visual kei

We talk about everything except music with visual kei rock legends Fantastic Circus【Interview】

We stay firmly in our lane and talk about budgies instead.

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Anti-stalker Male Voice Clip Collection for Women Who Live Alone released by Japanese band【Video】

Golden Bomber wants to help women keep unwanted callers and visitors from knowing they live by themselves.

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Family cheated out of 54 million yen by man impersonating Japanese rock star for three years

Suspect also convinced his own mother he was the Dir En Grey frontman for 10 years.

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Visual kei band Golden Bomber puts fans to sleep for White Day 【Video】

Like dozing off with Cloud at the campfire on a Final Fantasy adventure.

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X Japan vocalist Toshi becomes a YouTuber, makes Christmas pancakes【Video】

A surprising career turn for the legendary rocker as he reviews a new brand of cream.

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X Japan’s Yoshiki announces diner show for fans who love his music and have 800 bucks to spend

Many would say Yoshiki’s contributions to Japanese music culture are priceless, so in a way, you could say this is a bargain.

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X Japan’s Yoshiki gives weather report in English on French TV, delights fans worldwide【Video】

Lack of rainy conditions sadly prevents Japanese visual kei music legend from saying weather will rock viewers like a hurricane.

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Golden Bomber wows the crowd with an eight-second concert

Sometimes less is more….

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Visual Kei headbanging is either very soothing or very creepy to watch【Video】

Is a few dozen people dancing without moving their bodies at all unsettling or tranquil? You be the judge.

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The return of X Japan to Japan, completed with their first autograph session in 30 years

The visual-kei, metal, classically-inspired rock band is returning with a single message: “We are X.”

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Wagakki Band releases new teaser video, third album on sale soon!【Video】

 

The popular group has played sold-out shows overseas and now they’re ready to release their third album!

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Legends of Japanese visual rock to come together to perform at Visual Japan Summit 2016

This October is going to get a little crazy in Tokyo.

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Otakon to Host X Japan Leader Yoshiki

Musician promises “big announcement”

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Our writer transforms into a rock goddess in hopes of teaming up legendary musician Yoshiki 【Vid】

Our Japanese-language writer gets a visual kei makeover as part of her quest to join the all-female follow-up to X Japan.

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Cats in trouble, washing bags, and visual kei bands: What do these three things have in common?

The Japanese Twitterverse has been sharing some handy tricks for rescuing our feline friends in times of emergency.

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Golden Bomber cosplays Japanese glam rock in their new music video【Video】

Before idol groups like AKB48, Japanese glam rock—called visual kei—was where it was at. In their latest music video release, “air rock” band Golden Bomber revisits some of the genre’s most iconic looks.

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Drummer for visual kei band evokes smiles online with photos of adorable rescue kitten

Whether people like to admit it or not, a big part of being in a successful band is maintaining an image. Sure, we know deep down that most of our favorite musicians are just normal people with very specific talents, but we still love to see them as their over-the-top personas. David Bowie may be a great singer, but a good chunk of his success comes just from being so flipping weird all the time.

For visual kei bands in Japan, the “visual” aspect—and thus the image—can be almost as important the music for fans, and visual kei band The Black Swan are no different. But despite the dark, often graphic nature of their videos and general image, their drummer has revealed himself to be a big ol’ softie by posting a plethora of photos of his rescue kitty on Twitter…and winning the hearts of Internet users throughout Japan!

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Japanese rock musician decides to get old-school, starts a career singing enka

The history of Japanese music is long and storied, and contemporary artists, be they J-pop artists or grindcore bands, fill only a few chapters. Of course, they happen to be some of our favorite chapters, but we’re just saying, there’s a lot to discover!

One genre that has long been a favorite in Japan but hasn’t gotten as much attention overseas as, say, Hatsune Miku, is enka. A modern take on Japanese folk music, enka is probably most popular with older generations — but that hasn’t stopped one extravagantly dressed visual kei/rock drummer from giving it a shot!

Check the bizarre music video for Tsukasa Mogamigawa’s major label debut and get ready to shout “Maaaatsupoi poi poi!”

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New line of Vice Fairy men’s yukata uses the best slogans ever!

While Japan trudges and sweats its way through a finicky rainy season, everyone is awaiting the typically scorching hot summer that lies ahead. During the holidays many men in the country turn to the traditional garment called a yukata. A yukata is a loose-fitting kimono made of cheaper and lighter material than usual. To put it simply; it’s a bathrobe that’s acceptable for outdoor use.

But let’s say that you want the comfort of a yukata, but not the appearance of an alcoholic shut-in who’s lost all self-respect. For that, designers in Japan offer a slew of stylish yukata for you to choose from.

However, among all the competing brands these ads from Vice Fairy really resonate with guys like me and many other men in Japan. I don’t know why but their slogans seem to have the impact of a 10 ton steel fist.

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