A roundup of Japanese artists active overseas
These days, thanks in part to subscriptions, Japanese music is becoming much easier to enjoy abroad, and its popularity has grown even more!
In this article, we’ll introduce artists who could be called Japan’s stars, attracting fans around the world.
There are artists from a wide range of genres, and you can also feel the impact of hits sparked by anime and social media.
You’ll also notice that singers who are supported overseas sometimes have characteristics that differ from Japan’s mainstream trending artists.
Be sure to listen while enjoying new songs and discoveries!
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Japanese Artists Active Overseas (11–20)
The Revelationcoldrain
A five-piece rock band often said to be the most successful among the so-called “Zero Generation” groups that emerged in Japan’s loud rock scene from the 2000s onward.
Their modern loud sound—spanning punk, hardcore, metal, and emo—has earned them a devoted following centered around their live shows.
They have also signed with overseas labels such as the UK’s Raw Power Management and the US’s Hopeless Records, and are known for achieving worldwide popularity that extends beyond Japan.
In today’s rock scene, where global expansion is the norm for bands, they are a new-generation metal act that quickly earned recognition abroad.
Legend: A Journey Through IcelandMono
Formed in 1999, this four-piece instrumental band has gained popularity with a post-rock sound that fuses rock, orchestral elements, shoegaze, and guitar noise.
While instrumental music isn’t as familiar in Japan, it has been highly regarded especially overseas, where multiple languages coexist.
Their overwhelming performance and expressive power—conveying the full range of emotions without words—could well be called a world standard.
Known to rock music fans around the globe, they are a rock band that has toured more than any other Asian band, performing in over 60 countries.
THE FINALDIR EN GREY
A five-member visual kei rock band that has gained support with original songs based on metal and hardcore, infused with flavors of folk music.
They have enjoyed strong popularity since their formation and can be seen as a band that helped spark the current focus on indie artists—achieving milestones such as becoming the first indie band to perform at the Nippon Budokan even before their major-label debut.
They are also highly popular overseas, undertaking energetic activity such as tightly scheduled, day-by-day tours across the United States and European countries.
Transcending Japan’s uniquely visual-kei mode of expression, they are a rock band that captivates loud rock fans around the world.
MonolithCROSSFAITH
A metalcore band at the forefront of the next-generation metal scene, blending ferocious metal with electronica.
They performed at Japan’s major metal festival “LOUD PARK” in their teens and have continued to assert a commanding presence on numerous stages, including “SUMMER SONIC.” Their exceptional musicianship and electrifying live performances create a visceral impact that resonates not only visually and sonically but also with listeners’ intuition.
In 2013, they made their world debut and became the first band from Asia to perform at Australia’s “SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL 2013,” earning significant acclaim abroad for their prowess.
Excuse me, I’ll be leaving first.hanabie
Hanabie., who established the genre “Harajuku Core” by fusing metalcore and hardcore, are presenting a new form of girls’ band.
Since forming in 2015, they have honed their craft on the live-house circuit and made their major debut with the July 2023 album Reborn Superstar!.
Their track Pardon Me, I Have to Go Now became a hit, and their popularity has been rising with international tours and festival appearances.
It’s also remarkable that they became the first Japanese female artists to perform on the main stage of Lollapalooza 2024, one of the world’s largest outdoor music festivals.
Led by vocalist Yukina—whose powerful screams contrast with her petite, cute appearance—their music, crafted by a uniquely individual lineup, is recommended not only for longtime metalcore fans but also for those interested in anime and Harajuku culture.
Metaphor feat. FeryquitousIchika Nito
Ichika Nito is a guitarist with a large social media following who is attracting worldwide attention.
He started piano in childhood and picked up the guitar at 15.
With wide-ranging tastes from metalcore to R&B, he has honed his skills self-taught.
His YouTube channel boasts over two million subscribers, and he ranked eighth as one of the “best guitarists right now” in the UK music magazine Total Guitar.
With his unique sensibility, exceptional technique, and one-of-a-kind tone, he has earned high praise from world-renowned guitarists such as John Petrucci and Pete Townshend.
He also performs live actively overseas.
Well-versed in anime and video game music, his captivating performances that draw on that knowledge point to new possibilities for guitar music.
Japanese Artists Active Overseas (21–30)
La CampanellaTsujii Nobuyuki
A pianist who became the first Japanese winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and attracted worldwide attention.
Born completely blind due to microphthalmia, his family worked tirelessly to develop his hearing, and as a result he displayed prodigious ability, reportedly distinguishing between pianists’ performances as early as eight months old.
In 2016, a video of him performing the notoriously difficult La Campanella—requiring transcendental technique—led overseas viewers to hail him as “the greatest pianist in the world,” cementing his reputation at home and abroad.
While he is often referred to as a “blind pianist” because of his background, he is an artist who captivates the world with music that transcends any such handicap.