This episode really covers a lot of history. We’ve got The Blue Hearts doing their mid-’80s punk thing. We’ve got Cornelius make enemies with celestial bodies in the ’90s. And our featured artist set is occupied by the man all the way at the top of modern Japanese pop, Kenshi Yonezu. And while Summertime may be my favorite time to listen to City Po…

New music from Aimer? A little dash of K-Pop thrown in? Songs from movies about fighting armies of robots? Sounds like we’re back to business in this episode of Nihongaku Radio. It felt good to stretch a bit and do an episode focused on a list of the Japanese musicians Rolling Stone missed in their Top 500 Albums of All Time list. Sometimes you’ve …

The folks at Rolling Stone have once again gifted the world a list of the Top 500 Albums of All Time. While I agree with many of the picks on the list (although I’m not sure why Red Hot Chili Peppers deserve more than one spot), there is a glaring omission: Music in a language other than English. Sure, I can see why Marvin Gaye deserve that number …

A big part of what makes any music scene vibrant is constant change. It’d be easy to pack a Nihongaku Radio episode full of Polysics, X Japan, Boom Boom Satellites, The Pillows and my other favorites. It’s far more interesting though, to scour the internet looking for the next Japanese band I’ve never heard of. To that end, I’ve jam-packed this epi…

It’s been months since I’ve been to a live show. Same for you? Well, the good news is that a lot of bands and artists are making the switch to live-streamed concerts. Take our featured artist for this episode, Negicco. If you move fast, you can check out two live-streamed Negicco concerts at the end of this month. The good folks at Tokyo’s Coolest …

Omodaka is the man, and that’s really what this episode is about. If you haven’t had the pleasure, allow me to expound upon this masked man’s virtues. Omodaka is persona employed by electronic musician Soichi Terada to share his unique brand of folktronica to the rest of the world. Yeah, that’s right. I said “folktronica.” The man combines dope bea…

It’s summer and that means the time is right for a special City Pop episode. What is City Pop? It’s the soundtrack to real (or imagined) hot summer nights dripping in the economic excess of 1980s Tokyo. So dress for the discotheque, grab a drink, and get ready to party like the economic bubble is never gonna burst! Get ready for music from Anri, Ni…

Welcome to the episode that lures you in with chill beats and then attacks you with vampiric violins. Yep! We’ve got music from Malice Mizer, a new song from Boris, and some dope beats from Kirinji. And don’t miss electronic music pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra in the featured artist set. Have you got a request? Hit me up on Twitter and let me kno…

Finally it’s Friday! And you know what that means! In this episode of Nihongaku Radio, prepare for some newer Polysics music, a little K-Pop courtesy of the idol group Twice, and a particularly cool track from Sekai no Owari. And Mothercoat is hanging out in our featured artist set. What are you waiting for? Have you got a request? Hit me up on Twi…

We’re here. It only took four episodes since the show’s return for me to claim the featured artist set for myself. Boom Boom Satellites are a personal favorite of mine. I’m betting you’ll dig them too. And even if you don’t, there’s plenty of music in this episode. Get ready for Avengers In Sci-Fi, TM Revolution, and The Gazette. And if that wasn’t…

In this episode of Nihongaku Radio, we learn the correct way to pronounce One Ok Rock. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 59: I Will Never Lose to You appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

In this episode of Nihongaku Radio, we hear from Korean songstress Lulileela and get acquainted with Scandal in the featured artist set. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 58: Scandalous Linguistics appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Welcome back to Nihongaku Radio, a twice monthly exploration of Japanese (and other Asian) music for a primarily English-speaking audience. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 57: Five Year Mood Adjustment appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

In episode 56 of our Japanese music podcast, we'll hear from several of the bands that played the Japan Nite SXSW showcase and tour. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 56: Japan Nite Turns 20 appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Take it from the totally unbiased opinion of a guy who runs his own Japanese Music podcast: There's a lot of great music on this episode. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 55: A Hundred Suns appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

X Japan and Shonen Knife attack the U.S. with Japanese music. We'll hear both in this episode along with The Pillows, Polysics and Chihiro Yamazaki. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 54: Kaja Kaja Goo appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

I'm back at it! Ready for some new Japanese music? I thought so. Check out new stuff from Chouchou Merged Syrups and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu to name a few. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 53: Let’s Go to the Studio! appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Boris is all over the featured artist set for this episode. Also, get ready to enjoy new music from Base Ball Bear, Ayumi Hamasaki and Perfume. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 52: Ambivalent Dancer Boris appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Check out new music from Kishi Bashi, Shonen Knife and The Mirraz. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 51: Mr. Steak, You’re Grade A appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

It's episode 50! We're celebrating with a ton of guests. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 50: Back On My Feet appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Nihongaku interviews Peelander-Z's new drummer, Chris Heaton. The post Nihongaku Radio Interview: Meet the New Peelander Green appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

In this episode we explore the career of Beat Crusaders' Toru Hidaka and hear from his new band, The Starbems. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 49: Tonight, Tonight, Tonight! appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Cibo Matto returns to the limelight. We'll hear from them as well as The Telephones and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra in this episode. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 48: Space Dream Bathroom appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

This episode is packed with new songs from Supercell, Unison Square Garden and Lost in the Fog. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 47: The Lightning Vortex appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

There's a tons of new stuff in this episode from the likes of Maximum Za Hormone, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Scandal. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 46: Overdrive Misterioso appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Polysics. I don't feel like I need to say a lot more about this episode. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 45: Everybody Say No to the Marshmallow Head appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

There are a ton of great tracks in this episode including my personal favorite, "Wink Sniper" by Base Ball Bear, and "You-You-You" by Polysics. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 44: You-You-You Are the Wink Sniper appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

This episode starts with a band called Otoboke Beaver. Yeah! And then things just get better from there. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 43: Happy Birthday, Mad Tiger appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Prepare yourself for tracks from Anthem, Boom Boom Satellites, X Japan and a few bands who rocked so hard that they're not even around anymore. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 42: Revenge of The Rock Episode appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

New stuff from Peelander-Z? Yes, please! And be sure to stick around for the '90s revivalist band Taffy. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 41: Sweet Violet and the Foxy Machines appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

At long last, here’s episode 40! Prepare your ear holes for new music from The Telephones, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and GaGaGa SP. Enjoy! Nihongaku Radio Episode 40 Intro: “Final Wars!” – The ALFEE (Buy It!) “Gonna Be Alright” – Skall ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 40: The Last Ice Cream appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

New music from Perfume, Flip and Crazy Ken Band in this episode. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 39: Requiem For a Handy Man appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

Check out new music from The Starbems and Destrose. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 38: Capsule Toys appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

We’ve got a ton of new music to get to in this episode including brand new stuff from Light Bringer, 9mm Parabellum Bullet, and Tsushimamire. And if you’ve written in with requests, consider this your episode. A few fan favorite ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 37: High and Mighty Hydrangea appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

What’s this!? Another episode? Sure enough. Consider this my apology for being a bit slow with new episodes as of late. I hope that after episode 35, you’re still in the mood for a ton of new Japanese music. We’ll ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 36: The Beautiful Red Sky appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

New tracks from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, May’n and Kiyoshi Sugo round out the playlist for this, the 35th episode of Nihongaku Radio. Of course I’ve got a few other surprises in store as well. Buck Tick’s waiting for you in ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 35: Invader Invading Your Ears appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

The best decision I made during SXSW music this year was heading to a couple of the Korean music showcases. Make no mistake that my first, truest love as and will always be the zany, whacked-out music of Japan, but ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 34: It Came From Korea? appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

Japan Nite, the annual tradition of shipping a bunch of great Japanese artists to SXSW in Austin, TX and a subsequent tour in a few major North American cities, is upon us. The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 33: SXSW and Japan Nite Return appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

We've got new music from Yamanaka Sawao, Miii, Noanowa and more on this episode. Get to it! The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 32: What’s Up, People!? appeared first on Nihongaku!.Nihongaku Radio

We’re barely two weeks into 2013 and things are already starting to get interesting. Boom Boom Satellites has released two new albums (one is a remix album). Dir en Grey is on the cusp of a new album. Matter of ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 31: Tricot’s Pi Reference appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

As it turns out, Mayan prophecies of our impending doom were greatly exaggerated. And it’s a good thing to. 2013 is already shaping up to be a big year for Japanese music. Boom Boom Satellites have a new album out ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio: Best of 2012 Special appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

The holiday season comes but once a year, so why am I eternally sick of all the so-called classic Christmas music? Sorry, Bing Crosby, but we’re shaking up Christmas time with an entire episode devoted to holiday music from Japan. ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 30: Merry Christmas to All and to All Oyasuminasai appeared first on N…

New music in this episode from Hemenway, Ketsumeishi, Sekitori Hana and more. Also, be sure to stick around for a guest set from Mr. Evan Jones featuring the orchestral stylings of Hiroki Inui. As I mentioned on the show, Haikarahakuti ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 29: This One Has a Kazoo Solo appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

Happy Thanksgiving! When you’re over-stuffed with carb goodness, give the latest episode of Nihongaku Radio a listen. Brand new stuff from Plenty, Noodles, and more. Nihongaku Radio Episode 28 Intro: “Sharp” – Negoto (Buy It!) “Oh Yeah” – Noodles (Buy ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 28: Noodles on Thanksgiving appeared first on Nih…

Halloween’s over. It’s time for a little ear candy. Check out new tunes from Unlimits, Miwa Sasagawa and Urbangarde Also, if you dig Light Bringer be sure to check out the band’s unofficial Facebook fan page in English! Nihongaku Radio ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 27: Podcast Jyanaimon! appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

I heard you were looking for a new episode of Nihongaku Radio. Sorry I’m late. Hopefully a fistful of new music from the likes of Cinema Staff, Do As Infinity, and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will make up for it. Welcome ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 26: Good Screams appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

Toiling in the dank and dark podcasting mines, it seriously did not so much as occur to me that I’ve been doing Nihongaku Radio for more than a year. Here we are, miraculously at episode 25. Call it a milestone. ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 25: Drop Your Urbangarde appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

I’m a few days late, but here we are with a brand new episode of Nihongaku Radio. And what an episode! Gear up for a ton of brand new music from the likes of Cinema Staff, Spyair, Scandal and 2side1BRAIN. ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 24: French Things I Can’t Pronounce appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

There is but one appropriate way to celebrate Labor Day if you’re a J music-obsessed podcast constructionist like myself. A lot of beer and a new episode of Nihongaku Radio! There’s a ton of new music on this one including ... Read More » The post Nihongaku Radio Episode 23: Art-School Confidential appeared first on Nihongaku!.…

I spend a lot of time talking about the new music on Nihongaku Radio. Well, this episode’s got a fistful of old tracks as well. Tracks you might describe as “groovy.” Tracks with horn sections. Tracks that make you want ... Read More » The post . Nihongaku Radio Episode 22: Silly Mathcore Bands appeared first on Nihongaku!.…