Tokyo
37 artists
Picks
Local Scene
L?K?O
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
The younger generation of DJs should never be underestimated. I seem to encounter more amazing DJs every year, and I truly believe that Japan has the best DJ culture in the world.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
FORESTLIMIT— 幡ヶ谷 / Hatagaya
Soup— 落合 / Ochiai
bar bonobo— 神宮前 / Jingumae
虎子食堂 / Toranoko Shokudo— 渋谷 / Shibuya
梅ちゃんバー / Ume-chan Bar— 三軒茶屋 / Sangenchaya
グラスルーツ / Grassroots— 高円寺 / Kouenji
Anywhere is fun when a DJ I love is playing.
Record Shop
Disk Union
Los Apson?— 高円寺 / Kouenji
Pianola Records— 下北沢 / Shimokitazawa
RANA-MUSICA RECORD STORE— 下北沢 / Shimokitazawa
Wherever I go, I mostly spend my time digging for second-hand records.
Café
SUPER DOMMUNE— 渋谷 / Shibuya
It's not a cafe, though lol
Label / Series
SLIDE MOTION
I support them because they keep putting out wonderfully weird things.
Murder Channel
It feels like we're growing together.
Riyo Mountains
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Not limited to Tokyo, but lately I enjoy going to snack bars, listening to other people sing karaoke, and sensing the local accents and vibes through the songs.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
Muzik Bar CornerStone— 岩手県千厩町 / Senmaya-cho, Iwate
Not in Tokyo, but a wonderful bar with both a DJ booth and karaoke (DAM). The music, the people, and the conversations all feel completely real.
Record Shop
無し / None
I mainly collect records that aren’t available in record stores.
Café
ドトール / DOUTOR— 市ヶ谷 / Ichigaya
Probably the café I’ve visited the most in my life. I love Doutor and have been to many locations across Japan, but this one is my favorite.
Label / Series
kenken
Also not in Tokyo, but a YouTube channel run by kenken, who lives in Kishiwada, Osaka. He constantly shares something real. I feel like I watch it almost every day.
Ritsuko Sakata
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Tokyo has an incredible number of venues, making it difficult to capture the scene as a whole because it's so diverse and constantly evolving.
There are parties happening every night, even on weekdays, and it's exciting to see the younger generation that emerged after the pandemic continuing to push the scene forward.
There are parties happening every night, even on weekdays, and it's exciting to see the younger generation that emerged after the pandemic continuing to push the scene forward.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
BAR地底 / CHITEI— 大塚 / Otsuka
The sound quality is absolutely incredible.
Record Shop
Los Apson?— 高円寺 / Kouenji
There are things you can experience there that you won't find anywhere else in the world.
Café
Botany— 東松原 / Higashimatsubara
The owner is a musician.
Label / Series
Beer & Records
TOSHIO SASAI
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Even in Tokyo, I feel that the distinction between what is considered “old” and “new” in music is gradually fading.
I think more and more people around the world will listen to music with an open mind, without being overly influenced by trends.
I think more and more people around the world will listen to music with an open mind, without being overly influenced by trends.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
INC cockatails— 渋谷 / Shibuya
It’s the perfect bar where you can focus on the music while still enjoying conversation, all within an environment of outstanding sound quality.
Record Shop
NAT records— 下北沢 / Shimokitazawa
They’ve been teaching me a lot about punk and psychedelic music lately.
While punk is their main focus, they carry records across all genres.
Both of them are incredibly knowledgeable beyond those styles as well, and they always recommend music that matches my tastes.
While punk is their main focus, they carry records across all genres.
Both of them are incredibly knowledgeable beyond those styles as well, and they always recommend music that matches my tastes.
mag
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
More and more people in their early twenties are entering the house music scene. I’m constantly impressed by their awareness of self-branding and party-making.
Since the pandemic, many distinctive small venues have opened. I’ve also noticed a trend where larger clubs operate smaller one-floor spaces, creating sub-floor-like experiences and encouraging people to move between venues and scenes.
Since the pandemic, many distinctive small venues have opened. I’ve also noticed a trend where larger clubs operate smaller one-floor spaces, creating sub-floor-like experiences and encouraging people to move between venues and scenes.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
PASS— 渋谷 / Shibuya
A new bar opened in March 2026 by the team behind VENT.
It features a powerful sound system that makes performances feel as if they’re happening right in front of you, combined with a refined atmosphere.
The drinks are excellent, and it’s a great place to relax and spend time.
It features a powerful sound system that makes performances feel as if they’re happening right in front of you, combined with a refined atmosphere.
The drinks are excellent, and it’s a great place to relax and spend time.
Record Shop
RA'S DEN RECORDS— 大分 / Oita
I haven’t had the chance to visit their physical shop in Oita yet, but they also operate pop-up stores in Tokyo.
Their selection of Indian classics and world music records is exceptional.
Their selection of Indian classics and world music records is exceptional.
Café
名曲喫茶ライオン— 渋谷 / Shibuya
A breathtaking classical music experience in immersive spatial audio.
It gently resets ears that are used to listening to dance music all the time.
It gently resets ears that are used to listening to dance music all the time.
Label / Series
TARTAN
A masked project by Wallace featuring numerous edits of Indian and world music.
The tracks are highly club-oriented and can serve as great hooks when worked into a set.
The tracks are highly club-oriented and can serve as great hooks when worked into a set.
Phin Khaen Delic (PKD)
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
In Tokyo, it feels like two currents are evolving side by side and increasingly intersecting.
One is the growing interest in Asian music and Asian dance music following Soi48 and OMK.
The other is the renewed appreciation of local music through projects such as Riyo Sanmyaku and Minyo MASSIVE.
It's exciting to see more spaces dedicated to Asian music and folk traditions, but there's also the risk of treating them merely as exotic curiosities.
That's why I try to stay connected to the people, language, and places where the music actually belongs.
One is the growing interest in Asian music and Asian dance music following Soi48 and OMK.
The other is the renewed appreciation of local music through projects such as Riyo Sanmyaku and Minyo MASSIVE.
It's exciting to see more spaces dedicated to Asian music and folk traditions, but there's also the risk of treating them merely as exotic curiosities.
That's why I try to stay connected to the people, language, and places where the music actually belongs.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
These days, I'm more drawn to places where music exists naturally in everyday life than to dedicated listening spaces.
Thai restaurants, small venues, street food stalls, local markets, and even music playing inside moving cars all fascinate me.
Thai restaurants, small venues, street food stalls, local markets, and even music playing inside moving cars all fascinate me.
Record Shop
Rather than discovering music through a particular record shop, I usually come across recordings through conversations with market vendors and antique dealers in Thailand, especially in Isan. Right now, I'm focused on digging into the music together with the cultural context that surrounds it, not just collecting the records themselves.
Café
I mostly work from home, and every day at 3 p.m. my wife and I have a snack together.
For me, that's probably the closest thing to a café.
For me, that's probably the closest thing to a café.
Label / Series
EM Records × Soi48 タイ音楽アーカイブ・シリーズ / The Thai Music Archive Series
It created a way to learn about Thai music together with its cultural background, instead of leaving it as simply "mysterious sounds."
Johannes Ichiki
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Our regular event, "Soviet & Eastern Europe Night," has been drawing a great crowd!
What local spots would you recommend?
Record Shop
Želva— 高円寺 / Koenji
My record shop, the only store in Japan specializing in Eastern European vinyl.
8 SAN aka yosh de perm
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Records have gotten so expensive lately.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
Reggae & Dub club OPEN— 新宿 / Shinjuku
It might not technically be a listening bar, but it's one of the best places around.
Record Shop
Dub Store Records— 新宿 / Shinjuku
They let you listen to plenty of records before buying, which I really appreciate.
Artists
Artist Interviews
What are your musical roots?
The first song that truly shocked me was “Mo Yada!” by BARBEE BOYS.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.Soi48We’ve been longtime friends, but more than that, they’re simply the person whose instincts and sense I trust the most.
- 2.Lunv LoyalA rapper and game changer who transformed rural accents and dialects into something genuinely cool.
- 3.HEAT CRIMESThe UNESCO or Smithsonian Folkways of the post-internet generation.
What are your musical roots?
The first record that truly blew me away was Thai Beat A Go-Go.
I first heard Thai music through the lens of 1960s psychedelic and garage rock, and that eventually became my gateway into the deeper worlds of Molam and Luk Thung.
I first heard Thai music through the lens of 1960s psychedelic and garage rock, and that eventually became my gateway into the deeper worlds of Molam and Luk Thung.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.ウボンラーチャターニーのピン奏者たち / The phin players of Ubon RatchathaniI follow them because they build on traditional phrases while successfully updating them into a contemporary sound.
To me, this region produces the most beautiful phin tones. - 2.DJ LoveBudots, a style of dance music that emerged from everyday life in the Philippines.
Right now, it's the sound I most want to understand on a physical level as an entry point into Asian dance music.
What are your musical roots?
I grew up listening to the AOR and R&B channels playing over cable radio at my mother's coffee shop, along with 7-inch records on the jukebox.
Artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Bobby Caldwell formed the foundation of my musical roots.
Artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Bobby Caldwell formed the foundation of my musical roots.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.V/Vm
- 2.Noodles
- 3.FrogsNot necessarily artists or labels I'm focused on right now, but these are the three labels most central to the concept of this mix. They're wonderfully strange, and I love them for it.
What are your musical roots?
Sex Pistols were what first got me interested in music.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.Big Crown RecordsI’m really looking forward to their upcoming release.
What are your musical roots?
As a child, I would listen to every CD I could find at the library.
Among them, I came across recordings by Purbayan Chatterjee in the world music section, and I was captivated by the unique sound of the sitar.
That experience sparked my fascination with Indian music.
Among them, I came across recordings by Purbayan Chatterjee in the world music section, and I was captivated by the unique sound of the sitar.
That experience sparked my fascination with Indian music.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.NAYA BEAT RecordsA project that reconstructs and reimagines sounds centered around India. And most importantly, it's highly danceable.
- 2.Midnight RunnersA creative collective based in Indonesia.
Their music combines nostalgic melodies that resonate even with Japanese listeners and intensely passionate, driving rhythms.
What are your musical roots?
TM NETWORK / Self Control
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.RIKITAKEMAN
What are your musical roots?
It was probably BOØWY when I was in elementary school.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- I try not to get too attached to specific labels or artists. Instead, I prefer to keep an open mind when discovering music.
What are your musical roots?
Progressive rock, jazz rock, and world music.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.The QualitonsA remarkable jazz-funk band from Hungary that has revived the vintage sound of the country's socialist era for a contemporary audience.