Kaela Kimura emerged as the alternative "it girl" of 2005, but it remains to be seen if she will establish herself as a multi-faceted entertainer, or just a passing fad. Born in Tokyo on October 24, 1984, she first appeared on pop culture radar in 2002 as a model in the Japanese teen fashion… ...

The artist known as Dorlis swings with an ease and lack of pretense that bely her age – 23 years old at the time of this writing. Born and raised in Okayama, Dorlis began studying classical guitar as a child, later singing on the streets from age 17. After dropping out of high school she hit the road,… ...

Formed in 1994 by vocalist, guitarist, and Rolling Stones freak Don Matsuo, Zoobombs channel old-school rock and roll and update it with hip-hop, country, punk rock, dub, funk, and even kraut-rock, all topped off with an overdose-size shot of pure energy. The band hit the Japanese underground circuit… ...

Like Maki Nomiya, Karia Nomoto, Kahimi Karie, and other artists heavily influenced by the collision of French pop, fashion, and other continental touchstones, singer/songwriter Emi Necozawa has crafted a distinctive image based on these reference points that plays just as large a role in attracting fans… ...

hitomi (always in lower case) is a very cute and sexy girl. Oh, and she also happens to sing. Born Hitomi Furuya on January 26, 1976 in Tochigi prefecture, hitomi has been a popular idol singer now for over a decade. But overwhelmingly, it’s her long, tall, curvy frame and flawless facial features… ...

Ken Hirai stands out from the rest of the J-pop pack – literally, since he’s 183 cm tall. He stands out in a musical sense, too, since talented male vocalists like Hirai are almost an endangered species on the Japanese music scene. But what really makes Hirai special is his utterly unique falsetto, which… ...

Born in 1976 to a Taiwanese father and Japanese mother, popular singer Yo Hitoto spent most of her pre-kindergarten life in Taiwan. After the unfortunate death of her father to lung cancer, Hitoto moved back to Japan with her mother and older sister, where the family found solace in music. Tragedy… ...

Shinichi Osawa, operating under the name Mondo Grosso, has established himself as one of Japan’s most innovative and stylish creators of acid jazz, R&B, and house music. A bassist, DJ, remixer, and producer, Osawa began recording music in 1989, releasing his first album, Mondo Grosso, in 1993 on… ...

Maywa Denki is a failed electronics maker and performance art masterpiece rolled into one. Today consisting solely of Nobumichi Tosa, Maywa Denki was originally founded by his father Sakaichi Tosa, who formed the company after a lengthy stretch drawing plans for seaplanes for a company called Kawanishi… ...

Ever since her debut in December 1999 with the million-selling single "Love, Day After Tomorrow", female vocalist Mai Kuraki has been one of J-pop’s most popular artists. Inspired by singers such as Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Kuraki began making demo tapes while still in middle school…. ...