I try not to form stereotypes about other cultures but... well, there's no denying Japan produces some really, really weird popular culture. Japan's penchant for weirdness was out in full force this ...

On paper, Babymetal sound absurd: a Japanese trio who fuse their national culture of cute – “kawaii” – with the chainsaw chug of heavy metal. But in the studio and on stage, their “kawaii metal” ...

THIS is the moment the newly elected Japanese prime minister played the drums in a surprise performance, before announcing ...

Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal made history at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Nov. 1, performing its largest North American show to date in the group’s only arena concert of 2025. Such large-scale ...

Here is the best Japanese rock/metal band from each of the last five decades, as chosen by Ryujin's Ryoji Shinomoto. There are so many incredible acts under the nebulous heavy music umbrella that have ...

Kawaii Metal: A music genre combining cute J-pop elements with heavy metal instrumentation. Fox God (Kitsune-sama): The mystical entity in BABYMETAL's mythology who guides their destiny. The One: What ...

Japan’s incoming prime minister is a heavy metal drummer with an iron will — that insiders say gives her an in with President Trump. Sanae Takaichi is set to become Japan’s first female prime minister ...

Japanese heavy metal legends have been around for 43 years and released a wealth of good music, with their most recent release, the 2021 album Sunburst, being their 28th studio recording. They first ...