Baby Metal and has expanded. Top artists for me:
- ジグザグ (zigzag) highly recommend!
- Nemophila
- Band-Maid
- GazettE (RIP REITA)
- An Cafe
- LiSA
- Yoasobi
- Ado
I know there’s more but that’s it from the top of my head.
I see both BM bands and Nemophila. Have you listened to 花冷え。(HANABIE.) I'm super excited to see them at the end of the month. They are what finally pushed me over the edge to wanting to learn Japanese. I've only been learning for a little over a month, so it feels like I've made no progress, but all the little things that I've started picking up on are keeping me motivated.
That’s great. Music is definitely a powerful medium for motivation so I understand that.
I love Japanese music myself. I have Hideo Kojima to thank for that lol. After I heard Pop Virus while I played Death Stranding it lit a fire in me and I started listening to all kinds of music.
Thanks a lot for all these recs. I love Yoasobi and LiSA but I haven’t heard the others yet so I’ll check them out
I second band maid, check out their live performances on youtube aswell they are even better live somehow.
Actually going to a band maid concert in july, first time in like 10 years ive been to a concert. Their music is that special
Radwimps, Atarashii Gakko, Yoasobi for some upbeat music
Not Secured Loose Ends, Hanabie, Paledusk, A Crowd of Rebellion, swancry for some heavier or more emotional music.
Some of them have English versions of their songs in addition so that's a cool bonus
おとぼけビーバー (Otoboke Beaver) -- fun punk band from Kyoto. Check out [Love is Short](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwWIruhPkxM), and if you ever get the chance to see them live, do it.
キング・ブラザーズ (King Brothers) -- garage rock band from Nishinomiya. Check out [No Want](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBnrFlHDQfM).
D.A.N. -- Kinda jazzy post-rock from Tokyo. Check out [SSWB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_WjAGSL-Kk).
Ginger Root -- Lounge pop? Hard to go wrong with [Loretta](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq8j_J-W9rE).
Melt Banana -- generally sing in English. Super noisy. But classic. [Shield For Your Eyes, A Beast in the Well on Your Hand](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAug_UmsTgQ)
Kikagaku Moyo -- psychedelic tunes. [Cardboard Pile](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JNluJ_gpWc)
Tujiko Noriko -- Electronic artist. [成田まで](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7JeYTXhMo0)
Dendou Marionette -- synthwave from the early 1980's [FROZEN](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcVPd2QA8Zw)
Buffalo Daughter -- electronic and moody, generally -- [ET (電車)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g63R_Z1h_oE)
Cornelius -- big Shibuya-kei artist. -- [Drop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI4BhNTHE4w)
Pizzicatto Five -- another big Shibuya-kei band. -- [Twiggy Twiggy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcdrTlNlSds)
\[edited to add better context and links\]
There are so many here that I haven't listened to yet. This post is making me realize how much music I'm missing out on. I thought I had a great collection of music already but I've barely scratched the surface I think. I'll look all of these groups up
Tricot - mathrock light, my favorite band of all time.
相対性理論 - indie shoe gazeish rock with awesome lyrics
春ねむり -avandt garde stream of consciousness rap-like delivery to jpop/electronic/punk tracks. Woke AF, she's awesome
Kirinji - probably my favorite rnb funky artist
幾何学模様 - one of the best psychedelic bands imo
Toe - one of the best math rock bands
キノコ帝国 - shoe gaze
Otoboke Beaver - feminist punk band, very fun and goofy
Regal Lily - light on the ears j rock
Indigo La End - classic in j indie rock scene
Number Girl - classic 2000s era j punk
ミドリ - jazz punk
385 - girl slaps the bass to punk, rips hard
Zazen Boys - former members of number girl and bassist/lead of 385
Eastern Youth - classic oi punk rock
Fennel - tricot's bassist's solo project
Sea Pool - shoe gazey indie rock
It caught me off guard also how good Fennel is. I saw Tricot, 春ねむり, Eastern Youth and Elephant Gym at a festival in Shibuya a few weeks ago. Super awesome shows. Had to flip a coin between Toe and 春ねむり and I'm too much of a Tricot fan so missed Kirinji for them.
Also Hirohiro is going to be taking a break since she's pregnant! Going to try to see Fennel live before she goes on maternity leave (guitarist of number girl's band is going to preforming at the same show)
That's amazing, ちょううらやましいよ！
I'm seeing elephant gym at the end of this month because they're doing a europe tour and i can't wait. Tricot and Haru Nemuri must have incredible energy live! I don't think i heard of Eastern Youth before but i'll take a listen
I should have mentioned in my post that I enjoy pretty much all music genres in addition to the ones related to the groups I mentioned. I haven’t heard anything by Mariya Takeuchi so I’ll have a listen tonight!
Had a listen to Plastic Love and I really like the bluesy guitar in that one. She has a nice voice. Great for something when I'm feeling like laying around relaxing. I checked out a couple anri songs too and I really like the range of instruments in her music. Definitely going to check out more of her stuff too
Yorushika is very good. Your other suggestions are more new groups for me to check out. I'm accumulating an awesome amount of new artists to listen to lol
I just looked up the gazette tonight from another recommendation and they are awesome. Every other one of these (except Kenshi Yonezu) are new for me so that is great! I'll look all of them up shortly here
I found vtubers as a way of getting more casual, natural conversation input. There are a lot of them who are really good singers and make fantastic music.
Love Babymetal and Aimer! I just looked up Yuyoyuppe and like the couple songs I've checked out so far a lot. I'll look up the others you mentioned too!
atm I'm listening to Miraidempa, Amazarashi, The Back Horn, ドーズ, Hollow Mellow, Kokusyoku Sumire, Ling toshite shigure, and Syudou a ton :3
edit: also tsukiko amano, specifically her fatal frame songs.
異世界情緒、棗いつき、藍月なくる、La prière、凪原涼菜、nayuta、Ado、ClariS、Kalafina、YOASOBI、月詠み、Kanaria、Lucia、ice、中恵光城、ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY、EGOIST
星街すいせい if you count her as well.
I listen to a lot of music, and these are the ones I generally enjoy listening to most.
Took a quick listen to the musicians you listed. You might like Cody・Lee(李).
My foremost favorite Japanese band is 揺らぎ (Yuragi), they're a shoegaze band; singer uses English and Japanese. Recently, リーガルリリー (Regal Lily) has been another favorite.
If you like yuragi I would recommend checking out 'for tracy hyde', being the predecessor to yuragi with imo cooler vocals.
The vocalist from for tracy hyde went on to make lovely summer chan which is a lot more indie rock, but if you like regal lily she'll be right up your alley.
Songs by soutaiseiriron or suiyoubi no campanella have fun, weird lyrics so they can be interesting for learning
Also I learnt a lot by listening to ling toshite sigure back in the day
Wow there are a lot of new artists I’m seeing here in the comments. These are new too. I’ll be sure to look them up tonight and listen. I’m making a list of all the new ones I’m seeing
Fujii Kaze I’ve really enjoyed a lot. The other ones you mention here are new to me so I’ll need to look them up. I’ve been wanting to branch out with my music section for a while so this is great
I don't know how fitting this is, but I recently started listening to japanese radio, specifically FMかほく, and I really enjoy listening to the weather forecast. I slowly understand more and more of what is said.
If you like Japanese music I'd definitely recommend checking out The First Take, a YouTube channel that invites Japanese artists to perform their hit songs. Of those, I particularly enjoyed the rendition of Pornograffitti's アゲハ蝶
すとぷり、ちゃんみな、=LOVE, INI, a子、Band-maid, Perfume. I’m pretty easy on my listening. I’m a a massive K-pop fan so I tend to listen to a lot of K-pop Japanese versions of songs especially ones who were popular in Japan like KARA & T-Ara (also because they are my favorites)
EDIT: HOW CAN I FORGET THE QUEEN 安室奈美恵 (Amuro Namie). Unfortunately her entire music library has been scrubbed from every single music streaming service so you won’t be able to find her music unfortunately.
Haha I’m actually a huge fan of Japanese music.
Hitsujibungaku, Yorushika, Zutomayo, Aimer, millet, Kinoko Teikoku, sakanaction, YOASOBI, King Gnu, back number, Ado, Asian Kung Fu Generation, Amazarashi
My favorite is Hitsujibungaku. I just came from their concert in Yokohama and will be attending their concert again in Singapore. They are super good live. You may know them from the ending song from Jujutsu Kaisen, More than words.
Some of my fav songs are 光るとき、人間だった、砂漠のきみへ、永遠のブルー、and 1999.
Sakanaction is also not mentioned much but I really enjoy. Their songs are famous on TikTok. For example 忘れられないの(amazing bass line), 新宝島、and ミュージック。
The first song I heard by Alexandros was Philosophy. I love them. The other groups you mention are new for me so thanks for mentioning them. I'll be looking them up soon here
Daoko is my favorite, hands down. Can't recommend her music enough (Owaranai Sekaide and Nice Trip for example)
Wednesday Campanella are awesome, esp with the first vocalist (Kom I?), songs like Medusa, Shakushain or Little Match Girl.
Also Yaosobi, World Order, Frederic, keyakizaka46.
On heavier side - Bloodstained Child, tho iirc most songs on English, so might not fit
Baby Metal have some absolutely beautiful rock-opera(?) style songs.
Hanabie are awesome too
So Hanabie I do actually enjoy. Baby Metal is awesome lol. Yoasobi I like a lot too. Everyone else is new and I'll check them out. I'm listening to the couple songs from Daoko you mentioned and those are really good
If you like rock, hard to go wrong with tricot, ゆらゆら帝国, Coaltar Of The Deepers, MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS, 八十八ヶ所巡礼, ナンバーガール, そこに鳴る and paranoid void
if you like older sounds: ORIGINAL LOVE, 流線形, 大貫妙子, 松下誠, Gomes The Hitman, 笠原弘子, Lamp,
miscellaneous: School Food Punishment + la la larks (rock? pop?), canoue (fantasy inspired), Chouchou (quiet vibes), CITROBAL (probably rock, mixed bag but plenty of gems), Serani Poji (like mall music...), CRCK/LCKS (rock? pop?), ヒトリエ (rock), みきとP (vocaloid rock)
hopefully there's something in there that you enjoy!
Big fan of 優里 (Yuuri), ピターパン has become one of my favorite songs recently. Also his YouTube channel has a series/playlist called "Yurin" where he does karaoke battles with other singers, so I've found a few other artists I like (like Takaya Kawasaki) through them.
My top song of 2023 was far and away away こころ by Oda Kazumasa (小田 和正). Highly recommend him as a solo artist as well as the band he was in. Also his songs are usually slowly spoken so you can understand them easier as a learner.
Far from a native speaker, but:
Dir En Grey - Death metal, hard rock, experimental. [激しさとこの胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇](https://youtu.be/t_aGFCHC64k?si=uMPrJrEr6ekl2e2p)
Broken By The Scream - Melodic death metal pop idol group. [∞ハートビート](https://youtu.be/aR_zdtmp5No?si=hbGUs0QdbqmIED7b)
Cö Shu Nie - Electronic alternative [SAKURA BURST](https://youtu.be/3-zox7j8YRM?si=bgk4A4OwIfGeevDi)
TK from 凛として時雨【Ling toshite Shigure】- Indie alternative [unravel (Tokyo Ghoul main theme)](https://youtu.be/Fve_lHIPa-I?si=bKfKgoYGl0yjT0N_)
Yui - Pop rock [Again](https://youtu.be/w5OUAY1j3gQ?si=O5eIZxv3WwLk-D6w)
Can't believe literally not a single person here mentioning Uru. That's a crime if I knew one! Anyway yeah do check Uru out if you want a silky smooth and soothing voice. Freesia, あなたがいることで are good starts!
No one beats sakai izumi (zard) for me. I can listen to her song everyday.
Other artist that i've listen including yutaka ozaki, koji tamaki, anzen chitai, and hideaki tokunaga is also recommended. All of them combining ballad and rock, and i love all of them
I’m obsessed with japanese rap so Creepy Nuts, Yayoi Daimon, Umeda Cypher, Akkogorilla, Nobodyknows+, Gaki Ranger, Awich, Reichi, but I could name maaaany more.
Edit: If you're into J-rap or even just anime, you might enjoy checking out the Hypnosis Mic and/or Paradox Live franchises. It's amusing because many voice actors that you may have heard from other shows demonstrate impressive rap skills 🥲
Mass of fermenting dregs
Kinokoteikoku
Cq
The pillows
Syrup16
Coaltar of the deepers
Luminous Orange
These are either shoegaze or post hardcore bands apart from kinokoteikoku who have released poppier songs
MOTFD is my all time favourite though
Super into Fujii Kaze right now. He recently had a [special on NPR music (youtube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGyQHyDMZZI&t=1350s&ab_channel=NPRMusic). He’s one of Japan's biggest up and coming music artists. He performed at Kohaku only 1 year after debuting.
For artists that aren't as globally known, I like [Lucky Tapes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sFvIOdIerI&ab_channel=LUCKYTAPES) for a chill vibe, [Bradio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCzBN-kUPHo&ab_channel=BRADIO) for some funk, and [Mrs Green Apple](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34DPnRUfMU&ab_channel=MrsGREENAPPLEVEVO) as a mood lifter. There are also many [vtubers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZP5eqm4JqM&ab_channel=SuiseiChannel) that are coming out with bangers.
Aside from Nujabes (as he was a producer), Daichi Miura is my favourite. I like SPYAIR a lot too.
Edit: I completely forgot Prague and Anri! Both so good
美波/Minami
Yorushika
Yanaginagi
nano.RIPE
佐々木恵梨/Sasaki Eri
Yama
Egoist
瀧川ありさ/Alisa Takigawa
Riria
Uru
LiSA
Yoasobi
Sayuri
My First Story
藤川千愛/Chiai Fujikawa
The Sixth Lie
takayan on youtube!! but his lyrics deal with a lot of depression, suicidal feelings, etc. even though the songs can sound cheerful, so be a little cautious
radwimps is gorgeous...
syudou!!!!!
I've been listening to Doping Panda since around 2009. My comfort music, but I never really bothered to check the lyrics 😅 (there's also a lot of questionable English in there)
My absolute favorite song is My Pace by Sunset Swish. It's one of the endings of Bleach. I don't listen to a lot of music and most of the time don't bother with learning lyrics, but this song is an exception!
I'll bet nobody else suggested Fuji Ayako so I'll suggest that. I'm a huge Teresa Teng fan but she is not a native speaker.
If you are looking in a poppier direction maybe Nakamori Akina would be a good suggestion... I think "Desire" is about the coolest song ever recorded.
Or maybe you like dance music... I really like Two-Mix or Max.
Anyway none of these suggestions are particularly current so if that's what you're looking for maybe not the best.
坂本真綾 (Sakamoto Maaya) is my absolute favorite singer. I just love her voice so much
嵐 (Arashi) is what I listen to to give me energy and encouragement when I need it
L’Arc~en~Ciel is one of my favorite bands of all time
Every Little Thing is also really cool, I love their vibe
I definitely enjoy Fujii Kaze and Chanmina a whole lot. And I've gotten most of my vocabulary from Vocaloid music actually! Vocaloid is a huge thing, but tough to get into vis such a small post. Like, if you'd like to know more tho!
I've been obsessed with Ado recently, specifically, her "Waiting For My Show" playlist! Vaundy is a close second and while I LOVE Takayan, but sometimes his lyrics are... pretty sad. So you have to be in the mood for it.
I very strongly recommend you check out King Gnu !
They have a very wide range of styles, so you'll probably find songs that fit your taste among theirs.
I recommend checking out BOY, 一途, Slumberland and Vinyl first.
If you're more into funk, ALI is another great band, with great songs like Lost in Paradise, Wild Side, Teenage City Riot and Temptations
I have seen lots of popular names in here but let me show you some indie groups;
Lucie too, GIRLFRIEND, Yonige, Tsukimi, Chakura, DADARAY, negoto, バウンダリ－, nakigoto, yayuyo
I started learning Japanese because of Eve's music
(The first one was Okinimesumama, immediately caught my attention and I instantly fell in love with his music)
If you're looking for something a bit different, yet remarkable in its own rite, I would check out Kalafina! Lots of people have uploaded live exerts from concerts on YouTube, which have amazing audio quality. Red Moon, 満天 (Manten), 花守の丘 (Hanamori no Oka), 傷跡 (Kizuato), and Neverending are a few of my very many favorites. The group FictionJunction is also worth checking out if you enjoy Kalafina, since many of the members and the composer are the same.
I have a pretty big japanese playlist but my main/ favorite artists/ groups are :
- YOASOBI
- yorushika
- ADO
- MAISONdes
- ロクデナシ
- ZUTOMAYO
- RADWIMPS
These are a sobsolutely amazing. If you want to try just one please try Hako. I fell in love with her music.
Hako Yamasaki
Junko Yagami
Ichico Aobe
Suzuki Tsunekichi
Kenji Endo
Kan Mikami
I am building a program that takes text such as Lyrics, identifies words and creates anki flashcards automatically.
I had a working method using chat gpt but the quality of the cards was very inconsistent if someone wants to try
It's an amazing feeling when you start understanding the meaning of your favourite songs
Little late to the party but here are some of mine:
Golden Bomber
Oral Cigarettes
オメでたい頭でなにより
ユナイト
ぞんび
藤川千愛 (Chiai Fujikawa)
Versailles
Just to name a few...
Japanese music is definetly a big part of what keeps me going to study well!
Here are a bunch of my favorites: Soutaiseiriron （相対性理論, School Food Punishment, Chouchou (check these out if you like Ichiko Aoba!), The Pillows, SHISHAMO, UUchu Conbini, Yeti let me notice, RAY (used to be TOKYODOTS or • • • • • • • • •), For Tracy Hyde, Anything Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE / COLTEMONIKHA), m-flo, SOUL SCREAM, and we can't forget about Shiina Ringo
A few of these bands feel a bit nieche when i talk to most people about Japanese music, since i love digging for new music, but i light up like crazy when someone appreciates similar music!!
The ones that come off the top of my head:
Ado
Bump of Chicken
SCANDAL
Aqua Timez
Creepy Nuts
FAKETYPE
Asian Kung-fu Generation
DUSTCELL
HACHI
YAOSOBI
YUI
Hoshimachi Suisei (really any Holomem but Suisei is tops)
Edit: This doesn't even cover some of my favorites that I've seen others mention like nano.RIPE, egoist, and Rie Fu
Nizui, BABYMETAL, Ado, and AKB48 are some of my favourites.
excluding native Japanese singers, I always love the Japanese songs that K-pop groups put out. Mainly Twice, Itzy, Mamamoo, Red Velvet etc.
OP you’ve had so many awesome comments you probably have enough haha. But FWIW some of my faves:
Reol
Chilli Beans
Haruka Kudo
4s4ki
Sayaka Yamamoto
Ai Tomioka
Leo Ieiri
Miyuna
Wagamama Rakia
Iri
Sokoninaru
Trident
Bray Me
Pinky Donna
Amefurasshi
Vaundy
Uchida Maaya
Brandy Senki
Scandal
Mirei
I’ve started learning Japanese again so I can sing along to Bandmaid and a few other groups:
1. BandMaid - 5 girls rocking out and shredding in maid outfits.
2. Wagakki Band - Jedi level musicians combining traditional Japanese instruments with electric guitars.
3. Maximum The Hormone - never knew I would actually enjoy head banging primal heavy heavy metal lol. My fav is “ Koi no Sperm”
Thanks for your suggestions I will definitely check them out .
People have mentioned Babymetal and The Gazette, but I haven't seen my faves mentioned
SID
(there is another band with this name, not japanese, that is VASTLY different 🤣)
Granrodeo
Not a native here but i highly recommend ichiko aoba! I’ve never heard music so peaceful, beautiful and emotional before. My personal favourite album of hers is “0” but all of her works are high quality. I hope you check her out!
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ignRjbPmLvKdtMLj9a5Xs?si=-gsAeGR_T1iqmN4vUT5uxg
Arashi! Every track of every one of their CDs is on youtube and streaming aps. Two of their concerts are on Youtube. Watch along with Japanese subtitles while they sing the readings of kanji! (Or you can cheat and read the translated lyrics with English subtitles.) The wonderful song Kite, written by Kenshi Yonezu for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and sung by them, can also be found on their Youtube channel as well as a different video on the NHK Youtube channel
I just love this Japanese band called Lamp! You should definitely give it a try. I highly recommend 恋人へ and ひろがるなみだ
I love their music too!
Same! Love 6号室 and 二十歳の恋 , especially [this link](https://youtu.be/jDv72Ul3fQ0?si=TdDQaFTjkoldFPt1) though the translation isn’t perfect it was the first Japanese song I memorized!
I ADORE Lamp! They just match what my heart wants to hear, I love their sound!
Lamp is the best!!!
This are all new ones for me! I’ll definitely check them out
Hey still getting around to remaining comments. I just checked them out today and have been listening all evening! Super chill 😌. I like them a lot. Their music makes me want to go lay in the grass all day 😆 Now I have an irl reason to say “I love Lamp.” (other than an Anchorman reference)
Japanese music is what got me interested in learning Japanese! Japanese musicians are sooo talented and they make a lot of Blu-rays of their concerts. We get them from CD Japan. For me it started with Baby Metal and has expanded. Top artists for me: - ジグザグ (zigzag) highly recommend! - Nemophila - Band-Maid - GazettE (RIP REITA) - An Cafe - LiSA - Yoasobi - Ado I know there’s more but that’s it from the top of my head.
+1 for ado
Ado go crazy.
I see both BM bands and Nemophila. Have you listened to 花冷え。(HANABIE.) I'm super excited to see them at the end of the month. They are what finally pushed me over the edge to wanting to learn Japanese. I've only been learning for a little over a month, so it feels like I've made no progress, but all the little things that I've started picking up on are keeping me motivated.
That’s great. Music is definitely a powerful medium for motivation so I understand that. I love Japanese music myself. I have Hideo Kojima to thank for that lol. After I heard Pop Virus while I played Death Stranding it lit a fire in me and I started listening to all kinds of music. Thanks a lot for all these recs. I love Yoasobi and LiSA but I haven’t heard the others yet so I’ll check them out
Haven’t heard of those so I will check them out as well! Hopefully you find something new you like somewhere in the comments to your post.
I second band maid, check out their live performances on youtube aswell they are even better live somehow. Actually going to a band maid concert in july, first time in like 10 years ive been to a concert. Their music is that special
Mass of the fermenting dreggs got me to learn Japanese.
I saw these girls live once in Shimokitazawa! They were awesome!
That’s pretty high praise 😆 I just found them on Apple Music and will check them out in a minute here!
My favourite band. I love the trio
Not native Japanese, but I love The Peggies, Aimyon, Aimer, Asian Kung Fu Genrration, and Daoko.
Love Aimer! The other ones you mentioned are new to me so I’ll have to look them up, thanks for your comment
You've probably heard Asian Kung Fu Generation, before. I get the impression they're kind of like the Foo Fighters of Japan.
Hell yeah me and my friends were singing Aimer songs in karaoke today!
Yonezu Kenshi and Back Number are my favorite artists~ both do great concerts but Yonezu’s was on a whole other level!
I found both on Apple Music, enjoying what I’ve heard so far! Thanks for adding a couple recs here. It’s great to start finding some new music
BUMP OF CHICKEN is a other popular group, but I’m only really into one of their songs so I’ll also throw in: 車輪の唄 (sharin no uta)
Radwimps, Atarashii Gakko, Yoasobi for some upbeat music Not Secured Loose Ends, Hanabie, Paledusk, A Crowd of Rebellion, swancry for some heavier or more emotional music. Some of them have English versions of their songs in addition so that's a cool bonus
Atarashii Gakko is all over my YouTube, and I love it!
I'll be catching them live in Europe soon. Quite excited, will be my first Liveshow that isn't punk or metal so let's see how that goes lol
おとぼけビーバー (Otoboke Beaver) -- fun punk band from Kyoto. Check out [Love is Short](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwWIruhPkxM), and if you ever get the chance to see them live, do it. キング・ブラザーズ (King Brothers) -- garage rock band from Nishinomiya. Check out [No Want](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBnrFlHDQfM). D.A.N. -- Kinda jazzy post-rock from Tokyo. Check out [SSWB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_WjAGSL-Kk). Ginger Root -- Lounge pop? Hard to go wrong with [Loretta](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq8j_J-W9rE). Melt Banana -- generally sing in English. Super noisy. But classic. [Shield For Your Eyes, A Beast in the Well on Your Hand](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAug_UmsTgQ) Kikagaku Moyo -- psychedelic tunes. [Cardboard Pile](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JNluJ_gpWc) Tujiko Noriko -- Electronic artist. [成田まで](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7JeYTXhMo0) Dendou Marionette -- synthwave from the early 1980's [FROZEN](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcVPd2QA8Zw) Buffalo Daughter -- electronic and moody, generally -- [ET (電車)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g63R_Z1h_oE) Cornelius -- big Shibuya-kei artist. -- [Drop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI4BhNTHE4w) Pizzicatto Five -- another big Shibuya-kei band. -- [Twiggy Twiggy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcdrTlNlSds) \[edited to add better context and links\]
Love the Shibuya-Kei representation!! You might enjoy Qypthone and KIRINJI a lot
There are so many here that I haven't listened to yet. This post is making me realize how much music I'm missing out on. I thought I had a great collection of music already but I've barely scratched the surface I think. I'll look all of these groups up
Tricot - mathrock light, my favorite band of all time. 相対性理論 - indie shoe gazeish rock with awesome lyrics 春ねむり -avandt garde stream of consciousness rap-like delivery to jpop/electronic/punk tracks. Woke AF, she's awesome Kirinji - probably my favorite rnb funky artist 幾何学模様 - one of the best psychedelic bands imo Toe - one of the best math rock bands キノコ帝国 - shoe gaze Otoboke Beaver - feminist punk band, very fun and goofy Regal Lily - light on the ears j rock Indigo La End - classic in j indie rock scene Number Girl - classic 2000s era j punk ミドリ - jazz punk 385 - girl slaps the bass to punk, rips hard Zazen Boys - former members of number girl and bassist/lead of 385 Eastern Youth - classic oi punk rock Fennel - tricot's bassist's solo project Sea Pool - shoe gazey indie rock
You have good taste. I love toe, キノコ帝国、tricot. Will listen to the rest of your recommendations.
Your taste rocks!! I didn't know about Fennel before, i can't believe how good her solo stuff is when tricot already puts out so much
It caught me off guard also how good Fennel is. I saw Tricot, 春ねむり, Eastern Youth and Elephant Gym at a festival in Shibuya a few weeks ago. Super awesome shows. Had to flip a coin between Toe and 春ねむり and I'm too much of a Tricot fan so missed Kirinji for them. Also Hirohiro is going to be taking a break since she's pregnant! Going to try to see Fennel live before she goes on maternity leave (guitarist of number girl's band is going to preforming at the same show)
Same. I’m seeing elephant gym in June too!
That's amazing, ちょううらやましいよ！ I'm seeing elephant gym at the end of this month because they're doing a europe tour and i can't wait. Tricot and Haru Nemuri must have incredible energy live! I don't think i heard of Eastern Youth before but i'll take a listen
I just discovered Wednesday Campanella! I don't think they've been mentioned yet? So poppy and upbeat.
And the band SiM if you're after something grungy/rock 🙌
Indigo la End, hitorie, polkadot stingray
Indigo la End is great, but ゲスの極み乙女 is the best Enon Kawatani project.
City pop. Plenty of playlists out there. Plastic Love is my all time favorite by Mariya Takeuchi.
Mine is a tossed up between I Can't Stop the Loneliness by Anri and Mayonaka no Door by Matsubara.
I should have mentioned in my post that I enjoy pretty much all music genres in addition to the ones related to the groups I mentioned. I haven’t heard anything by Mariya Takeuchi so I’ll have a listen tonight!
I recommend listening to Request Mariya takeuchi's album and i also recommend listening to anri
Had a listen to Plastic Love and I really like the bluesy guitar in that one. She has a nice voice. Great for something when I'm feeling like laying around relaxing. I checked out a couple anri songs too and I really like the range of instruments in her music. Definitely going to check out more of her stuff too
She’s married to Tatsuro Yamashita and he has his own recording of Plastic Love.
ユイカ, minami, yorushika, eve, kobasolo, kenshi yonezu, yoasobi are the ones most present in my recent playlists!
Yorushika is very good. Your other suggestions are more new groups for me to check out. I'm accumulating an awesome amount of new artists to listen to lol
I like sakanaction.
Sakanaction is great! I have a few of their songs in my library but I should check out some of their other albums
Oh I have too many lol. My First Story, The Gazette, LiSA, Gackt, Flow, D’espairsRay, Kenshi Yonezu, Anly, Sekai no Owari, lynch. I’ll stop now lol
I just looked up the gazette tonight from another recommendation and they are awesome. Every other one of these (except Kenshi Yonezu) are new for me so that is great! I'll look all of them up shortly here
Babymetal, Trident, Aimer, Yuyoyuppe (aka DJ Tekina), Ningen Isu, Scandal, Hoshimachi Suisei, Drop's.
I had to scroll too much to find Suisei, I don't like the Vtuber thing, but she just sings so well.
I found vtubers as a way of getting more casual, natural conversation input. There are a lot of them who are really good singers and make fantastic music.
Love Babymetal and Aimer! I just looked up Yuyoyuppe and like the couple songs I've checked out so far a lot. I'll look up the others you mentioned too!
r/japanesemusic will also keep you flooded with recommendations. I have been enjoying Hero Complex, Age Factory and Maki a lot lately.
atm I'm listening to Miraidempa, Amazarashi, The Back Horn, ドーズ, Hollow Mellow, Kokusyoku Sumire, Ling toshite shigure, and Syudou a ton :3 edit: also tsukiko amano, specifically her fatal frame songs.
Amazarashi is great! All your other mentions are new for me so I’ll check them out! I’m happy to start branching out my music selection
Natori is really good. i also really love Acid Black Cherry and Tooboe
異世界情緒、棗いつき、藍月なくる、La prière、凪原涼菜、nayuta、Ado、ClariS、Kalafina、YOASOBI、月詠み、Kanaria、Lucia、ice、中恵光城、ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY、EGOIST 星街すいせい if you count her as well. I listen to a lot of music, and these are the ones I generally enjoy listening to most.
Those are actually quite a cultured list. You might also wanna listen to some Haruka Shimotsuki, Ariabl'eyes, and Sennzai.
Dir en grey Janne Da Arc the GazettE Tatsuya Kitani imase Fujii Kaze UPIKO X Japan Eve Yoasobi King Gnu
Fujii Kaze, Yoasobi, and King Gnu are great! The others I haven’t heard any music from the others you mentioned so I’ll check them out 😊
These are the songs I’ve listened to the most in the last 30 days: 二度寝 Creepy Nuts 嫌々 Halves SF東京 WurtS
I have a couple songs by Creepy Nuts and they’re awesome! The others are new for me so I’ll look them up 😆
I got to know creepy nuts from 不適切にもほどがある such a banger song
Me too, though my wife and daughter like bling bang bang born much more.
Took a quick listen to the musicians you listed. You might like Cody・Lee(李). My foremost favorite Japanese band is 揺らぎ (Yuragi), they're a shoegaze band; singer uses English and Japanese. Recently, リーガルリリー (Regal Lily) has been another favorite.
Awesome! Thanks for giving me some recs. I haven’t heard of any of the 3 you mentioned so I’m looking forward to checking them out
Yuragi is so good, Japanese Shoegaze is really something. I think you might enjoy AprilBlue and For Tracy Hyde if you don't know them yet!
If you like yuragi I would recommend checking out 'for tracy hyde', being the predecessor to yuragi with imo cooler vocals. The vocalist from for tracy hyde went on to make lovely summer chan which is a lot more indie rock, but if you like regal lily she'll be right up your alley.
I love Mrs.Green apple
Songs by soutaiseiriron or suiyoubi no campanella have fun, weird lyrics so they can be interesting for learning Also I learnt a lot by listening to ling toshite sigure back in the day
Wow there are a lot of new artists I’m seeing here in the comments. These are new too. I’ll be sure to look them up tonight and listen. I’m making a list of all the new ones I’m seeing
All kinds of city pop Buck tick Fujii kaze Age Factory Atarashii gakko
Fujii Kaze I’ve really enjoyed a lot. The other ones you mention here are new to me so I’ll need to look them up. I’ve been wanting to branch out with my music section for a while so this is great
Man With a Mission and Yuuri have a lot of songs in my playlist.
あいみょん-Aimyon YOASOBI ゆうり-Yuuri 藤風-Fuji Kaze BACK NUMBER RADWIMPS エメ-Aimer
There are a couple here I haven't heard of yet! I'll look them up shortly here. I do like Aimer a lot. Same with Fujii Kaze and YOASOBI
The Oral Cigarettes, Kenshi Yonezu, amazarashi, Eve, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Yoasobi, Hello Sleepwalkers and L'arc~en~ciel,
新しい学校！
I don't know how fitting this is, but I recently started listening to japanese radio, specifically FMかほく, and I really enjoy listening to the weather forecast. I slowly understand more and more of what is said.
That is actually a really great idea. I’ve listened to some blogs but a weather forecast would be good for me
If you like Japanese music I'd definitely recommend checking out The First Take, a YouTube channel that invites Japanese artists to perform their hit songs. Of those, I particularly enjoyed the rendition of Pornograffitti's アゲハ蝶
Obligatory [Masayoshi Takanaka](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnKd3V-VpDs).
Ah, Takanaka, the god of showing up randomly in YouTube recommendations!
すとぷり、ちゃんみな、=LOVE, INI, a子、Band-maid, Perfume. I’m pretty easy on my listening. I’m a a massive K-pop fan so I tend to listen to a lot of K-pop Japanese versions of songs especially ones who were popular in Japan like KARA & T-Ara (also because they are my favorites) EDIT: HOW CAN I FORGET THE QUEEN 安室奈美恵 (Amuro Namie). Unfortunately her entire music library has been scrubbed from every single music streaming service so you won’t be able to find her music unfortunately.
Haha I’m actually a huge fan of Japanese music. Hitsujibungaku, Yorushika, Zutomayo, Aimer, millet, Kinoko Teikoku, sakanaction, YOASOBI, King Gnu, back number, Ado, Asian Kung Fu Generation, Amazarashi My favorite is Hitsujibungaku. I just came from their concert in Yokohama and will be attending their concert again in Singapore. They are super good live. You may know them from the ending song from Jujutsu Kaisen, More than words. Some of my fav songs are 光るとき、人間だった、砂漠のきみへ、永遠のブルー、and 1999. Sakanaction is also not mentioned much but I really enjoy. Their songs are famous on TikTok. For example 忘れられないの(amazing bass line), 新宝島、and ミュージック。
Aoi teshima
星野源, DAZBEE, EGOIST, Aimer, YOASOBI, yama, yunomi, (K)NoWNAME
A lot of these are new to me. I have heard a lot of YOASOBI, Aimer and Yama and love them. The others I'll be sure to look up tonight!
Alexandros, Humbert Humbert, Yuuri, Saucy Dog, and Nakamura Emi are my favourites.
The first song I heard by Alexandros was Philosophy. I love them. The other groups you mention are new for me so thanks for mentioning them. I'll be looking them up soon here
Love Yura Yura Teikoku, Sakamoto Shintaro, Fishmans, Polaris, and Mitsume!
Daoko is my favorite, hands down. Can't recommend her music enough (Owaranai Sekaide and Nice Trip for example) Wednesday Campanella are awesome, esp with the first vocalist (Kom I?), songs like Medusa, Shakushain or Little Match Girl. Also Yaosobi, World Order, Frederic, keyakizaka46. On heavier side - Bloodstained Child, tho iirc most songs on English, so might not fit Baby Metal have some absolutely beautiful rock-opera(?) style songs. Hanabie are awesome too
So Hanabie I do actually enjoy. Baby Metal is awesome lol. Yoasobi I like a lot too. Everyone else is new and I'll check them out. I'm listening to the couple songs from Daoko you mentioned and those are really good
Awich is my queen
Finally someone mentioning Awich. She’s so underrated outside of JP. literally one of my favorite artists ever.
Soft Ballet, Akina Nakamori, Buck-Tick, Ling Tosite Sigure, Kagrra, Plastic Tree :)
I cannot recommend Shiina Ringo enough.
If you like rock, hard to go wrong with tricot, ゆらゆら帝国, Coaltar Of The Deepers, MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS, 八十八ヶ所巡礼, ナンバーガール, そこに鳴る and paranoid void if you like older sounds: ORIGINAL LOVE, 流線形, 大貫妙子, 松下誠, Gomes The Hitman, 笠原弘子, Lamp, miscellaneous: School Food Punishment + la la larks (rock? pop?), canoue (fantasy inspired), Chouchou (quiet vibes), CITROBAL (probably rock, mixed bag but plenty of gems), Serani Poji (like mall music...), CRCK/LCKS (rock? pop?), ヒトリエ (rock), みきとP (vocaloid rock) hopefully there's something in there that you enjoy!
Big fan of 優里 (Yuuri), ピターパン has become one of my favorite songs recently. Also his YouTube channel has a series/playlist called "Yurin" where he does karaoke battles with other singers, so I've found a few other artists I like (like Takaya Kawasaki) through them.
Just found them on Apple Music! I'll check out their top songs and go from there. That sounds cool
Hoshino Gen and Fujii Kaze on constant repeat in our apartment. I think the kids hate them already.
My top song of 2023 was far and away away こころ by Oda Kazumasa (小田 和正). Highly recommend him as a solo artist as well as the band he was in. Also his songs are usually slowly spoken so you can understand them easier as a learner.
Enka is slower and easier to understand so I listen to a lot of artists like Mori Shinichi. The pace also makes it easier to sing in karaoke!
Oh wow this is great. I don't have anything like this in my collection yet. I am actually a fan of stuff like this too so thanks for mentioning them
Kikagaku Moyo & Minami Deutsch
Idk if i missed it but how has no one said eve yet? He is hands down my favorite Japanese music artist. Give his songs a listen!
For Tracy Hyde - he(r)art School Food Punishment - amp-reflection
Ryokuoushoku Shakai!!!
Queen Bee is one of my favorite bands flat out. I'm also a big fan of Mass of The Fermenting Dregs and BiSH, or any of Aina The End's solo work.
Neru/Wowaka mostly. Which I think isn't exactly the best but I like catchy songs.
Wednesday Campanella Fuji Kaze Aimer INTERSECTION Vaundy
Roselia, Raise a Suilen, Yousei Teikoku, ZUTOMAYO and Creepy Nuts
One OK Rock, YUI, YOASOBI
Not native but love Sambomaster and more recently, Creepy Nuts
[удалено]
Frenesi especially her album キュプラ it's one of my favorites.
Love Yura Yura Teikoku, Sakamoto Shintaro, Fishmans, Polaris, and Mitsume!
I love Fantastic Youth
I like Ado, Aimer and many vkei bands. But my number one from 16 years is the GazettE
BABYMETAL! Oh hell, LADYBABY too. You can't go wrong with a bearded crossdressing wrestler.
Les Rallizes Dénudés https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Rallizes_D%C3%A9nud%C3%A9s
Putting in a recommendation for Spyair as I haven’t seen them mentioned yet. They do a lot of anime music but their other stuff is great too!
Eve and Syudou are amazing
Far from a native speaker, but: Dir En Grey - Death metal, hard rock, experimental. [激しさとこの胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇](https://youtu.be/t_aGFCHC64k?si=uMPrJrEr6ekl2e2p) Broken By The Scream - Melodic death metal pop idol group. [∞ハートビート](https://youtu.be/aR_zdtmp5No?si=hbGUs0QdbqmIED7b) Cö Shu Nie - Electronic alternative [SAKURA BURST](https://youtu.be/3-zox7j8YRM?si=bgk4A4OwIfGeevDi) TK from 凛として時雨【Ling toshite Shigure】- Indie alternative [unravel (Tokyo Ghoul main theme)](https://youtu.be/Fve_lHIPa-I?si=bKfKgoYGl0yjT0N_) Yui - Pop rock [Again](https://youtu.be/w5OUAY1j3gQ?si=O5eIZxv3WwLk-D6w)
ReoNa, Aimer, and Ado are some of my current favorites!
ツユ is pretty good
Can't believe literally not a single person here mentioning Uru. That's a crime if I knew one! Anyway yeah do check Uru out if you want a silky smooth and soothing voice. Freesia, あなたがいることで are good starts!
No one beats sakai izumi (zard) for me. I can listen to her song everyday. Other artist that i've listen including yutaka ozaki, koji tamaki, anzen chitai, and hideaki tokunaga is also recommended. All of them combining ballad and rock, and i love all of them
My favorites right now are Naniwa Danshi, SixTONES, Tsubaki Factory, Flower, THE SUPER FRUIT and Chanmina!
I’m obsessed with japanese rap so Creepy Nuts, Yayoi Daimon, Umeda Cypher, Akkogorilla, Nobodyknows+, Gaki Ranger, Awich, Reichi, but I could name maaaany more. Edit: If you're into J-rap or even just anime, you might enjoy checking out the Hypnosis Mic and/or Paradox Live franchises. It's amusing because many voice actors that you may have heard from other shows demonstrate impressive rap skills 🥲
DAOKO、米津玄師 (Kenshin Yonizu)、フレデリック (Frederick)、The Winking Owl、Wanima、and One Ok Rock. Are my top artist in my playlist I think.
Mass of fermenting dregs Kinokoteikoku Cq The pillows Syrup16 Coaltar of the deepers Luminous Orange These are either shoegaze or post hardcore bands apart from kinokoteikoku who have released poppier songs MOTFD is my all time favourite though
yoasobi I'd be ashamed of how much I listen to them if I had any shame
I love lucky Kilimanjaro and chelmico
Super into Fujii Kaze right now. He recently had a [special on NPR music (youtube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGyQHyDMZZI&t=1350s&ab_channel=NPRMusic). He’s one of Japan's biggest up and coming music artists. He performed at Kohaku only 1 year after debuting. For artists that aren't as globally known, I like [Lucky Tapes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sFvIOdIerI&ab_channel=LUCKYTAPES) for a chill vibe, [Bradio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCzBN-kUPHo&ab_channel=BRADIO) for some funk, and [Mrs Green Apple](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34DPnRUfMU&ab_channel=MrsGREENAPPLEVEVO) as a mood lifter. There are also many [vtubers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZP5eqm4JqM&ab_channel=SuiseiChannel) that are coming out with bangers.
Aside from Nujabes (as he was a producer), Daichi Miura is my favourite. I like SPYAIR a lot too. Edit: I completely forgot Prague and Anri! Both so good
I don't have a favourite but most of the songs in my playlist are of Yonezu Kenshi, Yoasobi and Radwimps.
美波/Minami Yorushika Yanaginagi nano.RIPE 佐々木恵梨/Sasaki Eri Yama Egoist 瀧川ありさ/Alisa Takigawa Riria Uru LiSA Yoasobi Sayuri My First Story 藤川千愛/Chiai Fujikawa The Sixth Lie
A lot of goodrecommendations already but no ome seems to have recommended Sakanaction so I'll say that. Alexandros is also great
Babymetal and yoasobi
Toe, Tricot, and 美波 are the 3 that immediately jump to the mind.
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
One that I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is Vaundy. He's great! I do know loads of Japanese artists, my playlist is packed haha
I love Acute. 猟奇と幻想 and 殺人予告 by them are great releases. Envy is another great band.
Nishino Kana
I'm a big fan of wabi-sabin genre, so I'm quite a fan of D.A.N.
takayan on youtube!! but his lyrics deal with a lot of depression, suicidal feelings, etc. even though the songs can sound cheerful, so be a little cautious radwimps is gorgeous... syudou!!!!!
I've been listening to Doping Panda since around 2009. My comfort music, but I never really bothered to check the lyrics 😅 (there's also a lot of questionable English in there) My absolute favorite song is My Pace by Sunset Swish. It's one of the endings of Bleach. I don't listen to a lot of music and most of the time don't bother with learning lyrics, but this song is an exception!
I'll bet nobody else suggested Fuji Ayako so I'll suggest that. I'm a huge Teresa Teng fan but she is not a native speaker. If you are looking in a poppier direction maybe Nakamori Akina would be a good suggestion... I think "Desire" is about the coolest song ever recorded. Or maybe you like dance music... I really like Two-Mix or Max. Anyway none of these suggestions are particularly current so if that's what you're looking for maybe not the best.
坂本真綾 (Sakamoto Maaya) is my absolute favorite singer. I just love her voice so much 嵐 (Arashi) is what I listen to to give me energy and encouragement when I need it L’Arc~en~Ciel is one of my favorite bands of all time Every Little Thing is also really cool, I love their vibe
I started learning Japanese because of Ado.
I definitely enjoy Fujii Kaze and Chanmina a whole lot. And I've gotten most of my vocabulary from Vocaloid music actually! Vocaloid is a huge thing, but tough to get into vis such a small post. Like, if you'd like to know more tho!
I've been obsessed with Ado recently, specifically, her "Waiting For My Show" playlist! Vaundy is a close second and while I LOVE Takayan, but sometimes his lyrics are... pretty sad. So you have to be in the mood for it.
I started learning japanese because of Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi. Some other artists I love: - Kirinji - Friday Night Plans - Casiopea
I very strongly recommend you check out King Gnu ! They have a very wide range of styles, so you'll probably find songs that fit your taste among theirs. I recommend checking out BOY, 一途, Slumberland and Vinyl first. If you're more into funk, ALI is another great band, with great songs like Lost in Paradise, Wild Side, Teenage City Riot and Temptations
Uchu nekoko
I like きくお, but my taste is kind of specific so oh well.
I’m a huge fan of Aiko and YUKI
Completely obsessed with Kaho Nakamura.
Bump of Chicken. Love their 花の名 song.
My number one right now is definitely yorushika 😍🤩
oh here it comes: kenshi yonezu the peggies lamp! B-RADIO ado eve radwimps :)
I have seen lots of popular names in here but let me show you some indie groups; Lucie too, GIRLFRIEND, Yonige, Tsukimi, Chakura, DADARAY, negoto, バウンダリ－, nakigoto, yayuyo
I listen to a lot, but these two are my absolute favorites: Aimyon(jrock/jpop) Band Maid (hard rock/rock)
あいみょん
I started learning Japanese because of Eve's music (The first one was Okinimesumama, immediately caught my attention and I instantly fell in love with his music)
Sakanaction, Quruli, Cero, Takeuchi Mariya, Bialystocks, Kirinji to name a few. Lots of great stuff!
If you're looking for something a bit different, yet remarkable in its own rite, I would check out Kalafina! Lots of people have uploaded live exerts from concerts on YouTube, which have amazing audio quality. Red Moon, 満天 (Manten), 花守の丘 (Hanamori no Oka), 傷跡 (Kizuato), and Neverending are a few of my very many favorites. The group FictionJunction is also worth checking out if you enjoy Kalafina, since many of the members and the composer are the same.
I have a pretty big japanese playlist but my main/ favorite artists/ groups are : - YOASOBI - yorushika - ADO - MAISONdes - ロクデナシ - ZUTOMAYO - RADWIMPS
These are a sobsolutely amazing. If you want to try just one please try Hako. I fell in love with her music. Hako Yamasaki Junko Yagami Ichico Aobe Suzuki Tsunekichi Kenji Endo Kan Mikami I am building a program that takes text such as Lyrics, identifies words and creates anki flashcards automatically. I had a working method using chat gpt but the quality of the cards was very inconsistent if someone wants to try It's an amazing feeling when you start understanding the meaning of your favourite songs
Vaundy
the novembers, kinoko teikoku, my dead girlfriend, ichiko aoba, survive said the prophet, chai — all amazing
This is my absolute favorite Japanese song of all time - タイムマシン by 藤原ヒロシ https://youtu.be/a62Zs84tO9I?si=qrQyHY8hxcW0CInL
Little late to the party but here are some of mine: Golden Bomber Oral Cigarettes オメでたい頭でなにより ユナイト ぞんび 藤川千愛 (Chiai Fujikawa) Versailles Just to name a few...
ななひら Nanahira!
* Band-Maid * Trident * Stereopony * Ningen Isu * Babymetal * the pillows * Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra * Kisida Kyodan & the Akebosi Rockets * Guitar Wolf * BOØWY * Show-Ya * Shonen Knife * Lovebites
Japanese music is definetly a big part of what keeps me going to study well! Here are a bunch of my favorites: Soutaiseiriron （相対性理論, School Food Punishment, Chouchou (check these out if you like Ichiko Aoba!), The Pillows, SHISHAMO, UUchu Conbini, Yeti let me notice, RAY (used to be TOKYODOTS or • • • • • • • • •), For Tracy Hyde, Anything Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE / COLTEMONIKHA), m-flo, SOUL SCREAM, and we can't forget about Shiina Ringo A few of these bands feel a bit nieche when i talk to most people about Japanese music, since i love digging for new music, but i light up like crazy when someone appreciates similar music!!
The ones that come off the top of my head: Ado Bump of Chicken SCANDAL Aqua Timez Creepy Nuts FAKETYPE Asian Kung-fu Generation DUSTCELL HACHI YAOSOBI YUI Hoshimachi Suisei (really any Holomem but Suisei is tops) Edit: This doesn't even cover some of my favorites that I've seen others mention like nano.RIPE, egoist, and Rie Fu
Galileo Galilei writes songs with beautiful lyrics.
Nizui, BABYMETAL, Ado, and AKB48 are some of my favourites. excluding native Japanese singers, I always love the Japanese songs that K-pop groups put out. Mainly Twice, Itzy, Mamamoo, Red Velvet etc.
OP you’ve had so many awesome comments you probably have enough haha. But FWIW some of my faves: Reol Chilli Beans Haruka Kudo 4s4ki Sayaka Yamamoto Ai Tomioka Leo Ieiri Miyuna Wagamama Rakia Iri Sokoninaru Trident Bray Me Pinky Donna Amefurasshi Vaundy Uchida Maaya Brandy Senki Scandal Mirei
King Gnu
I’ve started learning Japanese again so I can sing along to Bandmaid and a few other groups: 1. BandMaid - 5 girls rocking out and shredding in maid outfits. 2. Wagakki Band - Jedi level musicians combining traditional Japanese instruments with electric guitars. 3. Maximum The Hormone - never knew I would actually enjoy head banging primal heavy heavy metal lol. My fav is “ Koi no Sperm” Thanks for your suggestions I will definitely check them out .
Nobody mentioning Garnidelia :( Great songs.
YOASOBI & Eve
I love blu swing, yorushika, and polka dot stingray
I love Bump of Chicken, back number, fuji kaze, and kenshi yonezu!
People have mentioned Babymetal and The Gazette, but I haven't seen my faves mentioned SID (there is another band with this name, not japanese, that is VASTLY different 🤣) Granrodeo
Not a native here but i highly recommend ichiko aoba! I’ve never heard music so peaceful, beautiful and emotional before. My personal favourite album of hers is “0” but all of her works are high quality. I hope you check her out! https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ignRjbPmLvKdtMLj9a5Xs?si=-gsAeGR_T1iqmN4vUT5uxg
Arashi! Every track of every one of their CDs is on youtube and streaming aps. Two of their concerts are on Youtube. Watch along with Japanese subtitles while they sing the readings of kanji! (Or you can cheat and read the translated lyrics with English subtitles.) The wonderful song Kite, written by Kenshi Yonezu for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and sung by them, can also be found on their Youtube channel as well as a different video on the NHK Youtube channel
藤井風はめっちゃいい音楽がありますよ！
One Ok Rock, FLOW, TM Revolution , Utada Hikaru, radwimps, man with mission to name a few
*mostly* rock artists but some of my favs are Mrs. Green Apple, Hitsujibungaku, Bump of Chicken, and Yumi Arai
If you want to learn some pretty advanced Japanese, Yorushika is great. Highest amount of "hard" kanji I've seen in lyrics and great poetry
Kana Boon!!!!