Japanese Music

ZZ is a Japanese band.

Zwei is a Japanese duo formed in 2003 composed of model Megumi Ueno (born May 24, 1980) on bass and Ayumu (born March 30, 1978) on vocals. Ueno models for Japanese punk brand SeXpoT RevenGe and has appeared in the Kera magazine.

Zoro (stylized as ZORO) was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in January 2007. Though they were originally a four-piece band for four years, as of 2011, the band is a duo consisting of vocalist Ryuuji and bassist Tatsuhi.

Zone was an all-female pop rock band started in Sapporo, Japan in 1999. Although it initially started as a dance group, they turned to an all-female band. Zone has been categorized in a new genre called "bandol" (a portmanteau of the words band and idol). The band was started and managed by Studio RunTime and released their first single, "Good Days", under the major record label Sony Records, on February 7, 2001. The group has officially ended on March 2, 2013.

Zigzo (stylized as ZIGZO) is a Japanese rock supergroup that originally started activities in 1999 and disbanded in 2002. Each member came from a prominent band and they became very popular in the indies scene. They disbanded after their last show on March 16, 2002, reportedly due to musical differences.

Zi:Kill (stylized as ZI:KILL or ZI÷KILL) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from 1987 to 1994. The core members were vocalist Tusk, bassist Seiichi and guitarist Ken. Zi:Kill achieved moderate success, with their three major label studio albums reaching the top ten on the Oricon chart. They were featured in a chapter of Karl Taro Greenfeld's novel Speed Tribes that documents the writer's time spent with the band and the events that nearly caused their break up.

Zeppet Store (stylized as ZEPPET STORE) is a Japanese alternative rock band, who became known after X Japan guitarist hide signed them to his label LEMONed in 1996.

Zeni Geva is a Japanese noise rock band featuring singer and guitarist KK. Null and drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. Formed in Tokyo in 1987, the group's name translates roughly as "money violence" ("Zeni" is an old Japanese term for money, and "Geva" comes from the German "Gewalt," meaning "violence").

Zelda (ゼルダ), stylized as ZELDA, was a Japanese rock band active in the 1980s and 1990s. They played a pioneering role as one of Japan's first all-girl bands.

Zeebra (ジブラ, Jibura?, born April 2, 1971), real name Hideyuki Yokoi (横井英之?), is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine, and the older brother of fellow hip-hop artist SPHERE of INFLUENCE. He went on to pursue a solo career shortly after in 1997, and signed with the Future Shock record label.

A Japanese band formed by former Number Girl guitarist and vocalist Shutoku Mukai. Stylistically, their music consists mostly of complex rhythmic songs reminiscent of math rock, as well as extended improvisational songs during live performances.

Takehito Koyasu (子安 武人, Koyasu Takehito?, born May 5, 1967 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a Japanese voice actor.

Zard (ザード, Zādo?) was a Japanese pop rock group. Originally a group of five members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai as group leader. However, Sakai was the only member who stayed on in the group while others joined and left regularly. As such, Zard and Sakai may be referred to interchangeably. Zard's work was sold under the record label B-Gram Records, Inc. Their most popular and successful songs are "Makenaide" (1993) (負けないで?), "Yureru Omoi" (1993) (揺れる想い?), and "My Friend" (1996). As of 2014, Zard has sold over 37 million records, making them one of the best-selling music artists in Japan.

Yuzu (ゆず?) is a Japanese folk/pop rock duo. Its members are Yūjin Kitagawa (北川悠仁, Kitagawa Yūjin?, born January 14, 1977) and Kōji Iwasawa (岩沢厚治, Iwasawa Kōji?, born October 14, 1976). Both of the band members come from Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, and attended Okamura Junior High School.

Yuya Matsushita (松下 優也, Matsushita Yūya?, born May 24, 1990) is a Japanese pop and R&B singer and actor under Japanese Dream Records. His debut single "foolish foolish" was released on November 26, 2008. He had his first breakthrough as Sebastian Michaelis in the Black Butler Musical and since then, been popular in both Japan and overseas.

Yutaka Higuchi (桶口 豊, Higuchi Yutaka?, born January 24, 1967 in Takasaki, Gunma), nicknamed "U-ta", is a Japanese musician. Known as the bassist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He is the younger brother of Toll Yagami, Buck-Tick's drummer.

Yuuta Furukawa (古川 雄大, Furukawa Yūta?), born on July 9, 1987 in Nagano Prefecture, is a Japanese actor, songwriter, singer, dancer and model. He is best known for his roles as Shusuke Fuji of the fourth generation Seigaku cast in The Prince of Tennis musical series, Tenimyu, and Kirikaze in Fuma no Kojiro, a TV drama. He is from "Toyota office" talent agency.

Yuri Kasahara (笠原 ゆり Kasahara Yuri) is a Japanese female opera singer.

Yura Yura Teikoku (ゆらゆら帝国?) (literally "The Wobbling Empire") is a 3-piece band from Tokyo's underground music scene centered on Kōenji. They have an eclectic sound usually described as psychedelic rock. Whilst they have been renowned and highly influential within Japan, it took them 16 years since their formation in 1989 to play a show outside of Japan, performing in New York City in 2005.

Yuna Ito (伊藤 由奈, Itō Yuna?) (born September 20, 1983) is an American pop recording artist and actress who is active in Japan.

Also known as Sue, is a Japanese musician, singer, and voice actress who is a member of the Japanese pop duo PUFFY, along with Ami Onuki.

yukihiro (previously stylized as YUKIHIRO, born November 24, 1968 in Ichikawa, Chiba) is a Japanese musician, best known as drummer of the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. He also sings for his solo project, Acid Android. Before joining L'Arc-en-Ciel he was in the popular visual kei bands Zi:Kill and Die in Cries.

Yuki Kuramochi (倉持 有希, Kuramochi Yuki?, born February 17, 1972 in Hakodate, Hokkaido), known exclusively by her stage name Yuki, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead vocalist for Judy and Mary. She founded Judy and Mary in 1991 and became a solo artist in 2002. She has also been a member of the bands NiNa (1999, with Kate Pierson of The B-52's, bassist Mick Karn of Japan, former members of the Japanese New Wave band The Plastics Masahide Sakuma and Takemi Shima, and session drummer Steven Wolf) and Mean Machine (alongside Chara, 2001).

Yukari Fresh (real name Yukari Takasaki), is a Shibuya-kei artist.

Yui Makino (牧野 由依, Makino Yui?, born January 19, 1986) is a Japanese voice actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for her work in the anime Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and Aria. She can speak basic English. She also participated voicing the character "Sister" in a short-anime movie Bavel no Hon when she was 10, as a child actor.

Yui Horie (堀江 由衣, Horie Yui?, born September 20, 1976) is a Japanese voice actress and singer-songwriter, affiliated with VIMS and Starchild. She has been affectionately nicknamed "Hocchan" (ほっちゃん?) by her Japanese fans. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "My best friend" on 000000001998-11-18-0000November 18, 1998. Since then, she has been involved in excess of 350 productions in addition to promotional material, concert performances, as well as charting several albums and singles. She won the award for Best Supporting Voice Actress in the 4th Seiyu Awards.

A Japanese actress, model, singer and occasional radio show host. She is known for her beauty as well as her movie projects.

Yui (born March 26, 1987), stylized as YUI, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. Born and raised in Fukuoka prefecture, she played live at various locations in her hometown before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 years old, and released her debut single months later. However her singles were only met with moderate success until her breakout "Good-bye Days", which charted for 44 weeks on Oricon and marked her as one of the Japanese music industry's rising stars.

YURIA (born March 3, 1979) is a musician and voice actor from Osaka, Japan.

Yui (born March 26, 1987), stylized as YUI, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. Born and raised in Fukuoka prefecture, she played live at various locations in her hometown before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 years old, and released her debut single months later. However her singles were only met with moderate success until her breakout "Good-bye Days", which charted for 44 weeks on Oricon and marked her as one of the Japanese music industry's rising stars.

Yoshinori Sunahara (砂原 良徳, Sunahara Yoshinori?, born September 13, 1969) is a Japanese producer and DJ. He was a member of the techno group Denki Groove.

X Japan, Violet UK, S.K.I.N., Globe, V2, Dynamite, Noise

Yoshiki Fukuyama (福山 芳樹, Fukuyama Yoshiki?), born September 14, 1963, is a Japanese guitarist, singer and songwriter. He originally became known on an international level for his work in the anime Macross 7 where he was the singing voice and guitar of the show's main character, Basara Nekki. Fukuyama is currently enjoying a successful career recording both solo and as a member of the anime music supergroup, JAM Project.

The Yoshida Brothers (吉田兄弟, Yoshida Kyōdai?) are Japanese musicians who have released several albums on the Domo Records label.

Yōsei Teikoku (妖精帝國?, lit. "Fairy Empire"; German: Das Feenreich) is a five-member Japanese musical unit, formed in 1997 and part of Team Fairithm. Their music mixes elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, electronic and classical music. Their works include the opening tracks of the following anime series: Future Diary, Magical Pokan, Innocent Venus, Kurokami: The Animation, The Qwaser of Stigmata, Mai-HiME videogame, and the Tokyo ESP soundtrack. They have released several independent albums and four major release albums with their current publisher Lantis: Gothic Lolita Propaganda, metanoia, Gothic Lolita Doctrine , Gothic Lolita Agitator, Pax Vesania and Shadow Corps(e).

Yōko Takahashi (高橋 洋子, Takahashi Yōko?, born August 28, 1966) is a Japanese singer from Tokyo, best known for performing A Cruel Angel's Thesis (残酷な天使のテーゼ, Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze?), the opening theme song of the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. She also performs the closing theme, an "acid bossa" version of "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Tamashii no Rufuran" (魂のルフラン, Tamashii no Rufuran?, Refrain of Soul), the closing theme of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth. She also performed "Metamorphose," the opening theme to studio Gainax's 20th anniversary series, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, the ending theme "Yoake Umarekuru Shōjo" (夜明け生まれ来る少女, The Girl who was Born at Dawn?) for the anime Shakugan no Shana (灼眼のシャナ, Blazing-Eyed Shana?) and the opening theme "Aoki Flamme" for Pumpkin Scissors (パンプキン・シザーズ, Panpukin Shizāzu?)

Yoko Ono (小野 洋子, Ono Yōko?, born 18 February 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer and peace activist who is also known for her work in performance art, music and filmmaking. She is the widow and second wife of John Lennon.

A Japanese composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks for many anime films, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements.

Yoichiro Yoshikawa (吉川洋一郎, Yoshikawa Yōichirō?, born October 8, 1957) is a composer, music arranger and film producer.

Yellow Magic Orchestra (abbreviated as YMO) is a Japanese electronic music band consisting of principal members Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). For their early studio albums and live performances, the band was often accompanied by music programmer Hideki Matsutake.

Yellow Generation (known as YeLLOW Generation in Japan) was a female J-pop trio signed under Sony Music Japan's DefSTAR Record label from 2002-2006. The group was best known for the singles Kitakaze to Taiyō (北風と太陽 North wind and sun), and "Tobira no Mukō e" (扉の向こうへ, "To the Other Side of the Door"?), which was the second ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist.

Mitsuo Yamaguchi (山口 光雄, Yamaguchi Mitsuo?, born May 23, 1965), better known by his stage name of Kappei Yamaguchi (山口 勝平, Yamaguchi Kappei?), is a Japanese voice actor and actor from Fukuoka, affiliated with Gokū and 21st Century Fox.

X Japan (エックス・ジャパン, Ekkusu Japan?) is a Japanese heavy metal band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Predominantly a power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive sound with an emphasis on ballads. Besides being one of the first Japanese acts to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label, the group is widely credited as one of the pioneers of visual kei, a movement among Japanese musicians comparable to Western glam.

w-inds. is a Japanese pop boy band that is managed by Vision Factory and has been signed to the Pony Canyon label since 2000. The group consists of the three individuals Ryohei Chiba, Keita Tachibana, and Ryuichi Ogata. They made their formal debut in 2001 and, to date, have released 30 singles. In addition to their popularity in Japan, they have a relatively large fan base around other Asian countries (such as Taiwan and Hong Kong) and regularly make television appearances there.

Wyse(formerly stylized as "wyse") is a Japanese rock group that formed in 1999. Its members are Tsukimori Kenichi(月森), Yamamura Yoshihiro(HIRO), Moriyama Masayuki(MORI), and Makita Takuma(TAKUMA). In 2005 they broke up and gave out their last album entitled 19990214-20050213 only to come back together in 2011. It is said earlier when they first started they paid a lot of attention to their style like most Visual Kei bands but after a while they toned down on it.

World's End Girlfriend (ワールズ・エンド・ガールフレンド) is the musical project of Katsuhiko Maeda, whose work blends elements of electronica, classical, and post-rock music.

Wino (stylized as WINO and pronounced "wine-oh") is a Japanese rock band that formed in 1995 and broke up in 2002. Originally, the band's name was ボグ・マイトルスター (bogu maitorusuta), which seems to be just gibberish. The band was renamed WINO in 1996. One of Wino's biggest hits was "Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku" (The Sun Also Shines at Night), the second opening in the popular anime Hunter × Hunter.

Wink (ウィンク?) was a popular Japanese pop female duo in the late 1980s and early-to-mid-1990s composed of Sachiko Suzuki (鈴木早智子, Suzuki Sachiko?, b. February 22, 1969) and Shōko Aida (相田翔子, Aida Shōko?, b. February 23, 1970). They released their first single on April 27, 1988, and their final release was on March 31, 1996. Many of their singles topped the Oricon charts in Japan, including their biggest hit, "Samishii Nettaigyo", which has since been covered by W (Double You).

Whiteberry (ホワイトベリー?) were a five-piece all-girl pop/rock band from Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. Although not reaching more than cult status outside of their native country (many American fans consider them to be a cross between punk pioneers The Ramones and R&B superstars TLC), the group gained a loyal following with their recordings and live performances.

WaT (Wentz and Teppei) is a Japanese pop duo composed of singers/songwriters Eiji Wentz and Teppei Koike. They met each other in 2002 and formed WaT, playing live street performances with their guitars. Their debut single, "Boku no Kimochi", was released in 2005. Wentz, who is half German-American and half Japanese, is also a TV personality. Koike is also known as an actor and can play the harmonica. "Boku no Kimochi" reached the second place on the Oricon chart.

Wands (stylized as WANDS) was a Japanese rock band formed in 1991 as a three-member group. The band, throughout nine years of activity, had two vocalists, guitarists and keyboardists. Show Uesugi (vocalist), Hiroshi Shibasaki (guitarist), Kousuke Oshima (keyboardist) are the original member of the band. Shinya Kimura joined them after Oshima separate early. In 1997, Wesugi and Hiroshi left the band, so then Shinya reformed the band with Jiro Waku (vocalist) and Issei Sugimoto (guitarist). However, the group was officially disbanded in 2000. Wands belonged to the Being music agency.

Kōji Wada (和田 光司, Wada Kōji?, born January 24, 1974) is a Japanese rock singer. He debuted in 1999 with his first single, "Butter-Fly", the theme song of the anime Digimon Adventure. He is signed with the King Records recording label.

W (ダブルユー, Daburuyū?), also written as Double You or Double U, was a Japanese pop duo associated with Hello! Project. Nozomi Tsuji and Ai Kago, former fourth generation members of Morning Musume, were in the group.

Vodka Collins is a Tokyo based Japanese-American rock band, formed in 1971. The core band members are drummer Hiroshi Oguchi (formerly of The Tempters), singer-guitarist Alan Merrill, singer-guitarist Hiroshi "Monsieur" Kamayatsu (formerly of The Spiders) and bassist Take Yokouchi (formerly of the Four Leaves backing band, High Society). In later reunion recordings in the 1990s, Yokouchi was replaced by Masayoshi "Mabo" Kabe (formerly of The Golden Cups) on bass guitar.

Vivisick is a Thrashcore punk band hailing from Tokyo, Japan. Formed in 1996 by bassist/vocalist Yuki and guitarist Sunao, Vivisick has become fairly prominent in their local scene but remains almost unheard of outside of Japan.

A five-member Japanese visual kei rock band from Tokyo. The band was formed in March 2009 and is currently signed with Sony Music Japan's Epic Records Japan label.

Vistlip (typeset as vistlip) is a five-member Japanese visual kei rock band that formed on July 7, 2007 and is currently signed to Delfi Sound and Marvelous Entertainment.

X Japan, Violet UK, S.K.I.N., Globe, V2, Dynamite, Noise

Vidoll (ヴィドール, Bidōru?) was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2002. Their concept was "Occult Romance". After going major, they had several top 40 singles before disbanding in 2011.

Versailles (known as Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet- in the United States) was a Japanese visual kei metal band formed in 2007 by vocalist Kamijo and guitarist Hizaki. After recruiting bassist Jasmine You, drummer Yuki and guitarist Teru, they performed their first show on June 23. Their key characteristics are their Rococo-esque costumes, dueling guitars and heavy but melodic arrangements. The group gained a significant worldwide following soon after forming as their debut EP Lyrical Sympathy (2007), released by Kamijo's own label Sherow Artist Society, received a simultaneous European release and they performed in Europe and the United States the following year. Their first full-length album, Noble released in 2008, was also released in North America in 2009.

Varuna (/ˈvɜrʊnə, ˈvɑːrə-/; Sanskrit: Varuṇa वरुण, Malay: Baruna) is the Hindu god of water and the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law of the underwater world. A Makara is his mount. His consort is the Hindu goddess Varuni. Originally the chief god of the Vedic pantheon, Varuna was replaced by Indra and later faded away with the ascendancy of Shiva and Vishnu.

Vamps (stylized as VAMPS) is a Japanese rock duo formed in 2008 by Hyde (vocalist, rhythm guitarist, lyricist and songwriter) and K.A.Z (lead guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter). Only a year after their founding, Vamps performed its first international tour, ten dates in the United States, and in 2010 they went on their first world tour. Originally signed to Hyde's own record label Vamprose, every release the band has had to date has reached the top ten on the Oricon music chart. In 2013, the group changed labels to Universal Music Group's Delicious Deli Records and produced their worldwide debut release.

Valshe (バルシェ, Barushe?, born September 15), is a Japanese female singer, signed under the Being Inc. label. She is well known as a "Ryouseirui" (両声類?, lit. "both voice types"), being able to sing both male and female voice types.

Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond. Additionally, it is a weapon which is used as a ritual object to symbolize both the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force).

V6 (ブイシックス, Bui Shikkusu?) is a six-member Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The group debuted on November 1, 1995 with the single "Music for the People", which was used as the image song for the World Cup of Volleyball in 1995. Their first four singles, including "Music for the People", were all cover versions of the same-titled eurobeat songs composed by Italian producers such as Giancarlo Pasquini, Andrea Leonardi, Alberto Contini, Sandro Oliva.

Uverworld (stylized as UVERworld) is a Japanese rock band consisting of six members and originating from Kusatsu, Shiga. They have released eight studio albums and over twenty singles, most of them being successful. They have sold two million records worldwide.

A Japanese American singer and songwriter. After releasing the commercially unsuccessful English-language album Precious under the stage name "Cubic U" in 1998, she rose to prominence in 1999 with the release of her second album, First Love

Urbangarde (アーバンギャルド) is a Japanese band active since 2002. The formation is based in Tokyo and is currently composed of Hamasaki Yoko alias Yokotan (vocals), Matsunaga Temma alias Tenma (vocals), Zeze Shin alias Shinsama (guitar), the drummer Kagiyama Kyoichi alias Kyouchan left the band and they are now looking for a new drummer. Yachimura Kei alias Yashi (keyboard) was also part of the band in its earlier stages.

Unsraw (アンスロウ, Ansurō?, stylized as UnsraW) was a Japanese visual kei metal band signed to the label Speed Disk. They formed in July 2006 and disbanded in 2011.

United Future Organization (also known as UFO) is a nu-jazz trio made up of Japanese-born Tadashi Yabe (矢部 直, Yabe Tadashi?), Toshio Matsuura (松浦 俊夫, Matsuura Toshio?) and Frenchman Raphael Sebbag (ラファエル セバーグ?). In 1994, the group appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African-American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine. One of the three original founding members, Toshio Matsuura, left the group in 2002 to work with Universal Japan on a remix album project.

United is a thrash metal band from Japan formed in 1981. They took their name from the song of the same name, off of Judas Priest's British Steel.

Under Graph is a Japanese band. It was formed in 1997.

Ultra Living is the fraternal team of Takuma Nonaka and Tetsushi Nonaka. Their first album, Monochromatic Adventure, was released from Creation Records in 1998. Since then they have released four albums, collaborated with Mike Ladd in "Preppy MC Death of Hip Hop Vol.1" from Ozone, and done several remix works including HiM (band)'s single from FatCat Records.

Ulfuls (ウルフルズ, Urufuruzu?) is a Japanese rock band from Osaka. The band name Ulfuls is derived from a misreading of the word "soulful," found on the cover of one of the band members' favorite records. They were signed by Toshiba-EMI in 1992, but after 15 years they transferred to Warner Music Group.

Kaori Hasegawa (長谷川 歌織, Hasegawa Kaori?) (born March 11, 1972 in Suita, Osaka, Japan), simply known by the stage name UA (Japanese pronunciation: ), is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She debuted under Speedstar Records in 1995 with the single "Horizon".

Tyrant is a Japanese symphonic black metal band.

Two-Mix (temporarily known as || MIX⊿DELTA) is a Japanese pop music group formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama (vocals and composer) and Shiina Nagano (synthesizer and lyricist). Their style is fast electronic pop.

Tube members Maeda and Haruhata have composed for other artists under the Pipeline Project alias. Since the group released most of its songs in April to July, the catchphrase originated "Summer comes with Tube".

Tujiko Noriko (ツジコノリコ?), born Noriko Tsujiko (辻子紀子, Tsujiko Noriko?), in Osaka, Japan, is a Japanese avant-pop, experimental musician, sometimes compared to múm, or Björk. Much of her music consists of repetitive layers of samples and electronic beats and melodies being gradually added on top of each other, with her singing on top of that. Her lyrics are in Japanese and English. She has worked for the Austrian label Mego, and the German Tomlab. In 2004, she teamed up with Peter 'Pita' Rehberg to form DACM making the album Stéréotypie. In 2005, she collaborated with French artist Saâdane Afif to create film using four texts by French artist Lili Reynaud-Dewar. She is currently living in Paris and is also working on experimental short films. According to an article in The Japan Times, she has completed two films: Sand and Mini Hawaii and Sun. In Spring 2012 she was artist in residence at WORM, a Rotterdam based institute for avant garde music and art to record new music.

Mitsuo Terada (寺田 光男, Terada Mitsuo?, born October 29, 1968), better known professionally as Tsunku (つんく?, often written as つんく♂), is a prolific Japanese record producer, songwriter, and vocalist.

Tricot (often stylised as "tricot") are an all-female math rock band from Kyoto, Japan. Known for their intricate rhythms and visual identity, they have released two EPs and two full-length albums. They were described by Rolling Stone as "Adrenalized math rock sped up and given pop's candy coating". They have toured extensively in Japan, as well as playing in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Europe. In 2015 they launched their first North American tour.

In horology, a tourbillon (/tʊərˈbɪljən/; French:  "whirlwind") is an addition to the mechanics of a watch escapement. Developed around 1795 and patented by the French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet on June 26, 1801, a tourbillon aims to counter the effects of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage, to negate the effect of gravity when the timepiece (thus the escapement) is stuck in a certain position. By continuously rotating the entire balance wheel/escapement assembly at a slow rate (typically about one revolution per minute), positional errors are averaged out.

Toshimitsu Deyama (出山利三, Deyama Toshimitsu?, born October 10, 1965 in Tateyama, Chiba), known exclusively by his stage name Toshi, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. He is best known as lead vocalist and co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan, which disbanded in 1997. Toshi then went on to have an extensive solo career. In 2007, X Japan reunited and began an ongoing world tour in 2010. His distinctive, impassioned tenor vocals have been compared to those of Steve Perry.

Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋 寅泰, Hotei Tomoyasu?, born on February 1, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese musician, guitarist, composer, singer-songwriter, producer. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Hotei has sold millions of albums and has collaborated with acclaimed artists around the world. Hotei first rose to prominence in the 1980s as the guitarist for Boøwy, one of Japan's most popular rock bands, before starting a solo career. In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV Japan's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He ranked second in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan. An iconic artist in his native Japan, he moved to London in 2012 and continues to perform and release new music globally. Internationally Hotei is best known for his song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity," which has been featured in numerous films, commercials, video games, and events, most notably Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill.

Tomohisa Yamashita (山下 智久, Yamashita Tomohisa?, born April 9, 1985), also widely known as Yamapi, is a Japanese idol, actor, singer, and TV host.

Tomoko Kawase (川瀬 智子, Kawase Tomoko?) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, producer, actress, and model from Kyoto. She is the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Brilliant Green. She also has a solo career under the alter-ego pseudonyms Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6.

Tomoko Kawase (川瀬 智子, Kawase Tomoko?) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, producer, actress, and model from Kyoto. She is the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Brilliant Green. She also has a solo career under the alter-ego pseudonyms Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6.

Toll Yagami (ヤガミ トール, Yagami Toll?, born August 19, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese musician. Known as the drummer of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985. He is the older brother of Yutaka Higuchi, Buck-Tick's bassist.

Tokyo Yankees (stylized as TOKYO YANKEES and previously as 東京YANKEES) is a Japanese metal band that formed in 1988 Tokyo. After peaking in popularity in the early 1990s and going on hiatus in 1995, the band reformed in 2000. Vocalist Soichiro "Ume" Umemura died in 2007 after nearly twenty years fronting the band. Tokyo Yankees however continue to perform with the other members sharing vocals.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ, Tōkyō Suka Paradaisu Ōkesutora?), commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band officially formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene. At the time, the band's sound was unlike that of any of its contemporaries in the then fledgling Japanese ska scene, and over the course of the past 21 years, their innovation has proved to have been very influential on Japanese music as a whole. Its sound, the product of the musical influences of its numerous members, is an eclectic mix of traditional ska, jazz, and rock. In the vein of many other more traditional ska acts, many of Skapara's songs are purely instrumental. Since its inception, the band has gone on several nationwide tours of Japan, and have toured extensively worldwide. They have collaborated with several vocalists outside of their band, including Shiina Ringo, Akira Kobayashi, Kyōko Koizumi, Schadaraparr, PUFFY, Yoshie Nakano and Tamio Okuda. They also performed the Japanese theme song to the PlayStation 2 game Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, entitled Black Jack, as well as numerous songs for the PlayStation game Incredible Crisis released in 1999.

Tokyo Jihen or Tokyo Incidents (東京事変, Tōkyō Jihen?) was a Japanese band formed by Ringo Sheena (椎名 林檎?, Shiina Ringo), after leaving her solo career. The band's debut single "Gunjō Biyori" was released in September 2004.

Toko Yasuda is a Japanese singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and bassist, best known as a member of New York indie rock band Enon.

TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (Chinese: 東方神起), is a South Korean pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as Tohoshinki (東方神起, Tōhōshinki?) in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of their Korean name Dong Bang Shin Ki (Hangul: 동방신기). Their name roughly translates to "Rising Gods of the East".

Toe (stylized often as toe) is a Japanese music group. While mentioned in many post-rock circles, their song structure and dynamics are similar to many popular math rock artists.

Takanori Nishikawa (西川 貴教, Nishikawa Takanori?, born September 19, 1970 in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan) is a renowned Japanese singer and actor. He performs as T.M.Revolution (TMR), which stands for "Takanori Makes Revolution" (貴教が革命を起こす, Takanori ga kakumei o okosu?) although the name stems from the famous 80s pop electronic band TM Network. Despite most of his songs being written by Akio Inoue and composed/arranged by Daisuke Asakura (also TMR's former producer), T.M.Revolution is considered Nishikawa's solo project. Nishikawa is also known for contributions of ending and opening themes to many notable anime and game series.

TM Network is a Japanese pop/rock musical band. The members are Tetsuya Komuro (Keyboardist), Takashi Utsunomiya (Vocalist) and Naoto Kine (guitarist). When they released the single "Get Wild" in 1987, their music became popular in Japan as the "futuristic pop songs with synthesizer."

The Tigers were a popular Japanese band during the Group Sounds era in the late 1960s. The group featured Kenji Sawada as their lead singer, and were signed by Watanabe Productions.

Tigarah (ティガラ, Tigara?) (born c. 1986 in Tokyo, Japan), is a Japanese rapper whose music contains elements of Grime, Crunk, Baltimore Club, Miami Base, Ghetto Tech, Glitch Hop, Old school hip-hop and pop. and she raps and sings in English, Japanese and French. She has a growing following in both Japan and the United States. She currently lives in Paris, France and also spent time in Tokyo and Los Angeles, California. Tigarah, by her admission, means "girl like a tiger."

Thyme /ˈtaɪm/ was a Japanese pop/rock band. Originally, it was a solo project by the female singer Thyme, who had previously released three singles in 2002 as Sayaka Kamiyama. Kamiyama started collaborating with sound engineer Teppei Shimizu in July 2004, and changed her name to Thyme in June 2005. In December 2005, Thyme (the singer) and Shimizu formed the duo "Thyme" (the singer's name is normally stylized as "thyme" for distinction). In July 2006, Takafumi Hoshino officially joined and Thyme became a three-piece band. They had their major debut in September 2007 with their first official single "Hello". Thyme released their second single "Forever We Can Make It!" in April 2008; the title song was used as the opening theme to the anime series To Love-Ru. Thyme released their third single "Fly Away" on August 6, 2008, which had the title song used as the opening to the anime Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora. Thyme released their first (and only) album First 9uality on September 3, 2008. On September 23, 2010, the band officially announced they have broken up, and Thyme (the singer) restarted her solo singing career. The band's name comes from the herb thyme.

Thug Murder were an influential streetpunk all-female band from Japan. Though their songs were written and performed in English, their heavy Japanese accents made the lyrics largely unintelligible. The band was formed in November 1999 and split after two years, in October 2001. Thug Murder toured the USA and EU with the Dropkick Murphys in 2001. They're also known for playing with The Boils, The Casualties and The Unseen, among others. Their American debut was released on Dropkick Murphys's Flat Records.

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant (often abbreviated to TMGE) was a Japanese garage rock band formed in 1991.

The Yellow Monkey, often abbreviated as Yemon (イエモン?), was a Japanese rock band active from 1988 to 2001, before officially disbanding in 2004. The band's name was derived from the ethnic slur that Japanese people look like monkeys, and that Asian people are said to be "yellow" in skin color. The Yellow Monkey is considered an important rock group of Japan, having achieved major success and selling 6.2 million singles. The group had three number one albums, 17 top ten singles, took part in the first Fuji Rock Festival in 1997, and in 2003 were ranked number 81 on HMV Japan's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. Outside Japan the band is best known for their song "Tactics", one of the many ending themes of the Rurouni Kenshin anime.

The Tempters were part of Japan's Group Sounds pop music era in the 1960s.

The Stalin (ザ・スターリン?, stylized as THE STALIN) were an influential Japanese punk rock band formed in June 1980, by leader and vocalist Michiro Endo. After numerous member changes, he disbanded the group in February 1985. In May 1987 Michiro formed a group called Video Stalin, which mostly made videos instead of albums; they disbanded in 1988. In 1989 Michiro created a new band named Stalin and continued to make music with them until 1993.

The Spiders were a Japanese band in the Group Sounds era, who were one of the top three bands of that genre, a cultural pop music scene unique to Japan.

The Scanty (stylized as THE★SCANTY) was a Japanese girls pop-rock band formed in Tokyo on October 2001. They disbanded in October 2003. Futami and Akane formed their own band, Plink?. They performed the two opening themes for the anime series Full Moon o Sagashite, and also made cameo appearances in the show.

The Roosters (ザ・ルースターズ, Za Rūsutāzu?, also written as The Roosterz) are a Japanese rock band that mixed punk, blues-rock, ska, straightforward rock and roll, and later on, even gothic rock. Originally active from 1979 to 1988, they performed at the 2004 Fuji Rock Festival before restarting activities in 2009. Through the years, guitarist Hiroyuki Hanada remained the only constant member, with the band currently consisting of the original lineup. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked the Roosters at number 75 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan rated their album Good Dreams number 28 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".

The Rodeo Carburettor is a three-piece Japanese Rock band that formed in 2001. The band is well known for their live performances that blows the audience away with crazy guitar riffs, howling distortion noises and speedy, sharp lyrics. The band hardly speaks on-stage (other than announcing the song name) which further amplifies their serious attitude towards their music.

The Predators (typeset as THE PREDATORS) is a Japanese rock supergroup formed in 2005 by Sawao Yamanaka (The Pillows), Yoshihito "Jiro" Wayama (Glay) and Shinpei Nakayama (Straightener). In 2010 Nakayama left and was replaced by Hirotaka Takahashi (Ellegarden). Originally on their own record label Three Mountain, name chosen because all three original members have the word "yama" (mountain) in their last name, they signed to Avex Trax in 2008.

The Pillows (ザ・ピロウズ?, stylized as the pillows) are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 1989. As of 2014, the group has released 19 original studio albums, several EPs and compilations, and over 30 singles. Outside Japan, they are best known as the group responsible for the soundtrack to the FLCL OVA series.

The Piass (THE妃阿甦, za piasu?) are a Japanese visual kei hardcore punk band formed in the early 1990s in Sapporo. Three of the four original members died within a span of two years, however Takayuki continued the band, having gone through many line-up changes, and they are still active to this day.

The Pees (The ピーズ, za pīzu?) are a Japanese three-piece rock band. Formed in 1986 by college students based in Tokyo, they have 11 original albums and continue to tour Japan. They once left the music scene but returned in July 2002 after a five-year absence. The current members are:

The Mops (Japanese: ザ・モップス) were a Japanese psychedelic rock/garage rock group active in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Mass Missile (ザ マス ミサイル) was formed in September 2000 in Tokyo. In 2002 the band released their first album independently: Kyoukasho. Soon after that they made their first tour in Japan. After the success of the first album they released the mini album Nakama no Uta by Small World Records label in 2003. In 2004 they signed with Sony Music. That same year they released their first album on a major label: Ningen de Yokatta. They gained even more prestige when the album's single, Ima Made Nando Mo was chosen as the 5th ending theme of the popular anime series Naruto. On August 2, 2006, the band released their second album known as Yume in Moyori.

The Mad Capsule Markets (originally known as The Mad Capsule Market's and Berrie) were a Japanese band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006. The band became known for their experimental style, which melded various kinds of electronic music and punk rock.

The Kiddie (stylized as THE KIDDIE) was a five-member visual kei rock band from Tokyo, Japan. The band was formed in May 2007 by vocalist Yusa (ex-Kazoku) and drummer Yuudai (ex-Kazoku).

The High-Lows (ザ・ハイロウズ, Za Hairōzu?, stylized as ↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓) were a popular Japanese punk rock band that was formed in 1995. The band stopped all activities in November 2005 and broke up.

The Hiatus (stylized as the HIATUS) is a Japanese rock band formed by Takeshi Hosomi, former lead vocalist of Ellegarden.

The Golden Cups (ザ・ゴールデン・カップス, Za Gōruden Kappusu?) were a Japanese pop and rock band, who were one of the top bands performing in the Group Sounds scene in the late 1960s.

The Gerogerigegege (Japanese: ザ・ゲロゲリゲゲゲ, pronounced ) is a musical ensemble organized in 1985 in Shinjuku, Tokyo by Juntaro Yamanouchi (山ノ内純太郎), who runs and maintains the Vis a Vis record label in Japan.

The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), originally known as Gazette (ガゼット, Gazetto?), is a Japanese visual kei rock band from Kanagawa formed in early 2002. The band is currently signed to Sony Music Records.

The Back Horn (ザ・バックホーン?, stylized as THE BACK HORN) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1998.

The 5.6.7.8's are a Japanese rock trio, whose music is reminiscent of American surf music, rockabilly and garage rock. They frequently cover songs from American rock and roll. All members are from Tokyo, Japan.

Tetsuya Komuro (小室 哲哉, Komuro Tetsuya?), born November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan, also known as TK, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of the disco Velfarre located in Roppongi, Tokyo. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in pop throughout the 1990s.

Tetsuya (born October 3, 1969, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese musician, best known as the leader and bassist of the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. Formerly known by the stage name tetsu, on December 1, 2009 he started to use his birth name. While in L'Arc-en-Ciel his name is stylized as tetsuya, whereas in his solo work it is stylized as TETSUYA.

A Japanese rock musician and singer-songwriter. He is probably best known as the first vocalist of the visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. After leaving them, he joined Mega8Ball from 1995 to 1997.

Tetra-Fang (stylized as TETRA-FANG) is a Japanese pop-rock band considered a "limited rock unit" and was formed to perform songs on the soundtrack for the 2008 Kamen Rider Series Kamen Rider Kiva.

Teru (stylized as TERU) is a Japanese visual kei musician, songwriter and artist. He is best known as guitarist for the symphonic metal band Versailles. Before Versailles he was previously in the band Aikaryu and supported his future bandmate Hizaki in his solo project, and when they disbanded he and most of the other members formed Jupiter.

Terra Rosa (Tera Rōza?, portuguese word for "Pink Earth") was a Japanese hard rock band formed by keyboardist Masashi Okagaki and female vocalist Kazue Akao in Osaka in 1982.

Terra (stylized as TЁЯRA) is Konami's in-house rock and J‑pop group that composes music and soundtracks for Beatmania IIDX, Dance Dance Revolution, Pop'n Music, GuitarFreaks, and DrumMania. They debuted in Pop'n Music 8 with their song "Stars☆☆☆". Their introduction in Konami's session simulation was "We Are" in GuitarFreaks 11th Mix & DrumMania 10th Mix. In Beatmania IIDX 10th Style, they were introduced into the DJ simulation series with the song "Doll". Since then, they've produced one song for each version of both IIDX and Gitado thereon, as well songs for the other active Bemani games. Their first album, Revolution was released on March 2005 and features longer versions of songs featured in the Bemani games, in addition to new songs. Their second album, Evolution was released on September 2011 and mainly features longer version of various Bemani songs including the solo version of 鏡花水月楼, one of their collaboration with Uchuu Sentai Noiz. The limited edition also contains a DVD which feature the PV of the album's main song, "Evolution".

Teriyaki Boyz is a Japanese hip hop-pop group from Yokohama, Japan.

An actor and singer from Japan. He was born in Ōsakasayama, Osaka Prefecture. He belongs to the production company Burning Productions and is a member of the singer-songwriter duo WaT with his partner, Eiji Wentz.

Tenniscoats is a Japanese band with two members, Saya & Takashi Ueno, but they often have guest musicians (and non-musicians) playing and performing with them. The guest musicians are for example, Secai, LSD March, Eddie Marcon, Popo, Saibou Bungaku, Tetsuya Umeda, Kazumi Nikaido, etc. Saya and Takashi have also performed in many other underground bands, such as Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Cacoy, Puka Puka Brians, Yumbo and others. Saya and Takashi have also released solo works.

Tegomass (テゴマス, Tegomasu?) is a Japanese duo consisting of NEWS members Yuya Tegoshi and Takahisa Masuda, formed to promote Johnny's Entertainment internationally. The group's name is a merging of Tegoshi's and Masuda's names.

Team Syachihoko (チームしゃちほこ, Chīmu Shachihoko?) is a Japanese female idol group consisting of six schoolgirls from the city of Nagoya.

To date, he has released 20 singles and 12 albums in his solo career. He has written and produced numerous songs for special events in Japan.

The Taj Mahal Travellers (also given variously as Taj Mahal Travelers, Taj-Mahal Travellers, etc.) were a Japanese experimental music ensemble founded in 1969 by former Group Ongaku leader and Fluxus member Takehisa Kosugi. The rest of the group were several years younger than Kosugi, and were all inspired by the spirit of the day. They chose mainly to perform their music outdoors, often on beaches and hilltops, creating spontaneously improvised drones (compare with Dronology), often using standard musical instruments, albeit in unconventional ways (e.g., a bowed double bass placed flat on its back). The group's sound was heavily reliant on electronic processing, particularly delay effects.

The band was formed in 1998, by college classmates; Taka, Yasha and Hakua, as an Iron Maiden cover band. Seika soon joined and they felt having a female vocalist would make their music more interesting.

Tackey & Tsubasa (タッキー&翼?) are a Japanese idol duo consisting of Hideaki Takizawa and Tsubasa Imai from the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates. Takizawa, nicknamed "Tackey" (sometimes spelled as its literal romanization, "Takki" (タッキ?)), is best known for his drama works, and Tsubasa for his dancing ability. They have also been musically successful with hit singles such as "Venus" and "Yume Monogatari". Their works are produced by Avex Trax.

Tanpopo (タンポポ?, "dandelion"), formed in November 1998, was the first official subgroup of Japanese pop idol girl group Morning Musume. While the maingroup Morning Musume features predominately upbeat songs with fast tempo, Tanpopo featured more slower tempo, sentimental and retro-style songs.

Tamurapan (たむらぱん?) is a Japanese pop songwriter and singer. Her real name is Tamura Ayumi (田村歩美?), was born in 1980 in Takayama, Gifu, Japan. The name Tamurapan is a combination of her surname: Tamura (田村?) and the French word for rabbit: Lapin.

Rentarō Taki (滝 廉太郎, Taki Rentarō?, August 24, 1879–June 29, 1903) was a pianist and one of the best-known composers of Japan.

Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto (松本 孝弘, Matsumoto Takahiro?, born on March 27, 1961 in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a Grammy Award-winning Japanese guitarist, producer, arranger, composer, singer and songwriter. In addition to being the guitarist and lead composer for the hard rock duo B'z, he has also had a successful solo career. He ranked first in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan.

Takayuki Miyauchi (宮内 タカユキ, Miyauchi Takayuki?, February 4, 1955 —), is a Japanese vocalist best known for his work on theme songs for tokusatsu and anime. A resident of Ibaraki Prefecture, he began his career as founding member and lead vocalist of the band "WHY" in 1981 before making his solo debut in 1984, singing the opening theme for the "Super Sentai" tokusatsu television series Choudenshi Bioman.

Takako Minekawa (嶺川貴子, Minekawa Takako?, born June 3, 1969) is a Japanese musician, composer and writer.

Masakatsu Takagi (高木 正勝, Takagi Masakatsu?, born 1979) is a musician and filmmaker from Kameoka, Kyoto, Japan.

Taiji Sawada (沢田 泰司, Sawada Taiji?, July 12, 1966 – July 17, 2011) was a Japanese musician. Referred to by his stage name Taiji, he was most widely known as former bassist of the heavy metal band X (currently known as X Japan), with whom he also served as an occasional songwriter and acoustic guitarist. After leaving X in 1992 he went on to work with many other bands, including Loudness and D.T.R.

A T-square is a technical drawing instrument used by draftsmen primarily as a guide for drawing horizontal lines on a drafting table. It may also guide a set square to draw vertical or diagonal lines. Its name comes from its resemblance to the letter T. T-squares come in varying sizes, common lengths being 18 inches (460 mm), 24 inches (610 mm), 30 inches (760 mm), 36 inches (910 mm) and 42 inches (1,100 mm).

Syu (シュウ, Shū?) is a Japanese musician, best known as leader and guitarist of the metal band Galneryus. He also performs guitar and lead vocals in Spinalcord (formerly known as Aushvitz) and was formerly a member of Animetal. On September 29, 2010 he released a cover album named Crying Stars -Stand Proud!-, covering songs from Scorpions, Stratovarius, Yngwie Malmsteen, Skid Row, M.S.G., Racer X and more. It features some of his band mates from Galneryus and Spinalcord, as well as other well-known musicians like Eizo Sakamoto (Anthem), whom Syu was in Animetal with.

The discography for the Japanese boy band W-inds consists of 27 singles and 9 studio albums since their major label debut in 2001.

Susumu Hirasawa (平沢 進, born April 1, 1954?), nicknamed "Hirasawa" (ヒラサワ?) and "Shishō" (師匠?), is a Japanese music artist and composer.

Super Junky Monkey was an all female Japanese funk metal group.

Super Bell"Z (read "Super Bellz") is a group known for its "DJ Train Conductor" songs in which they lay sounds of trains, station fuss, etc., and voice recorded to resemble train announcements over hip hop beats. They were under contract with Toshiba-EMI, but in 2005 they went independent.

Super Beaver (stylized as SUPER BEAVER) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2005. They are most well known for their song Shinkokyū (深呼吸?), which was used as an ending theme for the fifth season of Naruto Shippuden. The band published their first mini album in 2008 under the indie label Rebelphonic, which sold fairly well. Their first two mini albums were sold exclusively at Tower Records.

Supercar (スーパーカー, Sūpākā?) was a Japanese rock band active from 1995 to 2005, and who made their debut in 1997. Consisting of composer and vocalist Kōji Nakamura (中村弘二 Nakamura Kōji), lyricist and guitarist Junji Ishiwatari (いしわたり淳治 Ishiwatari Junji), bassist Miki Furukawa (フルカワミキ Furukawa Miki), and drummer Kōdai Tazawa (田沢公大 Tazawa Kōdai), Supercar is best known for combining alternative rock with electronic music. Internationally, Supercar is best known for providing much of the soundtrack for the Japanese film Ping Pong, as well as being featured in the anime series Eureka Seven.

SunSet Swish (サンセット スウィッシュ, Sansetto Suwisshu?) is a three piece Japanese band. They are also known by their initials SSS. The band is part of Sony's SME Records label. Their first album, Anata no Machi de Aimashō (あなたの街で逢いましょう?), was released on 15 November 2006. Their music have been used for a variety of anime series, namely: 2nd ending theme for the anime Ookiku Furikabutte (a.k.a. Big Windup!), ending theme for Beet the Vandel Buster, 2nd ending theme for CODE GEASS, and the 6th and 21st ending themes of Bleach.

Suneohair (スネオヘアー, Suneoheā?) is the performing name of Kenji Watanabe. He is best known for his contributions to the soundtrack of the anime adaptation of Honey & Clover and Honey and Clover II, for which he provided the ending themes "Waltz" (ワルツ?) and "Split" (スプリット?). He has also provided the ending themes for Arakawa Under the Bridge and Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge, namely "Sakasama Bridge" (逆様ブリッジ?) and "Akai Coat" (赤いコート?) respectively. More Recently, he provided the ending theme to the Anime Sukitte Ii na yo, "Slow Dance".

Shikao Suga (スガ シカオ, Suga Shikao?, born July 28, 1966) is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo. Though he uses katakana for his recording name, the kanji for his name are 菅 止戈男, but the romanization is the same. Suga is his family name and Shikao is his given name.

Yūne Sugihara (杉原 有音, Sugihara Yūne?), born Yasuhiro Sugihara (杉原 康弘, Sugihara Yasuhiro?, on July 8, 1969 in Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan), known exclusively by his stage name Sugizo, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and violinist of the rock band Luna Sea. He started his solo career in 1997 and has since collaborated with many artists. In 2007 he became a member of the trance/world music act Juno Reactor, and of the Japanese rock supergroup S.K.I.N., and in 2009 officially joined the heavy metal band X Japan. In addition to being known to experiment with many musical genres, mostly rock, psychedelic and electronica, he is known for his political ideas and views, being an anti-war, anti-nuclear and environmental activist.

Sug (typeset as SuG) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2006. The band has released two EPs, five full-length studio albums, and several singles. Until 2009, the band was signed to "Indie PSC", a subdivision of PS Company. As of 2010, they have signed onto a major label, Pony Canyon. The band's tagline in promotional work is "Heavy Positive Rock".

Strawberry Machine is a collaboration between vocalist Akira Okabe and several different producers. The music features Okabe's "whisper" vocals combined with catchy synthesizer lines and video game inspired sound effects.

Stomu Yamashta, born Tsutomu Yamashita (山下勉, Yamashita Tsutomu?, 15 March 1947) is a Japanese percussionist, keyboardist and composer. He is best known for pioneering and popularising the world music genre after blending traditional music with popular music in the 1960s and 1970s.

Stereopony (ステレオポニー, Sutereoponī?), was a pop rock band that formed in Okinawa, Japan in 2007 and disbanded in 2012. The three-girl band consisted of Aimi Haraguni (lead vocals and guitar), Nohana Kitajima (bass guitar), and Shiho Yamanoha (drums). They were signed to the Sony Records music label. The band released 11 singles and three studio albums.

A Japanese punk rock band, formed in 1999. The band gained fame through their performances at a rooftop live-venue in Shimokitazawa.

Spyair (stylized as SPYAIR) is a Japanese rock band from Nagoya, formed in 2005. The band members are Ike (vocals), UZ (guitar/programming), Momiken (bass) and Kenta (drums).

Reborn!, known in Japan as Katekyō Hitman Reborn! (Japanese: 家庭教師ヒットマンリボーン!, Hepburn: Katekyō Hittoman Ribōn!?, Katekyō, a portmanteau of Katei Kyōshi, means "home tutor"), is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Akira Amano. The manga is about a young boy, Tsunayoshi Sawada, who discovers that he is next in line to become boss of the Vongola family, a powerful Mafia organization. The Vongolas' most powerful hitman, a gun-toting infant named Reborn, is sent to teach Tsuna how to be a boss.

Spitz (スピッツ, Supittsu?) are a Japanese rock band. The group was originally formed in 1987 by four art school students in Tokyo — it consists of Masamune Kusano (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Tetsuya Miwa (lead guitar), Akihiro Tamura (bass guitar), and Tatsuo Sakiyama (drums).

Aki Harada (原田 亜希, Harada Aki?, born November 6, 1982) better known by her stage name, Sowelu, is a Japanese pop/R&B singer signed onto Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone.

Southern All Stars (サザンオールスターズ, Sazan Ōrusutaazu?), also known by the abbreviations Sazan (サザン?) and SAS, is a Japanese pop rock band that formed in the mid-1970s.

Sound Horizon is a Japanese musical group with composer Revo (Japanese pronunciation: ) as the leader. They describe themselves as a "fantasy band" and have released works that closely resemble classical suites.

Soulhead is a Japanese urban contemporary duo consisting of sisters Yoshika (よしか, , born 20 July 1978?) and Tsugumi (つぐみ, , born 25 January 1981?) who hail from Hokkaidō.

Soul Flower Union, also known as SFU, is a Japanese musical group that incorporates Asian styles and world music styles into a rock and roll band. They are known for their blend of psychedelic, rock, Okinawan music, Celtic music, chindon (a kind of Japanese street music), swing jazz, as well as Japanese, Chinese and Korean folk musics. Most of their songs are written and performed in Japanese, although they are fond of using phrases from a number of other languages, including English, French, Italian, Korean, Arabic and Ainu (the language of the native people of Hokkaido, Japan).

Sophia (stylized as SOPHIA) was a Japanese rock band formed in 1994 by vocalist Mitsuru Matsuoka, guitarist Kazutaka Toyota, bassist Yoshio Kuroyanagi, drummer Yoshitomo Akamatsu and keyboardist Keiichi Miyako. Currently signed to Avex Trax since 2011, they made their major debut in 1995 on Toy's Factory. They changed over to Toshiba EMI in 2004, and Universal Music Japan in 2009.

A Japanese rock band. Formed in 2002 by Ken, his former L'Arc-en-Ciel band mate Sakura, and German born model Ein (who appeared in L'Arc-en-Ciel's PVs for "Heaven's Drive" and "Love Flies").

Solmania (ソルマニア, Sorumania?) is a Japanese noise music project, founded in 1984 by Masahiko Ohno (大野雅彦?). He was later joined by Katsumi Sugahara (菅原克己?) (ex Outo), who first appears on Trembling Tongues (1995). Ohno is known for making his own experimental electric guitars out of spare parts and using them in his live performances and recordings; the guitars usually take an extremely bizarre form, utilizing unconventional body shapes, extra necks, strings and pickups in unusual places, and various extraneous gadgets such as microphones. Most of their instruments are multi-neck guitars and harp guitars.

Soil & "Pimp" Sessions (stylised as SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS) is a Japanese club jazz sextet who formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 2001. They are known for their energetic live performances, having coined the term "death jazz" to describe their music.

Soft Ballet was a Japanese electronic group formed in 1986. The group consisted of three members, Maki Fujii, Ken Morioka, Ryoichi Endo, though they employed extra support members for live shows. While Soft Ballet weren't necessarily chart toppers, they had a strong cult following and were considered pioneers of modern electronic music in Japan in the 90s.

Softball is a variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. It was invented in 1887 in Chicago as an indoor game.

Snowkel (シュノーケル, Shunōkeru?) is a Japanese rock band from Odaiba, Japan. Its members are Kaba, Nishi, and Yama.

SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the group currently consists of five: Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori. The group's name is an acronym standing for Sports Music Assemble People.

Skyhawks was a 17-episode television cartoon series sponsored by Mattel. Each episode consisted of two adventures. The series originally aired from September 6, 1969 to September 4, 1971 on ABC Television. It was a Pantomime Pictures/Ken Snyder Production. Distributed by CBS Television Distribution.

Skin (stylized as S.K.I.N.) is a music project founded by several Japanese rock musicians in 2007. They are Yoshiki, Gackt, Sugizo and Miyavi, all being important to the visual kei movement or closely related to it, but each being from a different generation. Its debut performance was on June 29, 2007, in Long Beach, California, considered as the "Japanese rock concert of the century". Although they had announced more activities, such as a live tour and releasing a record, all activities were suddenly stopped. The future of the project still remains unclear.

SKE48 (Japanese: , English /ɛs.keɪ.iːˈfɔrti.ˈeɪt/) is a Japanese idol girl group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. The group performs at SKE48 Theater on 2F of Sunshine Sakae in Sakae, Nagoya. Avex Group is its current official label.

The skeleton (from Greek σκελετός, skeletós "dried up") is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body. There are also two other forms of skeleton referred to, the hydroskeleton and the cytoskeleton.

The Silk Road or Silk Route is an ancient network of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East by merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time.

The Silent Poets is a Japanese electronic duo (now solo project). They have released six original albums and over than seven remix albums/EPs until now. Gaining international recognition, Silent Poets has been featured in countless music/fashion magazines, and in over 30 compilations around the world ranging from the USA, UK, France, Germany, and Italy, including the well known "Cafe Del Mar" compilation. Their music style is in the best Acid Jazz / Down-tempo traditions and have something in common with such artists as their countryman DJ Krush, United Future Organization, DJ Cam, etc. Among the characteristic features the deep piano parts, rich colourful orchestra sound and undulating charming rhythm could be highlighted. The Silent Poets collaborate with such electronic / pop / rap music stars as ACO, Port Of Notes, Coldcut, Frederic Galliano, Attica Blues, Yasushi Ide, DJ Vadim, Kid Loco, Towa Tei, Spiritual Vibes, Shakkazombie, Ken Hirai, Ursula Rucker etc. The Silent Poets speak the universal language of music, whether amongst themselves on the instrumental "Mass" (off 1996’s "Firm Roots") or supported by guests such as Last Poets Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin and Sulieman El-Hadi on "Inquizative, Derivative" (off 1994’s "Words and Silence").

Sigh (サイ, sai?) is a Japanese extreme metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1989. They are credited as being one of the first Japanese black metal bands, when the majority of black metal in early 1990s came from Scandinavia. They gradually shifted from a more traditional black/thrash metal sound, to a more experimental, avant-garde style.

SID (シド, Shido?) is a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in 2003 and signed to Sony Records. Family : Ketut Widi

Siam Shade (stylized as SIAM SHADE) is a five-piece Japanese rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1991. They broke onto the visual kei scene alongside a multitude of other artists in the early 1990s and enjoyed a decade of relative popularity before disbanding in early 2002. The members have reunited several times since 2007 for one-off concerts and short tours. Outside Japan, Siam Shade is best known for "1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou", one of the many ending themes of the Rurouni Kenshin anime.

Shugo Tokumaru (トクマルシューゴ, Tokumaru Shūgo?, born May 29, 1980) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who debuted in May 2004 in America with his album Night Piece. He creates every aspect of his music, including the lyrics, music, arrangements, recording and mixing. He is known for the variety of instruments he uses in his music, using over 100 different traditional and non-traditional instruments in his recordings. Tokumaru is also a member of the Japanese rock band Gellers. Tokumaru's 2010 album Port Entropy was his most commercially successful album in Japan, breaking into the top 40.

Showtaro Morikubo (森久保 祥太郎, Morikubo Shōtarō?, born February 25, 1974) is a Japanese voice actor and singer who has voiced characters in anime, drama CDs, and video games. According to the Anime News Network and as of July 8, 2006, Morikubo has about 55 voice role credits under his name. He is currently affiliated with VIMS. He was formerly affiliated with I'm Enterprise.

Show-Ya (しょーや, Shōya?) is an all-female heavy metal/hard rock band from Japan, founded in 1982. The group disbanded in 1998, but reformed with the original line-up in 2005 for the 20th anniversary of their first release. The music of Show-Ya is deeply rooted in classic rock and in their albums and live shows they have covered songs from The Beatles, The Doors, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and AC/DC. Their music evolved from the pop rock of their first offerings to the heavy metal of their most successful albums, Outerlimits and Hard Way.

Shonen Knife (Japanese: 少年ナイフ, Hepburn: Shōnen Naifu?, literally "Boy Knife") is an all-female Japanese pop punk band formed in Osaka, in 1981. Heavily influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, The Beach Boys, and early punk rock bands, such as the Ramones, the trio crafts stripped-down songs with simplistic lyrics sung both in Japanese and English.

Shinya Yamada (山田 真矢, Yamada Shin'ya?, born January 13, 1970), known exclusively as Shinya (真矢?), is a Japanese musician and media personality. He is best known as drummer of the rock band Luna Sea. Although he released one solo album in 1997, since then he has supported other bands and musicians instead.

Shinichi Osawa (大沢 伸一 Ōsawa Shin'ichi), also known as Mondo Grosso (born 7 February 1967), is an artist currently signed onto Avex Trax's "Rhythm Zone" label. Previously he was signed to Sony Music Japan's FEARLESS RECORDS division and released albums under the title of 'Mondo Grosso', which is Italian for "big world". Over the course of his career he has worked in genres from acid jazz to house, with strong influences of underground club music, though his recent work has been in the genre of electro house. HMV Japan rated Mondo Grosso at #95 on their "Top 100 Japanese Pop Artists" and Shinichi Osawa is ranked as Japan's #1 electro house DJ and Japan's #3 overall DJ by TopDeejays.com.

Shinichi Ishihara (石原 慎一, Ishihara Shin'ichi?, born May 26, 1960) is a Japanese singer, voice actor and actor from Yamanashi Prefecture. He is famous for singing the theme songs of, Guyver, Kamen Rider Agito and Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGo-V among other theme songs as well as the entire soundtrack to Juukou B-Fighter.

Shilfee and Tulipcorobockles is the solo project of Tomo Furukawa, otherwise known as Full (ex-Guniw Tools & Nookicky). Full's newest project combines rock, pop, new wave, electronica, opera, and more with his hauntingly unique vocals.

Yumiko Shiina (椎名 裕美子, Shiina Yumiko?, born November 25, 1978), known by her stage name Ringo Sheena (椎名 林檎, Shiina Ringo?), is a Japanese singer-songwriter, music composer and music producer. She is also the founder and lead vocalist of the band Tokyo Jihen.

A Japanese rock band, formed in 1978. They are one of the most popular acts in the Mentai Rock scene.

Sharam Q (シャ乱Q, Sharan Kyū?) is a Japanese rock band composed of lead singer Tsunku (つんく?), Hatake (はたけ?) on guitar, Makoto (まこと?) on drums and Taisei (たいせい?, , たいせー prior to 2006) on keyboards.

Shanadoo (Japanese: シャナドゥー, Hepburn: Shanadū?) were a Japanese dance and pop girl group. Produced in Germany and Japan, the band consisted of four members, lead singer Marina Kakitsu along with Chika Takagi, Manami Fuku and Junko Fukuda. They were signed to Icezone Music and Avex.

Shakkazombie is a Japanese rap group consisting of three members (MC Osumi, Tsutchie, and MC Hide-Bowie). They formed in 1994 when Tsutchie joined Osumi and Hide-Bowie who were already making music at the time and released their first single "ShakkAttack" in 95. They are credited for introducing many up and coming artists in their collaborations.

Sex Machineguns (stylized as SEX MACHINEGUNS) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in 1989. Their music is characterized by a heavy focus on bass as well as extremely fast guitar and bass solos. The band uses the image of "shock rockers" by wearing crazy, exotic outfits like visual kei bands, although this image has been toned down, especially since 2003 when the long-term bassist Noisy left the band. The lyrics feature very off-beat and non-serious themes (the superior quality of Satsuma fruits in Ehime prefecture, minor annoyance in family restaurants, etc.). Casting themselves as shock rockers is not the prime selling point of their music though, as they also exhibit technical skill on their instruments.

Serial TV Drama (stylized as serial TV drama) （シリアル・ティーヴィー・ドラマ）is a Japanese band that was formed in 2004, managed by Sony Music Records Inc. and under Steezlab Music. The group consists of five members Hiroki Arai (新井 弘毅 Arai Hiroki), Shotaro Okada (岡田 翔太朗 Okada Shōtarō), Satoshi Tokizaki (鴇崎 智史 Tokizaki Satoshi), Goh Inamasu (稲増 五生 Inamasu Goh), and Futoshi Kondo (近藤 太 Kondō Futoshi).

Seikima-II (Japanese: 聖飢魔II, Hepburn: Seikimatsu?) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in 1982. Throughout their career they have had numerous lineups, with lead singer Demon Kakka the sole constant member. The group has sold over 10 million records in Japan alone.

Seiji Ozawa (小澤 征爾, Ozawa Seiji?), born September 1, 1935, is a Japanese conductor, known for his advocacy of modern composers and his work with the San Francisco Symphony and the Boston Symphony. He is the recipient of numerous international awards.

Seiichi Yamamoto (山本 精一, Yamamoto Seiichi?, born July 16, 1958) is a Japanese musician. While perhaps most famous for his role as guitarist for the noise rock band Boredoms, he has released multitudes of records both as a solo artist and with several other musicians and bands, in addition to composing the soundtracks to several films.

See-Saw is a Japanese pop duo (formerly a trio) originally from Tokyo, Japan. Its members include Chiaki Ishikawa (vocals) and Yuki Kajiura; former member Yukiko Nishioka (西岡 由紀子, Nishioka Yukiko?) left the group in April 1994 to pursue a writing career. The group temporarily disbanded in 1995, but reunited in 2001.

Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her was a Japanese band formed by Aiha Higurashi in 1992. Their musical style contained elements of indie rock, experimental rock and, to a lesser extent, Shibuya-kei.

Naoki Takada (高田 尚輝, Takada Naoki?, born October 31, 1975) is a Japanese rapper and hip-hop artist better known under his alias Seamo (シーモ Shīmo). He made his debut in 2004 using the alias Sea-Mo Nator (シーモネーター, shīmonētā?), but later changed his name to Seamo. He made his solo debut in 2005 with the Japanese record label BMG Japan with the single "Kanpaku" (関白, Advisor?). Seamo became famous when he appeared along with the duo Bennie K on the song "A Love Story." In 2006, Seamo had his best-selling single in Japan with "Mata Aimashō" (マタアイマショウ?), which despite peaking at number fourteen on the singles chart has spent thirty four weeks on the chart and sold more than 160,000 copies so far. His debut album is Get Back On Stage, released on October 31, 2005. His second album, Live Goes On, made its debut on the Japanese chart at number one. As his favorite artists and influences, Seamo lists Kool Keith, MC Hammer, and Japanese acts Unicorn, Sing Like Talking, and Original Love. In 2008, he released "Honey Honey Feat. Ayuse Kozue", this song was used as the ending theme song of the second season of the anime xxxHolic, xxxHolic: Kei. His song "My Answer" was used as the tenth ending of the popular anime Naruto Shippuden. His song "Umi e Ikou" was featured as the ending theme for the 2010 live-action drama Moyashimon.

Screw (typeset as SCREW) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in March 2006 by vocalist Byou and Yuuto, who were previously in the band Joker before its disbandment.

Schwein (German for pig as well as pork) is a music group comprising members of Buck-Tick, KMFDM, and PIG. Members Raymond Watts (vocals, programming, guitar) and Hisashi Imai (Buck-Tick; guitar and noise), both having worked together in Schaft, were joined by Atsushi Sakurai (Buck-Tick; vocals), Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM; vocals and programming) and Lucia Cifarelli (KMFDM; vocals). In 2001 Schwein released an album, Schweinstein, followed by the remix album Son of Schweinstein. Schwein toured Japan in the summer of 2001. However, Konietzko did not tour with them, citing illness and a desire to focus on KMFDM.

Schwarz Stein is a Japanese visual kei electronic music duo formed by Hora (洞) and Kaya (迦夜) in 2001 (as "Rudolf Steiner"), who disbanded in 2004 and regrouped in 2014.

School Food Punishment (スクール フード パニッシュメント, Sukūru Fūdo Panisshumento?) was a four-member Japanese band. They were signed onto Sony Music Japan's Epic Records Japan record label prior to their breakup in June 2012. The lyrics of each of the band's songs were written by lead vocalist and guitarist Yumi Uchimura.

Schaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Maki Fujii (of minus(ー), formerly of Soft Ballet) and Hisashi Imai (of Buck-Tick). Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that for the release of their debut album Switchblade Maki and Imai formed the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres, were brought in to work on various songs. Raymond Watts of PIG was Schaft's most recurring collaborator, having contributed to half the songs on their debut album and toured with the band. After a long hiatus Schaft resumed activities in 2015.

Scandal (スキャンダル, Sukyandaru?, stylized as SCANDAL) is an all-female Japanese rock band from Osaka. Formed in August 2006 by four high school girls, they played live street performances until they were noticed and signed to the indie label Kitty Records. In 2008, they released three singles and a mini-album while performing shows in the United States, France, and Hong Kong. That October, Scandal released their major debut single, "Doll", under Epic Records Japan.

Scanch (すかんち) is a rock band that formed in Japan. The members of Scanch met and formed the band in 1982 - while they were still in high school. The band started with Rolly, Shima-chang, Obata Pump and Dr. Tanaka as members.

Satsuki (砂月?) is a Japanese musician and former vocalist of visual kei rock band Rentrer en Soi. Satsuki was a member of Rentrer en Soi from its creation in 2001 until it disbanded in 2008. In 2009, he launched a solo career. He counts Dir En Grey, Nirvana, and U2 among his musical influences.

Saori@destiny (born June 10, year unknown) is a Japanese electronica artist, who was produced by Terukado Ōnishi during her time as a major-label artist, who also produces Aira Mitsuki. She made her independent debut on December 5, 2007 with the single "My Boy" and has released two studio albums and two mini-albums to date, named Japanese Chaos, Wow War Techno, World Wild 2010 and "Domestic Domain".

Sambomaster (サンボマスター, Sanbomasutā?) is a Japanese rock band signed by Sony Music Japan. The band's name, Sambomaster, refers to the Russian martial art called Sambo.

He is probably best known as former drummer of the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. After leaving them in 1997, he formed the supergroup Zigzo, the trio Sons of All Pussys, and his solo project Lion Heads.

Sakanaction (サカナクション, Sakanakushon?), stylised as sakanaction, are a Japanese rock band from Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Their music is a fusion of alternative rock, electronic, pop, and new wave styles, and is thus difficult to classify under one category. The band consists of five members: Ichiro Yamaguchi, Motoharu Iwadera, Ami Kusakari, Emi Okazaki, and Keiichi Ejima.

Sads (typeset as sads and formerly as SADS) is a post-punk and glam rock band formed in Japan in 1999. The band made its debut with the single "Tokyo". They released nine singles and five albums before their disbandment in 2003. In 2010, Sads reformed with a more metal sound and signed to the Avex label. They have since released two albums and one single.

Sadistic Mika Band (サディスティック・ミカ・バンド?) was a Japanese rock group formed in 1972. Its name is a parody of the "Plastic Ono Band". Produced by Masatoshi Hashiba on Toshiba-EMI Records (now EMI Music Japan), the band was led by the then husband and wife team of guitarist Kazuhiko Kato, and his wife, singer Mika Fukui. The word "sadistic" is reported to be inspired by her insensitive sense of humour.

Sadie (サディ?) is a visual kei rock band from Japan, formed in 2005. Sadie is signed to Face Music and Mijinko Records.

Saber Tiger (サーベル・タイガー, Saberu Taiga?), is a Japanese heavy metal band from Sapporo. It was founded in 1981 by guitarist Akihito Kinoshita, who is responsible for producing, engineering and composing most of the band's work. Saber Tiger has released nine studio albums, four compilation albums, a live album, two EPs and one single. Their latest release Decisive, is seemingly becoming one of their best selling albums to date.

Sabbat (サバト, Sabato?) is a Japanese black metal band, formed in the early 1980s. On some releases, they showcase a more thrash and heavy metal influenced sound.

S.O.B., also known as SxOxBx, is an early, seminal hardcore punk and Thrashcore band from Japan. Their band name is an acronym for Sabotage Organized Barbarian.

Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一, Sakamoto Ryūichi?, born January 17, 1952) (Japanese pronunciation: ) is a Japanese musician, activist, composer, record producer, writer, singer, pianist, and actor based in Tokyo and New York. Gaining major success in 1978 as a member of the electronic music group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), Sakamoto served on keyboards and sometimes vocals. The band had worldwide hits such as "Computer Game / Firecracker" (1978), "Behind the Mask" (1978) and "Rydeen" (1979), later playing a pioneering role in the techno and acid house movements of the 1990s.

Ryuichi Kawamura (河村 隆一, Kawamura Ryūichi?, born May 20, 1970 in Yamato, Kanagawa) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor and record producer. He is best known as lead singer of the rock band Luna Sea. After the group disbanded in 2000, Kawamura continued his successful solo career. In 2005 he formed Tourbillon with fellow Luna Sea member Inoran and Hiroaki Hayama. He has recently rejoined Luna Sea, as they reunited in August 2010.

Rurutia (ルルティア) is a Japanese singer/songwriter. She began her career in 2001 with the release of the single "Itoshigo yo" when she was signed with Toshiba-EMI. She is currently signed with Phoerix Records and has released twelve albums and eleven singles. Rurutia is intensely private; most aspects of her life - such as her real name and age - are not known to the public. This, added to her whispered vocals, creates a unique and mysterious artistic persona.

Run&Gun is a four-member Japanese pop group which has released numerous singles, albums and DVDs and have performed some live concerts. Run&Gun started their career in 2001, with their first single "Lay up", written by Daisuke Asakura. Asakura continued to write songs for the group until 2002. "Loop" was the group's first single independent from Asakura, they released four more singles until the first album, "Face", was released in 2003. However, in 2008 they stated that they weren't planning on making any more music and will instead focus on plays and musicals, both individually and as a group.

Ruins is a Japanese music duo composed only of drummer/vocalist Tatsuya Yoshida and a bass guitarist (there have been four such bassists in the band's history). The group, formed in 1985, was supposedly intended to be a power trio; the guitarist, however, never showed up to the band's first rehearsal so the group remained a duo. The music touches on progressive rock, jazz fusion and noise rock.

Rovo is a Japanese instrumental band founded in 1996 in Tokyo by former Boredoms guitarist Seiichi Yamamoto, Bondage Fruit electric violinist Yuji Katsui, and synthesizer/effects technician Tatsuki Masuko, and featuring Yasuhiro Yoshigaki on drums and percussion, Youichi Okabe on drums and percussion, and Jin Harada on bass guitar. Rovo defines their music as "man-drive trance," and many of their compositions have a repetitive minimalism, blended with progressive rock and psychedelic music, in the style of 1970s band Gong. They collaborated with Gong guitarist Steve Hillage's group System 7 on the 2013 album "Phoenix Rising".

The Round Table is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his Knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status. The table was first described in 1155 by Wace, who relied on previous depictions of Arthur's fabulous retinue. The symbolism of the Round Table developed over time; by the close of the 12th century it had come to represent the chivalric order associated with Arthur's court, the Knights of the Round Table.

Rolly Teranishi (ローリー 寺西, Rōrī Teranishi?) more commonly known as Rolly, is a Japanese musician and music producer.

Rize (stylized as RIZE) was formed in 1997, debuting in 2000 and currently signed with Warner Music Japan. Current members are: Jesse/V&G, Kenken/V&B,& N.K/Dr. Rize music style is a mix of nu metal, alternative rock, punk rock, hard rock and even some reggae flavor. "ZERO" from CD album "Experience" has been featured on Coca Cola TVCM in Japan and Asian countries.

Riyu Kosaka (小坂 りゆ（小坂 梨由）, Kosaka Riyu?, born January 17, 1985) is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She is best known as a member of the Konami-produced Japanese teen pop girls group BeForU.

Ritual Carnage is a thrash metal band formed in 1998. All the members are Japanese except for Damian Montgomery, their American frontman and leader.

Rip Slyme (often stylized as RIP SLYME) is a Japanese hip hop group. It is composed of four MCs; Ryo-Z, Ilmari, Pes & Su, and a DJ, Fumiya. Their sound derives its influences from old school hip hop and other hip hop such as The Pharcyde, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Jurassic 5, the Beastie Boys, DJ Premier, Leaders of the New School.

A Japanese pop singer and songwriter. She wrote her own lyrics to her songs and self-produced in the last few years before retirement. She was previously affiliated with the Giza Studio recording label.

Rimi Natsukawa (夏川 りみ, Natsukawa Rimi?, born 9 October 1973) is an Okinawan singer. She is best known for her 2001 single "Nada Sōsō."

Rikiji Masuda (増田 力司, Masuda Rikiji?, born January 11, 1971 in Saitama) is a Japanese musician and bassist. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust and Mega8Ball.

A Japanese singer-songwriter. She resides in Tokyo but frequently travels to the United Kingdom to record and promote her work.

Rice (styled as rice) are a Japanese visual kei rock band formed by ex-Raphael members Yuki and Hiro. Like Raphael, a lot of rice's music is in the rock genre although instead of guitar the cello is a much more prominent instrument in their work.

Rentrer en Soi (リエントール アン ソイ?) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from 2001 to 2008. In French, the band's name can be literally translated as "to enter in yourself/entering yourself" although this is not grammatically correct. The band was composed of five members, and had seen only one member change.

Remioromen (レミオロメン?) is a Japanese rock band, formed by Ryōta Fujimaki, Keisuke Maeda and Osamu Jingūji in 2000, one song that spent eight weeks on the charts in the USA.

Rei Harakami (レイ・ハラカミ?) (10 December 1970 – 27 July 2011) was a Kyoto-based electronic musician from Hiroshima, Japan. He composed and mixed on two Roland SC-88Pro sound generators, at times supplemented by the Roland SK-88Pro keyboard model. He suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage on 27 July 2011.

RC Succession Dubbed as Japan's king of rock was an influential Japanese rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Kiyoshiro Imawano. Perhaps Japan's longest-running active band, although it has gone through many changes over the years. The origins of the group's name remain obscure, but according to some it is a mispronunciation of an in-joke among the band members.

Ray originally did work as a gravure idol, releasing two DVDs in 2008. She tried out for the All-Japan Anime Song Grand Prix in 2010. She also covered songs under the name Clione Reika.

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Italian: ; April 6 or March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520), known as Raphael (/ˈræfeɪəl/, US /ˈræfiəl, ˌrɑːfaɪˈɛl/), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period.

Ra:IN (stands for Rock and Inspiration) is a Japanese instrumental rock band. Formed in 2002 by Pata, Michiaki and Tetsu, the group is signed to the Danger Crue label. Former hide with Spread Beaver keyboardist DIE joined the band in May 2007, and drummer Tetsu left in April 2014, being replaced by Ryuichi Nishida. They have released three albums, a single and a two track EP, and have toured extensively, including international shows in China, Taiwan, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Russia.

Radwimps (ラッドウインプス, Raddo'uinpusu?, stylized as RADWIMPS) is a Japanese rock band, who debuted independently in 2003 and later on major label Toshiba EMI in 2005. The band achieved great commercial success in 2006 with their album Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan, and are best known for their later singles "Order Made" (2008) and "Dada" (2011), both of which hit number one on Oricon's single charts.

Johnny & Associates, Inc. (株式会社ジャニーズ事務所, Kabushikigaisha Janīzu Jimusho?) is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as "Johnny's" (ジャニーズ, Janīzu?), in Japan.

Quruli (くるり, Kururi?) is a Japanese music group formed in 1996. As of March 2007, the lineup consists of Masashi Sato and Shigeru Kishida. Their music is produced and distributed by Victor Entertainment.

Qp-Crazy is a Japanese hardcore punk band. The band was started by Crazy Skb in 1994. They usually perform in Japan, but they released their 9th Album タンク山の動物園(Tank Mountain Zoo) in the United States. Also, J. G. Thirlwell, who is the vocalist of Foetus, is big fan of Qp-Crazy.

PYG (Pyg) was a super-group from Japan, made up of members of the most famous bands of the Group Sounds era: The Tempters, The Spiders and The Tigers. The band was named by Tokyo resident foreign recording artist Alan Merrill, who shared the same management at the time, Watanabe Productions.

Puffy (パフィー, Pafī?, romanized as PUFFY) or Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese pop/rock duo that is signed with Sony Music Japan. The group continues to go by the moniker of PUFFY in Japan, but in order to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, have adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi in the United States. They sing in Japanese and English.

Psycho le Cému (サイコ・ル・シェイム Saiko ru Shemu) is a Japanese visual rock band. Its members are Aya, Daishi, Lida, Seek, and Yura-sama (Yuraサマ). Formed in 1999, Psycho le Cému distinguished themselves in the visual kei scene via their cosplay, with their members dressing in colorful, extravagant outfits inspired by anime and video game characters, some of which are reminiscent of the characters from the fantasy RPG Dragon Quest.

Psy・S (often written as "Psy-S" or "Psy S" in English due to the lack of the Japanese dot "・" on most western keyboards) was a popular Japanese progressive pop/rock band, formed in 1983 by Masaya Matsuura alongside female vocal powerhouse Chaka (a pseudonym used by Mami Yasunori). After Japanese hits and successes throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, they disbanded in 1996.

Princess Princess (プリンセス・プリンセス, Purinsesu Purinsesu?, commonly referred to as Puri-Puri) was a five-piece Japanese rock/pop girl band active from 1983 to 1996. They were previously known as "Julian Mama" and "Akasaka Komachi" (one album was released under this name). After 16 years, they reunited in November 2012 for several concerts in order to help with recovery from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. They performed six concerts; November 3 and 4 at the Sendai Sun Plaza Hall, then November 20, 21, 23 and 24 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. They performed at Tokyo Dome on December 23 and 24, 2012. They also performed at the 2012 Kōhaku Uta Gassen on New Year's Eve.

predia is a Japanese idol girl group.

Prague (プラハ, Puraha?) is a Japanese three-piece rock band formed in 2006. In September 2009, they signed with Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records and made their major-label debut.

Potshot was a J-ska music group from Japan. They released their records on their own label, TV Freak, in Japan. Their first five albums were also re-released by Asian Man Records, an American label well known for signing Asian punk-pop bands. Their final album, Potshot Beat Goes On, released in May 2005. They disbanded in 2005, playing a final show in Tokyo.

A Japanese male rock band from Onomichi (formerly Innoshima), Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The band got their name from the album Pornograffitti by the band Extreme. They currently record under the SME Records label.

Polysics (ポリシックス, Porishikkusu?, typeset POLYSICS) is a Japanese new wave and rock band from Tokyo, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer, the Korg Polysix. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo. They create high energy music, fusing conventional guitar music with synthesized and computer generated sound to create a unique mixture of punk and synthpop heavily inspired by the American bands Devo and The Tubes, as well as Japanese bands such as P-Model and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Their song lyrics often consist of Japanese, English, or just plain gibberish. The band has been noted for their extremely energetic live performances and their wild gimmicky outfits, notably their trademark orange boiler suits, with a simple "P" stamped on them, and their straight-bar sunglasses.

Plus-Tech Squeeze Box are a Japanese electronic music band.

Plenty (stylized as plenty) is a Japanese indie rock band formed in Ibaraki, 2004. The band is currently signed to the Headphone Music Label.

Plastic Tree is a Japanese visual kei alternative rock band, formed in December 1993 in Chiba Prefecture. They released their first mini-album in December 1995, and in 1997, they released their first single on a major label.

Pizzicato Five (known as Pizzicato V from 1985–87 and often abbreviated to P5) was a Japanese pop group best known to audiences in the West in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya and Yasuharu Konishi. The group, widely credited (along with Flipper's Guitar) with spearheading the Shibuya-kei movement of Tokyo in the 1990s, is known for eclectic and energetic compositions that often pay homage to late 1960s English-language pop music. The catchphrase "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular" captured the group's ironic stance and eager attitude. The group broke up in March 2001.

Piko (ピコ, Piko?, born March 11, 1988) is a male Japanese pop singer signed to the Sony Music Entertainment sub-label Ki/oon Music. He became popular on the Internet through the video sharing network Nico Nico Douga. His fans call him "Ryouseirui" (両声類?, lit. "both voice types"), a fan-made word to describe his wide vocal range that includes notes typical of both male and female voice types.

Pierrot (stylized as PIERROT) was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1994 in Nagano. After changing their name to Pierrot, and several member changes, the final lineup was completed in 1995 with Kirito on vocals, Jun and Aiji on guitar, Kohta on bass and Takeo on drums. After roughly ten years together, Pierrot disbanded in 2006. Their final single was named "Hello", an apt title for a band who started their major career with an album called Finale.

Phantasmagoria was a visual kei rock band formed in November 2004 in Osaka, Japan by Kisaki, the executive of Under Code Production, a popular independent label.

Perfume (パフューム, Pafyūmu?) is a Japanese pop girl group from Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, consisting of Ayano Ōmoto ("Nocchi"), Yuka Kashino ("Kashiyuka"), and Ayaka Nishiwaki ("A~chan"). The group has been signed with Amuse, Inc. since 2003 and with Universal Music Japan since 2012.

Penicillin (stylized as PENICILLIN) is a Japanese visual kei alternative rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1992.

Peelander-Z is a Japanese punk band based in New York City. They bill themselves as a "Japanese Action Comic Punk band hailing from the Z area of Planet Peelander". While the founding members of Peelander-Z were all born in Japan, they first met and formed their band while living in New York.

Pay Money to My Pain (stylized as Pay money To my Pain and abbreviated as P.T.P.) was a Japanese alternative rock/metal band. All of the band's lyrics are in English.

Tomoaki Ishizuka (石塚 智昭, Ishizuka Tomoaki?, born November 4, 1965 in Chiba), known exclusively by his stage name Pata, is a Japanese musician, best known as rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band X Japan. He joined the band in 1987, stayed with them until their dissolution in 1997 and rejoined when the band started a comeback in 2007.

Paris Match (French pronunciation: ​) is a French language weekly news magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features.

Panic Channel gave their debut in May of that year at the Osaka club Vijon where they sold their first video tape Panic Channel Kyouzai Video. After that event, the band started advance; they had one gig after another, always switching between the two egos during the long line of events.

P-Model (also spelled as "P-MODEL" and "P. Model") was a Japanese experimental/electronic rock band started in 1979 by frontman Susumu Hirasawa. The band has experienced many lineup revisions over the years but Hirasawa was always at the helm of operations. It went through various periods of inactivity, notably from 28 December 1988 to 23 November 1990 and from 11 October 1993 to 1 December 1994. P-MODEL officially disbanded in 20 December 2000, although many of its members continue to release solo albums and collaborate with each other on different projects.

Outrage is a Japanese thrash metal band, formed in Nagoya in 1982. The band was named after Motörhead's song "Sex & Outrage" from Iron Fist.

Otomo Yoshihide (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide?, born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical. He is also a pioneering figure in the EAI-scene, and is featured on important records on labels like Erstwhile Records. He has composed music for many films, television dramas, and commercials. He plays guitar, turntables, and electronics.

OOIOO /ˌoʊˌoʊˌaɪˌoʊˈoʊ/ is a group founded by Boredoms drummer (and occasional trumpeter and vocalist) Yoshimi P-We.

One Ok Rock (stylized as ONE OK ROCK) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2005, composed of Taka, Toru, Ryota, and Tomoya.

OreSkaBand (オレスカバンド, Oresukabando?) is an all-female ska band from Sakai, Japan. They have performed in Japan, Canada and the United States, including the Fuji Rock Festival.

Orange Range (オレンジレンジ, Orenji Renji?) is a 5-member Japanese rock band, based in Okinawa, Japan. Formed in 2001, the band began with Spice Music and later signed with Sony Music Japan's gr8! records division in 2003. The group left gr8! records in 2010 to start their own label, Super Echo.

On/Off (stylized as ON/OFF) is a Japanese Jpop duo which consists of twin brothers, Naoya Sakamoto (坂本 直弥, Sakamoto Naoya?) and Kazuya Sakamoto (坂本 和弥, Sakamoto Kazuya?). The duo debuted in 2007 releasing the single "Eien no Setsuna" (永遠の刹那?, "Eternal Moment").

Onmyo-za (Japanese: 陰陽座, Hepburn: Onmyō-za?, literally "gathering of yin and yang") are a Japanese heavy metal from Osaka, who released their first album in 1999.

OLDCODEX is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, Japan, formed in 2009. They performed the opening themes for the anime series Free! and God Eater and the ending themes for Kuroko's Basketball and Togainu no Chi. They performed at Nippon Budokan on February 11, 2015.

Off Course was one of Japan's most influential Folk rock bands. It was formed in early 1969 by Kazumasa Oda (小田和正) and Yasuhiro Suzuki（鈴木康博）. They broke up in 1989 after their February 26 farewell performance at Tokyo Dome.

Oceanlane are a Japanese rock band from Tokyo. The band formed in 2001 by two longtime friends, Hajime Takei and Kay Naoe, who began playing shows with hired drums and bass players in the Tokyo area in 2002. They self-released a 2003 demo EP, and signed to Howling Bull Entertainment/Handicraft Recordings, who released their debut LP, On my way back home. This album reached #1 on Japan's independent music charts. A follow-up LP, Kiss&Kill, which was produced by Pelle Gunnerfeldt, followed in 2005. In the interim, the band toured nationally in Japan and supported many Western acts on the Japan legs of their tours, including Jimmy Eat World, All-American Rejects, The Stills, and Copeland. They also appeared on the winter leg of the Vans Warped Tour 2004. Since 2004, bassist Takeshi Horikoshi (henrytennis, former bungee jump festival) and drummer Masashi "Marcy" Shimada (buddhistson, kamomekamome) have recorded and toured with OCEANLANE and have become more or less permanent members of the band.

Oblivion Dust is a Japanese rock band first active from 1996 to 2001, they reunited in 2007. Although they were originally largely influenced by early 90's American grunge bands, since reuniting their music has become straight alternative rock. They stand out in the Japanese scene as most of their songs are written and sung in fluent English.

NYC was a Japanese boy band formed by Ryosuke Yamada and Yuri Chinen of Hey! Say! JUMP and Johnny's Jr. Yuma Nakayama in 2010. Before that, seven-members unit NYC Boys (stylized NYC boys) was formed on June 7, 2009, to promote the FIVB World Grand Prix 2009, an event that began on July 31 and ended on August 23, 2009. They performed the theme song "NYC" in Tokyo and Osaka before each game.

Jun Seba (瀬葉淳 Seba Jun, February 7, 1974 – February 26, 2010), born in the Nishi-Azabu district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, was a Japanese hip hop producer and DJ who recorded under the name Nujabes (ヌジャベス Nujabesu). Nujabes /ˈnudʒɑːbɛs/ was an anagram of his name, being the reverse spelling of Seba Jun. He was the owner of the Shibuya record stores, T Records and Guinness Records and founder of the independent label Hydeout Productions. His style mixes hip hop, rap and jazz samples. Nujabes collaborated with other Japanese artists such as Uyama Hiroto, Shing02 (with whom he created the critically acclaimed "Luv(sic)" hexalogy), Minmi, and was also involved with America's underground hip hop scene through collaboration with CYNE, Apani B, Five Deez, Substantial, CL Smooth, Fat Jon, and Terry Callier. In his career he released five studio albums (Metaphorical Music in 2003, Samurai Champloo Music Record: Departure and Impression in 2004, Modal Soul in 2005, and Spiritual State which was incomplete upon his death released by Hydeout Productions in 2011). One of his most recognizable works is that of the background music for Shinichirō Watanabe's series Samurai Champloo.

Nico Touches the Walls (stylized as NICO Touches the Walls) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2004. The band members are: Mitsumura Tatsuya as the Vocalist/guitarist, Sakakura Shingo as the bassist, Furumura Daisuke as the lead guitarist & Tsushima Shotaro as the drummer. In the same year, they won the Lotte Prize at the Yamaha Teen Music Festival. Rising quickly, they signed to "Senha & Co." before signing to Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records in 2007. Their debut single, in a major label, "Yoru no Hate", was released in February 2008.

Number Girl (ナンバーガール, Nanbā Gāru?) was a rock band formed in Fukuoka, Japan in August, 1995 by guitarist and vocalist Shutoku Mukai. They disbanded in 2002 following bassist Kentarō Nakao's departure from the band.

Nothing's Carved in Stone is a Japanese rock group formed in January 2009. After Ellegarden decided to go into hiatus in 2008, the group's guitarist Shinichi Ubukata created Nothing's Carved in Stone as his solo project. Their debut album Parallel Lives was released on May 6, 2009, debuting at No. 11 on the Japanese Oricon weekly album charts.

Zull left the band in 2003 and joined The Candy Spooky Theater and Monaural Curve and was replaced by U (also in Kharn). Support member Fuumi also joined in 2003 and played with Nookicky for a few months.

Nogod (stylized as NoGoD), is a Japanese visual kei heavy metal band formed in 2005 by vocalist Dancho. Originally named Shinko Shukyo Gakudan NoGoD (新興宗教楽団NoGoD?, "New Religion Band Nogod"), the band has been using simply Nogod since signing to the major label King Records in 2010.

Nobuteru Maeda (前田亘輝, Maeda Nobuteru?, born April 23, 1965) is a Japanese male singer-songwriter from Atsugi, Kanagawa. He is signed onto Sony Music Japan. He is also a leader of rock band Tube. He released the hits "Sobani Iruyo" and "Try Boy, Try Girl".

Nobuo Yamada (山田 信夫, Yamada Nobuo?, born January 20, 1964) who performs under the name NoB is a Japanese singer and former lead singer of the band Make-Up.

Nobuo Uematsu (植松 伸夫, Uematsu Nobuo?, born March 21, 1959) is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community. Uematsu, a self-taught musician, began playing the piano at the age of eleven or twelve, with Elton John as his biggest influence.

Nobukazu Takemura (竹村延和 Takemura Nobukazu) is a Japanese musician and artist whose style has run from jazz to house to drum and bass to chamber music to electronic glitch within less than a decade. Born in Hirakata, Osaka in August 1968, he became interested in music at a young age by listening to the radio, and began to make music at home with a tape recorder and keyboard. During high school, after a record store job that exposed him to jazz and hip hop, he had regular gigs in the clubs of Osaka and Kyoto as a battle DJ before launching his music career.

Nobodyknows (stylized as nobodyknows+) is a Japanese hip-hop band founded in 1999.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Records spiral-motion

NMB48 (read "N.M.B. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol girl group that debuted in 2011 as the second sister group to AKB48, produced by Yasushi Akimoto. The group performs at the NMB48 Theater which is located in the basement of the Yes-Namba Building in Namba, Osaka. The name "NMB" comes from "Namba" in the Minami district in Osaka.

Yoshiaki Manabe (真鍋 吉明, Manabe Yoshiaki?) is the lead guitarist for the Japanese rock band The Pillows. As a mixing engineer, Manabe has worked on albums by The Pillows and The Stereo Future. He enjoys reading in his free time and is an enormous fan of Bob Marley. He also has his own signature guitar made by Sago New Material Guitars.

Nil (stylized as nil) is a Japanese rock band that was formed in 1998 by Tetsu Takano (ex-Malice Mizer, ex-Mega8Ball, ex-Zigzo, The JuneJulyAugust), Hiroyuki Kashimoto and Kyoshi Moro. The original intent of Nil was to become Tetsu's solo unit and even though it has become a full fledged band, all lyrics and songwriting has been solely handled by Tetsu. The band only lasted briefly during its first incarnation and went on hiatus by the end of 1998. It would not resurface until the middle of 2002 when they would start recording again and Tetsu formed his own record label, Afro Skull Records. The name "Nil" literally means "absolute zero" and as an acronym refers to "native irreligious language".

Nightmare (ナイトメア, Naitomea?) is a Japanese visual kei rock band from Sendai. Formed on January 1, 2000, it has consisted of Yomi (lead vocals), Sakito (lead guitar & backing vocals), Hitsugi (rhythm guitar), Ni~ya (bass & backing vocals) and Ruka (drums & percussion) for the majority of their career. They enjoyed mainstream success with the inclusion of their songs "The World" and "Alumina" in the Death Note anime and are considered a major act in the visual kei scene.

NEWS (ニュース, Nyūsu?), is a four-member Japanese boy band consisting of Keiichiro Koyama, Takahisa Masuda, Shigeaki Kato and Yuya Tegoshi. The group's name is an acronym based on the cardinal directions (North, East, West, South) and the members locations. Formed in 2003 by Johnny Kitagawa as a nine-member group under the label Johnny's Entertainment, NEWS released a promotional single "NEWS Nippon" (NEWS ニッポン, NEWS Japan?), which was used for the World Cup of Volleyball Championships. In 2004, Takahiro Moriuchi left the group and the remaining eight members released their debut single, "Kibō: Yell" (希望 ~Yell~, Hope ~Yell~?), which debuted atop the Oricon charts.

Naoki Satō (佐藤 直紀, Satō Naoki?, born May 2, 1970) is a Japanese composer and producer who has provided the music for several popular anime series. He was born on May 2, 1970 and graduated in Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo College of Music. At the 29th Japanese Academy Awards in 2006, he won the Best Music prize for his work on the film Always Sanchōme no Yūhi.

Nana Mizuki (水樹 奈々, Mizuki Nana?, born January 21, 1980) is a Japanese voice actress and singer represented by the agency Sigma Seven. She was born and raised in Niihama, Ehime, Japan. Mizuki was trained as an enka singer, and made her debut as a voice actress in 1998; however, she released her debut single "Omoi", under the King Records label on December 6, 2000. A year later, she released her debut album, Supersonic Girl on December 5, 2001.

A Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to being the lead singer of the rock band, The Teenage Kissers, she has had success as a solo artist, model, actress, and fashion designer.

Nanase Aikawa (相川 七瀬, Aikawa Nanase?, born February 16, 1975) is a Japanese rock and pop singer. She publishes her music under the Motorod label, a division of Avex Group.

Namie Amuro (安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie?, born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese singer, dancer, fashion model and actress. She was, at the height of her popularity, referred to as "Teen Queen", "Queen of J-Pop" or "Japanese Madonna" Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's. Though mostly unsuccessful, the group gained popularity during their final year together with the single "Try Me (Watashi wo Shinjite)" (1995).

Nami Tamaki (玉置 成実, Tamaki Nami?, born June 1, 1988) is a Japanese pop singer. She has various commercial tie-ins with the anime and games industry, and has also performed in stage musicals and a movie.

A Japanese singer-songwriter from Osaka, Japan and is signed to Geneon. Initially, she sang and produced music independently beginning in 2005.

Nagisa Ni te (渚にて?) is a Japanese psychedelic-folk rock duo. The group's name (渚にて) is translated as "on the beach". Shinji Shibayama, the group's founder — and a previous member of Idiot O'Clock and Hallelujahs — is also owner of Org Records, which has released albums from groups like Maher Shalal Hash Baz and Naoki Zushi. Tori Kudo, member of Maher Shalal Hash Baz, described the group as:

Myco (born February 27, 1979 in Shinjuku, Tokyo) is a Japanese singer, voice actress, and radio personality.

Mute Beat was an influential dub reggae band from Japan.

Mucc (Japanese: ムック, Hepburn: Mukku?, officially romanized as MUCC) is a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in Ibaraki in 1997. Named after a character from the children's TV show Hirake! Ponkikki, the band is also known by the nickname 69 since "six nine" can be pronounced "muku" in Japanese. As of 2015, the band has released twelve studio albums, two live albums, three EPs, thirty-two singles and seventeen home videos, some of which were also released in Europe.

Mr. Children (stylized ミスターチルドレン (Mr.Children), commonly referred to by their contracted nickname "Misu-Chiru" (ミスチル?)) is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki.They made their major debut in 1992 . As a group, they are one of the best selling artists in Japan and one of the most successful Japanese rock artists, having sold over 50 million records and creating the "Mis-chil Phenomenon" (ミスチル現象?) in the mid-1990s in Japan. They held the record for the highest first week sales of a single in Japan for 15 years, with 1.2 million copies of their 10th single "Namonaki Uta" (名もなき詩?), have 30 consecutive number 1 singles, replaced Glay as the all-male band (with 3 or more members) to have the most number 1 albums on the Oricon charts, and won the Japan Record Award in 1994 for "Innocent World" and in 2004 for "Sign". As of 2012, Mr. Children has published fifteen original studio albums and 34 physical singles, along with five compilations, a live album, and fifteen home video releases.

Move (styled as M.O.V.E or m.o.v.e, and previously as move) was a Japanese electronic band. The group consisted of yuri (Yuri Masuda (益田 祐里, Masuda Yuri?)) on vocals and motsu (Mototaka Segawa (瀬川 素公, Segawa Mototaka?)) performing the rapping. t-kimura (Takashi Kimura (木村 貴志, Kimura Takashi?)) (producer) left the band in 2008.

Motoi Sakuraba (桜庭 統, Sakuraba Motoi?, born August 5, 1965) is a Japanese composer, arranger, and musician who is known for his numerous musical contributions in video games, anime series, television dramas, and solo progressive rock albums.

Motohiro Hata (秦基博, Hata Motohiro?, born 11 October 1980) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He debuted under the major label BMG Japan in 2006 with the single "Synchro" (シンクロ, Shinkuro?).

Morning Musume '15 (モーニング娘。 '15 , Mōningu Musume '15.?), formerly simply Morning Musume (モーニング娘。 , Mōningu Musume.?) and sometimes referred to as Momusu (モー娘。, Mōmusu.?), is a Japanese pop idol girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles with an amount of 50, and they have sold over 21 million copies in Japan alone.

Monoral is a Japanese alternative rock band signed to Sony Music Japan. The band consists of Anis Shimada on lead vocals and guitar and Ali Morizumi on bass and guitar.

Mono (stylised as MONO) are a Japanese instrumental rock band, formed in 1999 in Tokyo. The band consists of Takaakira "Taka" Goto (electric guitar, glockenspiel), Hideki "Yoda" Suematsu (electric guitar, glockenspiel), Tamaki Kunishi (bass guitar, electric guitar, piano, glockenspiel), and Yasunori Takada (drum kit, glockenspiel, synthesizer).

Monkey Majik (stylised as MONKEY MAJIK) is a Japanese-Canadian pop rock band formed in 2000 in Sendai. The band consists of Canadian brothers, Maynard Plant and Blaise Plant, each acting as lead vocalists and guitarists, and two Japanese members: Tax on drums, and Dick on bass. Monkey Majik is signed to Binyl Records, a subsidiary of Avex Records, and are managed by Edwards Entertainment Group. Due to the blend of Eastern and Western pop rock influences, Monkey Majik has often been referred to as a "hybrid band". Much of the band's music has been cross-promoted via television programs, commercials, and movies. They have also been chosen as "Goodwill Ambassadors" for the 80th anniversary of Japanese-Canadian relations.

Shohei Iwasaki (岩崎昇平, Iwasaki Shōhei?) (1962 – April 14, 2005), better known by his stage name Monde Bruits (モンド・ブリューイッツ?, French for "noise world"), was a Japanese noise musician. He was one of the earliest in Japan's noise scene, and it was Iwasaki who organized Masami Akita's first Merzbow show in Osaka, Japan. He was also involved in ABM (with Fusao Toda and Naoto Hayashi), MXM (with Macronympha), and Sian (with Aube).

Momoiro Clover Z (ももいろクローバーZ, Momoiro Kurōbā Zetto?) is a Japanese idol group. It is commonly abbreviated as Momoclo (ももクロ, Momokuro?).

Moi dix Mois is a Japanese visual kei gothic metal band, founded in 2002 by Mana after Malice Mizer paused activities. The guitarist and sole songwriter has been the only constant member in a series of lineup changes, and the band's material is released on his own record label Midi:Nette.

Takamasa Ishihara (石原 貴雅, Ishihara Takamasa?, born September 14, 1981), better known by his stage name Miyavi, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He has been active since 1999, first as guitarist for the now defunct visual kei rock band Dué le Quartz and then as a solo artist starting in 2002. In 2007, he became a member of the rock supergroup S.K.I.N., and in 2009 founded his own company, J-Glam. He toured worldwide several times, with over two hundred shows. After becoming a father Miyavi toned down his on-stage attire. He is known for his finger-slapping style of playing a guitar.

Mix Speaker's, Inc. is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in early 2006. Their members are Aya (Psycho le Cemu, Isabelle), Seek (Psycho le Cému, Isabelle), Keiji (Kamikaze Boys, Isabelle), S (Kamikaze Boys, Isabelle), Miki (Pink Film, Scissor, Isabelle), and Yuki (Egurigori). Mix Speaker's, Inc. rapidly gained popularity throughout the winter and spring, appearing on the front cover of the visual magazine, Cure Magazine in May. Among their distinguishing marks are the two lead singers, Miki and Yuki, and elaborate monster and fantasy themed costumes.

miwa (born 15 June 1990) is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She debuted in 2010 with the single "Don't Cry Anymore", which was used as the theme song for the drama Nakanai to Kimeta hi.

A Japanese rock band formed from the former member of Do As Infinity, Ryo Owatari. The other two members are twins and were also members with Ryo from their previous band, Pee-Ka-Boo.

Misia (ミーシャ, Mīsha?, born July 7, 1978), commonly stylized as MISIA, is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Nagasaki, Misia moved to Fukuoka at the age of 14 to pursue a recording career. There, she continued her secondary education and briefly attended Seinan Gakuin University before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She was signed to BMG Japan in 1997, after auditioning for record producer Haruo Yoda.

Minmi (stylized as MINMI) (ミンミ?, born December 8, 1974 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese hip-hop, soca, and reggae musician, as well as a singer-songwriter and record producer. She is the first soca artist from Japan. Since 2007, she has been married to Wakadanna (若旦那?), a member of Japanese reggae group Shōnan no Kaze.

Minako Honda (本田 美奈子, Honda Minako?, born Minako Kudō (工藤 美奈子, Kudō Minako?), July 31, 1967 – November 6, 2005) was a Japanese "idol" pop-star and musical singer. She became famous and popular as "Japan's Madonna" because of her sexy fashion and live performances in the mid to late 1980s.

Miho Katō (加藤 美穂, Katō Miho?) (born June 22, 1988), better known by her stage name of Miliyah Kato (加藤 ミリヤ, Katō Miriya?) is a Japanese pop and urban singer-songwriter from Toyota, Aichi, Japan.

A Japanese pop singer and songwriter. She is best known for her songs used for anime theme music, particularly the opening and ending themes of the Full Metal Panic! series.

A Japanese singer and actress. Five of her studio albums, one of her mini-albums, and one of her compilation albums have reached number one in Japan's Oricon album chart. She also embarked on an acting career, most notably as Nana Osaki in the live-action film adaptations of Nana.

Mika Arisaka (有坂美香, Arisaka Mika?) (born June 28, 1974 in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese-American singer and vocalist. Due to her upbringing, she is bilingual and has performed in both English and (more commonly) Japanese. She attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She is a member of Reggae Disco Rockers and has a solo career. She sang both the opening and ending theme songs of Infinite Ryvius and the ending theme for The Twelve Kingdoms. With her career taking off, more chances to showcase her singing finally came.

An urban and pop group signed to Universal Music Japan and managed by Tearbridge Productions, a subsidiary of Stardust Promotion and Avex.

Michiro Endo (遠藤 ミチロウ, Endō Michirō?, born November 15, 1950) is a Japanese musician, author and socialist activist. Known as frontman of the influential punk band The Stalin.

M-Flo (エムフロウ, Emu Furō?, stylized as m-flo) is a Japanese hip hop group consisting of producer and DJ Taku Takahashi and emcee Verbal.

Metronome (メトロノーム) was a Japanese visual kei rock band, which took its influence from many genres, including techno, rock, hardcore and pop.

Metalucifer is a Japanese heavy metal band, formed by Gezolucifer (of Sabbat) in 1995. Adopting the musical style of early NWOBHM and building upon it, they achieved underground celebrity, especially in Scandinavia. Their pure heavy metal approach, and their unadulterated use of the words "Heavy Metal" in song titles has gained them fame, as their music strives to capture the essence of what they think "heavy metal" should be.

Masami Akita (秋田 昌美, Akita Masami?, born December 19, 1956), better known by his stage name Merzbow (メルツバウ, Merutsubau?), is a Japanese noise musician. Since 1980, he has released over 400 recordings.

Merry (メリー, Merī?, stylized as MERRY) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in Tokyo in 2001. The current member lineup consists of Gara on vocals, Yuu and Kenichi on guitar, Tetsu on bass, and Nero on the drums.

Merengue is a Japanese rock band licensed by Warner Music Japan. The band was created in 2002 by Kenji Kubo. In 2003, Takeshi Yamazaki and Tsuyoshi Takeshita joined the band. In 2013, they signed to Ki/oon Music and performed the Sixth Opening of Space Brothers.

An American-born former Japanese pop singer and television host. She debuted in February 2003 with the song "Dreamin' Away", under Toy's Factory. In October 2008, Melody announced on her blog ending her career as a music artist to focus on pursuing a career as a fashion designer.

Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that is known for playing extremely fast grindcore styled music and noise music mixed with experimental, electronica and pop-based song structures. The band has released ten albums and toured worldwide extensively.

Megamasso (メガマソ, Megamaso?) is a Japanese visual kei rock band. Their sound is lively and upbeat, with a unique mix of punk, piano ballads and pop rock.

Meg (born October 3, 1980) is a Japanese recording artist and fashion designer from Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. She is signed with Starchild Records, a division of King Records.

Maximum the Hormone (マキシマムザホルモン, Makishimamu Za Horumon?) is a Japanese rock band from Hachiōji, Tokyo. Their lineup has consisted of Daisuke-han, Nao, Maximum the Ryo-kun, and Ue-chan since 1999. Each member alternates singing lead vocals, often within the same song, with the exception of Ue-chan, who provides backup vocals almost exclusively.

Matenrou Opera (摩天楼オペラ, lit. "Skyscraper Opera"?) is a Japanese visual kei metal band. The band was formed in 2007 by Sono and Yuu who were previously the vocalist and drummer of Jeniva.

Maso Yamazaki (山崎マゾ, Yamazaki Maso?), better known by his stage name Masonna, is a Japanese noise musician. He was born Takushi Yamazaki (山崎卓志, Yamazaki Takushi?) on November 16, 1966 in Miyazu, Kyoto, Japan.

Mass of the Fermenting Dregs （マス オブ ザ ファーメンティング ドレッグス, Masu Obu Za Faamentingu Doreggusu） was a post-rock/shoegaze trio formed in Kobe, Japan in 2002. They are also popularly known by a shortened form of their name, Masu Dore (マスドレ). They are known for a tightly arranged, guitar-driven style, melodic pop vocals and a high-energy stage presence at their live events. They have been signed to the Japanese indie rock record label AVOCADO Records since the release of their self-titled EP in January 2008.

Masayuki Suzuki (鈴木雅之, Suzuki Masayuki, born on September 22, 1956 in Ota, Tokyo) is a Japanese singer best known as a former member of Rats & Star (previously called Chanels). His trademarks are sunglasses and a moustache, and he is nicknamed "Martin".

Masami Okui (奥井 雅美, Okui Masami?, born March 13, 1968) is a Rock/Pop/Anison singer who was born in Itami, Hyōgo, Japan. She began her professional musical career at age 21 as a concert backup singer.

Masaaki Endoh (遠藤 正明, Endō Masaaki?, born August 28, 1967) is a Japanese singer/songwriter who is prominent in the area of soundtracks for anime and tokusatsu productions. He is one of the founders of the anison supergroup JAM Project and has been a regular member ever since its inception in 2000. His nickname is the "Young Lion of Anison" and he goes by the motto "Always Full Voice".

Marbell (stylized as MarBell) was a Japanese rock band active from 2006 to 2010 and signed to their own independent label, N-Records. The band's clothes and outfits were all designed by famed fashion designer H. Naoto.

Mao Abe (阿部 真央, Abe Mao?, born 24 January 1990) is a Japanese singer-songwriter.

Mana is a Japanese musician and fashion designer, best known for a role as leader and guitarist of the visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. His clothing label, Moi-même-Moitié, helped popularize Japan's Gothic Lolita fashion movement. Mana is currently working on his solo project Moi dix Mois.

Mami Kawada (川田 まみ, Kawada Mami?, born February 13) is a Japanese pop singer who is signed to NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan and is a member of I've Sound, a musical group which produces soundtracks for eroge games and anime. Born and raised in Sapporo, Japan, Kawada made her musical debut in 2001 after being discovered by her music teacher Eiko Shimamiya with the release of the song "Kaze to Kimi o Daite". She released her first single in 2002. Her first album, Seed, was released in 2006. She first performed overseas in Taiwan in 2007 and later appeared at the Bangkok Comic Con in Thailand in 2014. Her music songs have been featured as theme music for various anime such as Shakugan no Shana, A Certain Magical Index, Hayate the Combat Butler, Jormungand, and Tokyo Ravens.

Malice Mizer (stylized as MALICE MIZER) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by guitarists Mana and Közi, the band's name stands for "malice and misery", extracted from "Nothing but a being of malice and misery." — their reply to the question "What is human?" Their earlier music and themes were characterized by their strong French and classical influences, later moving away from deliberate French romanticism and incorporating Gothic aspects after several difficulties befell the band.

Makiko Hirabayashi (born 1966) is a Japanese jazz pianist based in Denmark. She learned to play piano at the age of four, and subsequently violin at nine. As a teenager, she became interested in jazz and won a fellowship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduation, she moved to Denmark.

Maki Nomiya (野宮真貴, Nomiya Maki?, born March 12, 1960 in Kushiro, Hokkaido) is a Japanese singer and musician. She released her first solo album in 1981, and worked through the 1980s as the lead vocalist of the New Wave band Portable Rock (ja). In 1991, she became the lead singer of the band Pizzicato Five. When the group disbanded in 2001, she embarked on a solo career. She also appears singing solo on the soundtrack of the game We Love Katamari and in the 2008 Japanese version of Just One Second (Jikan Wo Tomete) by London Elektricity.

A hard rock and heavy metal Japanese band formed in 1983. The band became very famous in Japan for their work on the theme songs for the anime Saint Seiya.

A Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and producer from Funabashi, Chiba. Kuraki debuted in 1999 with the single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow".

Mai (舞?), real name Mai Kudo (工藤 舞, Kudō Mai?, born July 18, 1984) is a J-Pop singer from Hokkaidō, Japan. She is a talent of the Fit One management company and part of the artists' roster of Rhythm Zone owned by Avex Entertainment Inc. She originally debuted as "Ruppina". As Ruppina, she recorded the song "Free Will" which was used as the 9th ending theme of the Japanese anime series One Piece.

Maher Shalal Hash Baz is a Japanese music ensemble based in Scotland, and the artistic alter ego of Tori Kudo, a Japanese naivist composer and musician.

Magane (凶音) is a Japanese black metal metal band from Tokyo formed in 1999.

Macdonald Duck Eclair (sometimes spelled Mac Donald Duck Eclair and usually written in Latin script) is a Japanese "pico-pico" or picopop band associated with such groups as Micro Mach Machine and Miss Wonda and sounding similar to such groups as DAT politics etc. Based in Tokyo, they have been making music since 1999. The lead vocalist, known only as "Michi", has also worked with the girl group "Spoochy." The two other members are Yuki Shimamura and Toyomu Futamata, both of whom compose. Their unique sound combines electronic elements with French pop style vocals, noisy punk guitars and poppy keyboard melodies. They are signed to the Japanese Indie label Usagi Chang Records and have released two full-length albums to date. They first became known for their high energy single "Mac Teenage Riot" on the Usagi Chang Records sampler, "Killer Killer Usagi Chang" in 2003. The single is a tribute to the group Atari Teenage Riot both stylistically and in that it extensively quotes songs from the album 60 Second Wipeout. Their first album, Short Short, was released in 2004 and their second, darker album, The Genesis Songbook was released in 2005. They have also collaborated with Valvola, Kylie Minogue, Iggy Pop, and Hong Kong Counterfeit among others to create the electroclash and disco album "The Electronic Tomato" released in 2004 on SHADO records. Their slogan is "Lolli, pico'tte, macin' rock."

Maaya Sakamoto (坂本 真綾, Sakamoto Maaya?, born March 31, 1980) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and voice actress who made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in Little Twins, but is better known as voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in The Vision of Escaflowne. She released her debut single Yakusoku wa Iranai, in collaboration with Yoko Kanno under Victor Entertainment on April 24, 1996.

MAA is a Japanese recording artist, former TV host and model. Previously known as Mar (stylized as MAR), she was vocalist of the alternative rock band Marbell from 2006 to 2010. When they disbanded she embarked on a solo career, switching to pop music.

Lynch. (stylized as lynch.) is a Japanese Nagoya kei metal band formed in 2004. The band's concept is "uniting heavy music with beautiful melodies." As of 2015, the group has released two EPs, eight albums, and 15 singles.

Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most successful and influential bands in the visual kei movement. Throughout the mid-1990s they used significantly less make-up, and after a one-year break in 1998, came back with a more mainstream alternative rock style and toned down their on-stage attire. When they disbanded in 2000, they left a big mark on the Japanese rock scene. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Luna Sea at number 90 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.

A Japanese musician and songwriter. He is best known as guitarist of the heavy metal band Seikima-II from 1987 to 1999.

Loudness (ラウドネス, Raudonesu?) is a Japanese metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-six studio albums (five in America) and nine live albums by 2014 and reaching the Billboard Top 100 in their moment of maximum international popularity, as well as charting on Oricon dozens of times. Despite numerous changes in their roster, the band continued their activities throughout the 1990s, finally reuniting the original line-up in 2001. On November 30, 2008 original drummer Munetaka Higuchi died from liver cancer at a hospital in Osaka at age 49. He was replaced with Masayuki Suzuki.

Love Psychedelico (ラブ・サイケデリコ?) is a Japanese rock band. In Japan they are often called Delico for short. They are widely popular not only in Japan but also Hong Kong and Taiwan.

A Japanese six-piece ska band, formed in Sendai, 1998. They released their first mini-album titled Making Ourself Understood in our Sounds in January 2000.

LM.C is a Japanese visual kei rock duo playing a mix of electronic rock and pop, which they call "new century electrorock".

little by little is a Japanese pop rock band, consisting of vocalist Hideco and Tetsuhiko. little by little's record label is Sony Music Entertainment Japan and they are attached to Stardust Promotion. They are known mainly for their contributions to anime, including "Kanashimi wo Yasashisa ni" (悲しみをやさしさに?), the opening theme for the third season of Naruto, "Love & Peace", the second opening theme to Superior Defender Gundam Force, "Hummingbird", a closing theme for Yakitate!! Japan, and "Kimi Monogatari" (キミモノガタリ?), the third closing theme of Naruto: Shippūden.

Lite, stylized as LITE, is a Japanese rock band that has been termed "one of Japan's top instrumental rock acts." The band is made up of Nobuyuki Takeda (guitar), Kozo Kusumoto (guitar & synthesizer), Jun Izawa (bass), and Akinori Yamamoto (drums), and plays math rock. All of their albums have charted in Japan, with For All the Innocence charting the best, at number 85 on the Oricon chart.

Ling Tosite Sigure (凛として時雨, Rin Toshite Shigure?, lit. Cold Seasonal Rain) is an indie rock and math rock trio formed in 2002 in Saitama, Japan. The band's style resembles post-hardcore and progressive rock, often incorporating rapid changes of tempo and mood framed in complex guitar melodies and technical drumming. They utilize both male and female vocals ranging from soft singing to loud wails and screams.

Lindberg is a Japanese Pop rock/rock band that was active from 1989 to 2002 and again in 2009. After another hiatus it is active once again, announced in a New Year's announcement under the title "Re:LINDBERG".

Lia (born December 20) is a female Japanese singer-songwriter. Lia has performed various video game and anime theme songs, such as for Key's visual novels, Air, Clannad, and Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life, the opening theme for Angel Beats!, as well as theme songs for RF Online and Initial D Fourth Stage under Avex Trax. The IA: Aria on the Planetes Vocaloid was recorded with Lia's voice, and was released on January 27, 2012.

Leo Ieiri (家入レオ, Ieiri Reo?, born December 13, 1994 in Fukuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Her song "Sabrina" was used as the third ending song of the anime television series Toriko.

Lead is a Japanese hip-hop group, under the Record of Pony Canyon/ Flight Master. Their debut was on July 31, 2002 with their single Manatsu no Magic (Mid-Summer Magic).

Lazy (レイジー, Reijī?, stylized as LAZY) is a Japanese rock band originally founded in 1977 by young classmates Hironobu Kageyama, Hiroyuki Tanaka and Akira Takasaki.

Last Alliance (ラスト・アライアンス, Rasuto Araiansu?, stylized as LAST ALLIANCE) is a Japanese rock band based in Machida, Tokyo.

Laputa was a Japanese nagoya kei rock band, active from 1993 to 2004. The band chose its name from the flying island in Gulliver's Travels and tried to portray a similar unrealistic view of the world with their performance. Musically the essence of the band sound was extracted from "Dark, Hard, and Melodious". Their sound is characterized by Kouichi's unique chord progressions and aki's high-pitched vocals. Although not extremely commercially successful, they were influential on developing bands. Their 1997 album Emadera was named one of the top albums from 1989-1998 in a 2004 issue of the music magazine Band Yarouze. Laputa's early sound was influenced by Dead End, Loudness, Anthem and Bauhaus.

Lareine (stylized as LAREINE) was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1994. The band's name is reported to have come from the French Queen Marie Antoinette. In 1999 the group signed to Sony, later in 2000 when all other members left, Kamijo created Applause Records. After a number of line-up changes and the release of several albums, EPs and singles, the group disbanded in 2007.

La'cryma Christi (Latin for "The Tears of Christ") was a Japanese visual kei rock band originally active from 1993 to 2007. They reunited for a concert in 2009 at the V-Rock Festival, for their short reunion tour in 2010, and for a 15th anniversary tour in 2012.

L'Arc-en-Ciel ("The Rainbow" in French, stylized as L'Arc~en~Ciel) is a Japanese rock band, founded in Osaka in 1991. With a reported 40 million records sold, they were the first Japanese act to headline at Madison Square Garden. In 2003, they were ranked 58 on a list of the top 100 Japanese pop musicians by HMV Japan. While they first got their start as a visual kei band, they have not had any association with the movement since their major label debut in 1994.

Kyu Sakamoto (坂本 九, Sakamoto Kyū?, born Hisashi Oshima (大島 九, Ōshima Hisashi?), 10 December 1941 – 12 August 1985) was a Japanese singer and actor, best known outside of Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. Sakamoto died on August 12, 1985, in the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123, the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history.

Kyosuke Himuro (氷室 京介, Himuro Kyōsuke?, born October 7, 1960 in Takasaki, Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was a member of the rock group Boøwy from 1981 to 1988. After the group disbanded he started a successful solo career, becoming one of Japan's best-selling artists. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Himuro at number 76 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California, where he purchased a palatial residence in Beverly Hills in 2004, which was previously owned by Shaquille O'Neal.

Kiriko Takemura (竹村 桐子, Takemura Kiriko?, born January 29, 1993), known by her stage name Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ, Kyarī Pamyu Pamyu?), is a Japanese fashion model and singer. Her public image is associated with Japan's kawaisa and decora culture centered in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. Her music is produced by musician Yasutaka Nakata of electronic music duo Capsule.

Kwon Ri-se, (Hangul: 권리세; August 16, 1991 – September 7, 2014) better known by her stage name RiSe, was a South Korean idol singer. She was a member of the K-pop girl group Ladies' Code under Polaris Entertainment. Prior to her joining Ladies' Code, she participated in Miss Korea 2009 and was crowned as "Miss Korea Japan Jin". She was one of the Top 12 contestants of MBC's Star Audition The Great Birth. Born in Fukushima, Japan, she was fluent in Japanese as well as Korean.

Koharu Kusumi (久住 小春, Kusumi Koharu?, born July 15, 1992 in Washima (now part of Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan), is a J-pop singer, actress, television personality, essayist, and model. From 2005 to 2009, she was a member of the Hello! Project group Morning Musume from 2005 to 2009, the only seventh generation member. She also served as the voice of Kirari Tsukishima, the main character of the anime series Kirarin Revolution (2006–2009), and was featured in several musical releases affiliated with the series, including both solo releases under the name Kirari Tsukishima starring Koharu Kusumi (Morning Musume) (月島きらりstarring久住小春(モーニング娘。)?) and group releases for the units Kira Pika and MilkyWay. Currently, she is a member of Dream Morning Musume, a J-pop group consisting of former Morning Musume members.

A Japanese rock band formed in Nagoya in May 1991. The group had a definite influence on the visual kei scene, being credited as inspiration to many bands of the late '90's visual kei boom and as one of the creators of Nagoya kei.

Kumi Koda (倖田 來未, Kōda Kumi?, born November 13, 1982), is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. Having debuted in 2000 with the single "Take Back", Koda gained fame for her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", the songs of which were used as themes for the video game Final Fantasy X-2. Her popularity grew with the release of her fourth studio album Secret (2005), her sixteenth single "Butterfly" (2005), and her first greatest hits album Best: First Things (2005), reaching the number-three, number-two and number-one spot respectively.

Their music includes a variety of genres from pop, alternative, indie rock, hard rock, funk and even an influence of jazz. Kra is signed to the PS company label and made their major label debut with the single "Heart Balance" on September 21, 2006.

Közi is a Japanese visual kei rock musician who plays guitar, piano, keyboard and synthesizer. He is best known as guitarist for the rock band Malice Mizer. After the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, he formed the industrial rock duo Eve of Destiny and also started a solo career. As of 2012, Közi is in the bands Dalle, My Horror Revue, XA-VAT and ZIZ, while occasionally working on his solo career.

Kōsokuya (光束夜) is a Japanese dark psychedelic rock band. This rock outfit, founded by guitarist Jutok Kaneko in the late 1970s, has released only a handful of recordings internationally, and scant more in their local Tokyo underground scene. Their sound has been compared to Japanese psych-rock legends Fushitsusha.

A Japanese J-pop musician, singer and songwriter from Sapporo, Hokkaido. Kotoko began her singing career as a member of I've Sound in 2000, and was later signed to Rondorobe under Geneon from 2004 to 2010.

Kinya Kotani (コタニ キンヤ, Kotani Kin'ya?, born July 16, 1979), also known as KINYA, is a male singer and actor from Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His songs were made into theme songs for the anime Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and various songs for Gravitation.

Koshi Inaba (稲葉浩志, Inaba Kōshi?), born Hiroshi Inaba (稲葉浩志, Inaba Hiroshi?) on September 23, 1964 in Tsuyama, Okayama, is a Japanese vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He is best known as the singer and lyricist of the hard rock duo B'z.

Korekyojinn (是巨人?) (also spelled Korekyojin) is a Japanese progressive rock power trio. Founded in 1998, the band is a project by members of several bands within the Japanese progressive rock/zeuhl scene and has released albums on two US labels, John Zorn's Tzadik Records and Skin Graft Records as well as on the Japanese label Magaibutsu. In Japanese, the band's name means "this giant" and is a pun on the band names This Heat and Gentle Giant.

Kome Kome Club (米米CLUB, Kome Kome Kurabu?) is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1982. It is widely recognized as the only Japanese pop rock musical group which achieved commercial success by blending soul and funk musical styles. They also use the style of rakugo.

Akiko Yoshida (吉田亜紀子, Yoshida Akiko?) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, who performs under the stage name Kokia (stylized as KOKIA). Her most well known songs "Arigatō..." (ありがとう..., Thank You?) (which reached number 2 in Hong Kong when it was covered by Sammi Cheng) and "The Power of Smile." (the single topped at No. 8 in the singles chart).. She is also recognized for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)" for the film Origin: Spirits of the Past, "Follow the Nightingale" for the game Tales of Innocence, and "Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi" for the anime Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino.

Koji Kondo (近藤 浩治, Kondō Kōji?, born August 13, 1961) is a Japanese video game composer and sound director who has been employed at Nintendo since 1984. He is best known for his involvement in numerous titles in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda series of video games.

Kohei Mihara is a Japanese DJ, who signed to Grand Central Records independent record label in 2005. His music is electronica, combining elements of ambient, jazz and hip hop and blending both Eastern and Western influences.

Kōenji Hyakkei (高円寺百景?, "Hundred Sights of Kōenji"), also known as Kōenjihyakkei, is a Japanese Zeuhl band led by Yoshida Tatsuya of Ruins fame. The band released their first (self-titled) album in 1994 with Aki Kubota from Bondage Fruit on vocals and keyboard. Though rhythmically not as complex as Ruins, Kōenji Hyakkei still evokes a feeling of unfamiliarity due to non-standard modes and chanting in a nonsensical language.

Kobukuro (コブクロ?), a Japanese band, formed in 1998 and made its major label debut in 2001. The name is a portmanteau of the two family names, Kentarō Kobuchi and Shunsuke Kuroda.

Knotlamp is a Japanese rock band signed to the Imperial Records label. They formed in 2000 and self-produced their first single, Mental Age in October 2002. They debuted under RUN RUN RUN Records with their mini-album, Blind Side on October 23, 2007 and released their first full album Sing Against the Stream on March 10, 2009. The title song from their single LAST TRAIN-新しい朝--, was used as the second opening to the anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

His first band was the new wave group Pride of Mind, active from 1992-1996. He first played with Malice Mizer in 2000, on their single "Shiroi Hada ni Kuruu Ai to Kanashimi no Rondo", providing vocals, although he was credited as "Fourth blood relative".

Kazuyuki Kishino (岸野 一之, Kishino Kazuyuki?, born September 13, 1961 in Tokyo), known by his stage name KK Null, is a Japanese experimental multi-instrumentalist active since the early 80s. He began as a guitarist, but soon added composer, singer, electronic musician and drummer to his list of talents, and also studied Butoh dance at Min Tanaka's workshop.

Kinniku Shōjo Tai (筋肉少女帯?, also called KING-SHOW) is a Japanese rock band. The band name means "Muscle Girl Band" in Japanese. They became very popular in the late 1980s through the late 1990s. In 1999 they disbanded, but then in 2006 they regrouped.

KinKi Kids is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name. KinKi Kids hold the Guinness World Records for having the most number of consecutive No.1 singles since debut.

King Brothers is a rock band from Nishinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Formed in 1997, the band made its major label debut on Toshiba EMI in 2001. The group was banned from performing at several venues in Osaka after destructive live shows.

Killer Bug is the moniker used by Kazumoto Endo, off & on, for his solo Japanoise project. Abandoning it for a long while in favor of recording under his given name, Endo has recently adopted the name again for his project in 2005.

Ketsumeishi (ケツメイシ?) is a four-member Japanese pop and hip hop group that incorporates singing and rapping into their music. They have had several major hits in Japan, including "Sakura", which reached number two on the Oricon yearly chart for 2005 and was featured in the Japanese game Taiko no Tatsujin. Ketsumeishi is a Japanese word for a type of medical herbs made from the seeds of Senna obtusifolia, which is often used in Chinese medicine.

Kenji Ozawa (小沢 健二, Ozawa Kenji) is a Japanese musician born in 1968 in Sagamihara, Kanagawa. His uncle Seiji Ozawa is a world-famous conductor. Ozawa's first claim to fame was as a member of the pop duo, Flipper's Guitar. He graduated from Tokyo University. His father is a professor.

Kenji Ohtsuki (大槻 ケンヂ, 大槻 賢二, Ōtsuki Kenji?, born February 6, 1966 in Nakano, Tokyo) is a Japanese rock musician and Seiun Award-winning writer. His musical career began in the late 1970s. He is the vocalist of Kinniku Shōjo Tai, Tokusatsu, Underground Searchlie and Karate Bakabon. The lyrics of a Kinniku Shōjo Tai's song "Doko e demo Ikeru Kitte" affected the character design of Rei Ayanami, from the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. He's also performed the theme songs to several anime, including Welcome to the N.H.K., Hellsing and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

Kentaro James Shibuya Lloyd (born 25 March 1976 in London, England), better known as Ken Lloyd, is a British/Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. Fluent in both Japanese and English, he writes lyrics in both languages. He is currently in Oblivion Dust, Atom on Sphere and Fake?, the latter of which is now his solo project.

Ken Hirai (平井 堅, Hirai Ken?, born on January 17, 1972) is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and spokesperson.

Ken (born November 28, 1968 in Maibara, Shiga, Japan) is a musician and singer-songwriter, best known as guitarist of the Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. He is also the leader, vocalist and guitarist of Sons of All Pussys (also known as S.O.A.P.) and has released a solo album entitled In Physical. While in L'Arc-en-Ciel his name is stylized as ken.

1995–2007

Kelun is a Japanese rock band signed by Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

Keiji Haino (灰野 敬二 Haino Keiji) born May 3, 1952 in Chiba, Japan, and currently residing in Tokyo, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter whose work has included rock, free improvisation, noise music, percussion, psychedelic music, minimalism and drone music. He has been active since the 1970s and continues to record regularly and in new styles.

Keiichi Suzuki (鈴木 慶一, Suzuki Keiichi?, born August 28, 1951) is a Japanese composer and musician. He is known to audiences outside of Japan for his musical contributions in the Nintendo video games Mother and EarthBound, both of which have been released on several soundtracks.

As a child, Hashimoto learned classical piano, starting to compose in high school while making music on his computer. He majored in composition at Tokyo College of Music

KAT-TUN (カトゥーン, Katūn?) is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates (Johnny's) in 2001. The group's name was originally an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name: Kazuya Kamenashi, Jin Akanishi, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueda, and Yuichi Nakamaru. Their debut on March 22, 2006 was marked by a tripartite release of a CD single, album and music DVD on their exclusive record label J-One Records. Since then, all of their single, album and music DVD releases have debuted at number one on the Oricon music and DVD charts.

Kaori Mochida (持田 香織, Mochida Kaori?, born March 24, 1978 in Tokyo, Japan) is the female lead singer of Japanese pop group Every Little Thing.

Kanon Wakeshima (分島 花音, Wakeshima Kanon?, born June 28, 1988) is a Japanese singer and cellist. Originally produced by musician and fashion designer Mana, Wakeshima debuted under the DefStar Records label on May 28, 2008 with the single "Still Doll", the ending theme for the anime adaptation of the manga series Vampire Knight. She also provided the voice for a maid that appears in the eighth episode of the series. Wakeshima's second single "Suna no Oshiro", released on November 12, 2008, was used as the ending theme for the series' second season (subtitled Guilty).

Kannivalism (stylized kannivalism) is a Japanese visual kei rock band originally formed in 2001, signed to Free-Will and distributed by Avex Trax. However, they disbanded that same year when baroque was formed, and subsequently reformed with new bassist Yuchi after baroque disbanded in 2006.

Kanjani Eight (関ジャニ∞（エイト）, Kanjani Eito?, stylized as Kanjani∞) is a seven-member Japanese boy band from Japan's Kansai region. They are managed by the multimedia talent agency, Johnny & Associates, and signed to Imperial Records. The group was formed in 2002 and made their CD debut in 2004 as "Johnny's modern enka group", though after the year 2006, their sound and style has become a mix of pop and rock. Like the rest of the acts managed under Johnny & Associates, Kanjani Eight also perform in various other areas of the Japanese entertainment industry such as variety show hosting, television, movie, and stage acting, and radio talk show hosting.

Kana Ueda (植田 佳奈, Ueda Kana?, born June 9, 1980 in Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture) is a Japanese voice actress employed by I'm Enterprise. She is best known as the voices of Yumi Fukuzawa in Maria-sama ga Miteru, Rin Tōsaka in Fate/stay night, Hayate Yagami in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Strikers, and Rachel Alucard from BlazBlue. She is known for her strong Kansai accent in some of her roles.

Kana Nishino (西野 カナ, Nishino Kana?, born March 18, 1989) is a Japanese singer and songwriter signed with SME Records' Newcome Inc. She debuted on February 20, 2008, with the single "I". CNN said that she was the favorite singer of teenage girls in Shibuya, Tokyo, signalling Sony's jump on the bandwagon effect started by Avex.

Kamijo is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, and music producer. He is best known as lead singer of the visual kei bands Lareine and Versailles. He has also been the head of two independent record labels; the first being Applause Records (formed in 2000), and currently Sherow Artist Society since 2006. His music covers many genres, Lareine having mainly a pop rock style, and Versailles a clear symphonic metal and power metal sound. He has an extensive discography with the bands Lareine, New Sodmy and Versailles, consisting of 15 albums, and a large amount of EPs and singles. In 2013, Kamijo began a solo career for the first time, with his debut single "Louis ~Enketsu no La Vie en Rose~".

Ukyō Kamimura (神村右狂, Kamimura Ukyō?, February 1, 1972 – June 21, 1999), better known by his stage name Kami, was a Japanese musician best known as drummer for the visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. He died on June 21, 1999 in his sleep of a subarachnoid hemorrhage at the age of 27.

Kamen Joshi (仮面女子?), literally "Masked Girls", is a Japanese idol girl group. They are so called because each member of the group wears a mask that covers her face in official appearances. One of several idol groups managed by the company Alice Project, Kamen Joshi perform daily at the P.A.R.M.S theater in Akihabara.

Kamaitachi (かまいたち?) was a Japanese visual kei punk rock band, formed in Kyoto and active from 1985 to 1991. Their album Hachamecha Kyou reached number 10 on the Oricon chart and was named one of the top albums from 1989–1998 in a 2004 issue of the music magazine Band Yarouze.

Kalafina is a Japanese vocal group formed by the composer Yuki Kajiura in 2007, mainly to perform theme songs for the anime Kara no Kyōkai. The group first appeared in January 2008 with two original members from Yuki Kajiura's FictionJunction project, Wakana Ōtaki and Keiko Kubota, whose membership was not confirmed until the first Dream Port 2008 concert held on April 29, 2008. In May 2008, it was announced that two more vocalists, Maya and Hikaru, would be added to the project.

Mari Hiki (比企真理, Hiki Mari?, born March 15, 1968), better known by her stage name Kahimi Karie (カヒミ・カリィ, Kahimi Karii?), is a Japanese Shibuya-kei musician.

Kagrra, (神樂, Kagura?) was a Japanese visual kei rock band. They were originally signed to the now defunct Key Party Records under the name "Crow". The group changed its name when they signed to PS Company in 2000.

Kagerou (蜉蝣, Kagerō?) was a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in September 1999 by vocalist Daisuke and bassist Masaya, with guitarist Yuana joining shortly afterward. In 2000 Kagerou left their record label Loop Ash to sign with Lizard, a sub-label of Free-Will. After experiencing success within Japan, the band set their sights abroad and in 2005 they played in both Germany and France.

Kazuhito Iwaike (岩池 一仁, Iwaike Kazuhito?), known exclusively by his stage name K.A.Z, is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust, hide with Spread Beaver and Vamps.

Jyukai (樹海, Jukai?) is a pop and soft rock duo from Japan.

Jyongri (born August 30, 1988 in Osaka) is a Japanese pop singer of Korean ancestry currently signed with EMI Music Japan.

Osamu Kitajima(喜多嶋修), also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer and multi‑instrumentalist.

Jun (stylized as JUN, born in Kobe, Hyōgo) is a Japanese visual kei rock musician and singer-songwriter. He is currently the guitarist of GOTCHAROCKA. Previously he was in the bands Se'lavy, Mar'derayla and Phantasmagoria, Spiv States (stylized as SPIV STATES and previously as spiv states) and released solo material under the alias Attic (stylized as attic) and under his own name.

Juju (ジュジュ?) (stylized as JUJU) (born February 14, 1976) is a Japanese jazz singer. She is represented by Sony Music Associated Records Inc.

Judy and Mary (often stylized as JUDY AND MARY) was a Japanese multi-genre band formed in 1992 in Japan by bassist Yoshihito Onda and vocalist Yuki, with drummer Kohta Igarashi and guitarist Taiji Fujimoto completing the lineup in 1992. Guitarist Takuya replaced Taiji the following year. The band is known for their innovative punk, rock, and pop meldings of noisy but melodic music in the 1990s.

Juice=Juice, pronounced "Juice Juice", is a 5-member Japanese girl group, formed in 2013. It is positioned as a unit formed of trainee members of Hello! Project.

Jinn (ジン) is a 4-member Japanese rock band. They are part of SMEJ's Palm Beach record label.

Jindou was a Japanese punk rock band that played Wild Challenger, an opening for the surreal cult anime series Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo. They also provided the opening theme for the immensely popular Yu-Gi-Oh! GX; Kaisei - Joushou - Hallelujah.

A Japanesedrums and bass duo formed by Akira Jimbo and Tetsuo Sakurai in 1990, after they left the jazz/fusion band Casiopea. They released 10 albums and one "Best of" collection, and disbanded in 1998.

Jerome Charles White, Jr. (born September 4, 1981), better known by his stage name Jero (ジェロ?), is an American enka singer of African-American and Japanese descent. He is the first black enka singer in Japanese music history.

Jealkb (ジュアルケービー juarukeebii) is a Japanese visual kei rock band made up of seven members, all of them comedians including London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go's Atsushi Tamura.

Jazztronik is a Japanese music group by the Tokyo-based DJ/producer/pianist Ryota Nozaki, that does not have fixed members. Jazztronik has released two albums and two EPs since 1998 on label Flower Records. In 2001 Jazztronik also released the album "Inner Flight" on Counterpoint, a UK label.

Jasmine You (March 8, 1979 – August 9, 2009) was a Japanese musician, best known as original bassist of the symphonic metal band Versailles. In 1998 Jasmine You (then going by Yuu) entered the visual kei music scene after joining Jakura, who managed to become somewhat successful before disbanding in 2003. In 2006 he was invited by his long-time friend Hizaki to join his solo project. Soon after he also took part in the theatrical rock show Node of Scherzo, with Hizaki, Kamijo, Juka and Kaya. In 2007 he joined Versailles and stayed with them until his illness and death in 2009.

Janne Da Arc is a Japanese visual kei rock band from Hirakata, Osaka. Formed in 1996, they have been on an indefinite hiatus since 2007. The band's name is often seen shortened to either "Janne" (ジャンヌ?) or "JDA".

JAM Project ("JAM" standing for "Japan Animationsong Makers") is an anime music (or anison) supergroup based in Japan, originally founded on July 19, 2000 by famous 1970s theme song artist Ichirou Mizuki. The group is composed of many vocal artists well known in the industry; aside from the many anime, tokusatsu, and video game theme songs that this group has performed together, each member is famous for his or her own solo performances of Japanese theme songs.

Jun Onose (小野瀬 潤, Onose Jun?, born on August 12, 1970 in Hadano, Kanagawa), known exclusively by his stage name J, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as bassist and co-founder of the rock band Luna Sea. After the group disbanded in 2000 he focused on his solo career, for which he performs lead vocals and bass. He rejoined Luna Sea when they reunited in August 2010.

Joe Inoue (井上ジョー, Inoue Jō?, born August 30, 1985) is an American rock musician signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Ki/oon Records label. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, to two Japanese immigrants. It was not until middle school that he became interested in music and that eventually led him to start his musical career in 2007. He was accepted to UCLA and UC Berkeley but had chosen music. Inoue performs every instrument on his recordings in addition to writing and composing the pieces on his own. Although he was born and raised in the United States, his first language is Japanese. He spoke Japanese at home and later learned English when he entered public school. He claims to have learned Japanese by reading manga and watching anime.

Izabel Varosa is a Japanese visual kei rock band. They were formed by KAZUI (g) and Chihiro (g) in 2004 and were picked up in 2005 by Applause Records, an indies label run by Lareine's vocalist, Kamijo. To date, Izabel Varosa have released one single, three maxi-singles and two mini-albums. In August 2006, Hikaru (vo), Chihiro (g), and Emi (ba) left the band due to musical differences, which resulted in the release of the band's first full-length album being cancelled. Despite there only being one remaining member, the Izabel Varosa has yet to make any sort of official disbandment announcement.

Often known simply as Tomita, was a Japanese music composer, regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music

A Japanese voice actor, actor, and vocalist. He has had voice roles in anime such as Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Space Battleship Yamato, and Gatchaman.

IOSYS (イオシス, ioshisu?) is a Japanese musical ensemble and dōjin circle from Sapporo, Japan. The group is primarily known for producing remixes of music from the Touhou Project series of dōjin games. They are not signed to a label, instead preferring to release their music through dōjin channels such as the Comiket convention and via their website. Their music frequently parodies characters or themes of games such as those of Touhou Project or Atlus's Etrian Odyssey. Many of the current members reside in the Hokkaidō or Kantō areas of Japan.

Inugami Circus-dan (犬神サーカス団?) are a Japanese rock band. The band's name literally translates to The Dog-God Circus Troupe. Their visual element consists of the female singer wearing a kimono, and the rest of the band wearing military-style uniforms. They also wear Gothic and Kabuki style make-up.

Kiyonobu Inoue (井上 清信, Inoue Kiyonobu?, born on September 29, 1970 in Hadano, Kanagawa), known exclusively by his stage name Inoran, is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist and a co-founder of the rock band Luna Sea. He started his solo career in 1997 and when Luna Sea disbanded in 2000, he formed Fake? with Oblivion Dust vocalist Ken Lloyd a year later. Then in 2005 when leaving Fake? he founded Tourbillon with Luna Sea vocalist Ryuichi Kawamura and Hiroaki Hayama. He has recently rejoined Luna Sea as they reunited in 2010, and in 2012 formed Muddy Apes with bassist Taka Hirose and support guitarist Dean Tidey, both from Feeder, and 8otto's vocalist Maeson.

Incapacitants (インキャパシタンツ, Inkyapashitantsu?) are a Japanese noise music group formed in 1981. It consists of Toshiji Mikawa and Fumio Kosakai, whose stated aim is to produce "pure" noise, uninfluenced by musical ideas or even human intention, using primarily feedback, vocals, and various electronics. Kosakai calls this sound "hard noise", as a nod to hard bop.

Ikuo (written: 郁夫, 育夫, 征夫 or 幾雄) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:

Ikimono-gakari (いきものがかり, also "Ikimonogakari"?) is a Japanese pop rock band from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The group started in February 1999 with Hotaka Yamashita and Yoshiki Mizuno, and was joined by vocalist Kiyoe Yoshioka in November of the same year. The group's name is a reference to ikimono-gakari (生き物係?), a group of children who are responsible for looking after plants and animals in Japanese elementary schools.

Idoling!!! (アイドリング!!!, Aidoringu!!!?) was a Japanese TV show with attached female idol group created by Fuji TV. The concept of the group is to watch as the girls grow as idols and experience various things. The group currently has twenty four active members from various talent agencies. Idoling's main source of exposure is their TV show, which airs several new episodes every week on FUJI TV ONE, now more than 1000 episodes broadcast since October 30, 2006. In addition to their show, they release albums, singles and DVD specials in addition to giving live performances and concerts.

Toshio Hayakawa (早川 俊夫, Hayakawa Toshio?, born January 7, 1948 in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan), better known by his stage name Ichirou Mizuki (水木 一郎, Mizuki Ichirō?), is a Japanese vocalist, lyrist, composer, voice actor and actor best known for his work on theme songs for anime and tokusatsu. For over 40 years, he has recorded over 1200 songs for Japanese film, television, video and video games. He is referred to by fans and fellow performers alike as the Aniki (アニキ, "big brother"?) of the anison, or anime music genre. He has produced the singing duo Apple Pie since 1990 and created the supergroup JAM Project in 2000.

They officially assembled on June 5, 1996, when a press conference was held in Tokyo to announce the two musicians who would accompany Daisuke Asakura in his next musical venture after the breakup of Access.

Hideto Takarai (寶井 秀人, Takarai Hideto?, born January 29, 1969 in Wakayama, Japan), known exclusively by his stage name Hyde, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known as vocalist for the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel, as well as for Vamps. While in L'Arc-en-Ciel his name is stylized as hyde, whereas in his solo work and Vamps it is stylized as HYDE.

HY /ˌeɪtʃ ˈwaɪ/ is a Japanese rock band formed in 2000 by five high school friends from Okinawa. Their name comes from the initials of their hometown, Higashi Yakena. The band's popularity rose rapidly after a series of street performances; their debut album, Departure, released on 22 September 2001 (Okinawa-only), sold out immediately. In 2003, the band conducted a joint live performance with Linkin Park.

Husking Bee are a Japanese powerpop/punk band formed in 1994.

Home Made Kazoku is a trio, consisting of members Micro, Kuro, and DJ U-Ichi. The band was originally formed in 1996 under a different name.

HKT48 (read "H.K.T. Forty-eight") is an all-female Japanese theater/idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. The group performs at HKT48 Theater at Hawks Town in Fukuoka.

Hizaki (stylized as HIZAKI) is a Japanese visual kei musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as guitarist for the symphonic metal band Versailles. Before forming Versailles he was in several independent bands and had a solo career, and when they disbanded he and most of the other members formed Jupiter.

Hisashi Imai (今井 寿, Imai Hisashi?, born October 21, 1965 in Fujioka, Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He has also performed in musical side-projects such as Schaft (1991–1994), Schwein (2001), and more recently Lucy (2004).

Hiroshi Kitadani (きただに ひろし, Kitadani Hiroshi?, Kanji 北谷 洋, born August 24, 1968) is a Japanese anison vocalist, who primarily performs theme songs and other songs in anime. He also works behind the scenes of many songs. He currently works with JAM Project. He is most famous for singing the first and fifteenth opening themes of the popular anime series One Piece.

Hironobu Kageyama (影山 ヒロノブ, Kageyama Hironobu?, real name written 景山 浩宣, born February 18, 1961) is a Japanese musical artist prominent in the soundtracks for anime, video game, and tokusatsu productions. He is sometimes called Kami (Kei) by his fans. Kageyama got his big break at age 16, as lead singer of the rock group Lazy. By the early '80s, the band split and Kageyama went solo. He found major success once he started to sing the theme songs of anime and tokusatsu shows. Becoming immensely popular soon after, Kageyama went on to be dubbed the "Prince of Anime/Tokusatsu Songs" and is a main fixture for shows to this day. He also got the nickname "Mr. DBZ" by fans of Dragon Ball Z as he did the most songs for that anime. He is an original member and the current leader of the popular vocal group JAM Project. Also, along with Masaaki Endoh, he hosts Anipara Ongakukan, a TV show aired on the Kids Station Channel that shows live performances of the theme songs of recent anime and tokusatsu shows.

A Japanese pop singer. Her mother is Japanese and her father is Taiwanese. She can speak three languages: Japanese, English, and Mandarin.

Hitomi Yaida (矢井田 瞳, Yaida Hitomi?, born July 28, 1978 in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a Japanese pop/folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. She often goes by the nickname Yaiko. Her musical style is often called "heart rock" by her fans. Yaida is an established musical artist in Japan and has also had minor club hits in the United Kingdom. She graduated from Kansai University with a degree in French language and French Literature.

A Japanese pop rock singer from Shiogama, Miyagi. With her first single "Bokutachi no Yukue" released in 2005, she became the third artist in to top the Oricon charts with a debut single.

At the age of seventeen, while still in high school, Shimatani attended "The Japan Audition 1997", where she was chosen as the winner out of around 200,000 people and got a recording contract with the Avex label.

Hinoi Team (Hinoi チーム, Hinoi Chīmu?) was a Japanese female pop group formed around Asuka Hinoi with supporting members Keika Matsuoka, Hikaru Koyama, and Rina Takenaka. Most of their releases are covers of Eurobeat songs.

秘密結社コドモA (himitsu kessha CODOMO A) was a visual kei rock band founded in 2004 by vocalist Eiji (エイジ) and drummer Dai (ダイ) (both previously in マカロニ).

Hikashu (ヒカシュー) are a renowned Japanese underground "avant-pop" music ensemble led by pseudo-Kabuki vocalist, Makigami Koichi, known for their highly experimental music. They are often referred to by their alternative English moniker, Hikasu. The group's most recent album, Uragoe, was released in April 2012.

A Japanese American singer and songwriter. After releasing the commercially unsuccessful English-language album Precious under the stage name "Cubic U" in 1998

Hikaru Kotobuki (ことぶき 光, Kotobuki Hikaru?, born 1964) is a Japanese musician who worked with artists like Susumu Hirasawa (P-Model), and Jun Togawa.

Hijōkaidan (非常階段?, emergency staircase) is a Japanese noise and free improvisation group with a revolving lineup that has ranged from two members to as many as fourteen in its early days. The group is the project of guitarist Jojo Hiroshige (JOJO広重?), its one constant member, who is head and owner of the Osaka-based Alchemy Records. Other regulars include Jojo's wife Junko and Toshiji Mikawa (also of Incapacitants).

High and Mighty Color (stylized as HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR) was a Japanese rock band active from 2003 to 2010. They notably had two vocalists; a male and a female.

Hideki Saijō (西城 秀樹, Saijō Hideki?, originally Tatsuo Kimoto (木本 龍雄, Kimoto Tatsuo?), born April 13, 1955 in Hiroshima) is a Japanese singer and television celebrity most famous for singing the Japanese version of the Village People's hit song "Y.M.C.A.", called "Young Man". Although the original version was camp, Saijō's version was intended to seriously inspire "young men".

Hidehiko Hoshino (星野 英彦, Hoshino Hidehiko?, born June 16, 1966 in Fujioka, Gunma), nicknamed "Hide", is a Japanese musician and songwriter. Known as the rhythm guitarist for the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983.

Hideto Matsumoto (松本 秀人, Matsumoto Hideto?, December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998), better known by his stage name hide, was a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. He is primarily known for his work as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan, but was also a successful solo artist and co-founder of the United States-based band Zilch.

Hidari (ヒダリ) is a rock band from Kobe, Japan, known for its combination of modern rock and retro electronic sounds.

Hibari Misora (美空 ひばり, Misora Hibari?, May 29, 1937 – June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer, actress and cultural icon. She received a Medal of Honor for her contributions to music and for improving the welfare of the public, and was the first woman to receive the People's Honour Award which was conferred posthumously for giving the public hope and encouragement after World War II.

Hi-Standard was a Japanese hardcore punk band who formed in 1991. The release Making the Road sparked sold-out Japan shows and US/European tours with punk bands such as NOFX, No Use for a Name and Wizo. Although members of Hi-Standard were Japanese born, all of the band's major releases were sung in English. Live footage of the band shows them talking to the crowd in their native Japanese and then immediately changing to English for the songs.

Hey! Say! 7 Ryosuke Yamada Yuto Nakajima Yuri Chinen Keito Okamoto

Heidi. (stylized as heidi.) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in Tokyo in February 2006. They gained popularity after performing at the hide memorial summit on May 4, 2008 to tens of thousands of people. Their third album was released in Europe by Gan-Shin records in 2009 and the following year Heidi. signed to major label Geneon Universal Entertainment.

Hiroshi Morie (森江 博, Morie Hiroshi?, born January 22, 1968 in Amagasaki, Japan), known exclusively by his stage name Heath, is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the bass player of the popular heavy metal band X Japan. He joined the group in 1992, replacing Taiji Sawada on bass, and stayed with them until their dissolution in 1997 and reunited with the band from 2007 onward.

Hearts Grow was a Japanese band from Motobu, Okinawa. Their first single Grow!! was released independently (in limited quantities) on 19 April 2006. Hearts Grow made their major label debut on 18 October 2006, with the release of their first single Road. Their second single Yura Yura (ユラユラ?) was released in Japan on 6 December 2006. They are known for performing the ninth opening of Naruto, the fourth ending of Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z, the fourth opening for Gintama and the first opening of Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode.

Heartsdales was a Japanese hip hop group composed of sisters Yumi Sugiyama (杉山ユミ, Sugiyama Yumi?) and Emi Sugiyama (杉山エミ, Sugiyama Emi?), known by their stage names Rum and Jewels, respectively.

Head Phones President (stylized as HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT) is a Japanese metal band, formed in Tokyo in 1999. Their sound is a mixture between experimental metal, alternative metal, progressive metal, nu metal and hard rock.

Happy End (Japanese: はっぴいえんど, Hepburn: Happī Endo?) was a Japanese folk rock band, which existed from 1969 to 1972. The band's pioneering avant-garde sound is highly revered and they are considered to be among the most influential artists in Japanese music. They are credited as the first rock act to sing in the Japanese-language and have been called the "Japanese Beatles". They were ranked by HMV Japan in 2003 as number 4 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan named Kazemachi Roman the greatest Japanese rock album of all time.

Hangry & Angry-f (stylized as HANGRY & ANGRY-f, previously known as hANGRY & ANGRY) is a Japanese female pop and rock duo created in 2008, consisting of former Morning Musume members Hitomi Yoshizawa ("Hangry") and Rika Ishikawa ("Angry").

Hanatarashi (ハナタラシ), meaning "sniveler" or "snot-nosed" in Japanese, was a noise band created by later Boredoms frontman Yamantaka Eye and featured Zeni Geva guitarist Mitsuru Tabata. The outfit was formed in Osaka, Japan in 1984 after Eye and Tabata met as stage hands at an Einstürzende Neubauten show. After the release of the first album, the "I" was dropped and the name became Hanatarash.

Hanako Oku (奥 華子, Oku Hanako?, born March 20, 1978 in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan) is a pop singer famous in her native Japan for her piano ballads. She rose to fame after performing the end-title track for the Madhouse film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in 2006. She was signed to a major record label the preceding year.

Halcali (ハルカリ, Harukari?, stylized as HALCALI), is a Japanese pop and new-school inspired hip-hop duo consisting of members Halca (born April 21, 1988) and Yucali (born July 18, 1987) from Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. Its name is a portmanteau of Halca ( ハルカ, Haruka?) and Yucali ( ユカリ, Yukari?). Their debut album, Halcali Bacon, reached #5 on the Oricon charts, making it the first album by a female hip-hop artist to enter the top ten in Japanese history.

Guniw Tools (グニュウ・ツール, Gunyuu Tuuru?) were a Japanese visual kei rock band. The band's theme was "Integrated Art Direction featuring visual images that come forth from sound." The band's name "Guniw Tools" was created from the Japanese phrase for "flimsy tool".

A Japanese garage rock power trio founded in Nagasaki in 1987. The band is known for songs with piercing vocals and an extremely loud style of noise-influenced punk which emphasizes heavy distortion and feedback.

Guitar Vader (ギターベイダー?) was a Japanese underground indie rock band. Formed in 1998, the band is best known for their contributions to the soundtracks of Sega's Jet Set Radio and Jet Set Radio Future games.

A Japanese noise/improvisation band during the 1990s led by the guitarist and "turntablist" Otomo Yoshihide that had a large and rotating group of performers with two other regular performers.

Grief of War is a death / thrash metal band that was formed in Tokyo, Japan in 2002. The band grew in popularity after they released their demo material, a self-titled collection, in Japan. In 2004, after playing on stages and garnering a healthy response, the band signed to local label Yggr Drasill. In May 2005, the band released their debut album, A Mounting Crisis...As Their Fury Got Released. The band signed an international deal with Prosthetic Records, which re-released the album on February 19, 2008.

Greenmachine (グリーンマシーン, Gurīnmashīn?) was a Japanese stoner/doom metal band founded in 1995.

Greeeen (stylized as GReeeeN) is a Japanese pop rock/hip hop/breakbeat vocal group from Kōriyama city in Fukushima Prefecture, comprising the all-male four members Hide, Navi, Kuni (written as "92"), and Soh. They made their debut with Universal Music in 2007. Their logo image is of a mouthful of teeth, and the four Es indicate the number of members. The sound production is handled by Hide's older brother JIN, a former guitarist of Pay money To my Pain. According to their website at Universal Music Japan, their catch phrase is "Rock 'n' Breakbeats with Four Microphones".

Lantis (2005-2009, 2012-)

GPKism (typeset as GPKISM) is a gothic/industrial music group formed in 2007. It was originally the solo project of GPK (Gothique Prince Ken), while Kiwamu (of Blood) joined later that year. Both GPK and Kiwamu compose music for this project. They have been featured in several publications including Cure Magazine and they have toured Australia, Japan, the United States, Europe and Central America.

Yasutoshi Yoshida (吉田恭淑, Yoshida Yasutoshi?), better known by his stage name Government Alpha, is a Japanese noise musician.

Gore Beyond Necropsy (GBN) was the name of a musical group formed in 1989 in Hadano city, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. The group have had a prolific output of releases. They play a hybrid style of chaotic grindcore/noisegrind which they refer to as "Analdrillinggrind Harshit Core!!".

Gollbetty (ゴルベティー?) are a seven-piece Japanese ska band with strong pop and punk influences.

Golden Bomber (ゴールデンボンバー, Gōruden Bonbā?, abbreviated as Kinbaku (金爆), Bomber (ボンバー) or GB) is a Japanese visual kei "air" rock band formed in 2004 and signed to the independent label Euclid Agency (sublabel Zany Zap). Despite not actually performing the music themselves, they have gained popularity through their theatrical "live shows".

Going Under Ground (ゴーイング・アンダー・グラウンド?) is a Japanese alternative rock band, formed in Okegawa, Saitama, 1991. Sometimes referred to as just "Going", they got their name from the British hit single, Going Underground by The Jam.

Hiromi Go (郷 ひろみ, Gō Hiromi?, born October 18, 1955 in Sue, Kasuya, Fukuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese singer, part of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. His real name is Hiromi Haratake (原武 裕美, Haratake Hiromi?).

GO!GO!7188 (Go Go Nana Ichi Hachi Hachi), also known simply as Gogo, was a Japanese rock band with influences spanning from surf rock to punk rock to enka. The meaning of the band's name is known only to its members.

A dance-oriented Japanese pop band, formed in 1995 by producer and songwriter Tetsuya Komuro. Originally consisting of Komuro, Keiko Yamada and Marc Panther, the group's singles consistently hit the charts.

Glay is a Japanese rock band, formed in Hakodate in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, including punk, electronic, R&B, folk, reggae, gospel, and ska. Originally a visual kei band, the group slowly shifted to less dramatic attire through the years. As of 2008, Glay had sold an estimated 51 million records; 28 million singles and 23 million albums, making them one of the top ten best-selling artists of all time in Japan.

G.I.S.M. (ギズム, Gizumu?) was a Japanese hardcore punk band formed in Tokyo in 1981. Even though the guitar style resembled heavy metal in many aspects, GISM was one of the first Japanese hardcore bands, while at the same time drawing influence from the early industrial/avant-garde music scene—something uncommon in punk bands at that time.

Girl Next Door was a Japanese pop musical trio that debuted in 2008 on the Avex Trax label. The band consists of vocalist Chisa, guitarist Yuji Inoue and Daisuke Suzuki on keyboard. On September 3, the group's fifth anniversary, the band formally announced plans to dissolve Girl Next Door within the year. Their final performance as a group was held at SHIBUYA-AX on December 8, 2013.

Girugamesh (ギルガメッシュ, Girugamesshu?) is a Japanese visual kei metal band, formed in 2003. The name is sometimes stylized with a metal umlaut as girugämesh and is derived from the Final Fantasy character.

Ghost (often stylized as GHOST) was a visual kei rock band from Japan. They started activity in 2004, and changed lineup several times.

Ghost was an experimental rock group formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 1984.

Coordinates: 31°46′46″N 35°14′25″E / 31.779402°N 35.240197°E / 31.779402; 35.240197

Genkaku Allergy (幻覚アレルギ－) was a Japanese visual kei rock band started by ex-Kamaitachi members Sceana and Kazzy, in 1992. Its sound mixes elements from punk, hardcore, metal, noise and industrial. They signed with Victor Entertainment in 1994. Genkaku Allergy disbanded in 1997, but in 2006 vocalist Sceana regrouped the band for one last show.

Geinoh Yamashirogumi (Japanese: 芸能山城組, Geinō Yamashirogumi) is a Japanese musical collective founded on January 19, 1974 by Tsutomu Ōhashi, consisting of hundreds of people from all walks of life: journalists, doctors, engineers, students, businessmen, etc.

Gedō (外道), also romanized simply as Gedo or Gedou, is a Japanese rock band. They were formed in 1973. The band split a first time in 1976, and then reformed and splitted again several times. Their first self-titled album is highly acclaimed in their home country, having been featured on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest Japanese albums (N°24) and Julian Cope's Japrocksampler, among other lists.

Gauze is a hardcore–punk band from Japan. Since their formation in 1981, Gauze has been a major influence in both the Japanese hardcore scene, and the underground hardcore scene around the world.

Gastunk (stylized as GASTUNK) is an influential Japanese rock band, first active from 1983 to 1988. They reunited in 1999 and 2006 for reunion concerts, but officially restarted activities in 2010.

Garo was a '70s threepiece acoustic Japanese Rock group. The band was composed of Mark Horiuchi (1949-2014), Tommy Hidaka (1950-1986) and Masumi "Vocal" Ohno (b. 1949). They recorded with Columbia and had a few chart hits, including no. 1 "Gakuseigai-no-Kissaten" in 1973. Subsequent singles also reached the top of the Japanese Oricon chart.

Garnet Crow (stylized as GARNET CROW) was a Japanese pop/rock band formed in 1999 and associated with the Giza Studio record label. Members include Yuri Nakamura, Hitoshi Okamoto, Nana Azuki, and Hirohito Furui, with Nakamura leading on vocals. Music produced by Garnet Crow has its roots in the Neo Acoustic genre, and representative works include "Flying", "Yume Mita Ato De", and "Spiral". Despite prolific early singles, the band neither performed live nor appeared on TV prior to 2002.

Garlicboys is a punk band from Osaka, Japan. The current lineup is Peta (Lead vocals), Larry(Guitar, Vocals), Pessin (Bass Guitar, Vocals), and Ryo (drums, Vocals). They are currently known in Japan's "trendy" underground music scene as the "godfathers of new school Japanese hardcore".

Gari is a Japanese electro rock band, formed in 1997 in Tokyo. The band debuted on the independent label Deadstocksandwich Records in 1999. In 2005, the band moved to Victor Entertainment. In France, Gari performed concerts at the Japan Expo anime convention in 2007 and 2009.

Galneryus is a Japanese power metal band, formed in Osaka in 2001 by guitarist Syu and vocalist Yama-B. Originally the only official members, the two utilized several support musicians until bassist Tsui, keyboardist Yuhki, and drummer Jun-ichi officially joined for the release of their debut album in 2003. Yama-B left the group in 2008 citing musical differences, and Yu-To, who replaced Tsui in 2006, left the following year. Galneryus recruited Sho on vocals and Taka on bass, and released the album Resurrection in 2010. The band's highest charting studio album is their eighth, Angel of Salvation, which was released in 2012 and reached number 17.

Gallhammer is a Japanese extreme metal group that draws on black metal, doom metal, and crust punk. They formed in Tokyo in 2003, and have released three studios albums.

A Japanese rock band from Wakkanai, Hokkaido, Japan signed to SME Records. In 2012, members Fumito Iwai and Noguchi Kazumasa left Galileo Galilei, and later formed the group Folks in 2013.

GaGaGa SP (Japanese: ガガガSP, also referred to as GAGAGA or TaTaTa) are a Japanese punk band from Kobe, Japan.

Gackt Camui (神威 楽斗, Kamui Gakuto?, born July 4, 1973), better known by his stage name Gackt, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He has been active since 1993, first as the frontman of the short-lived independent band Cains:Feel, then for the now defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer, before starting his solo career in 1999. He has released nine studio albums and, with forty-six singles released, holds the male soloist record for most top ten consecutive singles in Japan music history. His single "Returner (Yami no Shūen)", released on June 20, 2007, was his first single to reach the number one spot on the Oricon charts. He became the first Japanese artist to release his music catalog on iTunes in October 2007.

Gacharic Spin is an all-female Japanese rock band. They have performed at Anime Matsuri, at Japan Expo in France, in South Korea and also performed at Tekko in 2014. In 2015, they played at the J-Pop Summit in San Francisco.

A fuzzy control system is a control system based on fuzzy logic—a mathematical system that analyzes analog input values in terms of logical variables that take on continuous values between 0 and 1, in contrast to classical or digital logic, which operates on discrete values of either 1 or 0 (true or false, respectively)..

Fushitsusha (不失者) is a Japanese rock band specialising in the experimental and psychedelic rock genres. The band consists of electric guitarist and singer Keiji Haino, and a shifting cast of complementary musicians. The group released the majority of its material in the 1990s.

Funky Monkey Babys (ファンキー・モンキー・ベイビーズ?) is a Japanese band formed in 2004 under the record company Dreamusic Incorporated.

FUNKIST is a Japanese rock band formed in 2001 under the POWERPLAY label.

Masaharu Fukuyama (福山雅治, Fukuyama Masaharu?, born February 6, 1969) is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor from Nagasaki. He is represented by the agency Amuse, Inc.. He debuted in 1990 with the single "Tsuioku no Ame no Naka".

Fujifabric (フジファブリック, Fujifaburikku?) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2000. While their music can be mostly categorized as alternative rock or power pop, their music usually consists of an eclectic mix of genres, including jazz, disco and progressive rock.

Friction (フリクション furikushon) is an influential rock band from Japan, formed in 1978. They originally began in 1971 under the name Circle Triangle Square, and are considered to be one of the pioneers of Japan's alternative rock scene. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan rated their debut album Atsureki at #21 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".

French Kiss (フレンチ・キス, Furenchi Kisu?) was a sub-unit of all-female Japanese pop group AKB48, produced by Yasushi Akimoto.

Freenote is a Japanese Rock band currently consisting of three members: Chikako Hata (Vocals, Piano/Keyboard, Guitar), Masaya Sakamoto (Guitar), and Shingo Ōta(Drums). Formed in Kansai University in 2002, the group's first mini album was published on an indy label on December 3, 2003.

Flumpool (stylized as flumpool) is a four-man Japanese pop-rock band. The band, originally from Osaka Prefecture, was formed in January 2007. The band's name is derived from the English word "four", since there are four members, they took the first letter "F", along with the word meaning mass, "lump" and the word "pool".

Flower Travellin' Band (フラワー・トラベリン・バンド, Furawā Toraberin Bando?) were a rock band from Japan that was formed in 1968. In Japan they often go by the moniker FTB.

Flow is a Japanese rock band, that formed in 1998 and signed on to Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records label. Flow is a five-piece band made up of two vocalists, a drummer, a bassist, and a guitarist. As of March 2015, the band has released 29 singles and 9 studio albums. Their songs have been used in the opening sequences of several anime series.

Flipper's Guitar were a Tokyo-based rock band led by (and later a duo of) Keigo Oyamada and Kenji Ozawa. The band were influenced by the chirpy sound of British 80s pop groups like Haircut One Hundred, Exhibit B, The Style Council and Aztec Camera, as well as the fashionably eclectic sounds of early 90s Britain, from alternative dance to acid jazz. The sonic experimentation of Brian Wilson was also evident in some tracks.

Flame was a Japanese boy band. Their sound was originally pop with a hip-hop influence until late 2003, when they attempted a more urban sound. Their last single, "Hanashitaku wa Nai", is a mix of rock and pop, and is representative of the new musical direction. On March 1, 2010, the band officially disbanded. This band should not be confused with the American rock band of the same name who released an album "Queen Of The Neighbourhood" (RCA PL12160) in 1977. In 2013, all former members, including Kyohei Kaneko, reunited to form a new group, Emalf.

Fishmans (フィッシュマンズ) was a Japanese dub music band formed in 1987, and are known for their unique sound and the distinctive vocals of lead singer Shinji Sato.

Fire Bomber is a fictional rock band from the anime series Macross 7 (and related projects such as Macross 7 Trash, Macross 7 Encore, and Macross Dynamite 7). In real life, Fire Bomber's music was performed by Yoshiki Fukuyama (as the singing voice and guitar of Basara), Chie Kajiura (as the singing voice of Mylene), and occasionally by Tomo Sakurai (the acting voice of Mylene).

Filament is a musical group from Japan that consists of Otomo Yoshihide and Sachiko M, two of the major exponents of the electroacoustic improvisation style of music.

(the) Field of View (フィールド・オブ・ビュー Fīrudo obu Byū) was a popular Japanese rock band formed in 1994 by vocalist U-ya Asaoka, guitarist Takashi Oda, keyboardist Jun Abe and drummer Takuto Kohashi, with Jun Abe leaving and Kenji Niitsu joining the following year. The group's tenure lasted until their break up in December 2002.

FictionJunction is a singing group that solely performs songs written by Japanese composer Yuki Kajiura. The term "FictionJunction" alone refers to this group; solo works between Kajiura and a vocalist are referenced by adding the singer's name after "FictionJunction". Although both perform under the FJ title and are collaborations with Kajiura, they are separate projects.

Tomoyuki Tanaka (田中知之, Tanaka Tomoyuki?) is an electronic music artist/DJ, better known by his stage name Fantastic Plastic Machine. Tanaka is considered to be part of the Shibuya-kei movement, drawing heavily from bossa nova, lounge music, soft rock, and French pop, but he also incorporates many other types of music. Tanaka was born in Kyoto, Japan.

Fake? is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 2001 by Ken Lloyd and Inoran. Their music has been described as alternative mixed with electronic sounds. Their sound has also been called "Mixture Rock" as well as an "alternative punk rock mix." Lyrics are mainly in English and sometimes in Japanese.

Fade was a Japanese-American rock band formed in 1991. To date, Fade has released 5 mini-albums, 3 full-length studio albums, and 2 singles. Fade is currently signed with record label Universal Music Japan. On April 9, 2014, fade announced an indefinite hiatus, in effect after the completion of their June tour.

Fact was a Japanese rock band, formed in December 1999 in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Ezo (イーズィーオー, Iiziiō?) was a Japanese heavy metal band originally formed as Flatbacker in the spring of 1982 in Sapporo, Japan out of the remnants of two high school bands, Power-Station and Scrap. Ezo has been named a "seminal influence by such artists as Steve McDonald of Redd Kross and Michael Steele of The Bangles."

eX-Girl is a Japanese female noise rock trio.

Exist Trace (イグズィストトレイス?, stylized as exist†trace) is a Japanese visual kei metal band, consisting entirely of female members. The members originate from Tokyo, and initially formed in June 2003. The founding members are Jyou, Naoto and Mally, who then advertised for guitarists, meeting miko and Omi.

Exile is a 19-member Japanese boy band. The leader of the group is Hiro, who debuted as a member of Zoo under For Life Music, but Exile has released their singles and albums under Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone. Hiro and Avex's president Max Matsuura came from the same high school.

Every Little Thing (also known as ELT) is a pop/soft rock duo from Japan who debuted in August 1996 with the release of their first single called "Feel My Heart". Their name is usually written in English, and only rarely in katakana. They gained massive popularity in the late 90's and early 00's. As of 2013, Every Little Thing has sold over 23 million copies of singles and albums throughout Japan. Their second studio album, Time to Destination, is the best-selling album of the band with over 3.5 million copies sold, and became the 10th best-selling album of all time in Japan.

Eve of Destiny is a Japanese industrial rock band founded in 1999 by Haruhiko Ash (formerly of punk rock / hard rock band The Zolge). For a long time, Eve of Destiny was a solo project of Ash, with not much real activity, but this changed in 2002, after guitarist Közi of Malice Mizer fame joined and they started to tour outside Japan on a regular basis. The group has performed in Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, The Philippines, Slovakia, The Netherlands, Japan, France, Austria, Australia, Sweden, and Poland.

Eternal Elysium (エターナル・エリシウム, Etānaru Erishiumu?) are a Japanese stoner/doom metal band founded in 1991.

Envy is a Japanese screamo band formed in Tokyo in 1992. They are signed to Rock Action Records in Europe and Temporary Residence Limited in North America, though originally they worked with Level Plane Records. Initially influential in the post-hardcore and screamo scenes, Envy has grown to include elements of post-rock in their work as well.

El Dorado was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in January 1999 with members Kaede, Shunsuke, Shoki, Yuu and Ruli.

Ellegarden (stylized as ELLEGARDEN) was a Japanese punk rock band formed in December 1998 in Chiba. Ellegarden consisted of drummer Hirotaka Takahashi, vocalist/guitarist Takeshi Hosomi, guitarist Shinichi Ubukata, and bassist Yuichi Takada. In 2008, Ellegarden announced their indefinite hiatus.

Eikichi Yazawa (矢沢 永吉, Yazawa Eikichi?, born September 14, 1949 in Hiroshima) is an influential Japanese singer-songwriter, and important figure in Japanese popular music.

Aoi began her singing career in a band she formed in high school. She performed publicly and released her debut single, "Memoria", on October 19, 2011, which was used as the first ending theme song to the 2011 anime series Fate/Zero.

Edge of Spirit is a Japanese hardcore band formed in Kobe, Hyogo and based in Tokyo. Edge of Spirit has released four studio albums and four split albums. The band is widely known for pioneering its musical style called metalcore / metallic hardcore. Since 2010, Sho has hosted online hardcore TV shows titled Darkside UST on Ustream in order to support hardcore community by featuring footage from local shows and interviews.

Eastern Youth is a Japanese punk rock trio formed in 1989 in Hokkaidō. Their sound blends many different styles, and is especially complex for a three-piece band. Their lyrics express the helplessness of Japanese youths. Their influences include Fugazi, Jawbreaker, Stiff Little Fingers and Discharge.

Earthshaker (アースシェイカー, a-susheikā?) is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed in 1978 in Osaka. Their earlier music was very similar in style to countrymen Loudness and Anthem, but the band steered toward a poppier sound on later albums and dropped from worldwide view, preferring to record and tour in their home country. After a successful run, they broke up in 1994, but returned five years later and are still going strong today.

DuelJewel (デュエルジュエル?) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in January 1997.

Dué le quartz (デュールクォーツ, Dyūru Kuōtsu?) was a Japanese visual kei rock band that formed in December 1998 and signed to PS Company, a sub-division of Free-Will. The band opened a fanclub on August 1, 2000 known as "Baby Merry". After releasing a few albums, several singles and a greatest hits compilation, the group disbanded in 2002. Vocalist Sakito and bassist Kikasa later reunited to form the band Figure: (typeset as 【FIGURe:】) (with drummer Kazuki occasionally providing session work) and guitarist Miyabi changed his name to "Miyavi" and started a solo career.

Dreams Come True (ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー, Dorīmuzu Kamu Turū?) is a Japanese pop band formed in 1988, originally consisting of Miwa Yoshida (lead vocals), Masato Nakamura (bass), and Takahiro Nishikawa (keyboards). The band has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

Dream is a Japanese pop girl group signed to the Avex Trax label since 2000 and Rhythm Zone since 2009. The group was formed as a result of a 1999 talent contest called "Avex Dream 2000". Originally a three-piece group consisting of Mai Matsumuro, Kana Tachibana, and Yu Hasebe, the group has undergone many changes since its debut in 2000 on the Avex Trax label, and none of the original trio remain. The original trio sold over 950,700 records, and in total the group has sold over 1,100,000 records over the span of 10 years.

Dragon Head (Japanese: ドラゴンヘッド, Hepburn: Doragon Heddo?) is a post-apocalyptic disaster manga by Minetaro Mochizuki. It was published by Kodansha in Young Magazine from 1995 and 2000 and collected in ten tankōbon volumes. It is licensed in English by Tokyopop, with Volume 10 released 2008-04-01. In 1997, the manga won the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga.

A Japanese rap rock group founded in 1996 by Kenji "KJ" Furuya and Sakurai Makoto. They were one of the first groups to popularize hip hop in Japan.

Double Dealer (ダブル・ディーラー, daburu dhīrā?) was a Japanese hard rock/power metal band formed by Takenori Shimoyama (Sixride, ex-Saber Tiger) and Norifumi Shima (Concerto Moon) in 2000. They toured France in the same year as an opening act of Symphony X. Their activity was suspended intermittently, and indefinitely stopped in July 2007.

Double (stylized as DOUBLE) is the stage name for Japanese R&B singer Takako Hirasawa (平澤貴子, Hirasawa Takako?) (born March 14, 1975). Double used to be the name for the two member R&B group consisting of Takako and her sister Sachiko. After the death of her sister in May 1999, Takako started her solo career adopting Double as her stage name. Double has been titled as the "Queen of R&B" and is considered to be a pioneer for being the first artist to bring American-style R&B to Japan.

A Japanese musician, composer, record producer, writer, and steelpan player based in Tokyo. In Japan during the 1980s and 1990s, he pioneered various music genres, including hip hop, dub, acid jazz, exotica, and electronic music.

Doom is a Japanese thrash metal band by former Zadkiel members Koh and Jouichi. Formed in Tokyo in 1985, the first line up included Takashi "Taka" Fujita (vocals/guitar), Koh "Pirarucu" Morota (fretless bass) and Jouichi "Joe" Hirokawa (drums).

Dolly is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2005. They are signed to the Marder Suitcase label.

DOES (ドーズ, Dōzu?) is a three-piece Japanese rock band. DOES was formed in 2000 in the Fukuoka prefecture, where they continued to write songs and perform gigs until 2005. In 2005, some members left and the group went on hiatus. Releasing singles since 2004, DOES signed with Ki/oon Records in 2006. In 2008, their 6th single "Donten" reached 3rd on the Oricon weekly music ranking charts. It was also the 5th opening for the anime Gintama.

A Japanese hard rock band currently under the Giza Studio label. The band is named after a single letter of each of the members' names: Daiki Yoshimoto, Shinichiro Ohta, and Akihito Tokunaga.

Do As Infinity is a Japanese pop and rock band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van, guitarist Ryo Owatari, and guitarist and composer Dai Nagao. The band's name is sometimes abbreviated as D.A.I., alluding to the fact that Do As Infinity was named after Dai Nagao. Signed to Avex Trax, the band released their debut single "Tangerine Dream" on September 29, 1999, followed by three more singles between 1999 and 2000, which appeared on their debut album Break of Dawn (2000). In December 2000, Nagao decided to devote all his time to composing the music and no longer appeared at live events. Five more studio albums were released between 2001 with New World and 2005 with Need Your Love.

DJ Sharpnel is the collective alias for Japanese electronic artists Jea and Lemmy. Via their Dōjin label Sharpnelsound, they release albums consisting of their own speedcore, gabber, happy hardcore and trance works as well as guest tracks from acquaintances of the group, such as DJ Chucky, m1dy, and M-Project.

Hideaki Ishi (石 英明, Ishi Hideaki?, born July 29, 1962), better known by his stage name DJ Krush, is a hip hop producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.

Kentaro Okamoto (born c.1982), better known as DJ Kentaro, is a hip hop DJ from Japan. He won third place in the Technics category of the DMC World DJ Final in 2001 and won it in 2002 at the age of 20. In doing so, he became one of the first ever Asians to win the DMC World DJ Final, receiving the highest score in DMC history in the process.

In materials science, a dislocation is a crystallographic defect, or irregularity, within a crystal structure. The presence of dislocations strongly influences many of the properties of materials. The theory describing the elastic fields of the defects was originally developed by Vito Volterra in 1907, but the term 'dislocation' to refer to a defect on the atomic scale was coined by G. I. Taylor in 1934. Some types of dislocations can be visualized as being caused by the termination of a plane of atoms in the middle of a crystal. In such a case, the surrounding planes are not straight, but instead they bend around the edge of the terminating plane so that the crystal structure is perfectly ordered on either side. The analogy with a stack of paper is apt: if half a piece of paper is inserted in a stack of paper, the defect in the stack is only noticeable at the edge of the half sheet.

An unconformity is a buried erosional or non-depositional surface separating two rock masses or strata of different ages, indicating that sediment deposition was not continuous. In general, the older layer was exposed to erosion for an interval of time before deposition of the younger, but the term is used to describe any break in the sedimentary geologic record. The significance of angular unconformity (see below) was shown by James Hutton, who found examples of Hutton's Unconformity at Jedburgh in 1787 and at Siccar Point in 1788.

Disclose were a Japanese D-beat band from Kōchi City, heavily influenced by Discharge. Their sound heavily replicates Discharge's style, with an increased use of fuzz and distortion guitar effects. The subject matter is also similar to Discharge, in that the songs' themes are primarily about nuclear war, and its horrific consequences. On June 5, 2007, Disclose frontman Kawakami died from an overdose of alcohol and sedative.

Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY and previously as Dir en grey) is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2014, they have recorded nine full-length records with a lineup consistent since its inception. Numerous stylistic changes have made the genre of their music difficult to determine, though it is generally considered to be a form of metal. Originally a visual kei band, the band has opted for less dramatic attire in recent years.

Dio – Distraught Overlord (ディオ –DISTRAUGHT OVERLORD–?) was a Japanese visual kei metal band from Tokyo, formed on 14 May 2006. Rather than following the usual sound of visual kei, it is a darker, heavier band, which combines metal with melodious tones.

Diesel Guitar (ディーゼル・ギター) is the solo noise music project of Youki Noseyama, who runs the independent noise label Good Microphone. The project originated as a duo called "Diesel Guitars". One CD was released in 2001, called Stream of Lights, designed by rui-D, written and performed by Diesel Guitar and recorded between 10/1998 and 6/2001. Tracks 1 through 4 are recorded live tracks 5 and 6 are recorded in the studio. An intense drone sound, however, makes the texture unique. Diesel Guitar uses electric guitar and reverb, some analog effects and Morley Pedals

Die in Cries (stylized as DIE IN CRIES) was a Japanese visual kei rock band of the 1990s, whose members have all played in other prominent bands.

Diaura (ディオーラ, Diōra?) is a four-member Japanese visual kei rock band, currently signed to the Ains record label, they were formerly under Galaxy Inc. . The band formed in December 2010 by Yo-ka (ex-Valluna and Megamasso roadie), Kei (ex-Valluna), Yuu (ex-Valluna), and later recruited Shoya. Their current fourth member and then-support drummer, Tatsuya, was later on added to the group as an official member after ex-drummer Yuu's departure from the group due to tendinitis. Their debut single "Shitsuyoku no Seiiki" was released on January 19, 2011. Diaura released their first full studio album Genesis on March 21, 2012 and their second full studio album Focus on December 4, 2013.

The band formed in October 2002 with Yuuga and Reika (ex-member from Kar'Maria and La'miss Fairy respectively). Soon after, Yura (ex-Misery and Kilah) and Yuune joined Devil Kitty.

A Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1984, which made its debut in 1985. They went on an indefinite hiatus in 1996, but resumed activities in 2007.

They made their major debut in 2005 with their album Let's Go!!! Which generated sales figures of about 100,000 and ranked within the top 10 of Oricon's Instrumental Artist Debut Chart. Before that, they had released three indie albums.

Demon Kakka (デーモン閣下, Dēmon Kakka?, born November 10, 1962), previously known as Demon Kogure (デーモン小暮, Dēmon Kogure?), is a Japanese musician, entertainer, journalist and sumo commentator. He is the frontman of the heavy metal band Seikima-II, and is known for always working entirely in character.

Deluhi (stylized as DELUHI) was a Japanese visual kei metal band, formed in 2008, guitarist Leda recruited Juri as vocalist when the band Grave Seed they made was renamed. Leda was previously bassist for the power metal band Galneryus, going by the name Yu-To.

Defspiral (stylized as defspiral, and briefly existing under the name Wilma-Sidr) is a Japanese visual kei rock band composed of most of the former members of the Underneath. When the Underneath disbanded in 2010, most of the group was signed to Avex Mode to perform songs for the Kamen Rider Series. This occurred with a change to their style to a smoother, slicker and more seductive style than their previous incarnations.

Def Tech is a Japanese pop band signed to Mind Shift Music, an independent label.

Deathgaze (デスゲイズ, Desugeizu?) is a Japanese nagoya kei metal band formed in 2003.

Deadman (stylized as deadman) was a Japanese rock band founded in Nagoya in 2000. The group gained notoriety for popularizing the nagoya kei subgenre of visual kei, which is a lot "darker" than most and focuses more on musical composition. Deadman also quickly became known for Mako's heavily melancholic lyrical themes, with the music itself touching on alternative rock in sound. The group disbanded in 2006 for unknown reasons.

The Dead Pop Stars (stylized as THE DEAD P☆P STARS) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1992 by ex-Kamaitachi drummer Kenzi. Its current line-up consists of original members Aki and Kenzi on vocals and drums respectively, Hideto and Kentarou on guitar, and Ruiji on bass.

A Japanese popular music band, formed in 1993. Members frequently changed until the release of the first album, and from there Deen has had four members: vocalist Shuichi Ikemori, keyboardist and leader Koji Yamane, guitarist Shinji Tagawa and drummer Naoki Utsumoto.

Dead End (stylized as DEAD END) is an influential Japanese heavy metal/hard rock band formed in Tokyo in 1984. They were one of few Japanese metal bands who had international exposure in the United States during the eighties. Originally disbanded in 1990, Dead End reunited in 2009 after almost two decades.

Day After Tomorrow (also known as dat) was a 3-member Japanese pop band under the Avex label.

Georgina Willd. nom. illeg.

D'espairsRay (formerly stylized as DéspairsRay or +DéspairsRay+) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from 1999 to 2011. The lineup of Hizumi on vocals, Karyu on guitar, Zero on bass and Tsukasa on drums remained the same, with the group having released four full-length records, three EPs and thirteen singles. Outside of Japan, D'espairsRay have toured Europe and North America and had domestic releases in those territories.

D'erlanger (stylized as D'ERLANGER, believed by the band to mean "indecent temptation" in French) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto, formed in 1983 by guitarist Cipher and bassist Seela. While they originally played speed and power metal, after recruiting drummer Tetsu and vocalist Kyo they switched to an alternative rock sound for their debut album La Vie En Rose in 1989. Although it was on an indie label, it sold out and was reissued three times that year, earning them a major label record deal with BMG Japan the following year. They released Basilisk in March 1990 and it reached the top five on the charts. However, in December the group suddenly announced their disbandment.

D=Out (ダウト, Dauto?) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2006, previously signed to Speed Disk and Geneon Entertainment. Since 2011, they have been signed to PS Company and Tokuma Japan.

D-51 (ディー・ゴー・イチ, Dī Gō Ichi?) is a Japanese pop music band. D-51 is group consisting of two men, Yu and Yasu. They are signed under Pony Canyon label. According to its members, the name D-51 came from Japanese National Railways' D51 steam locomotive class.

D is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2003 by Asagi, Ruiza and Sin, after their previous band Syndrome disbanded.

Cyntia is an all-female Japanese heavy metal band formed in 2011.

Cymbals (シンバルズ?) was a Japanese rock band active from 1997-2003. The trio was composed of vocalist Asako Toki (土岐麻子?), bassist/guitarist Reiji Okii (沖井礼二?), and drummer Hiroyasu Yano (矢野博康?). Like other Japanese bands which emerged in the late 1990s (including Clammbon and Hermann H. & the Pacemakers), Cymbals were strongly influenced by the British pop-rock sounds of the 1960s. Despite solid songwriting and album production, they never scored a true "hit", which eventually resulted in the band's breakup in September 2003. They played a final 90-minute farewell concert at Shibuya O-East on January 20, 2004. The group's members remain musically active – Toki as a solo artist, Okii as a producer (for Toki and others), and Yano as a session drummer and producer.

Curio was a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1995. They were best known to Western audiences for their song "Kimi ni Fureru Dake de", which was used as the third opening theme for the popular anime Rurouni Kenshin.

Crystal Lake is a Japanese metalcore band from Tokyo, formed in 2002.

The Cro-Magnons (ザ・クロマニヨンズ, Za Kuromaniyonzu?) is a Japanese rock band founded in July 2006 by Hiroto Kōmoto (vocals) and Masatoshi Mashima (guitar), both previously of The Blue Hearts and The High-Lows, with Masaru Kobayashi (bass) and Katsuji Kirita (drums).

Crossfaith (クロスフェイス) are a Japanese metalcore band from Osaka that was formed in 2006. The band released their first demo "Blueprint of Reconstruction" in 2008. The band consists of vocalist Kenta Koie, guitarist Kazuki Takemura, Hiroki Ikegawa on bass guitar, drummer Tatsuya Amano and Terufumi Tamano on keyboards. They are renowned for their fusion of metalcore with electronic dance music, and for their intense live performances.

Hideki Kato, better known under the stage name Crack Fierce, is a Japanese noise musician. He started Crack Fierce in the spring of 1996, and also rungs the label United Syndicate. He has also built effects units.

Corrupted are a Japanese doom/sludge metal band. They are known for their antipathy towards mainstream acceptance, even in their subgenre, which naturally tends towards obscurity. This is reflected not only in their dark and oppressive musical style but their reclusive nature, avoiding interviews and publicity photo shoots. Despite their lack of media exposure they have recorded prolifically throughout their career, including numerous split albums with many artists and perform regularly in Japan and occasionally abroad, twice to the United States.

Keigo Oyamada (小山田 圭吾, Oyamada Keigo?, born January 27, 1969) is a Japanese recording artist and producer better known by his stage name Cornelius (CORNELIUS（コーネリアス）, Kōneriasu?).

Core of Soul (formerly Core of Sun) is a Japanese pop/downtempo band. The group formed when Song met Nakamura and Iizuka at a school in Osaka. They disbanded March 24, 2006 after completing their Asian tour in Osaka.

Concerto Moon (コンチェルト・ムーン, Koncheruto mūn?) is a Japanese Neoclassical metal / Power metal band formed in 1996 and led by guitarist Norifumi Shima.

Complex was a Japanese rock duo composed of guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei and singer Koji Kikkawa. They released their self-titled debut in 1989, along with their first single and video, "Be My Baby". After a tour to promote the album, they released its follow-up, Romantic 1990, followed by a live album, 19901108 a year later.

Cool Joke is a Japanese rock band formed in 2001. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Hiroya Ishikawa, guitarist Suguru Asabatake and drummer Hiroyuki Saitō. In addition to Ishikawa, Asabatake and Saitō, the band originally featured bassist Keita Hayashi. However, Hayashi left the band in 2006. They performed under the Sony Music Japan Records label, but currently they are under the high numbers dream indie label. During their time as an indie band, their activity was centered in the Fukui prefecture area. They are now performing on a national level, and one of their songs, "UNDO", was used as the third opening theme song for the popular anime TV show, Fullmetal Alchemist.

Color (stylized as COLOR) was a Japanese punk band formed in 1985 by Dynamite Tommy, who founded the Free-Will record label a year later. They are considered to be important to the formation of visual kei. Their debut album Gekitotsu was named one of the top albums from 1989-1998 in a 2004 issue of the music magazine Band Yarouze.

Coldrain (コールドレイン, Kōrudorein?, stylized as coldrain) is a Japanese rock band from Nagoya, formed in 2007. The band mixes melodic singing alongside screams typical of the post-hardcore genre.

Cocobat is a Japanese heavy metal band, named after Bobo Brazil's finishing move Coco Butt. The band formed in 1991 with four members: bassist Take-Shit, vocalist Ryuji, guitarist Suzuki Shinichi and drummer Matsuzaki. Their first album, Cocobat Crunch, was released in April 1992 on the indie label Sinkie. In August, the band released a second album, titled Struggle of Aphrodite and began a tour of Japan with a number of other bands.

Cocco (真喜志 智子, Makishi Satoko?, born January 19, 1977 in Naha, Okinawa) is a female J-pop / folk rock singer.

Coaltar of the Deepers are an Alternative rock band from Japan. They formed in May 1991. Although primarily influenced by shoegaze and post-rock sound, their sound incorporates musical elements as diverse as thrash metal, electronica, neo-acoustic, and bossa nova. Possessing a devoted fanbase, they are also known for their Prince, The Cure, The Primitives, and My Bloody Valentine covers.

Clammbon (クラムボン, Kuramubon?) is a Japanese musical trio, consisting of vocalist/keyboardist Ikuko Harada, bassist Mito and drummer Itou Daisuke. The group, originally formed in 1996 when the three were students at Tokyo Music and Media Arts Shobi, made their major label debut on Warner Music Japan three years later. Their music is characterized by their quirky sound combining jazzy chord progressions with J-Pop and electronica influences.

Cibo Matto (pronounced , Italian for "crazy food") is a New York City-based band formed by two Japanese women, Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori, in 1994. Initially, the lyrics in their songs were primarily concerned with food, before expanding into broader subject matter following the addition of Sean Lennon, Timo Ellis, and Duma Love to the band, showcased on their second studio album.

Church of Misery (チャーチ・オブ・ミザリー, Chāchi obu Mizarī?) is a doom metal band from Tokyo, Japan. Church of Misery's style melds early-era Black Sabbath style doom with psychedelic rock.

Chocolat (ショコラ, shokora?) (born February 15, 1978) is a Japanese singer from the greater Tokyo area in Japan. Her first single, "Chocolat a la mode", was released in 1997 on Epic Records (Japan). Chocolat is a twin, her younger sister Heaco is also singer. In 1998 Chocolat, married the musician Akito Katayose from the band GREAT3 in Maui, Hawaii, which subsequently became her favorite place. In 2000, she moved from Epic Records to Warner Bros. Japan and later that year recorded the duet single "VERANDA" with her husband, credited as Akito Katayose featuring Chocolat. In 2005, she and her husband formed the group Chocolat & Akito.

Chitose Hajime (元 ちとせ, Hajime Chitose?, born January 5, 1979) is a Japanese singer from Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. She sings in a style particular to that region, with distinctive falsetto effects.

Chirinuruwowaka (チリヌルヲワカ?), or just Chiriwaka (チリワカ?) or Wowaka (ヲワカ?), is a Japanese rock band formed in 2005 by Yumi Nakashima (GO!GO!7188’s Yuu).

Chihiro Onitsuka (鬼束 ちひろ, Onitsuka Chihiro?) (born October 30, 1980) is a Japanese singer-songwriter.

A Japanese voice actress and singer who has had roles in several anime series. As a voice actress she is under the agency Avex Planning & Development.

A Japanese singer, model and actress. She played Sailor Mercury in the Sailor Moon musicals and was Naru Osaka in the live-action Sailor Moon series.

The Chewinggum Weekend was a Japanese rock band formed in Sapporo, Japan in 1991. The band released two full-length albums and a handful of singles before disbanding in 1999. The band saw moderate success in Japan, and still draws new listeners due to bassist Jun Suzuki who moved on to join The Pillows in 1999. Guitarist Kōji Iwata went on to perform as a solo artist under the moniker "HERMIT" on Sawao Yamanaka's Deicious Label.

Cherryblossom is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, who debuted in 2007. Their initial release was the mini-album Riskygirl, which was followed by three singles and then in 2008 by a full album titled GO!. Cherryblossom are most commonly known for their singles, Dive To World, Cycle, and Sakura Rock, which were part of the soundtrack for the anime Katekyo Hitman Reborn!.

chatmonchy (チャットモンチー, chattomonchī?) is a two-piece all-female rock band which consists of Eriko Hashimoto (guitar, vocals), Akiko Fukuoka (bass, chorus), and formerly Kumiko Takahashi (drums, chorus) who are from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Charlotte (しゃるろっと?) was an oshare kei rock band with their concept based around "school"; their official homepage titled "Yokohama Charlotte School" and their visual style consisting of school uniforms. This was reflected in their music which was light hearted punk rock.

Charcoal Filter (チャコールフィルター?), also known as Charcofil or Chakofiru (チャコフィル?) to their fans, is a Japanese male rock band. Its members are Takahiro Konagawa, Yuzo Otsuka, Yuki Yasui, and Shintaro Takano. They met each other and formed Charcoal Filter in their high school days. After graduation from high school, they came out with the song "I start again" in 1999. They are known for creating the song "Tightrope", used as the ending theme of the anime series Gensōmaden Saiyūki, back in 2000. From 2002 to 2004 they were produced by Seiji Kameda. They disbanded in 2007.

Changin' My Life (also known as CML) was a Japanese pop band which consisted of Myco (vocals), Shintarō Tanabe (guitar and bass), and Noritaka Henmi (keyboards and percussion). They debuted in 2001, and broke up in 2003.

Shoukichi Kina & Champloose (喜納昌吉&チャンプルーズ, Kina Shōkichi ando chanpurūzu?) is a Japanese band from Okinawa blending traditional Okinawan music with a strong Western rock influence. Their name is apparently derived from the word for a traditional Okinawan stir-fry, chanpuru. Singer and lead songwriter Shoukichi Kina's electric sanshin was a particularly distinctive part of their sound. First major single was the classic "Haisai Ojisan" (Hey, old man), written while Kina was still in high school but not a hit until a few years later, in 1972. Later, Champloose's version of the Okinawan folk song "Jin Jin" (Firefly) was a minor hit in British discos, and their ballad "Hana" (Flowers), with vocals by Kina's wife, became a weepy favourite in many Asian countries.

Better known by her stage name Chara, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress and video jockey. She debuted in 1991 with the single Heaven.

Chaba (チャバ, Chaba?) was a folk rock band consisting of three members. They formed in 1996 at the Osaka University of Arts and made their big debut in 2004 and were signed to Ki/oon Records. One of their more distinctive aspects is the incorporation of the traditional Okinawan instrument, the Sanshin, into their music.

Casiopea (カシオペア, Kashiopea?, Japanese transcription of the name of the constellation Cassiopeia) is a Japanese jazz fusion band that was formed in 1976 by guitarist Issei Noro, bassist Tetsuo Sakurai and keyboardist Hidehiko Koike. In 1977, keyboardist Minoru Mukaiya and drummer Takashi Sasaki joined the group, leaving Hidehiko out of Casiopea. The group debuted with the self-titled album Casiopea in 1979, featuring Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker and David Sanborn as guest musicians. In 1980, Sasaki was replaced by Akira Jimbo. Casiopea has released over 35 albums to date in both Japan and the United States.

The Captains is a 2011 feature documentary that follows actor William Shatner through interviews with the other actors who have portrayed starship captains in five other incarnations of the Star Trek franchise. Shatner's subjects discuss their lives and careers before, during and after their tenure with Star Trek. They explore the pressures, stigmas and sacrifices that accompanied their roles and their larger careers. The film makes use of conversations, personal observations, interviews and archival footage.

Capsule (カプセル, Kapuseru?, stylized as CAPSULE since autumn 2013) is a Japanese electronica duo consisting of vocalist Toshiko Koshijima and producer Yasutaka Nakata.

The Candy Spooky Theater (ザ キャンディー スプーキー シアター) is a Japanese visual kei rock band, who debuted in 2005 with the single "Pumpkins Scream in the Dead of Night Parade". The band is made up of three members: Jack Spooky, Kal Bone Jr., and Peggy Giggles, and their music is driven by Tim Burton-like horror influences under the concept of "Comical Horror Halloween Party".

A Japanese rock band which has released multiple singles and albums, as well as performed songs for the soundtracks of anime, dramas, and other Japanese programming.

Cali Gari (or cali≠gari) is a Japanese visual kei experimental rock band formed with the concept erotic grotesque. It was founded in 1992 and named after the horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The band's debut single came out in 1994 and their first major single was "Dai 7 Jikkenshitsu Yokokuban -Maguro-" released April 2002. The band paused activities after their last concert on June 22, 2003.

C.C.C.C. (a.k.a. Cosmic Coincidence Control Center) was a noise band from Japan, alongside such bands as Merzbow and Incapacitants.

Candies (キャンディーズ) was a famous Japanese idol group formed in 1973, their first single being "あなたに夢中" (Anata ni Muchu). Candies was composed of three girls: Ran Ito (伊藤蘭) called Ran, Yoshiko Tanaka (田中好子) called Sue and Miki Fujimura (藤村美樹) called Miki. The group was popular among young Japanese people.

B'z (ビーズ, Bīzu?) is a Japanese rock duo, consisting of guitarist, composer and producer Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto (松本 孝弘, Matsumoto Takahiro?) and vocalist and lyricist Koshi Inaba (稲葉 浩志, Inaba Kōshi?).

By-Sexual (stylized as BY-SEXUAL) was a Japanese visual kei punk rock band from Osaka. They were active from 1988 to 1995, when vocalist Sho left the band and they went on hiatus. In August 1996, the remaining members restarted the group under the name By-Sex (stylized as BY-SEX) with Ryo changing to vocals and guitar. In February 1998, Nao left and the group disbanded.

Buono! (ボーノ, Bōno?) is a Japanese Hello! Project unit consisting of three members: Momoko Tsugunaga and Miyabi Natsuyaki from Berryz Koubou, and Airi Suzuki from Cute. The name translates into "good!" (from Italian), but in Japan has come to connote an association with food, as in "delicious." All three members of Buono! originate from Chiba Prefecture.

Bump of Chicken (バンプ・オブ・チキン, Banpu Obu Chikin?) is a Japanese alternative rock group from Sakura, Chiba, Japan. Their members are Motoo Fujiwara, Hiroaki Masukawa, Yoshifumi Naoi and Hideo Masu. Since their inception in 1994, they have released twenty-three singles and six albums, with a seventh album Ray to be released March 12, 2014. They are a popular group in Japan; every release since their third single, "Tentai Kansoku," has charted in the top ten on the Oricon Weekly Charts. Their music has been used in various video games and as theme songs for movies, television shows and anime in Japan.

Buffalo Daughter is a Japanese rock group formed in 1993. The three main members are suGar Yoshinaga (ex-Havana Exotica) on guitar, Yumiko Ohno (ex-Havana Exotica) on bass, and Moog (later changed to MoOog) Yamamoto on turntables and graphic design. The group originally had a drummer, Chica Ogawa, but after his departure they have had no permanent drummer and have hired different people to fill in as needed. In addition, the band is well known for using a number of electronic instruments, such as the TB-303, TR-606, Minimoog, shortwave radio, and other instruments.

Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The group has consisted of Atsushi Sakurai (lead vocals), Hisashi Imai (guitar), Hidehiko Hoshino (guitar), Yutaka Higuchi (bass) and Toll Yagami (drums) since 1985. In their three decade career, the band has released 19 studio albums, nearly all reaching the top ten on the charts, of which three in the late eighties and early nineties topped them. In addition to having experimented with many different genres of music, including punk, dark wave, electronic, industrial, gothic and straight rock, they are commonly credited as one of the founders of the visual kei movement.

The Brilliant Green (ザ・ブリリアント・グリーン, Za Buririanto Gurīn?) (stylized as the brilliant green) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto formed in 1995. They were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Their major debut single under Sony, "Bye Bye Mr. Mug", was released in 1997. Their contract with Sony ended in 2008, and on December 1, 2009, the band announced that they had signed with Warner Music Group Japan.

Bright was a dance vocal band in Japan under major label Rhythm Zone.

Brahman is an emo band formed in 1995 in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan.

Bow Wow is an influential hard rock/heavy metal band formed in Japan in 1975. They renamed themselves to Vow Wow in 1984, before moving to England in 1987 and disbanding in 1990. Guitarist and vocalist Kyoji Yamamoto reformed Bow Wow in 1995 with all new members, before original members Mitsuhiro Saito and Toshihiro Niimi rejoined him three years later.

Boris (ボリス, Borisu?) is a Japanese avant-garde metal band. Currently, the band's personnel consists of drummer-vocalist Atsuo, bassist-guitarist-vocalist Takeshi, and guitarist-vocalist Wata.

Boredoms (ボアダムス (Boadamusu)) (later known as V∞redoms) is a rock band from Osaka, Japan. The band was officially formed in 1986. The band's output is usually referred to as noise rock or sometimes Japanoise, though their more recent records have mostly featured repetitive minimalism, ambient music, and tribal drumming.

Boøwy (pronounced: bóui, stylized as BOØWY) was a Japanese rock band formed in Takasaki, Gunma in 1981. The best-known lineup of Kyosuke Himuro (vocals), Tomoyasu Hotei (guitar), Tsunematsu Matsui (bass) and Makoto Takahashi (drums) reached legendary status in Japan during the 1980s.

Boom Boom Satellites (ブンブンサテライツ, Bun Bun Sateraitsu?) is a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. While their music can be mostly classified as big beat or nu skool breaks with heavy jazz influences, they are famous for the heavy usage of electric guitars in their music, and the final product often has a strong rock or punk flavor. They are currently signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they have released all of their albums in Japan.

The Boom is a Japanese rock band. Its members are Kazufumi Miyazawa (vocals), Kobayashi Takashi (guitar), Yamakawa Hiromasa (bass guitar), and Tochigi Takao (drums).

Kaori Asada (浅田 香織, Asada Kaori?, born 16 April 1973), known by her stage name Bonnie Pink, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. She speaks English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (many of her songs are entirely in Japanese). She writes and composes all her songs, and plays guitar and piano. Asada has said that the name Bonnie Pink is random and has no special meaning; she chose it because it was easy to remember and because she thought the words were cute together.

Bon-Bon Blanco (sometimes B3 or B3) is a Japanese rock group during 2002~2009. The group used to belong to Columbia Music Entertainment, but has moved to Bouncy Records in 2006.

Bomb Factory (Japanese: ボム・ファクトリー) is a musical group from Tokyo, Japan with styles influenced by 70's and 80's hardcore punk, hard rock, and heavy metal music. Although their mother tongue is Japanese, almost all the music they have produced since 1997 has English song titles and lyrics.

Blues Creation was a Japanese heavy psych band from the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Led by guitarist/singer Kazuo Takeda, they were known as Blues Creation from 1969 to 1972 and after a three year hiatus returned as simply Creation in 1975.

The Blue Hearts (ザ・ブルーハーツ, Za Burū Hātsu?) were a Japanese punk rock band active from 1985 to 1995. They have been compared to such bands as the Sex Pistols, The Clash and the Ramones. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked them at number 19 on their list of 100 most important Japanese pop acts. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan rated their self-titled debut album number 3 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".

Blood Stain Child (stylised as BLOOD STAIN CHILD) is a Japanese metal band from the city of Osaka. The band's musical style combines modern melodic death metal with electro-industrial and trance. The band formed under the name "Visionquest" in 1999, but reformed under the name Blood Stain Child in 2000.

Bloodthirsty Butchers are a long-running indie rock and punk rock band from Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Although little-known in the West, they have contributed to two compilations on the Olympia, Washington based Yoyo label. The band has also released a split single with Rocket from the Crypt and a split EP with +/-. Japanese act Lost in Time named their band after a song from band's third album Lukewarm Wind. The long-term members are Hideki Yoshimura (vocals and guitar), Masahiro Komatsu (drums), and Takeshi Imoriya (bass). Former Number Girl member Hisako Tabuchi joined as an additional guitarist in 2003. Famous Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano is an avid fan of the group and has sung and played guitar on a few of the band's songs.

Blood (often stylized as ̶B̶L̶O̶O̶D̶) is a Japanese band that has been active from 2002 to 2009, returning in 2011. Blood's aim is to create music that expresses the meaning of human emotion that breaks the musical frame. They are closely associated with visual kei, but the band refers to themselves as a "gothic band".

Bleach (known as Bleach03 in North America) was an all girl thrashcore trio from Okinawa, Japan. On June 10, 2009, Bleach announced on their website that they have disbanded. Their final album, Bleach Stone, was released on July 7, 2009. A "Best of" album was released in Japan on February 22, 2010, and came with a DVD video of their last show.

An industrial rock band, formed in 1995 with two members: Tatsuya and Ryonai. Their sound is described as "Industrial with a Gothic Sense". They list Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Skinny Puppy as influences.

The Black Mages was a Japanese instrumental rock/hard rock band formed in 2002 by Nobuo Uematsu, Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito - three composers for Square Enix. The band arranged Uematsu's Final Fantasy video game series-based compositions in a hard rock style often similar to progressive metal, achieved with the additional use of synthesizers. Since its inception, the band had expanded to six members with the addition of Keiji Kawamori, Michio Okamiya and Arata Hanyuda. On August 7, 2010, Nobuo Uematsu announced the band had disbanded, but he would continue to perform rock arrangements of his music as a part of another band, the Earthbound Papas.

BIS (Believe in Style) was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in July 2004 and originally signed to the Free-Will sub-division of PS Company.

The Birthday is a Japanese garage rock formed by Yusuke Chiba and members of his previous bands, Rosso and Thee Michelle Gun Elephant.

Bi Kyo Ran (美狂乱, Bikyōran?) is a progressive rock band from Japan which began in 1973. They gained some attention when they performed the soundtrack to Cromartie High School (under the pseudonym of Bikyoran). They also performed the ending theme for the show (entitled "Trust Me"); however the opening theme was by Yoshida Takuro.

Berryz Kobo (Berryz工房, Berryz Kōbō?, literally "Berryz Workshop") was a Japanese idol girl group. The pop group was part of Hello! Project, produced by Tsunku, who also wrote their songs. Of all the musical acts in Hello! Project, Berryz held the title of the most consistent line-up, having kept all of their original members (with no new members added) since their one and only graduation (Maiha Ishimura) in 2005.

Bennie K (often stylized as BENNIE K) is an Urban Contemporary female duo formed in 1999 that consists of vocalist Yuki and rapper Cico. They met while Yuki was in Los Angeles undergoing voice training with Roger Burnley. They made their debut in January 2001 with the single "Melody," released on the For Life Music label.

Bellzlleb (stylized as BELLZLLEB) was a Japanese heavy metal band, formed in 1985 by Tetsu and Yuji in Chiba. The band's sound was heavily influenced by elements from black metal, doom metal and hardcore with philosophical influences from Aleister Crowley, the occult, horror, satanism and the dark, heavy sound of Black Sabbath. They toured the Japanese national club circuit extensively during the 1980s and the early 1990s and created various recordings until they disassociated in 1992. Kuroyume opened for Bellzlleb for their last gig in 1992 at Meguro Rock-May-Kan.

BeForU were a Japanese pop girl group who performed music primarily for the Bemani series of rhythm games. BeForU debuted in 2000 with their song "Dive", which was notable as being the first Japanese pop song in the Dance Dance Revolution series. BeForU was produced by Naoki Maeda, one of the lead Konami musical producers. In 2006, the group made their major label debut under Avex Trax.

Beat Crusaders (ビート・クルセイダース, Bīto Kuruseidāsu?, typeset as BEAT CRUSADERS) were a Japanese rock band active from 1997 to 2010. During all promotional appearances, their faces are masked by drawings resembling themselves as printed by a dot-matrix printer.

BBQ Chickens (often stylized as BBQ CHICKENS) is a Japanese hardcore punk band, created in 2000 by former Hi-Standard member Ken Yokoyama. All four members have been "buddies since childhood", and convened to form the band when Ken announced the hiatus of Hi-Standard. Since their beginning, they have released three studio albums, and have enjoyed unexpected success in different forms. Their first album, Indie Rock Strikes Back, sold upwards of 85,000 copies and rocketed them onto the Japanese punk scene where they played several sold out shows. BBQ Chickens later won the award for "Best Alternative Video" during the 2002 Space Shower Music Video Awards for their video "Sick Guy/Stupid Magazine", and the year after with "Pizza of Death's Theme/Fat Boy". BBQ Chickens' third album, Fine Songs, Playing Sucks, was a cover album, and was noted by the idea that it was a "selection of most unusual songs to cover."

Baroque (stylized as BAROQUE and previously as baroque) is a Japanese rock band originally formed in 2001. Originally signed to S'Cube, a sub-division of the independent record label Free-Will, the band later switched to the company's Firewall Division, with distribution handled by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. After releasing two albums, along with a greatest hits compilation, several singles and home video releases, baroque disbanded in 2004.

Bathtub Shitter is a Japanese extreme metal and grindcore band with elements of punk rock, formed in 1996. The lyrical content includes many references to nature conservation, politics and shit. Bathtub Shitter have released three full-length albums, two compilation albums, one live album, eight singles, three split singles and two demos.

Base Ball Bear is a 4-member Japanese rock band from Tokyo that made its major debut in 2006 with EMI Music Japan. Although assembled in autumn 2001, the band formally began in 2002, and started off with self-produced releases.

Balzac (typeset as BALZAC) is a Japanese punk band formed in 1992 in Kyoto. The band was founded by singer and songwriter Hirosuke Nishiyama, who has remained the only constant member of the band since its creation. Since the beginning, Balzac was highly influenced by the sound and image of the famous horror punk band The Misfits and, especially during the very early years, Glenn Danzig's Samhain, adopting and combining the musical and visual style of both bands to create their own. The band often stays away from the "campy" horror lyrics and image found in most horror punk bands, as the lyrics by Hirosuke tend to be more like dark poetry and, though not always serious, deal with themes of darkness, loneliness and fear.

Balflare is a Japanese power metal band formed in 2004.

Baiser (French for kiss) was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1991 by vocalist Yukari. They played concerts in the Tokyo area before debuting on an independent label in 1994.

Back-On (stylized as BACK-ON) is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, Japan. They are recognized for creating anime and game opening themes such as the Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 opening theme, "fly away"; Air Gear opening theme, "Chain"; Murder Princess opening theme "Hikari Sasuhou (fk Metal ver.)" and Eyeshield 21s "Blaze Line". etc., although they have also written ending themes for both anime and TV shows. These include "flower" and "a day dreaming..." for Eyeshield 21, and "Butterfly" for the late-night TV drama Shinjuku Swan, and most recently "Sands of Time" for the mobile robot TV drama Keitai Sousakan 7 and "Strike Back" for the continued run of the shounen anime series Fairy Tail.

Babymetal (stylized as BABYMETAL) is a Japanese metal idol band. Their line-up consists of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal", and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". The concept of the group is a fusion of the metal and idol genres. The three teenage girls and their band are managed by the Amuse talent agency. They released their debut album of the same name in February 2014.

A major city of ancient Mesopotamia in the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The city was built upon the Euphrates and divided in equal parts along its left and right banks

BaBe was a Japanese pop duo, composed of Tomoko Kondo and Yukari Nikaido. They debuted in February 1987 with "Give Me Up", a cover of Michael Fortunati's original song. From February 1987 to February 1990 they had several hits including "I Don't Know", "Somebody Loves You", and "Get a Chance!".

Baad is a Japanese rock band that formed in 1992 and debut on February 1993 with the single "Donna Toki Demo Hold Me Tight" and quickly rose to the top. Their biggest hit came months later with the single "Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai" that was used in the anime series Slam Dunk. The main vocalist and lyricist Yamada Kyouji left the band in 1995 and replaced by Hata Hideki as a second vocalist. Following that, the band switched labels from ZAIN Records to Nippon Columbia. The band disbanded in 1999 due to unknown reasons.

Ayumi Miyazaki (宮崎歩, Miyazaki Ayumi?) or Ayumi for short (born August 25, 1971) is a Japanese singer and composer.

Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎 あゆみ, Hamasaki Ayumi?, born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese recording artist, lyricist, model, and actress. Hamasaki has achieved popularity in Japan and Asia by enforcing her position as an artist and not trying to be forced as a "product", which was a common factor within the Japanese music culture and Avex Trax. Through her entire career, she has written all her lyrical content, produced her own music and has sometimes co-composed her music, which is evident in her albums I Am..., Rainbow and My Story.

Ayana (彩菜?, born December 29) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She debuted in 1999 as the singer of the opening and ending themes to Key's visual novel Kanon. In 2000, she formed the two-member group Blue Velvet with Shūichi Aoki. She later became a guest vocalist for I've Sound and appeared at the Nippon Budokan on October 15, 2005 at the I've concert "I've in Budokan 2005: Open the Birth Gate", where she sang two songs: a remix version of "Verge" and the normal version of "Last regrets". In 2006, Ayana sang the remix version of Kanon '​s opening and ending themes on the single "Last regrets / Kaze no Tadoritsuku Basho". On June 20, 2007, she held her first live concert at Roppongi in Tokyo. In October 2007, Ayana reported on her blog that she was married and was pregnant. She gave birth to a son on March 31, 2008.

Known mononymously as Ayaka, is a female Japanese singer, songwriter and record producer formerly signed to Warner Music Japan. Born in Osaka, she moved to Tokyo to pursue a singing career.

Aya Ueto (上戸 彩, Ueto Aya?, born September 14, 1985) is a Japanese actress, singer, model, tarento, and occasional radio personality. Born in Nerima, Tokyo, Ueto was discovered when she participated in the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest, where she won the special jury prize. At the age of thirteen, Ueto made her acting debut, in the film Satsujinsha: Killer of Paraiso (1999), and she and fellow Japan Bishōjo Contest participants, Mami Nejiki, Mai Fujiya, and Manami Nishiwaki, formed the unsuccessful idol group Z-1. In 2002, after their disbandment, Ueto continued her music career as a solo artist, under the record label Pony Canyon, where she debuted with the single "Pureness."

Aya Kamiki (上木 彩矢, Kamiki Aya?, born September 10, 1985, in Sapporo, Hokkaido) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Her style ranges from pop, rock to rhythm and blues. She resides in Osaka, and is signed with Tokyo-based AVEX recording label. She speaks moderate Chinese, and because of this, she has a notable fanbase in China.

Aya Hirano (平野 綾, Hirano Aya?, born October 8, 1987) is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She was contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of the Space Craft Group, for her voice acting career, and for her singing career, she was signed under Lantis. She left both Space Craft and Lantis in 2011. Hirano moved to the voice acting agency Grick in August 2011, and into Universal Sigma in 2012.

ayabie (彩冷える（アヤビエ）?) was a Japanese visual kei rock band signed to the label Tokuma Japan Communications. Their music consisted of a wide variety of sounds and moods, ranging from catchy and upbeat to heavy and hard-edged punk songs. Many of the band's costumes were designed by ID Japan or H. Naoto. In 2010, Kenzo, Intetsu, Yumehito and Takehito left the band because they did not share the direction taken after going major, and formed a new band also called "Ayabie", but written as "AYABIE". They are currently signed to the major company TOY'S FACTORY. Aoi remained in Tokuma Japan Communications as a solo artist, known as "Aoi from ayabie".

Aural Vampire (オーラルヴァンパイア, ōraru vanpaia?) is a Japanese group (formerly duo) led by Exo-Chika (vocals/lyrics) and Raveman (music). They hail from Tokyo, Japan. Aural Vampire has toured Europe numerous times and been featured in magazines such as Astan Magazine and The Dose. During the first four years of their career, they were on an independent label.

Atsushi Sakurai (櫻井 敦司, Sakurai Atsushi?, born March 7, 1966 in Fujioka, Gunma) is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He has been the vocalist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985, previously being their drummer from 1983. He released the solo album Ai no Wakusei in 2004 and was also a member of Schwein alongside Hisashi Imai (Buck-Tick), Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM) and Raymond Watts. In 2015, he formed a solo project called The Mortal.

Astro is a Japanese noise group, originally started in 1993 as a solo project of Hiroshi Hasegawa (長谷川洋, Hasegawa Hiroshi?) of the group C.C.C.C.. Hiroshi Hasegawa uses assorted analog equipment including vintage Moog and EMS synthesizers. His music covers a wide range of styles in the noise field, from space music to psychedelically-tinged harsh noise. Since 2013, Astro has been a duo of Hiroshi Hasegawa and Rohco (Hiroko Hasegawa), who has played with Astro since 2009.

Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション, Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon?), typeset as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan, in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western punk and alternative rock acts in conjunction with their own local Japanese indie rock background. As a result, their songs maintain a balance of various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast-paced tempos and prominent, hard-edged guitar riffs as well as rhythmic flow and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim.

Asa Chang & Junray is the band of the Japanese percussionist Asa Chang, who was the founder and original bandmaster of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. After leaving that group in 1993, he formed Asa Chang & Junray in 1998 with programmer and guitarist Hidehiko Urayama. They were joined in 2000 by tabla player U-zhaan. Live, the group use a portable soundsystem called 'Jun-Ray Tronics', hence the name — although the word 'junray' also means 'pilgrimage'.

A Japanese idol group consisting of five members formed under the Johnny's Entertainment talent agency. The members are Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari, and Matsumoto Jun.

Futoshi (太志?) (Vocals) OKP-Star (Bass) Daisuke (大介?) (Guitar) Mayuko (Keyboard)

Aphasia is a female heavy metal/hard rock band from Japan still active today. Their latest release is Sweet Illusion.

Bass: Kyouji Akiyama Bass: Aya Bass: De-Hi Bass: Hideno Bass: Hizumi Bass: Kai Bass: Kisaki Bass: Ko・・ Bass: Leaya Bass: Lina Bass: Maki Bass: Makoto Bass: Mukku (ex. Mukuro) Bass: Nanjou Kanata Bass: NoBu Bass: Sei Bass: Seiji Bass: Shin Bass: Shio Bass: Shion Bass: Tairan Bass: Takahiro Bass: Teala Bass: Wild Turkey Bass: Y・A・C Bass: Yohei Togawa Bass: Yuu Bass: Yuchi (ex. 8342) Drums: Yuji Drums: Akira Drums: Ayame Drums: Hiroshi Drums: Hiyoka Drums: Junya Drums: K-Suke Drums: Kaede Drums: Katsura Drums: Ken2 Drums: Luna Drums: Mashiro Drums: Mitsuru Drums: Mohi Drums: N.O.Y Drums: Rei Drums: Reo Drums: Ryohei Drums: Shizuki (Miura-Kaigan) Drums: Shoki Drums: Tarou Drums: You-Ya Guitar: Tako Guitar: Akino Guitar: Arata Guitar: Erina Guitar: Haruki Guitar: Hideaki Guitar: Hiromi Guitar: Hizumi Guitar: Jill Guitar: Jun Guitar: Kagetsu Guitar: Kaion Guitar: Kanata Guitar: Kazane Guitar: Kazu Guitar: Masaki Guitar: Nachi Guitar: O-Yoh Guitar: Seana Guitar: Shinya Guitar: Sin Guitar: Takayuki Guitar: Tappei Guitar: Tatsuya Guitar: Tomozo Guitar: Maya Yamada Guitar: Yayoi Guitar: Yuki Guitar: Yura Guitar: Yuu Vocals: Aika Vocals: Kirala

Anthem (アンセム, Ansemu?) is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed during the early 1980s in Tokyo. They are among the handful of heavy metal bands founded in Japan during that time and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential, alongside Loudness and Earthshaker.

Although most personal information about her is unknown, in 2012, she revealed via letter her real name to a famous radio station in Tokyo, and that her real given name is also Annabel.

Animetal (アニメタル, Animetaru?) was a Japanese heavy metal band who specialized in metal covers of theme songs from classic and modern Japanese anime and tokusatsu television series.

Angelo is a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in 2006 by three members of Pierrot. Originally a trio of vocalist Kirito, bassist Kohta and drummer Takeo, guitarists Karyu (ex-D'espairsRay) and Giru (ex-Vidoll) joined in 2011.

Angela Aki (アンジェラ・アキ, Anjera Aki?), born Kiyomi Angela Aki (安藝 聖世美 アンジェラ, Aki Kiyomi Anjera?) on September 15, 1977, is a pop singer-songwriter, and pianist born in Itano, Tokushima, Japan to a Japanese father and Italian-American mother.

A Japanese pop band, notable for having their music portrayed as theme songs for several anime television shows. The main members are Atsuko and Katsu. Their signature upbeat tunes and rich arrangements combine elements of electronica, dance, rock, swing jazz and ska.

Antic Cafe (アンティック-珈琲店-, Antikku Kafe?, nicknamed An Cafe) is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 2003 and signed to Sony Music Japan. Their visual image is oshare kei, and they describe their music as "Harajuku Dance Rock". The group has released five full-length albums, one compilation album, and four EPs. On September 1, 2009, the band announced that after their live show on January 4, 2010 at the Nippon Budokan, they would suspend activities and put the group on hiatus, however they stated they will not disband. On April 1, 2012, after two-year break, the team announced the resumption of activity.

AMWE (pronounced "Amuui") (born May 6, 1984) is an indie New Wave and electronica artist from Nagoya, Japan. Getting her start in jazz cover bands and 80s-styled music groups, she eventually debuted in October 2009, under Pure Groove Records. AMWE produces, writes, and provides the vocals to all of her music.

Amoyamo was a Japanese pop-duo made up of female models Amo and Ayamo.

Ami Suzuki (鈴木 亜美, Suzuki Ami?, born 9 February 1982) is a Japanese recording artist, actress, and DJ from Zama, Kanagawa, Japan. Having been discovered at the talent TV show Asayan, she was one of the most popular female teen idol in the late 1990s. However, in 2000 Suzuki faced legal problems with her management company resulting in a controversial blacklisting from the entertainment industry. Suzuki attempted to resurrect her career under her own steam with two indie singles before signing to Avex Trax in 2005. She released "Delightful", a dance song that reached No. 3 on the Japanese Oricon charts with a style similar to electronic club music, significantly different from her pop idol days. Since her appearance in the 2006 film Rainbow Song, Suzuki has gradually made a name for herself in the acting field, starring in various movies, television series and musicals.

Ami Onuki (大貫 亜美, Ōnuki Ami?, born September 18, 1973 in Machida, Tokyo, Japan), also known as Jane, is a Japanese singer, musician, and voice actress. She is a member of Japanese pop group PUFFY, along with Yumi Yoshimura.

Ali Project (typeset as ALI PROJECT) is a Japanese band with a strong Japanese Aristocrat-style image, consisting of Arika Takarano (宝野アリカ, Takarano Arika?, vocals & lyrics) and Mikiya Katakura (片倉三起也, Katakura Mikiya?, music & arrangement).

Aliene Ma'riage was a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed by Kyoka, Mast and Ray in 1998 and disbanded in 2001. The group released three albums, along with several singles and videos. The band's sound was described as "a fusion of gothic elements and hard edge sound."

A9, previously known as Alice Nine (アリス九號.?, originally stylized as alicenine.), is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in Tokyo in 2004. A9 was a part of PS Company until 2014. The band had King Records as its record label until 2010, when they joined Tokuma Japan. Then, in 2013, they joined Universal Music Group's Nayutawave Records.

Aldious is an all-female heavy metal band from Osaka, formed in 2008 by guitarist Yoshi and vocalist Rami. After a few member changes, they released their debut EP Dear Slave the following year and soon after formed their own record label, Bright Star Records. Their first album Deep Exceed (2010) reached the top 15 on the Oricon chart, as did their second Determination (2011). However, founding member Rami announced she was leaving the group in June 2012 for health reasons and new vocalist Re:NO joined Aldious just one month later. They produced their third album District Zero in 2013 and it became their highest-charting release to date, reaching number 7. Their fourth album Dazed and Delight (2014) peaked at number 20 and their fifth Radiant A will be released in December 2015.

Akira Kushida (串田 アキラ, Kushida Akira?, born October 17, 1948 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture), is a Japanese vocalist who is well known for his work in the soundtracks for anime and tokusatsu productions, most notably Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan, Kinnikuman, and Uchuu Keiji Gavan. His nickname from his fans is Kussy (クッシー, Kusshī?). His real given name is Akira (晃, Akira?).

Akira Ifukube (伊福部 昭, Ifukube Akira?, 31 May 1914 – 8 February 2006) was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies by Toho.

Akino Arai (新居 昭乃, Arai Akino?, born August 21, 1959, in Tokyo) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and lyricist for various anime theme songs and shows, including Record of Lodoss War, Please Save My Earth, Macross Plus, Outlaw Star, Kaze no Stigma and Aria The Origination.

Akiko Suwanai (諏訪内 晶子, Suwanai Akiko?) (born February 7, 1972) is a Japanese classical violinist.

Aki Misato (美郷 あき, Misato Aki?, born September 2, 1981) is a female Japanese J-pop singer from Saitama, Japan. Most of her songs are theme songs for anime and video games. She made her debut in 2004 with her first single Kimi ga Sora Datta (君が空だった), which was featured as the ending theme of the anime Mai-HiME. To date she has released sixteen singles, and in addition has been featured in several compilation albums.

Yoshio Akeboshi (明星嘉男, Akeboshi Yoshio?), more commonly known as Akeboshi, is a Japanese pop and folk singer. He is mainly known for the song "Wind". His surname means "bright star," while his given name means "fine man."

AKB48 (pronounced A.K.B. Forty-eight) is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (Akiba for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located, and its original roster of 48 members. As of August 2014, the group has expanded to include 140 members aged from their early teens to their mid-20s. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with its own theater (unlike pop groups performing occasional concerts and seen on television) and performing daily so fans could always see them live. This "idols you can meet" concept includes teams which can rotate performances and perform simultaneously at several events and "handshake" events, where fans can meet group members. Akimoto has expanded the AKB48 concept to several sister groups in Japan, China and Indonesia.

A Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He has been active since 1998, first as one of the two lead vocalists of the popular J-pop boy-band KAT-TUN.

Ajico was a band, formed as a side project by Japanese singer Ua, and Kenichi Asai of Blankey Jet City. In the summer of 1999 after supplying music for two of Ua's songs, Asai and Ua decided to create a music group, and Ajico was born.

Aira Mitsuki (美月 相良, Mitsuki Aira?) is a Japanese electronica artist. She debuted in August 2007 with "Colorful Tokyo Sounds No. 9" and released her debut album, Copy on September 3, 2008.

Aion (stylized as AION) is a Japanese metal band from Osaka, formed in 1983 by guitarist Izumi. Aion are considered to be important to the formation of visual kei, credited as being one of the bands to start the movement in the early '80s. They were also one of the most successful Japanese heavy metal bands of the early '90s, charting on the Oricon music chart and touring with big bands such as Luna Sea. As of 2010 they have released 15 full albums, 6 singles, 2 EPs and more than 10 VHS/DVD.

Aimer (エメ, Eme?, ) is a Japanese recording artist signed to Defstar Records and attached to the talent agency Fourseam.

Mega Man ZX, known in Japan as Rockman ZX (ロックマンゼクス?), is a video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is the first game in the sixth series of the Mega Man video game franchise. For the first time in the Mega Man series, the game features both a male and a female protagonist. A sequel, entitled Mega Man ZX Advent, was released in 2007.

Aice5 (アイス, Aisu?) is an all-female Japanese J-pop group that comprises five voice actresses: Yui Horie, Chiaki Takahashi, Akemi Kanda, Masumi Asano and Madoka Kimura. Yui Horie founded the group on October 29, 2005. Two of the songs they produced, "Yūjō Monogatari" and "Love Power" were featured as the ending theme of the anime series Inukami! and the opening theme of the anime series Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru respectively. The songs "Eternity" and "Brand New Day" were used in the anime Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan as well. The group was officially disbanded as of September 20, 2007 on Yui Horie's thirty-first birthday. On July 17, 2015, they announce to be reunited for their 10th anniversary as well as casting in anime Seiyu's Life!, the comic written by Masumi Asano, a member of Aice5, and illustrated by comic artist Kenjiro Hata.

A Japanese pop singer and songwriter from Suminoe-ku, Osaka, Japan. She is a popular artist on the Avex Trax label and is best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo," which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.

Afilia Saga (アフィリア・サーガ, Afiria Sāga?), formerly Afilia Saga East (アフィリア・サーガ・イースト, Afiria Sāga Īsuto?), is a Japanese female vocal group associated with a chain of maid cafes and restaurants called Afilia Group. Its members represent (work at) shops in the Tokyo districts of Ikebukuro, Ueno, Roppongi, and Shinjuku. The group is jointly produced by Chiyomaru Shikura and voice actress and singer Haruko Momoi. People who have written songs for the group include Tsunku and Kōsuke Ōjima.

Aco (born February 3, 1977 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan) is a female Japanese singer. She made her debut in 1995 with the pop single "Fuan nano" (不安なの?). She is a part of Sony Music Japan. She explores different musical styles, with the albums Absolute Ego and Material displaying Electronica influences. Absolute Ego was produced by ex-Denki Groove keyboardist, Yoshinori Sunahara and The Other Side of Absolute Ego album contains remixes by Tricky, DJ Krush, and Silent Poets.

Acidman (often stylized as ACIDMAN) is a Japanese rock group. The band was formed in 1997 with four members, Shiibashi Takeshi, Urayama Ichigo, Satou Masatoshi, and Ohki Nobuo. They created two demo tapes together in 1998, but former vocalist Shiibashi Takeshi left in 1999. Ohki took his place and became the leader of the group. They continued playing live concerts, and were eventually signed to Toshiba-EMI. The band is often categorized as punk music or alternative rock but their musical style is broader and is said to blend various kinds of individual peculiarities.

Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (and subsequent offshoots) is a Japanese psychedelic band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career featured many musicians, but by 2004 the line-up had coalesced with only a few core members and frequent guest vocalists.

Acid Black Cherry is the solo project of Japanese musician Yasu. It was formed in 2007 after his previous band Janne Da Arc announced an indefinite hiatus. This project's name is often seen shortened to A.B.C.

Acid Android (often stylized as acid android) is the solo project of Yukihiro, drummer of the Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. They are signed to yukihiro's Tracks on Drugs label, a division of Ki/oon Records. Acid Android releases, as with the other L'Arc-en-Ciel members' solo projects, take place when they are on hiatus. To date Acid Android has released three albums, one mini album and EP, two singles, and three live DVDs. The band, in contrast to L'Arc-en-Ciel, uses a harder, faster sound, more stage-lighting and American and European-styled mechanics to further energize their concerts.

Acid was a Japanese rock band originally created by Hideki after Siam Shade disbanded.

Access (also known as AXS) is a Japanese pop group. Its members are Daisuke Asakura and Hiroyuki Takami. Asakura is the primary composer/producer and featured keyboardist while Takami is the vocalist. Takami also writes a major portion of Access' lyrics. Access is signed with Darwin Records, Asakura's private label. The name "access" is stylized in lowercase letters.

Aburadako (あぶらだこ?) is a Japanese noise punk group. Their name means "Greasy Octopus". A notable oddity is that none of Aburadako's albums have titles and are only distinguished by their packages. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan rated their 1985 studio album at No. 55 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".

AB'S (often written "A.B.'s" in the U.K.) is a male Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo in 1982. In Japan, their music is regularly associated with "city pop" or adult-oriented rock. Their song "Deja Vu" was released in the U.K. and often categorized as instrumental and or jazz funk, but the music of AB'S, including "Deja Vu" is also known for their chorus performance in Japan.

Abingdon Boys School (stylized as abingdon boys school) is a Japanese rock band fronted by Takanori Nishikawa.

AAA (トリプル・エー, Toripuru Ē?, Triple A), a backronym for Attack All Around, is a 7-member Japanese pop group signed to the label Avex Trax which debuted in September 2005. The name has the meaning of challenging everything, and the group is marketed by their label as a "super performance unit".

9mm Parabellum Bullet (キューミリ・パラベラム・バレット, Kyūmiri Paraberamu Baretto?) is a Japanese rock band, formed in March 2004 in Yokohama. It consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Takuro Sugawara, guitarist and backing vocalist Yoshimitsu Taki, bassist Kazuhiko Nakamura, and drummer Chihiro Kamijo, who came up with the band's name. Piano pieces included in some songs are performed by Taki, while the characteristic shouts are provided by Nakamura.

8-Ball is a four-piece rock band from Okinawa, Japan, formed in the late '90s and consists of lead singer Ray; Leon, drummer; Chris, bassist and Keiichi Sato the guitarist.

44 Magnum (stylized as 44MAGNUM) is a heavy metal band from Japan, originally formed in mid 1977.

175R (１７５Ｒ, Inago Raidā?, "Inago Rider") is a Japanese ska punk band from Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture.

12012 (イチニーゼロイチニ, ichi nī zero ichi ni?) is a Japanese visual kei rock band. Formed in 2003 in Osaka Prefecture, the group centers its work around the concept of "madness inside a human" (人間の内面における狂気 ningen no naimen ni okeru kyōki). 12012 is also the penal code for the possession of a dangerous weapon in California. The group sometimes performs as "Kyōki Shoji" (凶器所持?), which is a translation of that offense.

Cute, stylized as ℃-ute (キュート, Kyūto?), is a Japanese idol girl group, consisting of five members. Cute is part of Hello! Project, produced by Tsunku, who also writes almost all the group's songs.

Oz (オズ?), stylized -OZ-, was a visual kei rock band from Japan, formed in October 2004. -OZ- is signed to Loop Ash and CLJ Records. They have released two studio albums, Versus and Rouge, and DVDs, singles and maxi singles. In January 2011, they were scheduled to embark on their first European tour.