OK, so, as part of the “regenerating content” strategy of this website, I’ve been writing a quick introduction to Japanese bands (the good ones), similar to the one that used to be up here. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) it’s getting pretty durn long. So, it seemed like the best thing to do, as always when a problem gets large, was to break it down band-by-band. So, be on the lookout for a series of articles on the best Japanese bands! First up is probably Rip Slyme.

Music is probably a good thing for its own sake, but it’s a super-genius-great way to strengthen your Japanese. This is especially true of hip-hop, but, to be fair, any kind of music with Japanese lyrics will work, it’s just that hip-hop is especially powerful. When you learn to handle the speed and vocal acrobatics of rap, you can handle anything.

in any music, the three R’s: rhythm, rhyming and repetition, are great for learning vocabulary. Music also brings joy into your life in that it reminds you that language can be a great plaything; language is fun. It’s easy to lose sight of that sometimes.

A word on scope: I’m not going to try to be comprehensive and name-drop every possible Japanese band, because (1) there are too many and (2) a lot of famous ones, frankly, suck, and are tainting the image of Japanese music. So, we’re just going to focus on the good ones, the best ones; the ones that are warrant an exchange of money on your part.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the articles! As always, feel free to let me know what you think by email (khatzumoto at alljapaneseallthetime dot com) or by comment at the bottom of the page.