Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Tokyo Kakehiki Club (Instagram, 𝕏) has released a 2nd album, titled "Sayonara Kakurenbo". This comes two years after their first album "Encore" (2023) in which the duo — Shirō Saginomiya and Ranko Suichūka (aka Mayutan (Masakosan)) — sang about various cities in Japan. This time, they bring a concept album of an evening at the 10th anniversary party of imaginary snackbar Kakurenbō which had opened in the first year of Heisei era (1989). The album features not only the duo but also various of the party guests singing for the event, including Rukatama among many others.

A special event for the release will be held on Thursday, January 29 from 20:00 at Akasaka Bar Flowers (details & tickers).

Tokyo Kakehiki Club "Sayonara Kakurenbo"
Tokyoかけひき倶楽部 「さよなら客恋慕」

1. ore no jinsei, ishikkoro ~Hakodate-kō yori~
2. honjitsu wa Party
3. Tokyo Snack taisō daiichi Chi-mama to issho / feat. Chieko Itō
4. atsuatsu kansen ~Love Virus~ / BAR COUNTER SISTERS
5. dōkoku no Blues / Miwa Marvelous
6. kame no katachi no iwa no mae / Shirō Saginomiya
7. watashi ga suki na mono ~ Party kaijō ni te 1
8. Kagoshima no onna / Ryosuke Kiyosubashi
9. imoni, Yamagata, surechigai
10. Tochigi, shō ga nai Lullaby / feat. Iwashita shachō (Iwashita New Ginger)
11. tsugi wa dare da ~ Party kaijō ni te 2
12. koi no Koigakubo ni akogarete / Heisei kakurenboys
13. Magic MoonLight / Ranko Suichūka & Kaohiko Kaoda
14. Nagoya Odori
15. tamatama bēbē ondō / Sansuke Yamada
16. Tokyo Kakehiki ondō
17. Snack Mama chan song / Snack Engei
18. SAYONARA Kakurenbō
19. kinen shashin wa omoide no naka

dapple DAP-019
Out now (1/28), ¥2273 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, Disk Union
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Sampler clip

【新譜】1/28（水）Tokyoかけひき倶楽部の2ndアルバム『さよなら客恋慕』リリース！本日フラゲ日です❗️「さよかく」をどうぞよろしく♥️

時は平成元年。架空のスナック「客恋慕（かくれんぼ）」の10周年パーティーというテイのコンセプトアルバム。スネークマンショーのごとき寸劇も入った19曲入り... pic.twitter.com/jPED1pGRHO

— Tokyoかけひき倶楽部 (@Tokyo_khclub) January 27, 2026

Dai Nakamura (a.k.a. NUBACK, also of Blank Music, BANK and Vacation Three, ex-Arch) has released this month a new EP of two songs. Titled "Kon Ya", it also contains a song named "Step". It's available on Bandcamp and other download/streaming platforms.

This release as Dai Nakamura follows EP "Small Room" (Bandcamp, , Spotify, YouTube Music), since which he also released as NUBACK the EP "Odoru / Zombie no uta" (Bandcamp, , Spotify, YouTube Music).

Dai Nakamura "Kon Ya" (Download)
Dai Nakamura 「今夜」

1. Step
2. Kon Ya

Too Young Records
Out now (1/13)
Sample/buy: Bandcamp, , Spotify, YouTube Music

Shintarō Sakamoto (ex-Yura Yura Teikoku) has just released a brand new 5th album, titled "Yoo-hoo" (with a Japanese title that's read "yahhō"). Like on the previous album "Like A Fable" (2022), band members are Yūta Suganuma on drums, AYA on bass & chorus, and Tetsu Nishiuchi on sax & flute, with on two tracks guest appearance of Minami Kakudō on marimba.

While available digitally, the CD edition comes with a bonus disc of all songs' instrumental versions. An LP edition was also released, though it apparently sold out instantly.

Shintarō Sakamoto "Yoo-hoo"
坂本慎太郎 「ヤッホー」
(Japanese title: "Yahhō")

1. Dear Grandpa
2. Is There A Place For You There?
3. Justice
4. Protect Your Brain
5. On The Other Side Of Time
6. The Clock Began To Move
7. Numb
8. Why Do This?
9. Ghost Town
10. Yoo-hoo

zelone records ZEL-029
Out now (1/23), ¥2600 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, HMV, Tower Records ^†, , Spotify, YouTube Music
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"Is There A Place For You There?" live studio performance

"Numb" live studio performance

Kyōko Koizumi (nicknamed Kyon Kyon = Kyon2), who debuted as an idol in 1982, has been back on stage since a few years. Once active as Koizumix Production in the early 90s, backed by many artists of the Shibuya-kei scene, two albums that were released on CD only have been pressed on vinyl for the first time.

"Bambinater" was the only original album of Koizumix Production, featuring collaborations with Konishi Yasuharu (ex-Pizzicato Five), Keigo Oyamada (Cornelius), Towa Tei, Takao Tajima (Original Love) and many more. "Tokyo Disco Night" is a cover of The Scooters and features backing vocals by Maki Nomiya, K-tarō Takanami (both then Pizzicato Five) and Ronny Barry (The Scooters). "89 - 99 Collection" collected remixes of songs from that album and some more, and the new 2LP vinyl has several bonus tracks collected from vinyl-only releases. Remixes include ones by Flipper's Guitar with Hiroshi Fujiwara.

Recently, Kyon Kyon has released two songs as Sin Koizumix Productions (Sin = Shin = New), in which collaborators include Kan Takagi and Kenji Ueda (ex-The Pillows) — covers of Godiego's "Beautiful Name" (2026) and Ann Lewis' "koi no Boogie Woogie Train" (2024). A live album titled "KKBC ~TOUR 2024 BALLAD CLASSICS Live at THEATER MILANO-Za~" was also released this week, available on CD, Blu-ray & DVD.

Kyoko Koizumi will be touring Japan extensively over the next months (with most shows already sold out), to finish at Tokyo Budokan on May 2 and 3, with also a show at Shibuya NHK Hall on April 22. Details can be found on this special site for her 60th birthday (coming up on February 4, 2026).

KOIZUMIX PRODUCTION "Bambinater" (12")

A1. Bambina
A2. Tokyo Disco Night
A3. LES VACANCES DE MADEMOISELLE KYON2
A4. WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN
B1. DRIVE
B2. SEXY HEAVEN
B3. LOVE-BALLAD

Victor Entertainment NJS-848
Out now (1/21), ¥4000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Play-Asia, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

KOIZUMIX PRODUCTION "89 - 99 COLLECTION" (12"x2)

A1. SIMULATION (CLUB MIX)
A2. No No No (Flipper's + HF Mix)
A3. DRIVE (London Drive Mix)
B1. SEXY HEAVEN (King Street Sound Club Mix)
B2. LES VACANCES DE MADEMOISELLE KYON2 (Rapino In Kabuki 12" Mix)
B3. josei jōi banzai (FEMALE FUNK UP MIX)
C1. LOVE-BALLAD (New Mix)
C2. WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN (Massive Sounds Club Mix)
C3. DRIVE (GOTA Re-Mix)
D1. La La La... (Flipper's + HF Mix)
D2. La La La... (Extended Version)
D3. Fade Out (MOODY STRINGS MIX)

Victor Entertainment NJS-846
Out now (1/21), ¥5000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Play-Asia, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Temma Matsunaga (Instagram, 𝕏) of Urbangarde (Instagram, 𝕏) has released a new 4th solo album, titled "Black One Point" (or in Japanese "kokuitten"). This new album includes collaborations with singers Maki Nomiya (Portable Rock, ex-Pizzicato Five) and Kawamoto Makoto. Check out the several music videos below.

There are two physical editions: a regular edition of the CD only, and a limited edition with a bonus DVD of a show held in August 2025 at Shibuya Star Lounge. The album is also available on download/streaming platforms.

In-store events are being held this month, including an upcoming one at Village Vanguard Shimokitazawa on January 24 from 19:00 which will feature Yōko Hamasaki (Urbangarde). A tour of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya will start on January 31 in Tokyo at Moon Romantic (tour details).

Also, a show of Urbangarde and Jun Togawa will be held on January 28 at Shinjuku Loft (tickets at e+).

Temma Matsunaga "Black One Point"
松永天馬 「黒一点」
(Japanese title: "kokuitten")

1. Stuttering Love
2. Living Humans
3. Boku ni Shiyagare
4. Take out Contacts
5. Japanese Circumstances (feat. Maki Nomiya)
6. Flambe with you (feat. Kawamoto Makoto)
7. Protein Love
8. Don't Pray
9. Love Museum
10. Black One Point

Limited edition (CD+DVD (Region 2 NTSC))
Ten Records TEN-0008
Out now (1/14), ¥5000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Regular edition
Ten Records TEN-0009
Out now (1/14), ¥3000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, HMV, Tower Records ^†, , Spotify, YouTube Music, OTOTOY
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"Stuttering Love"

"Living Humans"

"Boku ni Shiyagare"

"Black One Point"

Negicco's Megu (Instagram, 𝕏) has released a new single, this time of a song written and produced by Frenesi (Instagram, 𝕏). The catchy and mysterious French title "Le Bon Vivant" appears from the very start of the lyrics.

Like Megu's recent singles, the previous one being "sheep..sleep..." (2025) (CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, , Spotify, YouTube Music), the physical release comes as a CD & photobook set.

An in-store event featuring Megu and Frenesi will be held at Tower Records Kinshichō (Tokyo) this Friday, January 16 from 18:30 (details).

Megu (Negicco) "Le Bon Vivant" (CD+Photobook)
Megu (Negicco) 「めしませルルボン」
(Japanese title: "meshimase rurubon")

1. Le Bon Vivant
2. Le Bon Vivant (inst)

Fall Wait Records FAWA-0035
Out 1/14, ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, , Spotify, YouTube Music, OTOTOY
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Happy New Year 2026! The first release of the year is a surprise one from Towa Tei, a new Hawaii-insprired song titled "ALA&MOANA" out now digitally! Hear it below and find it on your favorite download/streaming platform.

Last year Towa Tei released album "AH!", on vinyl (Amazon, HMV, Tower, Disk Uniion) and digitally (, Spotify, YouTube Music), after which followed digital singles "Katabui", "One Second Counts" and "Mistakes Are Made To Happen", and in October one-sider 7" single "Nothing Else" (CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower, , Spotify, YouTube Music), and a soundtrack EP for "Star Wars: Visions Vol.3 - The Song of Four Wings" (, Spotify, YouTube Music).

Towa Tei "ALA&MOANA" (Download)

MachBeat.com
Out now (1/1)
Sample/buy: , YouTube Music, Spotify, OTOTOY