Celebrating #JpopJanuary
Happy 2025! utatune is kickstarting #jpopjanuary, a month-long celebration of the amazing artists from today’s Japanese music scene!
Every day this January, I’ll spotlight an artist or group on the brand-new Instagram account. All featured artists (and articles) will be listed below, but please follow on Instagram for more info!
#JpopJanuary Spotlights
Day 1 – Saba Sister
ARTICLE: Discover Saba Sister
Day 1 of #JpopJanuary is here, and we’re kicking it off with a bang! Meet Saba Sister, Japan’s exciting girl band on the rise!
Formed in 2022, this Tokyo-based girls’ band consists of the following talented trio:
- Nachi (なち): Vocals, Guitar, and Songwriting
- GK: Drums and Chorus
- Rumina (るみなす): Guitar and Chorus
Day 2 – TOMOO
ARTICLE: Discover TOMOO
It’s day 2 of #jpopjanuary – and we’re celebrating TOMOO!
- Known for her signature alto voice, the singer-songwriter performs “Contrast,” the second anime ending for Blue Box.
- In May of this year, she will be holding a solo concert at the prestigious Nippon Budokan!
Day 3 – AKASAKI
ARTICLE: Discover AKASAKI
Day 3 of #jpopjanuary – discover AKASAKI!
With his chart-topping song “Bunny Girl,” this rising star is taking Japan (and the world) by storm!
AKASAKI’s rapid journey to success was fueled through posting demos on TikTok, which went viral on the platform!
Day 4 – Furui Riho
ARTICLE: Discover Furui Riho
Day 4 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Furui Riho
Hailing from Hokkaido, Furui Riho is a singer-songwriter known for her soulful tracks that empower listeners.
From her gospel choir roots to releasing her 2024 album Love One Another, she’s a powerful artist to watch in Japan’s music scene!
Day 5 – jo0ji
ARTICLE: Discover jo0ji
Day 5 of #jpopjanuary: Today, we are shining a spotlight on jo0ji!
The talented singer-songwriter didn’t expect to pursue a career in music, but gained attention from the industry with his song “Fukutsu ni Hana.”
Next month, he will be performing alongside rising artists imase and natori for the event “Juice supported by Rolling Stone Japan.”
Day 6 – Tatsuya Kitani
ARTICLES
Day 6 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Tatsuya Kitani (キタニタツヤ) ✨
A true force in today’s Japan’s music scene, Tatsuya Kitani began his musical career in 2014 as the Vocaloid producer Hello Tanitasan. He kickstarted his solo career three years later!
Known internationally for his anime hits, he’s a talented singer, bassist, and songwriter who has crafted songs beloved by many music fans.
Day 7 – Penthouse
ARTICLE: Discover Penthouse
DAY 7 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Penthouse ⬇️ ✨
Penthouse is a six-member band from Japan. Formed in 2019, the members are all alumni of a music circle from their college days!
Day 8 – tuki.
ARTICLE: Discover tuki.
Day 8 of #jpopjanuary: Meet tuki. ⬇️✨
tuki. is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence at the age of 15 with the hit song “Bansanka”in September of 2023.
tuki. just released her first album, 15—be sure to check it out!
Day 9 – yama
ARTICLES
Day 9 of #jpopjanuary: Meet yama ✨
The talented singer first started out as an utaite (a cover artist on digital platforms like Niconico) before breaking out with their debut single, “Haru wo Tsugeru” in 2020.
Most of yama’s personal info, including their real name, hometown, and gender identity, remain unknown.
“BURN” by yama and WurtS is the second anime opening for Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Disturbance.
Day 10 – imase
ARTICLES
Day 10 of #jpopjanuary: Meet imase ⬇️✨
imase is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Gifu who first gained recognition on TikTok.
After less than a year of sharing music on the platform, he debuted in 2021 and quickly rose to fame with his 2022 viral hit “Night Dancer.”
His latest release “EGOIST” is the second anime ending for Trillion Game.
Day 11 – noa
ARTICLE: Discover noa
Day 11 of #jpopjanuary: Meet noa (乃紫) ✨
noa is a self-produced singer-songwriter who does it all—songwriting, vocals, production, and even music video direction.
Her viral hit “Any angles” (全方向美少女) first captured hearts worldwide, with many J-pop and K-Pop idols jumping on the trend! Her subsequent hits, including “My lovely killer” have only built on this success.
Known for her catchy melodies and “love at first sight” musical charm, noa’s work is pure magic in a single listen.
noa was selected to be a part of Spotify Japan’s RADAR: Early Noise 2025.
Day 12 – 808
ARTICLE: Discover 808
Day 12 of #jpopjanuary: Meet 808⬇️✨
808 (YAOYA) is a Japanese singer, rapper, and songwriter. Emerging from the club scene in Kansai, Japan, he gained greater recognition through his 2024 hit song “You.”
Day 13 – ZUTOMAYO
ARTICLES:
Day 13 of #jpopjanuary: Meet ZUTOMAYO✨
ZUTOMAYO is a Japanese rock band formed in 2018. They skyrocketed to fame with their viral debut song, “Byoushinwo Kamu.”
Day 14 – THE CHARM PARK
ARTICLE: Discover THE CHARM PARK
Day 14 of #jpopjanuary: THE CHARM PARK
THE CHARM PARK is a Korean American singer-songwriter based in Tokyo, Japan. He made his debut as a soloist in November of 2015.
Day 15 – Mulasaki Ima
ARTICLE: Discover Mulasaki Ima
Day 15 of #jpopjanuary is a celebration of Mulasaki Ima (紫 今)
The genre-bending artist has gained fame with many of her viral hits—most notably, “femme fatale A” (魔性の女A) in 2024.
Known for her strong husky voice, Mulasaki Ima also writes, composes, and arranges her songs.
Day 16 – issey
ARTICLE: Discover issey
Day 16 of #jpopjanuary: Meet issey ⬇️✨
issey (弌誠) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and musician known for his genre-bending discography.
Drawing inspiration from early 2000s music, he creates what he calls “new J-POP.” He gained viral fame with his hit song “MoeChakkaFire.”
Day 17 – shytaupe
ARTICLE: Discover shytaupe
Day 17 of #jpopjanuary: shytaupe ⬇️✨
shytaupe (シャイトープ) is a Japanese band formed in July 2022.
The trio met in university as members of the same college club, and found success with their hit song “rendezvous”
Day 18 – Masanori Otoda
ARTICLE: Discover Masanori Otoda
Day 18 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Masanori Otoda
Masanori Otoda (音田雅則) is a Japanese singer-songwriter who rose to fame through sharing his music on social media.
In 2023, he gained popularity with his viral hit, “fake fake dance music.”
Day 19 – Sasuke Haraguchi
ARTICLE: Discover Sasuke Haraguchi
Day 19 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Sasuke Haraguchi
Sasuke Haraguchi (原口沙輔) is a Japanese music producer, songwriter, DJ, dancer, and singer.
He gained viral attention, both within and beyond the Vocaloid community, with his song “Hito Mania” (人マニア).
Day 20 – Omoinotake
ARTICLE: Discover Omoinotake
Day 20 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Omoinotake
Omoinotake is a three-member Japanese piano band that blends contemporary J-pop with elements of rock, jazz, R&B, and soul.
Formed in 2012, they rose to fame with their 2024 hit, “Ikuokukonen.”
Day 21 – Kocchi no Kento
ARTICLE: Discover Kocchi no Kento
For Day 21 of #jpopjanuary, we’re spotlighting Kocchi no Kento!
A rising star in the Japanese music scene, Kocchi no Kento is a singer, songwriter, and multimedia creator, who recently won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2024 Japan Record Awards.
Known for his uplifting, catchy hits, Kento’s found great success with his viral song, “Hai Yorokonde.”
Day 22 – PAS TASTA
Day 22 of #jpopjanuary: PAS TASTA
PAS TASTA is an electronic J-pop project formed by “six sound geeks.”
The members—Uyama Amane, Kabanagu, hirihiri, phritz, quoree, and yuigot—are talented music producers and singer-songwriters.
PAS TASTA was selected to be a part of Spotify Japan’s RADAR: Early Noise 2025.
Their 2024 album GRAND POP was featured on Pitchfork (and is also just incredible, one of my favorites of the year!)
Day 23 – Kroi
ARTICLE: Discover Kroi
Day 23 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Kroi
Kroi is a five-member, multi-genre Japanese band formed in 2018.
The group consists of Leo Uchida (vocals, guitar), Yuki Hasebe (guitar), Masanori Seki (bass), Daiki Chiba (keyboard), and Hidetomo Masuda (drums).
Day 24 – Toaka
ARTICLE: Discover Toaka
Day 24 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Toaka
Toaka is a Japanese singer songwriter.
She is the voice behind the breathtaking theme song “Suzume” from Makoto Shinkai’s movie of the same name!
Day 25 – natori
ARTICLE: Discover natori
Day 25 of #jpopjanuary is all about natori!
The popular singer-songwriter became well-known through his song “Overdose,” which went viral on TikTok, both in Japan and overseas.
natori created two hit anime openings in 2024: “Absolute Zero” from WINDBREAKER and “Chained” with Tatsuya Kitani for Rurouni Kenshin season 2.
Day 26 – Haru Igarashi
ARTICLE: Discover Haru Igarashi
Day 26 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Haru Igarashi
Haru Igarashi, also known as 五十嵐ハル (Igarashi Haru), is a Japanese singer-songwriter and multi-talented artist, handling everything from songwriting and vocals to illustration and video production.
Day 27 – RIKONDENSETSU
ARTICLE: Discover RIKONDENSETSU
Day 27 of #jpopjanuary: Discover RIKONDENSETSU (離婚伝説)
Formed in January 2022, the self-produced Japanese band consists of vocalist Ayumu Matsuda and guitarist Jun Beppu. Their music blends genres like R&B, pop ,enka, rock, and more—centered around the theme of love.
RIKONDENSETSU made their anime debut in 2024 with “Honjitsuno Osusume,” the anime opening for Red Cat Ramen!
Day 28 – oops cool
Day 28 of #jpopjanuary: Meet oops cool
Formed in 2024, oops cool is a four-member Japanese MC unit!
Referring to themselves as “professional amateurs,” the group juggles day jobs during the week while transforming into masked artists when performing.
Day 29 – Chevon
Day 29 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Chevon
Chevon is a three-member Sapporo-based band formed in 2021.
Their name comes directly from the English word for goat meat!
The trio gained recognition with their 2024 song “meimei.”
Day 30 – Ayumu Imazu
ARTICLE: Discover Ayumu Imazu
Day 30 of #jpopjanuary: Meet Ayumu Imazu
Ayumu Imazu (今津渉) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and dancer who gained viral success in 2024 with his hit song “Obsessed.
Deeply involved in every step of the creation process, Imazu writes, arranges, and choreographs his own dances.
Day 31 – Aooo
Last day of #jpopjanuary is Aooo!
Aooo is a four member Japanese rock band.
Did you know? Their band name comes from the band member’s blood types!
They’ve been praised by music experts as an up and coming band to watch in 2025!