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 for each 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.
As we are nearing the end of 2025, we are now looking back on a selection of videos released in week 51. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
teiichi – ロングフライト (Long Flight)
Introducing themselves as an acid folk rock band, this four-piece band, called teiichi, enjoys playing with various music genres, such as folk, reggae and rock, complemented by melancholic vocals, resulting in a diverse and warm sound. In October of this year, the indie band from Tokyo released their second EP, あなたについて (Anata ni Tsuite), which includes the song below. Prior to that, in 2024, the band had already made a name for themselves in the local indie scene with the song 青天の霹靂 (A Bolt From The Blue). — Recommended by Francisca
after20時 (after20ji) – 海へ (Umi he)
This alternative pop-rock band from eastern Tokyo has been active for several years, with various releases under their belt. This year, they mainly released singles and an EP, Twinkle, featuring the remix version of 海へ (Umi he). The song was originally released as a digital single at the end of 2024. The three-piece band combines influences from blues, reggae, punk and grunge, among others, into songs that focus on everyday experiences and emotions. All this is done under the leadership of guitarist and vocalist Hatsumi Tamate. — Recommended by Francisca
ku-ten – お前が笑うな (Omae ga warauna)
Ku-ten started out as the drummer for the band C子あまね (C-ko Amane) and launched his solo project in 2024 after the band broke up. He combines diverse musical genres into intriguing compositions and manages the entire creative process himself. For this song, he collaborated with composer and keyboardist Pompa’s Homework, featured on his most recent EP, ku-ten chords, released at the end of October 2024. Both the song and music video exude playfulness and could not be omitted from this year’s playlist. — Recommended by Francisca
水中スピカ (Suichu Spica) – Soaring
2025 was a super interesting year for the math rock band from Tokyo. The quartet got off to a strong start with the album Lux, where they showed how much they had grown since their previous album in 2022. In addition, the indie band announced a world tour with performances in their home country, as well as parts of Asia, the United States and Australia. With two more singles under their belt, the band seems ready to end the year on a high note and look forward to a new year, hopefully filled with many new ventures outside Japan. — Recommended by Francisca
Neocera Garan – metropolis
This young four-piece band had already caught my attention with their music videos for the songs sleepy alien and sad water, which were released in recent months. What stands out in the songs is that they are sprinkled with elements from all kinds of music genres, gently rippling along while Kanae’s soft vocals, Natsuki’s groovy bass lines and Z’s melodic guitar work (also active in 盃唐浪漫 (Haikara Roman)) further enhance the song. It seems that this week’s music video concludes the year 2025 for the quartet, but it does make me curious about what the band has planned for the new year. — Recommended by Francisca
sōne – かくがくしかじか (Kaku Gaku Shikaji Ka)
The three musicians behind pop-rock band sōne have the mission to produce songs with easy-to-listen-to melodies that have poppy and cute aspects to help listeners get through their daily life with a sense of understanding and empathy (a reference to the meaning behind the band’s name). Following a well-received demo version of this song a few months ago, the band released a new music video for the final version of the song this week, with the announcement that two single releases are coming this Christmas. — Recommended by Francisca
pham foo – Sorry…
After releasing their first single, supercargo, last summer, the young melancholic pop band pham foo released their second single, entitled Sorry…, at the beginning of this month. The four-piece band is centred around the singer Yumea Horiike, who is also active solo. So far, the alternative band has produced some very nice songs that allow you to dream away a little, with elements of folk, dub rock and Japanese rock from the mid-’90s. What they have already achieved sounds promising, and I am very curious to see what they have planned for the new year. — 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.
