While living in Japan I made sure to experience the amazing music scene that Tokyo has to offer. There are so many different venues that you are bound to find something that you like. I saw an arrange of different artists, from small heavy metal cover bands to bands that are well known around the world. I never had a bad experience with concerts in Japan and the Japanese concert experience is different from that in America. Here is a list of some of the bands and the venues where I saw them.
Heavy Metal Cover Bands, Tokyo WildSide
A friend of mine had joined the university's heavy metal band club (it's as amazing as it sounds) and was having an end of the semester concert. Along with his club, there were quite a few of other bands that played as well. Some had original songs and others were cover bands of heavy metal groups that were Japanese and Western. The energy in the building was so fun and everyone was supporting each band that played. Granted, most of the people there were people in the different bands so there wasn't a huge audience, but it was still really fun. Like at any good heavy metal concert there was a great moshpit (which I observed from the sideline).
The Venue
Tokyo WildSide is a small venue in the outskirts of Shinjuku. Down an alley and then down some stairs you will find walls covered in band stickers and posters. This venue is known for showcasing smaller groups and the less mainstream. The workers were friendly and they made good drinks as well.
Tricot, Shibuya WWW X
Tricot is a well known all-girl rock group from Kyoto, Japan. They have played all over the world and you can often find articles written about them in American mainstream media. Their talent in rhythm and their distinct sound has put them in the spotlight all over the world. Seeing them live was truly amazing. The singer, Ikumi Nakajima's voice sounded just as good as the recorded version. The venue was filled with Japanese and foreigners alike. Everyone was dancing and singing along to the songs. The atmosphere was ecstatic. It was a concert I'll never forget.
The Venue
WWW X is split into two venue areas WWW and WWW X. It's situated in the heart of Shibuya and a really cool venue. When you enter the building you go up to the second floor where you enter into the bar area. The venue itself is pretty small, but it makes it really easy to watch the performance. As you exit you go up again to a room where they sell merch. As you exit you go to an outside stairwell and go back down to the streets.
Fredrick, Studio Coast
I stumbled upon Fredrick one day when I was looking for some new Japanese tunes. I instantly loved their fun lyrics and their bubbly pop sound. Recently their popularity has grown exponentially and you can often see posters for them around the city. Live, they are so entertaining and funny. They have a really great stage presence and had everyone dancing. Halfway through their show, they did an acoustic set of some of their most famous songs and it was quite the treat. My friend and I still talk about this concert to this day.
The Venue
This venue was the largest one out of all the concerts I attended. However, it still wasn't that large. It's pretty far from the center of Tokyo and is really close to the ocean. In the venue, it had a huge disco ball in the middle and the lighting was really cool. They had laser beams and special effects and was probably one of the most visually pleasing concerts I've ever been to.
If you ever find yourself in Japan try to go and see a concert. Even if it's in Japanese and you can't understand a word the experience itself is so worth it. Music is an important aspect of any culture and being able to experience that first hand is something that will add a different dimension to your travels.
