FEATURES

Mannequins on manoeuvres… As FEMM fans will be aware, the duo made a dramatic announcement earlier this year to call it a day stating that they had “completed their role” and were returning to their home in the future. “What … Read More

New song, new album and a streaming performance on the way… December marks the 23rd Anniversary of ‘Time Will Tell’, Hikaru Utada’s debut single (the first single from their debut album First Love, released in 1999). Time certainly flies, but … Read More

The return of Ayu’s trance classic Ayumi Hamasaki needs little introduction as one of Avex’s most established musical powerhouses and one of Japan’s most well-known female musicians and singers. Now the reissue of classic 2002 remix album Cyber TRANCE presents … Read More

You can just be yourself Those people with a keen interest in J-pop in the UK will of course be aware of Orion Live’s passion in bringing underground acts to the country in previous years. Their efforts have in turn … Read More

This kiss you give, it’s never going to fade away… Although the history of the 20th Century is littered with significant events, there’s probably few that can match the scale and impact of the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. It … Read More

2019 has been a mixed combo of winners in many genres, including some classic artists. Here’s the songs that J-Pop Go think stood out this year… BABYMETAL – PA PA YA!! With its bonkers screeching synth sounds, speedy guitars and … Read More

The year in J-pop… 2019 saw a mixed year of underground idol action, new releases from established acts and more than a few interesting UK-based events. Here’s J-Pop Go’s review of the year… The year started off with some sad … Read More

Hyper Summer Thrills… Celebrating 10 years of events, Hyper Japan launched once again into the summer with 3 days of food, fashion, gaming, cosplay, anime and music all connected with a Japanese theme. As ever, for this year’s event, Hyper … Read More

The UK’s biggest Japanese cultural event is back… Hyper Japan is the UK’s biggest convention of J-culture and anime held in the UK. First staged in 2010, Hyper Japan is designed to promote all aspects of Japanese culture, encompassing food, … Read More

A celebration of love, friendship, and happiness… The cast of Love Live! Sunshine!! rocked the house this weekend, making The Novo in Downtown Los Angeles feel like Numazu City in an interactive concert featuring beautiful memories from seasons one and … Read More

Ringing in the changes… Celebrating the 15th anniversary of her debut, J-pop singer-songwriter Ai Otsuka’s new song ‘Chime’ has been chosen as the new opening theme for the 2019 TV anime Fruits Basket. Ai Otsuka is probably best known for her … Read More

Summer musical thrills from Hyper Japan… Nothing really beats a summer event packed with Japanese culture. As ever, Hyper Japan were on hand to provide 3 days of food, fashion, gaming, cosplay, anime and music all connected with that particular … Read More

Former BiS member delivers pink pop Toothpast Records, a new record label venture based in London and Tokyo, aims to feature a variety of Japanese artists for vinyl releases. The first planned release scheduled for September will be the debut … Read More

2017 has been a particularly busy year in the world of J-Pop. It’s seen the return of old favourites as well as the emergence of new talent. Meanwhile, the UK has hosted some amazing events along with some great acts … Read More

Shooting for the stars… With her debut album Spades & Stars just released, Himezawa has had an opportunity to reflect on her fortunes since relocating to Japan several years back. The German-born musician, model, author and performer had started her … Read More

We are saddened to learn that Rina Matsuno of Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku has passed away at the age of 18. The idol group had announced on Tuesday that she would be unable to appear at a planned Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku … Read More

A guide to the Japanese indie rock outfit It’s always hard to say goodbye to a band that you love, especially when their music has had a major impact on your life. You know the kind we are talking about: … Read More

With the winter chill bearing down, HYPER JAPAN warmed crowds up with a diverse variety of musical entertainment… The Christmas Market version of Hyper Japan can often feel like a scaled down version of its summer event – particularly following … Read More

Making her singing debut, HIMEZAWA steps forth with new single release ‘Wagamama Love’… Originally hailing from Germany, HIMEZAWA spent a brief time in the UK before moving to Japan where she became a model for Asobisystem. Her cosplaying career kicked … Read More

Touching anime series Clannad presents a slice-of-life story that follows high school delinquent Tomoya Okazaki. As a troubled soul, Tomoya battles a fractious relationship with both his father and his school. But Tomoya’s life is about to radically change when … Read More

Two of the brightest stars on the anime song circuit, Aya Hirano and Yui Horie combined their talents for the supernatural antics of anime series Nura Rise of the Yokai. But prior to this, the pair had built up a … Read More

LAST EXILE emerged as a series that set the bar for stylish, intelligent anime. The carefully crafted design work and thrilling narrative provided a compelling combination in hand with the sweeping orchestral elements of the soundtrack. The breathtaking visual style … Read More

HYPER JAPAN is the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine and entertainment and will be taking place at their new home of The O2 in Greenwich, London on 10th–12th July 2015. Imagine Jurassic Park, but with less dinosaurs (although … Read More

HYPER JAPAN is the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine and entertainment and will be taking place at their new home of The O2 in Greenwich, London on 10th–12th July 2015. With the return of Hyper Japan comes a … Read More

HYPER JAPAN is the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine and entertainment and will be taking place at their new home of The O2 in Greenwich, London on 10th–12th July 2015. With the return of Hyper Japan comes a … Read More

HYPER JAPAN is the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine and entertainment and will be taking place at their new home of The O2 in Greenwich, London on 10th–12th July 2015. With the return of Hyper Japan comes a … Read More

“People Usually Aren’t Idols for 10 Years, Are They?” Berryz Koubou’s 35th single, released 10 years after their debut seemed to have the optimistic message: Berryz were the idols who would be going against the grain and be around for … Read More

Looking at Japan’s traditional Christmas music show While Christmas in Japan is a very different experience to those that we enjoy in the west, there’s a familiar tradition that arrives every New Year’s Eve in the shape of Kohaku Uta … Read More

It was always a most unlikely collaboration: in one corner, the colourful idol outfit MOMOIRO CLOVER Z and the other corner, the classic rock outfit KISS. The finished product is ‘Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina’, a song that was penned … Read More

Last year proved to be a strong year for J-Pop releases – and along with it came a continuation of the desire for some Japanese artists and record labels to expand into a global market. This interest has obviously been … Read More

The Japanese music scene will often serve up some intriguing delights that manage to capture the imagination of the public as well as enjoying a measure of success into the deal. Certainly SEKAI NO OWARI would fit that particular bill. … Read More

The UK’s largest Japanese culture event HYPER JAPAN is returning for a special Christmas Market next weekend. The event will see the usual exciting range of activities and guests covering both traditional Japanese culture as well as contemporary culture across … Read More

Miku’s global adventures… Our favourite Vocaloid has been continuing her global expansion plans since the release of the English build of Hatsune Miku arrived in August 2013. The long-expected English language version of Miku had been mooted for some time … Read More

Yet another HYPER JAPAN is almost upon us, so let’s take some time to see what the UK’s biggest convention of J-culture has in store for attendees this year. First of all, you’ll be pleased to know that J-Pop Go … Read More

Technopop trio going strong… With the exception of those living under a rock recently, it’s clear that J-Pop superstars Perfume have been quite busy recently with song releases and tour plans. ‘Cling Cling’, which offers up Perfume’s 25th single release … Read More

Perfume go global… With the impending release of new single ‘Cling Cling’, Perfume have chosen the right moment to announce details of their new touring plans. The outfit will embark on their new global adventures following the completion of their … Read More

Idol group get magical… A glimpse of MOMOIRO CLOVER Z’s contributions to the new Sailor Moon anime series has been unveiled via a new trailer. ‘Moon Pride’ will be the opening theme for the new series, which goes by the … Read More

Japanese electronica It’s not often that a musical outfit can effortlessly straddle two different music genres, but Japanese duo SAYACONCEPT appear to have mastered that particular feat. Comprised of Mina Mermoud (vocals, sanshin, violin) and Alexandre Dai Castaing (production, percussion), … Read More

Beyond the 5th Dimension… The release of 5TH DIMENSION in 2013 landed MOMOIRO CLOVER Z with their first No.1 position on the Oricon charts, shifting over 235,000 copies. It’s time to catch up with what our colourful 5-piece outfit have … Read More

With her Nanda Collection tour still ongoing, KYARY PAMYU PAMYU has announced details for her third album release this summer. Announced at her recent ZEPP Tokyo concert, the new album will be titled Pika Pika Fantajin and will collect her … Read More

We’ve been keen to keep an eye open on the rising UK performers scene here at J-Pop Go over the years. A scene that’s brought us Beckii Cruel and Scarlett Young amongst others, emerging from the rapid sink or swim … Read More

Wolf wisdom Alternative rock outfit MAN WITH A MISSION have been stealthily building up a global presence over the past few years. The outfit, formed in Shibuya in 2010, released their debut Welcome To the Newworld the same year. Their … Read More

Visual delights from the Gothic Lolita outfit J-Pop Go was struck by the talents of Die Milch, particularly on the back of debut album Metronom which boasted a collection of baroque pop tunes with a strong sense of classical influences … Read More

Rock trio return SHONEN KNIFE have a new European tour lined up this year – and a new album Overdrive to follow. The rock trio’s last outing was the 2012 release Pop Tune, on which J-Pop Go’s review stated: “Shonen … Read More

J-Pop duo reveal new tunes… J-Pop duo YANAKIKU have previewed some new songs as part of their recent live at Astro Hall, Harajuku. The pair, who made their UK debut at Hyper Japan last year, revealed the new songs at … Read More

J-Pop singer reveals album info One of our favourite new J-Pop artists Yun*chi has certainly had a busy year. Following on from 2 mini-album releases and her UK performance debut at Hyper Japan in July earlier this year, Yun*chi now … Read More

With an increasingly popular Lolita community in the UK it’s only natural that dedicated events should start to become regular features on the calendar. Milk Tea Day took place in London in December, following on from an earlier event (Austen … Read More

At the culmination of her UK tour, Legendary Godmother of Japanese Electronica, Coppé rounded things off with a special post-tour party in London. The location of choice was Rudy’s Revenge cocktail bar, a hidden gem amongst London’s nighttime venues. Guests … Read More

Colourful idol pop outfit return Following on from the success of their recent album 5TH DIMENSION (which J-Pop Go reviewed here), the non-stop colourful 5-piece idol outfit Momoiro Clover Z have unveiled details of their 10th single release which is … Read More

Metal trio to release live adventures Everyone’s favourite Pop Metal Idol outfit BABYMETAL have announced the release of a special live Blu-Ray/DVD titled ‘LIVE ～LEGEND I, D, Z APOCALYPSE～’ featuring 3 the metal trio in action. BABYMETAL came together in … Read More

Miku gains a new voice… The long-awaited English version of popular Vocaloid HATSUNE MIKU has finally been given a release date of 31st August 2013. The Vocaloid software is a voice synthesizer developed by Crypton Future Media that allows users … Read More

BiS make a noise… Keeping themselves busy, Brand-New Idol Society have embarked on a collaboration with Japanese noise outfit Hijokaidan. Noise outfit Hijokaidan emerged at the end of the 1970s coordinated by founder-member Jojo Hiroshige. The line-up frequently changed, although … Read More

New Asobi artist debuts… It’s a good time for J-Pop with both classic bands and artists releasing new material as well as an emerging breed of the next generation of musical talents. Once again, outlets such as ASOBISYSTEM appear to … Read More

For dedicated London-based VAMPS fans, last weekend brought an unexpected bonus in the shape of a live screening of their Tokyo concert at Zepp DiverCity. This particular treat was also being enjoyed at select cinemas globally, including Hong Kong, Barcelona, … Read More

Running the numbers on the Technopop Trio… PERFUME finally make their live UK debut this week allowing some lucky Londoners the chance to see this obscure Japanese acoustic folk combo in action. The Technopop Trio have come a long way … Read More

PERFUME have clocked up an impressive number of record releases and live performances since the group formed. So it’s natural that the outfit are going to accumulate all sorts of interesting stories, trivia and gossip. With PERFUME due to make … Read More

Screaming Cinderella in action If you’re lucky enough to be attending the Japan Expo in Paris this month, you’ll also have an opportunity to meet popular illustrator and singer Aki Akane who will be both appearing and performing at the … Read More

It’s been a while since we caught up on our chums in Brand-New Idol Society who, in the previous episode, were losing members left, right and centre and had embarked on an ambitious recruitment drive to boost their ranks. Following … Read More

KPP by the numbers… If there’s one J-Pop artist who’s rapidly achieved success in the music industry, it’s KYARY PAMYU PAMYU. With her World Tour behind her, Kyary’s latest single release titled ‘Invader Invader’ is out today. The song features … Read More

Several months after the drama that surrounded AKB48 member Minami Minegishi (in which Minegishi was photographed spending the night at GENERATIONS’ Alan Shirahama’s home in breach of the strict no-dating rules of AKB48), Minami appears on the cover of woman’s … Read More

The musical talents of Raychell… RAYCHELL’s debut album release via Avex, L>R serves up a collection of tunes that demonstrate the ability of the soulful songstress to embrace a broad variety of styles. From wistful piano-led ballads to edgy electropop … Read More

Keen-eyed viewers for some of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s performances may have spotted the fact that her backing dancers were a little on the short side. The children that made up Kyary’s crew have revealed more than a small element of … Read More

The release of February & Heavenly in 2012 marked the return of Tomoko Kawase’s alter egos Tommy February6 and Tommy Heavenly6. It was a reminder that Tomoko likes to keep herself busy, either in the guise of her other selves … Read More

If there’s been one story that’s set the blogosphere alight recently, it’s the drama that surrounded AKB48 member Minami Minegishi in which Minegishi was photographed spending the night at GENERATIONS’ Alan Shirahama’s home earlier this year, in breach of the … Read More

If you’re curious about what KYARY PAMYU PAMYU’s new double A-Side release Kimi ni 100%/Furisodation is all about, then these two recent TV appearances will give you an idea. Here’s Kyary performing new song ‘Furisodation’ as well as the classic … Read More

Keeping up with the sheer number of J-Pop artists emerging from Japan’s ever-busy music scene can be tough, especially with so many high profile bands and artists appearing to be hogging the limelight. It’s not surprising then that some talents … Read More

The early part of 2012 saw the return of the UK’s biggest J-Culture event Hyper Japan as they moved to their new home at Earl’s Court. Once again, a fantastic line-up of events included the Sake Award Show, World Cosplay … Read More

2012’s J-Pop tunes of choice… Here’s a round-up of songs (plus videos) that caught our attention throughout 2012. In order to be fair, only one song per artist and we’ve opted for purely J-Pop tunes for this list. There were … Read More

Taking their lead from Japan’s diverse Idol outfits, Oishii!Ichigo are the UK’s own homegrown equivalent, albeit without the generous financial backing of record labels or marketing outfits. Instead, the Oishii! Outfit are a good example of enthusiasts pooling their resources … Read More

Not satisfied with staging one event per year, it appears that Hyper Japan are keen to test the market for a bi-annual Japanese culture event. Judging by the crowds attending this November show that decision was largely successful. Hyper Japan … Read More

This week in November marks a particular landmark in the history of the Russian space programme. On 3rd November 1957 the Russians sent a dog into space onboard Sputnik 2. The dog, named Laika, has since become a legendary, if … Read More

apan has enjoyed a history of a broad range of electronic acts, from the likes of classic Technopop acts such as Yellow Magic Orchestra to the moody electronic compositions of Jesse Ruins. This eclectic range of electronic artists on the … Read More

There’s always been a small but dedicated Japanese music scene active in London and the latest outfit to emerge from that scene is a collaboration between Shin Nishimura and Dobly titled The New Markets. Hide Uno has been a regular … Read More

It seems Japan always has plenty of guitar bands on hand to suit your fancy, but lately it feels there’s been a glut of bands that are falling beneath the mark. Either poor facsimiles of Western bands and genres or … Read More

The secret life of vocaloids… It’s not often that you’re given the opportunity to attend a seminar whose topics include virtual superstar Hatsune Miku, but the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in London were providing just that opportunity as part of their … Read More

Japan’s top idol outfit AKB48 have made the video for new single ‘UZA’ available and shows the group adopting a Gothic visual look, whilst also going for a more Electropop sound. The title of the single ‘UZA’ refers to the … Read More

Collaborative outfit VAMPS, which consists of L’Arc~en~Ciel’s HYDE and Oblivion Dust’s K.A.Z., are planning their annual Halloween event in Japan – and they’re bringing some very special guests along for the ride. VAMPS formed back in 2008 and follows on … Read More

Iconic vocaloid star celebrates her birthday Today marks the 5th anniversary of our favourite Vocaloid HATSUNE MIKU – the virtual singer has clocked up a staggering number of songs and videos and shows no sign of her popularity waning. Hatsune … Read More

Summer proved to be a hectic schedule for J-Pop Go with guest slots at the London Anime Club and also at Amecon (the UK’s largest anime convention). But the main event was our own evening of J-Pop goodness which took … Read More

Amecon 2012 drew to a close last Sunday evening after 3 days of entertainment, stories, events and general mayhem. The event, which is the UK’s largest anime convention, is a fan-run event which has been running since 2004 featuring cosplay … Read More

News from the baroque pop princess… Gothic songstress KANON WAKESHIMA is certainly keeping herself occupied lately. Kanon will be taking part in the KITTYROBOT exhibition this month which is a charity event running from 12th to 19th August in Harajuku. … Read More

Is Perfume now too western for some tastes? The PV for Perfume’s new single release ‘Spending All My Time’ has now been released. ‘Spending All My Time’ marks Perfume’s 21st single release (following Spring Of Life which was issued back … Read More

For most anime and manga fans, the Japanese concept of an idol won’t be an unfamiliar thing. From Super Dimensional Force Macross to this year’s Symphogear, idols have been represented in anime as charismatic pop stars with the ability to … Read More

“If you like upbeat Punk Rock they’re the band for you!” For a band that’s been active for 30 years, Shonen Knife have had their fair share of press coverage which has helped to pave the way for their success. … Read More

Iconic rock outfit go Pop POP TUNE – The new album from pop-punk trio Shonen Knife is released in the UK today! The UK version of the album, which is released via Damnably, also features a different variation of the … Read More

Legendary Technopop outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra and Electronic pioneers Kraftwerk are to share the same stage for the first time in their long careers as part of the NO NUKES 2012 effort. The music event was the inspiration of Ryuichi … Read More

The success of popular anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya proved to be an equally enormous boost for seiyuu and musician Aya Hirano, who provided the voice for title character Haruhi. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya follows the story of … Read More

A phrase such as ‘idol group’ will conjure up particular images and ideas in your average J-Pop fan that are not going to be that dissimilar from the many acts dominating the contemporary Japanese charts. So it’s a refreshing surprise … Read More

Fan Pop Go! What is it about K-On! that appeals to its many fans? Lizzie Ooi went to this year’s Kitacon event to chat to the attendees about the Hokago girls to get their views on the characters and the … Read More

It’s not just for boys! Can K-On! simply be categorised as a moe series pandering to a male audience? Or is it lending inspiration to the female audience and encouraging their own musical ambitions? Kat Kourbetti looks at the issue… … Read More

Harajuku pop outfit to hit London… Following the news of their comeback in April, Harajuku Dance Rock outfit AN CAFE have announced plans for a third world tour – including a date in London. The tour, titled NYAPPY GO AROUND … Read More

It’s a KPP revolution… As previously reported, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has a new album scheduled for release next month. PAMYU PAMYU REVOLUTION now has a track listing and details of the various releases. This is Kyary’s first full length album … Read More

Anime Rock The classic anime series K-On! built its reputation on its music which could have resulted in a passable if pedestrian series of insert songs. Thankfully, this task was placed in the right hands from the start courtesy of … Read More

Unicorn Table’s singer strikes out in solo outing Salia, singer of pop rock outfit Unicorn Table, is releasing her debut album TRUST IN ME this June. Salia is better known globally for classics such as the theme song for Cutie … Read More

Anime Spheres As a group, Sphere have established themselves as providers for theme songs to a variety of anime series. The group also features two of the cast of classic anime series K-On! In fact Sphere consists of four established … Read More

How anime girls conquered the charts As with any classic anime series, part of the charm of K-On! is the music. It would have been easy to opt for a generic J-Pop theme song – or have the girls performing … Read More

A look at the anime series phenomenon K-On! swiftly emerged as a classic anime series on its initial outing. As well as being seen to promote and encourage music, the series also managed to be great entertainment at the same … Read More

The day of the virtual pop star… Audiences at the recent Coachella Festival were stunned when the long-deceased rap artist Tupac Shakur made an appearance on stage in a virtual performance. The ‘hologram’ version of Tupac was a remarkable technical … Read More

There’s an intriguing electronic music scene in Japan at the moment which is the polar opposite of the more familiar primary colours of the contemporary J-Pop scene. Jesse Ruins is a good example of this with their moody electronic soundscapes … Read More

Famed Japanese fashion magazine KERA is planning to celebrate its 13th Anniversary with the release of a special compilation album next month featuring the likes of Kanon Wakeshima , Scandal, Stereopony and more. The album, titled KERA Songs 13th Anniversary … Read More

Dazzling death voice Dazzle Vision are a 4-piece rock outfit that originally formed back in 2003 and have been gathering a steady fanbase ever since. Consisting of vocalist Maiko, guitarist John, bassist Takuro and Haru on drums, Dazzle Vision have … Read More

One of the more interesting and intriguing acts to emerge from the Japanese electronic music scene comes courtesy of the ethereal soundscapes of Sapphire Slows. Composing tunes in her bedroom on her trusty laptop this Tokyo-based musician has also made … Read More

February thrills In 2001, Brilliant Green singer Tomoko Kawase launched her solo career under the character of Tommy February6 – a self-manufactured alter ego whose infectious melodies, distinctive visual appearance and amazing videos made a definite impact on the J-Pop … Read More

Kanon Wakeshima wowed audiences at her debut UK gig earlier this year at Hyper Japan and this Friday she returns as the kanon x kanon tour reaches its climax. The tour, which sees Kanon collaborating with An Cafe’s bassist Kanon, … Read More

Japanese bands in charity push This Saturday sees the UK debut of Japanese band Lo-Fi as part of HAA – TO BII – TO [ハート ビート] which is also a fundraising event for Aid For Japan. Aid For Japan was … Read More