Throughout the years, Japanese rock music has been steadily making its way into the international radar, and there are many people who are trying to get familiar with the Japanese rock scene but don’t know where to start. This short list of artists/bands will give those who are interested a gateway to the Japanese rock scene.

1. ONE OK ROCK.

One of the most popular bands from Japan, ONE OK ROCK, comprises of bassist Ryota, vocalist Taka, guitarist Toru, and drummer Tomoya. Beginning in 2005 when current guitarist Toru wanted to start a band, ONE OK ROCK has risen its way to fame with the completion of eight studio albums and two extended plays. A reminiscent of Linkin Park, ONE OK ROCK is generally classified as a post-hardcore and alternative rock group, where they incorporate yell-rapping and screaming in most of their songs. The band has recently started making more songs in English and have also found great international success, touring in countries such as Canada, Korea, China, Germany, America, and Poland.

2. Aimer.

Although labeled as a J-Pop artist due to her upbeat sounding records and piano ballads, Aimer also heavily incorporates the rock genre within her music, utilizing her husky and expressive voice. Aimer best describes her music with the term "blanc det noir" ("white and black" in French) to refer to her songs touching on both the light, which represents a happier side, and the darkness, for a more melancholic feeling. Starting her career by releasing a cover album titled “Your Favorite Things” that included both Japanese and Western music, Aimer’s cover of “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga gained her high recognition, and from there, she has released a plethora of studio, cover, collaboration, and mini albums.

3. Ling Tosite Sigure.

A rock trio formed by members Tōru "TK" Kitajima on guitar and vocals, Miyoko "345" Nakamura on bass and vocals, and Masatoshi "Pierre" Nakano on drums, Ling Tosite Sigure is most known for their beautifully grotesque lyrics, bringing out lyrical beauty through ugly and chaotic imagery. The genres that most describe their style of music would probably be post-hardcore and progressive rock, where they combine wails and screams to their quick-tempo changes throughout their songs. The band has received a great amount of exposure after the release of their second album “Inspiration is DEAD” and continued to build upon their success with three more albums and two extended plays.

4. nano.

With a childhood in both New York and Tokyo, nano’s fluency in English and Japanese allows her to make songs that appeal to several different audiences while also being able to use her cultural background to combine different styles of rock music together. First known by posting covers of vocaloid and anime songs on Niconico and YouTube, nano later signed a record deal with major label Flying Dog and has released three studio albums thus far, the latest titled “Rock On.” Known for her playful mysteriousness by hiding her face in pictures, nano often teases her fans by only showing parts of her facial appearance through social media.

5. Flow.

Ranging all the way back to 1998, the band Flow is made up of vocalist Keigo, bassist Got’s, lead guitarist Take, drummer Iwasaki, and second vocalist/rhythm guitarist Kohshi. They are known to be a pop-punk and alternative rock band with a large discography of 10 studio albums and 30 singles. Flow has made several songs for some of the most popular/notable anime series, such as "Naruto," "Dragon Ball," "Code Geass," and "Eureka Seven." They are currently still running as a band and have recently made a song titled “Kaze no Uta / Burn” for the opening theme of the video games “Tales of Zestiria the X” and “Tales of Berseria.”