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 all this and write a review about it per video. But to avoid missing out on (obscure) gems, the decision has been made to create 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 24 of 2025. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
PLOTOLEMS – 連鎖 (Rensa)
If you’re a fan of horror films, then the three-piece alternative rock band PLOTOLEMS might be a good suggestion in terms of music, given that they explore the boundaries between reality and fiction with their dark tunes. At the end of May, they released their first mini-album, entitled para?anomaly, full of dark themes such as madness, suspense and horror with musical elements of industrial, new wave and coldwave. The music video for one of the tracks also has an appropriate storyline in which a home video of a family is overwritten with images of creepy figures, ruins, and the band’s performance. — Recommended by Francisca
ツバメおおよろこび (Tsubame big joy) – 緑の街 (A city with Green)
Tsubame big joy can be best described as a music collective based in the metropolis of Tokyo since the end of 2019. As a four-piece band with regular guest musicians, they add trumpet, synths, and a playful mix of percussion (including the occasional triangle) to add colour and depth to their warm band sound. The song A city with Green is can be found on Tsubame big joy’s first EP, Candy Birdie, which was released in March of this year. At the same time, this EP was their first release in more than a year, after releasing a single in November 2023. — Recommended by Francisca
oono yuuki band – O
Later this month, Tokyo-based music collective oono yuuki band will release their new album, titled まわり道、風の三角 (Mawarimichi, Kaze no Sankaku). This is their first album in two years and their fourth full-length album. Their latest work is described as a musical landscape in which punk, post-hardcore, film- and minimal music come together in a sound that is both meditative and stormy. In addition to the music video, the album cover also features the three radio towers of the Hario broadcasting station, built by the former Japanese navy in 1922, each approximately 136 metres high and placed in an equilateral triangle. — Recommended by Francisca
いまみれん (Imami Ren) – 求める nor i (Motomeru nor i)
After playing the guitar, musician Imami Ren started playing the piano after seeing the film Bohemian Rhapsody. The young singer-songwriter writes from his feelings, with his songs often emerging intuitively. While living with bipolar mood disorder, he regularly experiences a disconnect between his urge to create and his physical or mental energy. He incorporates the resulting feelings of despair and inferiority into his music. At the moments when he has the most inspiration, he writes musical fragments on his phone and eventually moulds this into a song format. This week, he released his first single. — Recommended by Francisca
THE DO DO DO’s – わかりたい (I want to know)
Started with the idea of breaking conventions, the band THE DO DO DO DO’s began in 2022 with the approach of a rock ‘n’ roll band without a bass player and with a female vocalist. With this, the band shows that they are unwilling to be lumped in with a fresh twist on the classic rock format. And they like to add to that: they claim to be an extraterrestrial rock formation, hailing from a distant planet called Sgt. Pepper, some 800 light years from here. In 2022, they crashed in Chiba with a mission: to conquer Earth through rock ‘n’ roll. — Recommended by Francisca
DISTRESS – New Generation
The alternative rock band DISTRESS can be probably best described as a fun bunch of guys who like to make music while implementing different music genres into their songs that are based around a nu-metal sound, it can range from hip hop to enka, rockabilly and even pop-punk. They have just released a new single, consisting of two tracks, BAD and New Generation. DISTRESS’s latest music video is secretly a tour of Kyoto, their home base, showcasing popular spots while they go all out to the song New Generation. — Recommended by Francisca
寝込みかんぱにゅら (Nekomi Campanula) – それでも、言わせて (Still, let me say this)
Since late 2022, Tokyo-based guitar pop-rock band Nekomi Campanula have been making waves with their catchy melodies and catchy choruses. Initially starting out as a trio, the band eventually continued as a quartet and began recording music. To date, they have released six digital singles, with the most recent being released in May of this year. This week, the song got a music video and explores the theme of a lost love that’s hard to forget. I am very curious to see what else the band will bring in the near future. — 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.
