Blog
Band profiles, venue guides, scene reports, and practical advice from 15 years inside Japan's metal, punk, and hardcore underground.
How Music in Japan reads Tokyo live house calendars, why some shows never make it onto our listings, and five small changes venues and bands can make so a show gets found.
Most underground shows in Tokyo don't sell tickets the way you're used to. How the advance list (取り置き) works, the four ways shows sell tickets, what to write to a venue or band in Japanese, and what happens at the door.
When Tokyo live-house calendars fill in, which neighborhoods the venues cluster in, how a show night runs, and how to read a Japanese gig listing, for visitors who want their trip to include the underground.
Japanese live houses are not bars with stages. Understanding the norma system, drink tickets, advance reservations, and how shows are structured will make your first time feel like you've been going for years.