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Music

The Sounds of Japan: Exploring Music, Genres & Subcultures

Japan’s music scene is a bold mix of genre-defying sound and cultural storytelling. From the polished pop of J-Pop idols and the nostalgic glow of City Pop, to the experimental edge of Japanese hip-hop, lo-fi beats, and indie rock, the country’s soundscape reflects a culture in constant creative motion.

Our Music section brings you closer to the voices shaping Japan today. Explore features on underground scenes in Tokyo and Osaka, breakdowns of iconic albums, rising artists, and the global reach of Japanese music across anime, gaming, and fashion.

This is your window into a world where sound, identity, and subculture collide—and where Japan’s creative spirit is always turned up to eleven.

My Neighbour Totoro Studio Ghibli’s beloved film, brought to life
on stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company
The family’s move to the countryside,
recreated live on stage
Soot sprites swarming live on stage,
just as you remember them from the film
Joe Hisaishi's iconic score,
performed by a live band and singer
Musicians play from treehouses
above the stage at every performance
Winner of six Olivier Awards
and five WhatsOnStage Awards
The beloved Totoro made real, with puppets
built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop
Totoro and the Catbus, live Satsuki and Mei, live in London The soot sprites are real Hisaishi's score, live nightly Musicians in the treehouses Award-winning, final months Six Olivier Awards Book your seats From screen to stage Choose your date Book tickets Book tickets Book tickets See Totoro live

More From Our Music Archive

  • A retro lofi synthwave aesthetic illustration featuring a car on a city street at night with glowing neon pink signs and a teal moon.

    Lofi Music for Beginners: What You Need To Know

    By Simon Martin

    24 September 2024

  • cat sitting inside eigakan jazz kissa tokyo surrounded by vinyl records books and warm lighting representing japanese jazz cafe culture community and preservation of music heritage.

    EIGAKAN Jazz Kissa Project: Preserving a Tokyo Legend

    By Simon Martin

    4 April 2024

  • collection of enka singers in traditional japanese attire representing classic japanese music genre blending traditional culture with modern pop influences.

    Enka: Taste of Traditional & Modern Japanese Pop

    By Ayuko Suehiro

    20 February 2023

  • live japanese jazz performance in intimate venue showing musicians playing piano bass and vocals reflecting jazz culture in japan.

    Reviving the Japanese Jazz Age

    By Simon Martin

    7 February 2023

  • group of japanese rockabilly style youths wearing leather jackets representing rokabiri music culture and rebellious youth influence in post war japan.

    ‘Rokabiri’: The Music That Shook Japan

    By Simon Martin

    28 November 2022

  • Japanese lofi hip hop producer Nujabes working in a music studio surrounded by vinyl records and audio equipment known for creating the Samurai Champloo soundtrack and shaping modern lofi music culture.

    Nujabes: The Godfather of Modern Lofi

    By Simon Martin

    9 August 2022

  • japanese hip hop artists performing in tokyo representing japanese hip hop culture and global influence of japanese djs and rap music scene.

    How Japanese Hip-Hop DJs Influence Western Music

    By Simon Martin

    11 July 2022

  • anime desert canyon landscape with spaceship and futuristic structures at sunset representing cowboy bebop space western setting bounty hunters and cinematic world building.

    What Happened to Netflix’s Live-Action Cowboy Bebop?

    By Aaron Ang

    20 April 2022

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My Neighbour Totoro Studio Ghibli’s beloved film, brought to life
on stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company
The family’s move to the countryside,
recreated live on stage
Soot sprites swarming live on stage,
just as you remember them from the film
Joe Hisaishi's iconic score,
performed by a live band and singer
Musicians play from treehouses
above the stage at every performance
Winner of six Olivier Awards
and five WhatsOnStage Awards
The beloved Totoro made real, with puppets
built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop
Totoro and the Catbus, live Satsuki and Mei, live in London The soot sprites are real Hisaishi's score, live nightly Musicians in the treehouses Award-winning, final months Six Olivier Awards Book your seats From screen to stage Choose your date Book tickets Book tickets Book tickets See Totoro live
Rebellious Bodies Butoh Festival 2026
16 Oct to 22 Nov 2026
Three generations of butoh on one UK stage, for the first time
Mitsuyo Uesugi returns to The Place after 46 years
London · Bangor · Newcastle · Norway
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Final show 3 Jan 2027 My Neighbour Totoro Book tickets

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