Across the genre spectrum, Japanese artists have been at the forefront of musical innovation. By drawing on visiting Western influences and refashioning them into works that speak to Japanese sensibilities and perspectives, Japan is associated with experimental, boundary-pushing music that inspires artists far beyond its coastline.
Modern Japanese musical experimentation began in the 1950s, when the public developed a taste for jazz and rock and roll brought over by American soldiers. In the 1960s, American minimalist artists John Cage and LaMonte Young connected with Japanese collectives like Group Ongaku and Jikken Kobo. Inspired to experiment with traditional instruments and musical structures, disciplines like sound art and musique concrète flourished through the latter’s work.
By the 1970s, a bubbling underground boiled over into the mainstream through two notable artists: Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto. With their bands Happy End and Yellow Magic Orchestra, they released dozens of innovative albums that explore synth-pop, soft rock and electronic styles like house and new wave; fusing their love of Kraftwerk and American disco music with witty lyrics, colorful aesthetics and bilingual singing. The late Sakamoto in particular became an icon of Japanese music, collaborating with David Bowie on the cult 1983 film “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” and releasing albums of accomplished piano work.
Over the decades, Japan has produced many musicians who operated in a noisy, avant garde mode: from psychedelic rock and punk, to folk and electronic music; artists like Merzbow and Keiji Haino revelled in cross-genre collaboration, and are still active today. The experimentalism of these late 20th century artists continues to influence contemporary Japanese music. In the underground, groups like Acid Mothers Temple, Melt-Banana and Boredoms have spent years blending psychedelic rock, metal, drone and more to international acclaim.
In genres like indie rock, shoegaze, hyperpop and dream pop, Japanese artists are blending traditional instrumentation and vocals with digital software techniques, fusing influences with a deft hand. While Japanese pop music, aka J-pop, is a major player in the native music market, underground artists also play around with its more bombastic and Technicolor elements to intriguing effect.
Japanese artists have developed a keen sensibility for cross-genre experimentation and collaboration, leading to the thriving alternative music scene it enjoys today. To explore this further, we’ve put together a collection of contemporary music by alternative Japanese artists whose work carries the torch for this decades-long love affair with experimentalism. From artists born and raised in Japan — in the sparkling metropolis of Tokyo, and throughout music-loving cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and more — to Japanese diaspora artists in North America, Europe and the UK, there’s much to discover. From the ambient hip-hop of ziproom and the cinematic scores of Eiko Ishibashi, to the dream pop of Blurred City Lights and synthesized electronics of Hinako Omori, dive into the sound of alternative Japan today.
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ziproom, “Dive”
Kobe-based hip-hop collective ziproom blends dub, trip-hop, ambient electronic and other styles into their sound. This track dropped last summer on the Japanese label, SPACE SHOWER MUSIC.
tiger bae, “Distant Calls”
Synth pop band tiger bae are led by vocalist Yuco, whose hypnotic voice broke through on their 2022 EP, ‘Calm Like This Love.’
Eiko Ishibashi, “Coma”
Musician and film score composer Eiko Ishibashi released this track through her 2025 album, ‘Antigone,’ on Drag City.
Blurred City Lights, “花束”
Nagoya-based duo Blurred City Lights blend shoegaze and dream pop to hypnotic effect. Their debut album ‘天使のいない街で’ (‘In A City Without Angels’) dropped in 2024.
mei ehara, “まだ早い果物”
Starting out as a filmmaker, Mei Ehara moved into music later; the transition is clear in her cinematic style of arrangement. This 2024 track translates loosely as “unripe fruit.”
sgs, Nina Utashiro, “Sign here”
Japanese-German rapper Nina Utashiro teams up with producer sgs for this atmospheric hyperpop-meets-glitchcore ballad.
メとメ , “まだ早い果物”
Nagoya-based rock trio Metome blend saccharine vocal harmonies with rolling guitar riffs reminiscent of The B-52s.
Hinako Omori, “cyanotype memories”
London-based Omori uses analog synthesizers and her ethereal falsetto to create atmospheric electronic music. This track features on her 2023 album, ‘Stillness, Softness…’
野口文, “ボブマーリーに明け暮れて”
Experimental hip-hop artist 野口文 released his latest album, 藤子, in 2025; it was produced in a retreat in the Nasu Highlands, a mountainous area outside Tokyo.
Gliiico, “Bullet”
The trio of brothers grew up in Vancouver, Canada, but Gliiico are deeply connected to their Japanese heritage through music. This track features on their 2025 EP, ‘The Oath (Deluxe).’
Shun Ikegai, “Route 246”
Tokyo-based artist Shun Ikegai released the 2025 album ‘Black River, Far East,’ which blends elements of folk, drone and indie rock.
7co, “RENAI KOUISHOU”
A rising talent in the Japanese music scene, 7co blends modern R&B with Japanese pop and indie. This track, their latest single, dropped in 2025.
Laura day romance, “tender icecream”
Three-piece band Laura day romance are affectionately known as “The Lauras” by their growing fanbase. This track is on their 2022 EP, ‘Seasons.’
Paris death Hilton, “Hardcore Punk For KPI Achievement”
On the scuzzier end of the experimental rock spectrum, Paris death Hilton brings sardonic humor to their sound. This track dropped in 2024.
石橋英子, “Drive My Car”
One of Eiko Ishibashi’s cinema soundtrack works, this is the title track for Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated 2021 film.
Hitsujibungaku, “Burning (Anime Version)”
Tokyo-based trio Hitsujibungaku are a rising name in the Japanese indie rock scene, after their music was featured in the popular anime TV show, “Jujutsu Kaisen.”
Hailing from Hiroshima, kinoue64 blends indie rock and shoegaze; this track features on the 2025 album ‘日常消滅’.’
envy, “Beyond the Raindrops”
One of the foremost experimental rock bands in Japan, Envy have been together since the 1990s and released records on Mogwai’s Rock Action label.
Melt-Banana, “Stopgap”
Noise rockers Melt-Banana released their eighth album, ‘3+5,’ in 2024. Their joyous, erratic and multi-genre style has earned them a cult following.
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O, “Santa Maria”
Since they formed in 1995, Acid Mothers Temple have pushed sonic boundaries with their psychedelic rock music. This extended track was released on 2024’s ‘Holy Black Mountain Side.’
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