With a large music industry such as Japan, the second largest in the world, music fans will inevitably be inundated with a profusion of good (and also less good) music from this country. It is impossible to keep track of this and write a review about it per video. But to avoid missing out on gems, it is time for a weekly list of new music videos from Japanese music acts that are definitely worth watching and need some extra focus, with an emphasis on the lesser-known names.
We are now looking back on a selection of videos released in week 52 of 2024. This is the last roundup of this year and we sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
Giraffe John – Song to live
This is the third single of the three consecutive monthly releases by the band Giraffe John, a brand new six-member band from Tokyo. Brand-new because the band started activities in May of this year. The sextet’s mission is to play ‘new emotional music’ ignited by the emotion of modern times and fuelled by the uplifting spirit of ska, reggae, dub and alternative rock. Watch this band to see what they have in store in 2025. — Recommended by Francisca
KIRIA – ineffable
KIRIA is a versatile singer-songwriter who combines acoustic (as KIRIA∞), electronic, and rock elements to expose raw emotions and hidden truths in her songs. Her discography consists of several singles and an album. Besides being active solo, she is also part of cyberpunk duo VALKIRIA with songwriter Frank Shigetora, in 2017 they released their first album titled CITY WOLF. — Recommended by Francisca
wash? – オートマチックフォーザピーポー (Automatic for the people)
Three-man formation wash? released their new single this week, which is a clear tribute to the American alternative rock band R.E.M., the song is written by vocalist and guitarist Dai Okumura who is also the band’s frontman. The music video consists of footage shot during live performances. The alternative rock band has been active for more than 20 years with an extensive discography, in the summer of 2023 the 20th anniversary was celebrated by the album Noise. — Recommended by Francisca
不眠旅行 (Nemuras Trip) – caffeine
Nemuras Trip is the name of a five-member pop band from Shiga prefecture that has been on the scene for several years. After releasing an EP in spring this year, the quintet closes out 2024 with a quiet, emotional yet somewhere comforting song and a matching music video. Earlier this week, the band celebrated their third anniversary with their first one-man show, curious to see what 2025 will bring for Nemuras Trip. — Recommended by Francisca
Digress – emotion
The girls rock band Digress, consisting of vocalist/guitarist maimaikon and bassist Erika, treated fans to this music video as a Christmas gift. The new music video followed shortly after the release of their second digital single ランデヴー (rendezvous), which was released in late November. Originally, the band started as a trio in early 2022, focusing on songs that are not overly optimistic. In the spring of 2024, the band became a duo, working with support musicians for live performances and recordings. — Recommended by Francisca
ソーダライト (soda light) – 心創風景 (Kokoro Sou Fuukei)
This song was created as a musical collaboration inspired by photographer Naoki Noda’s photo exhibition of the same title. The band explains that the song’s composition came about during a closing live performance, exploring themes of hope, light and connection. The result was released this week as a digital single and music video. The five-piece band, named after the gemstone sodalite, brings together emotional landscapes and harmonies, inspired by light and integration. — Recommended by Francisca
melt in sound – Nostalgic Blue
By the looks of it, 2024 was a good year for the young five-piece band melt in sound, the band managed to release a handful of singles while also hitting the stage. Hailing from Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Fukuoka, the band members create melodic catchy songs born from a fusion of Japanese pop and rock music and clear striking vocals by vocalist neko-sui. Definitely a band to keep an eye on! — Recommended by Francisca
Next week we will be back for a new list of new music videos to check out. But you can also look back to the earlier editions of this weekly article series for when you yearn for more musical gems! Want to read more about how this project started or check out the YouTube playlists? Click here for all the information.
