Nodame Cantabile - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A comic about classical music has become hugely popular among children who used to think that this type of music was too difficult and hardly ever listened to it. Nodame Cantabile is a serial manga (comic) that has appeared in the girls' comic magazine Kiss since 2001. The manga is a comedy about a group of students at a music university who study classical music, including instruments like the piano, violin, timpani, and oboe, as well as conducting.

Yoshida Brothers - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
The Yoshida Brothers have dyed-brown hair that is representative of Japan's younger generation. But these two young men passionately perform music while wearing traditional Japanese hakama (trouser-like split skirts worn over the kimono). The music that they play has the power of rock music, and the dynamic tone that comes from their instruments is attracting many young fans in Japan.

A Cappella - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A cappella music is the rage among young people in Japan. A cappella refers to vocal music performed without instrumental accompaniment. Originally Italian, a cappella means "in chapel style". But ensembles that perform this type of music don't necessarily specialize in church or gospel songs. The groups that are popular in Japan are much more laid back, and they sing songs of various genres, from R&B to rap, in beautiful harmony.

Music Production - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
The most successful music producer in Japan is a multi-talented man who is also Japan's top recording artist and a writer of music and song lyrics. His name is Tetsuya Komuro.

Morning Musume - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Not only elementary and middle school children but also adults in Japan are going wild over a popular music group called Morning Musume, or " Morning Girls." In 1998, the year of its formal debut, the group was named best new artist at the Japan Record Award, the most prestigious music award in Japan. All of its compact discs--three albums and eight singles--have been hits. The seventh and eighth singles, in particular, have both become million sellers.

Making Music the Easy Way | Arts and Entertainment | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The path to musical proficiency has been considerably shortened in the last few years, thanks to the introduction of a new generation of instruments that make playing music a lot easier than ever before.

Music Video games - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Most people think video games are something you play by staring at a screen and moving your fingers around, but this isn't always the case anymore. A popular new type of game at video arcades requires players to score points by dancing and performing in front of friends while keeping rhythm to music.

Music That Comes When You Call | Sci-tech | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
There is now a robot that will come over to you and play music with just the push of a button on a remote control.

Music That Comes When You Call | Science and Technology | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
There is now a robot that will come over to you and play music with just the push of a button on a remote control.

Action Simulation Games - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Here a person swings a baseball bat, over there another shoots a soccer ball, and still others beat Japanese drums or dance to music. They're all soaking with sweat, and they're all in the same space. Where is this?

Instruments - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Koto, shamisen, shakuhachi (bamboo flute), wadaiko (Japanese drum), fue (another kind of flute), hichiriki (bamboo oboe). . . all of these are very old Japanese musical instruments with a history of more than 1,000 years. Even many adults probably don't know what they are. But beginning in April 2002, National Curriculum Standards will require all students in Japan to study how to play at least one of these traditional instruments throughout their three years of music classes in middle school.

Koto - Monthly News - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A blind 16-year-old Japanese took third place in an international music contest for high school students with a stirring performance on the koto, a traditional Japanese harp.

Ayumi Hamasaki - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Interestingly enough, there have been very few attention-grabbing new male solo artists over the last several years on the Japanese pop music scene. This stands in sharp contrast to the number of female stars, such as Hikaru Utada, aiko, Mai Kuraki, Yuki Koyanagi, Ringo Shiina, and Misia. These talented artists are wildly popular not only among adults but even among elementary and middle school students. The most prominent among them now is Ayumi Hamasaki.

Perfume 2 - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
The futuristic techno-pop group Perfume is remarkable in more ways than one. Robotic dance steps add a lighthearted feel to their performances, and as the all-girl group has emerged on to the music scene, they’ve attracted a wide fan base that includes girls as well as boys.

Perfume 1 - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
The futuristic techno-pop group Perfume is remarkable in more ways than one. Robotic dance steps add a lighthearted feel to their performances, and as the all-girl group has emerged on to the music scene, they’ve attracted a wide fan base that includes girls as well as boys.

Perfume 3 - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
The futuristic techno-pop group Perfume is remarkable in more ways than one. Robotic dance steps add a lighthearted feel to their performances, and as the all-girl group has emerged on to the music scene, they’ve attracted a wide fan base that includes girls as well as boys.

Virtual Singer Tops The Charts | Sci-tech | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The voice of female vocalist Hatsune Miku has become the talk of Japan's Internet community. Her voice is husky with just a hint of sweetness, and she has the spellbinding appearance of an anime character. Hatsune Miku is certainly no ordinary girl.

Hirakawachi Itchome - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Two brothers who attend middle school in Sado, an 855-square-kilometer island in the Sea of Japan belonging to Niigata Prefecture, have won the hearts of young people across Japan. Hayashi Ryunosuke, 15, and Naojiro, 13, together form a folk duo called Hirakawachi Itchome. Ryunosuke writes the songs and Naojiro sings them. They only made their professional debut in November 2003, but their first CD single, "Tokyo," has already sold more than 50,000 copies.

Hikaru Utada - What's Cool in Japan - Archives - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
When Hikaru Utada debuted in December 1998 with the single "Automatic/Time Will Tell", the Japanese media hailed her as a singer of tremendous promise who had emerged like a meteor. And no wonder, because a 16-year-old singer born in New York City had appeared out of nowhere with superb singing skills and songs that she had written herself in the R&B (rhythm and blues) style.

Brass Bands 2 - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Koshien Stadium, located near Kobe in western Japan, hosts the National High School Baseball Championship every August. Koshien has long been famous for the brass bands that play there, and they have recently even been the subject of movies. This has inspired more and more middle and high school students to join their schools’ brass band clubs.