Asian Kung-fu Generation
Encyclopedia
, typeset as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, is a Japan
ese rock
band formed in Yokohama
, Japan
in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō
, guitarist Kensuke Kita
, bassist Takahiro Yamada
, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi
. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western
punk
and alternative rock
acts in conjunction with their own local Japanese indie rock
background. As a result, their songs maintain a balance of various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast-paced tempo
s and prominent, hard-edged guitar riffs as well as rhythmic flow and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim.
, Kensuke Kita
, and Takahiro Yamada
met in while attending a music club at Kanto Gakuin University
, a private university located in Yokohama
, Japan
. After realizing that they all shared similar musical tastes, the three decided to start their very own band. Masafumi Gotō became the lead vocalist
and played rhythm guitar
, Kensuke Kita played lead guitar
and sang backup and Takahiro Yamada played bass. Drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi
joined them later on after parting with another college band he was in. The four then began providing performances at their university as well as throughout the local Yokohama
area. After graduating from college, following years of playing in several small venues and having collaborated
with fellow Japanese rock musician Caramelman, AKFG released their first indie
EP
in 2000. The six-track EP contained original lyrics written and sung almost entirely in English. The four spent the remainder of the year playing in clubs and hosting independent events.
The year after, the band made an attempt to attain airplay on indie radio stations for their first Japanese single, . The song was eventually picked up by a popular radio DJ and put into heavy rotation on the station FM Yokohama
upon the demand of listeners. AKFG then released another indie EP, I'm Standing Here
. This time, however, the band wrote songs in Japanese. At this time, the band had begun drawing an increasingly large number of audiences to their shows held in clubs in the districts of Shibuya
, Shimokitazawa
, Kichijōji
, and Tokyo
.
, . The group enlisted internet radio
host and graphic artist Yusuke Nakamura to design and compose their single and album covers. The critically acclaimed EP topped the High Line Records' weekly chart for two consecutive weeks and peaked at number thirty-five on the Oricon
indies sales chart.
As a result of its success, Hōkai Amplifier was re-released on April 23, 2003 by the band's new record label, Ki/oon Records
, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan. A month later, AKFG held their first headline show at Shimokitazawa Club Shelter. That same summer, the band performed at the annual rock festivals of Fuji Rock Festival
03's "ROOKIE A GO GO" and Summer Sonic '03 in Tokyo and Osaka
. On August 6, the band released their major-label debut single, , with their second single, , following shortly after. Days later, AKFG held the first of what would come to be many annual concert festivals, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents NANO-MUGEN FES. The festival took place on August 11 at the Shinjuku LOFT. The band followed it up by releasing their first full-length studio album, on November 19. The LP sold over 250,000 copies and landed in the number five spot on the Oricon charts in its first week. As their fame and following grew, fans began calling the band simply , which is an abridgment of their full name.
. Over the course of the following summer, the band played in more than ten summer rock festivals, including Meet The World Beat, Rock In Japan Fes 04, and Fuji Rock Festival 04.
Over the course of the year, the band released four more singles: , , and , before finally releasing their second full-length album, on October 20. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon charts where it stayed for two consecutive weeks and eventually went on to sell more than 600,000 copies. The album received critical praised for its honed sound and high production quality, which thoroughly nullified the language barrier that frequently impeded non–Japanese
-speaking audiences. This notion became evident following the domestic release of Sol-fa, when AKFG fans from around the world organized themselves and petitioned for copies of the second album to be distributed outside of Japan. The support for Ajikan eventually resulted in Tofu Records
striking a contract to release Sol-fa in the United States
on October 18, 2005. Additionally, the song "Rewrite" found immense fame both domestically as well as on an international level when it was chosen as the fourth opening theme for the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist
. Around the same time, their song "Haruka Kanata" enjoyed similar recognition after being used for the second opening of the anime series Naruto
. Asian Kung–Fu Generation spent the next two months on a national tour consisting of twelve shows called "Tour SUI CUP 2004 -No! Member, November." The tour included a prestigious headliner at Nippon Budokan arena. The four then released a year-end video DVD, Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 1
on November 26. The DVD is compilation of the music videos for all singles from "Haruka Kanata" to "Kimi no Machi Made," including a never before seen clip of "Siren." The video contains audio commentary for each song, a making-of featurette, and live footage derived from their concerts.
. The two-disc video was the band's very first live DVD, as the first disc contains live footage of the entirety of the final show of their "Tour Suihai 2004 - No!Member, Novemer-," at Budokan, where they performed before an audience of over 10,000 people on December 5, 2004. Meanwhile, second disc contains clips from their first concert at the Shimokitazawa Shelter Club on November 2, 2004. It also includes behind-the-scenes documentary directed by Toshiaki Toyoda and filmed at Kanto Gakuin University, as well as outtakes from the music video for "Kimi to Iu Hana." Upon its release, the video managed to top the Oricon DVD charts for an entire month. On July 9, AKFG held their fifth Nano-Mugen Festival at Yokohama Arena
, where they performed with seven other Japanese and UK bands. To advertise the event, they released a preceding compilation album
that retained one song from each band attending the festival. Over the next summer, AKFG attended a host of festivals, including Summer Sonic 05, Rising Sun Rock Fes. 2005, and Rock in Japan Fes. 05. They also appeared as guests on GOGOICHI –SPACE SHOWER CHART SHOW– on November 27 on SPACE SHOWER TV. The band closed the year by releasing the single, , followed up by a brief tour entitled, "Tour SUI CUP 2005 - Winter Dragon" in December.
The band began 2006 with the release of their upcoming albums' second single, "World Apart
." The single was unique in that it featured a song in which Kensuke Kita stood as lead singer. It was also AKFG's first song to achieve number-one single status. It was also the year that the band was finally able to acquire their very own studio. They then took part in live performances in LIVE SUPERNOVA DX on February 16, 2006. On March 15, AKFG released their third full-length album, . The album peaked at number three and stayed in the Oricon top five for nearly two months. The following month, the band went on a national tour entitled, Count 4 My 8 Beat. Tickets for all thirty-eight shows quickly sold out. AKFG's sixth annual Nano-Mugen Fes. was held at Yokohama Arena. For two days, Asian Kung–Fu Generation and eleven other bands, including six Japanese bands, three American bands and two English bands, performed. Like the previous year, a compilation album
was released in July to advertise the Nano-Mugen Festival. After three years of attending the Fuji Rock Fes, AKFG had the opportunity to perform on its coveted primary Green Stage for the first time at Fuji Rock Festival 06.
on October 25. Rather than featuring hit singles, the nostalgic album was primarily compiled of B-sides
, live performances, and old demos from their early indie days. Even though it retained little new material, the compilation was met by commercial success and managed to debut at number two on the Oricon charts. AKFG then went on a two-month arena tour entitled, Tour Sui Cup 2006-2007: The Start of a New Season. Well over 100,000 fans attended this tour, which traveled through eight cities and featured guest performances by bands from Japan and the United States. In the midst of the tour, AKFG was commissioned by the director of the then-upcoming anime film, Tekkon Kinkreet
, to compose a theme song for the movie. The band created a song called, and released it as a year-end single prior to the film's debut. As a sign of their increasing cultural prominence, the band came to be parodied in a volume of the popular Hellsing manga
by members of the Vatican
named, "The Vactikung."
that contained footage of their previous tour. Although they took part in various domestic summer festivals, AKFG gradually became more and more withdrawn over the course of 2007 before ending appearances almost entirely. It was also the year that the band withheld their annual Nano-Mugen Festival. However, they closed the year with the November release of their next albums' second single, "After Dark
." The song debuted in the top ten on the Oricon charts and was used as the seventh opening for the anime series Bleach
. Additionally, on December 22, AKFG held a live concert in Seoul
entitled, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Tour SUI-CUP 2007 ~Project Beef~ Live In Korea. It was the band's first concert in Korea
since their performance five months earlier at Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival
, which had received enthusiastic applause from the foreign audience and led to the band being invited to play again.
While they performed at the Japanese New Year
countdown, AKFG continued to remain withdrawn and spent the next few months working on their fourth album. On February 2008, AKFG released the album's final single, , before quickly following it up with the album, World World World
. Despite the lack of media appearances and the significant time-span between their releases, the album topped the debuted Oricon charts on its first week before eventually relapsing the weeks after. Just a few months after the album release, Asian Kung–Fu Generation released their second major-label EP, Mada Minu Ashita ni
, on June 11, 2008. The mini-album features songs conceived around the time of the recording of their preceding full-length album. Although the EP didn't give way to any singles, the song "Mustang" managed to peak at number fifteen on the Japan Hot 100
. The song was the band's very first entry on the newly established chart.
band Third Eye Blind
on July 18. Incidentally, Third Eye Blind later appeared for the fourth and final lineup of AKFG's seventh annual Nano-Mugen Festival held at the Yokohama Arena through July 20-21st. The group was but one of a total of sixteen musical acts, originating from Japan, America, and the UK, who performed at the festival alongside Asian Kung–Fu Generation, who later released their third Nano-Mugen disc, Nano-Mugen Compilation 2008
. Peaking at number eighteen on the Oricon charts and retaining one song from each of the sixteen groups, the compilation expressed the largest track number within the Nano-Mugen series as of yet. Additionally, the song , composed by AKFG just for the compilation, managed to peak at number thirty-six on the Japan Hot 100 despite not being released as a single.
In September, Asian Kung–Fu Generation had the opportunity to play side-by-side with Weezer
, a California
-based alternative rock band that had played a major influence on their music. The WEEZER FESTIVAL was Weezer's first tour to Japan in three years and in promotion of their The Red Album, they performed on September 13 at Intex Osaka
and on the 15 at the The National Yoyogi First Gymnasium in Tokyo. Asian Kung–Fu Generation, along with fellow Japanese rock band Going Under Ground
, performed on both the Osaka and Tokyo stage.
They later released their twelfth single Fujisawa Loser
in October followed by their fifth studio album Surf Bungaku Kamakura
.
, featuring a collection of live videos from various live events in 2008. In July 2009, Asian Kung–Fu Generation held their annual Nano-Mugen festival. This was accompanied by Nano-Mugen Compilation 2009
, which featured a new track, , and tracks from each of the other 16 bands that partook in the festival. At the conclusion of the festival, Gotoh announced the group had started writing and producing a new album. Immediately following Nano-Mugen, the group kicked off their 2009 festival summer season with performances at Korea's "Jisan Valley Rock Festival", "Rock in Japan Festival 2009", and "Sweet Love Shower Festival 2009". In October, their sixth DVD, Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 6
, was released and was also the band's first release on Blu-ray. It featured a concert from their March 2009 hall tour "World World World", which featured a more experimental set design and set list, as well as the use of instruments such as tenori-on
and a strings section. The second half of the set included the whole of their 2008 album Surf Bungaku Kamakura from start to finish.
The band released their 13th single, , on December 2, 2009, which featured a DVD of songs from the group's appearance at Jisan Valley Rock Festival earlier in the year. At the same time, the band announced that at the end of March 2010, they would be releasing a new single titled "Solanin
", which was to be used as the theme song to the film
of the same name. The single featured a remix of "Mustang" from Mada Minu Ashita ni, which was a studio mix of the version played on Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 6. The track was also used as the ending theme to the movie.
In January 2010, Gotoh posted an entry into his diary stating that they had recorded a Japanese version of The Rentals
song "A rose is a rose".
In February 2010, the band spent 2 weeks in New York, in which they recorded 2 songs. In the same month it was announced that the band would provide the opening theme for the anime The Tatami Galaxy
, which features character design from Yusuke Nakamura, the same artist who illustrates the Ajikan CD covers. The song was titled . A single release is to follow.
In April 2010, Gotoh posted an entry into his diary stating that the band's 6th full length album would be released in June 2010 with the title .
In March 2011, the 2011 Japan natural disaster
caused the band to cancel the rest of their "2010-2011 Vibration of Music Tour", due to some touring equipment being damaged. Within the next week after the disaster, Masafumi Gotō
published lyrics on his diary, inspired by the disaster, called . The song was later recorded, and was played on live radio airplay around Japan. In the next month, Gotoh later announced in his diary that they are in the studio, recording new songs. It isn't clear if it will be an album, or an EP. Two new AKFG songs were released on the upcoming Nano-Mugen Compilation 2011
, Hikari and All right Part2.
In July 2011, Asian Kung-Fu Generation played live at "Jisan Valley Rock Festival" an annual 3 day music festival held every July at Jisan Valley Ski Resort, in Icheon, South Korea.
In November 2011, the band announced that they would release a new single and a best of album. The new single, titled "Marching Band", will be released on the 30th of November and the best of album, as of yet untitled, will be released in January 2012 Goto announced via twitter that the best of album does not represent the end of the band, and that they still plan on releasing an original album in summer, 2012.
– lead guitar
, backing vocals – bass
, backing vocals – drums
, percussion
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō
Masafumi Goto
is the lead vocalist, main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Masafumi met fellow band members Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer...
, guitarist Kensuke Kita
Kensuke Kita
is the lead guitarist and backing singer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Kensuke met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...
, bassist Takahiro Yamada
Takahiro Yamada (musician)
is the bass player and backing singer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Yamada met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Kensuke Kita while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University...
, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi
Kiyoshi Ijichi
is the drummer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Ijichi credits the origin of his drumming ability to playing in marching bands in junior high....
. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
acts in conjunction with their own local Japanese indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
background. As a result, their songs maintain a balance of various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast-paced tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
s and prominent, hard-edged guitar riffs as well as rhythmic flow and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim.
Formation and indie releases (1996–2002)
Asian Kung–Fu Generation was first formed in 1996 when Masafumi GotōMasafumi Goto
is the lead vocalist, main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Masafumi met fellow band members Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer...
, Kensuke Kita
Kensuke Kita
is the lead guitarist and backing singer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Kensuke met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...
, and Takahiro Yamada
Takahiro Yamada (musician)
is the bass player and backing singer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Yamada met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Kensuke Kita while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University...
met in while attending a music club at Kanto Gakuin University
Kanto Gakuin University
is a private university located in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The school's official English name is Mabie Memorial School.-History:It traces its roots to The Baptist Theological Seminary of Yokohama established by Albert Arnold Bennett, a missionary of the American Baptist Missionary Union, in...
, a private university located in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. After realizing that they all shared similar musical tastes, the three decided to start their very own band. Masafumi Gotō became the lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and played rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, Kensuke Kita played lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and sang backup and Takahiro Yamada played bass. Drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi
Kiyoshi Ijichi
is the drummer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Ijichi credits the origin of his drumming ability to playing in marching bands in junior high....
joined them later on after parting with another college band he was in. The four then began providing performances at their university as well as throughout the local Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
area. After graduating from college, following years of playing in several small venues and having collaborated
Caramelman and Asian Kung-Fu Generation
Caramelman and Asian Kung-Fu Generation is an early EP by Japanese rock band, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, released during their indie days. The mini-album was a joint-work with rock musician Caramelman and composed almost entirely in English lyrics...
with fellow Japanese rock musician Caramelman, AKFG released their first indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2000. The six-track EP contained original lyrics written and sung almost entirely in English. The four spent the remainder of the year playing in clubs and hosting independent events.
The year after, the band made an attempt to attain airplay on indie radio stations for their first Japanese single, . The song was eventually picked up by a popular radio DJ and put into heavy rotation on the station FM Yokohama
FM Yokohama
FM Yokohama 84.7 is a radio station based in Yokohama, Japan owned by the Yokohama FM Broadcasting Company, a joint venture of Nippon Broadcasting System, Kanagawa Prefectural Government and Bank of Yokohama. This station was featured in the Xbox game Project Gotham Racing 2....
upon the demand of listeners. AKFG then released another indie EP, I'm Standing Here
I'm Standing Here
I'm Standing Here is an early EP by Japanese rock band, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, released on November 30, 2001.-Background:Including their split mini-album with rock musician Caramelman, I'm Standing Here was the third and last independent EP the band recorded before releasing their major-label...
. This time, however, the band wrote songs in Japanese. At this time, the band had begun drawing an increasingly large number of audiences to their shows held in clubs in the districts of Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, Shimokitazawa
Shimokitazawa
is a neighborhood in Setagaya, Tokyo. It consists of the neighborhood immediately surrounding Shimo-Kitazawa Station, where the Odakyū and Keiō Inokashira Lines intersect. Also known as "Shimokita", the district is a center for stage theater and live music venues. It is home to the historic Honda...
, Kichijōji
Kichijoji
is a neighborhood in the city of Musashino in Tokyo, Japan. It is centered on the commercial area to the north of its train station and has a youthful, artistic, slightly countercultural reputation...
, and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Hōkai Amplifier and Kimi Tsunagi Five M (2002–2004)
On November 25, 2002, after contributing to the Under Flowers Records compilation, Whatch You Gonna Do?, Asian Kung–Fu Generation officially released their first major-label mini-albumExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, . The group enlisted internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
host and graphic artist Yusuke Nakamura to design and compose their single and album covers. The critically acclaimed EP topped the High Line Records' weekly chart for two consecutive weeks and peaked at number thirty-five on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
indies sales chart.
As a result of its success, Hōkai Amplifier was re-released on April 23, 2003 by the band's new record label, Ki/oon Records
Ki/oon Records
is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-Artists:Their artists include L'Arc-en-Ciel, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, FLOW, Home Made Kazoku, Puffy AmiYumi, Polysics, Pushim, chatmonchy, Denki Groove, The Babystars, DOES, Guitar Wolf, Miki Furukawa, Nico Touches the Walls, plingmin,...
, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan. A month later, AKFG held their first headline show at Shimokitazawa Club Shelter. That same summer, the band performed at the annual rock festivals of Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The 3 day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan...
03's "ROOKIE A GO GO" and Summer Sonic '03 in Tokyo and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. On August 6, the band released their major-label debut single, , with their second single, , following shortly after. Days later, AKFG held the first of what would come to be many annual concert festivals, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents NANO-MUGEN FES. The festival took place on August 11 at the Shinjuku LOFT. The band followed it up by releasing their first full-length studio album, on November 19. The LP sold over 250,000 copies and landed in the number five spot on the Oricon charts in its first week. As their fame and following grew, fans began calling the band simply , which is an abridgment of their full name.
Sol-fa (2004–2005)
As they entered 2004, AKFG received the award for Best New Artist while their video for "Kimi to Iu Hana" won the award for Best Music Video at the SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards. From January 19 to February 25, AKFG held their first headlining tour: Five Nano Seconds. The tour consisted of thirteen shows. On July 1, the band held their third ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents Nano-Mugen Festival at the Tokyo arena Nippon BudokanNippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
. Over the course of the following summer, the band played in more than ten summer rock festivals, including Meet The World Beat, Rock In Japan Fes 04, and Fuji Rock Festival 04.
Over the course of the year, the band released four more singles: , , and , before finally releasing their second full-length album, on October 20. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon charts where it stayed for two consecutive weeks and eventually went on to sell more than 600,000 copies. The album received critical praised for its honed sound and high production quality, which thoroughly nullified the language barrier that frequently impeded non–Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
-speaking audiences. This notion became evident following the domestic release of Sol-fa, when AKFG fans from around the world organized themselves and petitioned for copies of the second album to be distributed outside of Japan. The support for Ajikan eventually resulted in Tofu Records
Tofu Records
was a US record label of Sony Music Entertainment Japan that was launched in 2003 to distribute Japanese Sony artists in the United States, and that closed in 2007. Their first signed artist was T.M.Revolution, and they used the anime fandom community to spread the word. T.M.Revolution's U.S...
striking a contract to release Sol-fa in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on October 18, 2005. Additionally, the song "Rewrite" found immense fame both domestically as well as on an international level when it was chosen as the fourth opening theme for the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist
, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after the European Industrial Revolution...
. Around the same time, their song "Haruka Kanata" enjoyed similar recognition after being used for the second opening of the anime series Naruto
Naruto
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...
. Asian Kung–Fu Generation spent the next two months on a national tour consisting of twelve shows called "Tour SUI CUP 2004 -No! Member, November." The tour included a prestigious headliner at Nippon Budokan arena. The four then released a year-end video DVD, Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 1
Eizo Sakuhinshu Vol. 1
Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 1 is the first video release by Japanese rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, released on November 26, 2004 by Ki/oon Records...
on November 26. The DVD is compilation of the music videos for all singles from "Haruka Kanata" to "Kimi no Machi Made," including a never before seen clip of "Siren." The video contains audio commentary for each song, a making-of featurette, and live footage derived from their concerts.
Fanclub (2005–2006)
Due in part to their growing recognition, Asian Kung–Fu Generation would dedicate a significant amount of time the next couple of years going on extensive national tours. Between March 14 and June 26 of 2005, AKFG went on an extensive sold-out Re:Re Tour, performing at forty-eight concerts in thirty-eight cities throughout Japan. At the same time, the band released their second DVD, Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 2: Live at Budokan +Eizo Sakuhinshu Vol. 2
Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 2: Live at Budokan + is the second video release by Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, released on April 20, 2005 by Ki/oon Records...
. The two-disc video was the band's very first live DVD, as the first disc contains live footage of the entirety of the final show of their "Tour Suihai 2004 - No!Member, Novemer-," at Budokan, where they performed before an audience of over 10,000 people on December 5, 2004. Meanwhile, second disc contains clips from their first concert at the Shimokitazawa Shelter Club on November 2, 2004. It also includes behind-the-scenes documentary directed by Toshiaki Toyoda and filmed at Kanto Gakuin University, as well as outtakes from the music video for "Kimi to Iu Hana." Upon its release, the video managed to top the Oricon DVD charts for an entire month. On July 9, AKFG held their fifth Nano-Mugen Festival at Yokohama Arena
Yokohama Arena
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
, where they performed with seven other Japanese and UK bands. To advertise the event, they released a preceding compilation album
Nano-Mugen Compilation
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents Nano–Mugen Compilation is a compilation album released by Asian Kung-Fu Generation on June 8, 2005, to advertise their fifth Nano-Mugen Festival that was held at Yokohama Arena on July 9...
that retained one song from each band attending the festival. Over the next summer, AKFG attended a host of festivals, including Summer Sonic 05, Rising Sun Rock Fes. 2005, and Rock in Japan Fes. 05. They also appeared as guests on GOGOICHI –SPACE SHOWER CHART SHOW– on November 27 on SPACE SHOWER TV. The band closed the year by releasing the single, , followed up by a brief tour entitled, "Tour SUI CUP 2005 - Winter Dragon" in December.
The band began 2006 with the release of their upcoming albums' second single, "World Apart
World Apart
is a song by Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. It was released as the second single of their third studio album, Fanclub, on February 15, 2006. The song is unique for a number of reasons. Not only was it the first single AKG released following their ten-year anniversary, it also became...
." The single was unique in that it featured a song in which Kensuke Kita stood as lead singer. It was also AKFG's first song to achieve number-one single status. It was also the year that the band was finally able to acquire their very own studio. They then took part in live performances in LIVE SUPERNOVA DX on February 16, 2006. On March 15, AKFG released their third full-length album, . The album peaked at number three and stayed in the Oricon top five for nearly two months. The following month, the band went on a national tour entitled, Count 4 My 8 Beat. Tickets for all thirty-eight shows quickly sold out. AKFG's sixth annual Nano-Mugen Fes. was held at Yokohama Arena. For two days, Asian Kung–Fu Generation and eleven other bands, including six Japanese bands, three American bands and two English bands, performed. Like the previous year, a compilation album
Nano-Mugen Compilation 2006
Asian Kung-Fu Generation presents Nano–Mugen Compilation 2006 is a compilation album released by Asian Kung-Fu Generation on July 5, 2006, to advertise their sixth annual Nano-Mugen Festival...
was released in July to advertise the Nano-Mugen Festival. After three years of attending the Fuji Rock Fes, AKFG had the opportunity to perform on its coveted primary Green Stage for the first time at Fuji Rock Festival 06.
Feedback File (2006–2007)
To commemorate their ten-year anniversary, Asian Kung–Fu Generation released their first compilation album, Feedback FileFeedback File
is the first compilation album by Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, released on October 25, 2006. The album is primarily composed of B-side tracks from previously released studio singles and recordings of live performances, with the exception of two new non-album tracks, "Kaiga...
on October 25. Rather than featuring hit singles, the nostalgic album was primarily compiled of B-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
, live performances, and old demos from their early indie days. Even though it retained little new material, the compilation was met by commercial success and managed to debut at number two on the Oricon charts. AKFG then went on a two-month arena tour entitled, Tour Sui Cup 2006-2007: The Start of a New Season. Well over 100,000 fans attended this tour, which traveled through eight cities and featured guest performances by bands from Japan and the United States. In the midst of the tour, AKFG was commissioned by the director of the then-upcoming anime film, Tekkon Kinkreet
Tekkon Kinkreet
is a three-volume seinen manga series by Taiyō Matsumoto, which was originally serialized from 1993 to 1994 in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits and first published in English as Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White. It was adapted into a 2006 feature-length Japanese anime film of the same name, directed by...
, to compose a theme song for the movie. The band created a song called, and released it as a year-end single prior to the film's debut. As a sign of their increasing cultural prominence, the band came to be parodied in a volume of the popular Hellsing manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by members of the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
named, "The Vactikung."
Withdrawal and World World World (2007–2008)
On March 21, the band released another live DVD, entitle, Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 3: Tour Sui Cup 2006-2007 The Start of a New SeasonEizo Sakuhinshu Vol. 3
Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 3: Tour Sui-Cup 2006-2007 The Start of a New Season is the third video release by Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, released on March 21, 2007 by Ki/oon Records. The video is also the band's second live DVD, as it contains recorded live performances held at the...
that contained footage of their previous tour. Although they took part in various domestic summer festivals, AKFG gradually became more and more withdrawn over the course of 2007 before ending appearances almost entirely. It was also the year that the band withheld their annual Nano-Mugen Festival. However, they closed the year with the November release of their next albums' second single, "After Dark
After Dark (Asian Kung-Fu Generation song)
is a song by Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. It was released as the second single of their fifth studio album, World World World, on November 7, 2007, nearly a whole year after the release of the album's lead single...
." The song debuted in the top ten on the Oricon charts and was used as the seventh opening for the anime series Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...
. Additionally, on December 22, AKFG held a live concert in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
entitled, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Tour SUI-CUP 2007 ~Project Beef~ Live In Korea. It was the band's first concert in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
since their performance five months earlier at Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival
Pentaport rock festival
Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is a rock festival, which is held annually in Incheon, South Korea for three days at the end of July. It is considered as one of the biggest live music events in South Korea. The festival covers various genres of music, but mainly rock music and electronic music...
, which had received enthusiastic applause from the foreign audience and led to the band being invited to play again.
While they performed at the Japanese New Year
Japanese New Year
The is one of the most important annual festivals, with its own unique customs, and has been celebrated for centuries. Due to the importance of the holiday and the preparations required, the preceding days are quite busy, particularly the day before, known as Ōmisoka.The Japanese New Year has been...
countdown, AKFG continued to remain withdrawn and spent the next few months working on their fourth album. On February 2008, AKFG released the album's final single, , before quickly following it up with the album, World World World
World World World
-Personnel:*Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics*Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals*Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals*Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums*Asian Kung-Fu Generation – producer*Yusuke Nakamura – art direction-Album:-Singles:...
. Despite the lack of media appearances and the significant time-span between their releases, the album topped the debuted Oricon charts on its first week before eventually relapsing the weeks after. Just a few months after the album release, Asian Kung–Fu Generation released their second major-label EP, Mada Minu Ashita ni
Mada Minu Ashita ni
- Personnel :* Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics* Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals* Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals* Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums* Asian Kung-Fu Generation – producer* Yusuke Nakamura – art direction- Album :...
, on June 11, 2008. The mini-album features songs conceived around the time of the recording of their preceding full-length album. Although the EP didn't give way to any singles, the song "Mustang" managed to peak at number fifteen on the Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
. The song was the band's very first entry on the newly established chart.
Surf Bungaku Kamakura (2008–2009)
The band appeared as a supporting act for a show held at Yokohama Bay Hall by American alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
on July 18. Incidentally, Third Eye Blind later appeared for the fourth and final lineup of AKFG's seventh annual Nano-Mugen Festival held at the Yokohama Arena through July 20-21st. The group was but one of a total of sixteen musical acts, originating from Japan, America, and the UK, who performed at the festival alongside Asian Kung–Fu Generation, who later released their third Nano-Mugen disc, Nano-Mugen Compilation 2008
Nano-Mugen Compilation 2008
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents Nano–Mugen Compilation 2008 is a compilation album released by Asian Kung-Fu Generation on July 9, 2008, to advertise their seventh annual Nano-Mugen Festival held at the Yokohama Arena through July 20–21st...
. Peaking at number eighteen on the Oricon charts and retaining one song from each of the sixteen groups, the compilation expressed the largest track number within the Nano-Mugen series as of yet. Additionally, the song , composed by AKFG just for the compilation, managed to peak at number thirty-six on the Japan Hot 100 despite not being released as a single.
In September, Asian Kung–Fu Generation had the opportunity to play side-by-side with Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based alternative rock band that had played a major influence on their music. The WEEZER FESTIVAL was Weezer's first tour to Japan in three years and in promotion of their The Red Album, they performed on September 13 at Intex Osaka
Intex Osaka
is an exhibition center located in Suminoe-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. With nearly 70,000 square meters of exhibition space, it ranks third in Japan, behind Tokyo Big Sight and Makuhari Messe.-Principal events:...
and on the 15 at the The National Yoyogi First Gymnasium in Tokyo. Asian Kung–Fu Generation, along with fellow Japanese rock band Going Under Ground
Going Under Ground
is a Japanese rock music band. Sometimes referred to as just "Going", they got their name from the British hit single, Going Underground by The Jam.-Members:*Matsumoto Sou *Nakazawa Hiroki *Ishihara Satoshi...
, performed on both the Osaka and Tokyo stage.
They later released their twelfth single Fujisawa Loser
Fujisawa Loser
is the lead single of Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation's fifth studio album, Surf Bungaku Kamakura, released on October 15, 2008. The single's b-side features a collaboration with American rock band The Rentals.- Music video :...
in October followed by their fifth studio album Surf Bungaku Kamakura
Surf Bungaku Kamakura
-B-sides:-Personnel:*Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics*Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals*Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals*Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums*Asian Kung-Fu Generation – producer*Kenichi Nakamura – mixing, recording...
.
Magic Disk and new album (2009–present)
After a busy 2008, the band spent time touring and writing new material. In March 2009, they released their fifth DVD, Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 5Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 5
Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 5 is the fifth video release by Japanese rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, released on March 25, 2009 by Ki/oon Records.-Live Performances:#|####No.9########- Personnel :...
, featuring a collection of live videos from various live events in 2008. In July 2009, Asian Kung–Fu Generation held their annual Nano-Mugen festival. This was accompanied by Nano-Mugen Compilation 2009
Nano-Mugen Compilation 2009
Nano–Mugen Compilation 2009 is a compilation album released by Asian Kung-Fu Generation on July 1, 2009, to advertise their eighth annual Nano-Mugen Festival held at the Yokohama Arena through July 19-20th.-Track listing:# – ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION...
, which featured a new track, , and tracks from each of the other 16 bands that partook in the festival. At the conclusion of the festival, Gotoh announced the group had started writing and producing a new album. Immediately following Nano-Mugen, the group kicked off their 2009 festival summer season with performances at Korea's "Jisan Valley Rock Festival", "Rock in Japan Festival 2009", and "Sweet Love Shower Festival 2009". In October, their sixth DVD, Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 6
Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 6
Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 6: ~Tour 2009: World World World~ is the sixth video release by Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, released on October 7, 2009 by Ki/oon Records. It features footage from their 2009 hall tour "World World World"...
, was released and was also the band's first release on Blu-ray. It featured a concert from their March 2009 hall tour "World World World", which featured a more experimental set design and set list, as well as the use of instruments such as tenori-on
Tenori-on
Tenori-on is an electronic musical instrument, designed and created by Japanese artist Toshio Iwai and Yu Nishibori of the Music and Human Interface Group, Yamaha Center for Advanced Sound Technology. It consists of a screen, held in the hands, of a sixteen by sixteen grid of LED switches, any of...
and a strings section. The second half of the set included the whole of their 2008 album Surf Bungaku Kamakura from start to finish.
The band released their 13th single, , on December 2, 2009, which featured a DVD of songs from the group's appearance at Jisan Valley Rock Festival earlier in the year. At the same time, the band announced that at the end of March 2010, they would be releasing a new single titled "Solanin
Solanin (song)
is the 14th single of Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, released on March 31, 2010. The first track is the main theme for the movie Solanin, based on the song from the manga of the same name. The lyrics were written by Inio Asano and are taken from the manga itself...
", which was to be used as the theme song to the film
Solanin
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Inio Asano. It was serialised in Shogakukan's Weekly Young Sunday from 2005 to 2006. The manga is licensed and published in English by Viz Media, in French by Kana and in Taiwanese by Taiwan Tohan. The manga was nominated for the 2009 Eisner Award for...
of the same name. The single featured a remix of "Mustang" from Mada Minu Ashita ni, which was a studio mix of the version played on Eizō Sakuhinshū Vol. 6. The track was also used as the ending theme to the movie.
In January 2010, Gotoh posted an entry into his diary stating that they had recorded a Japanese version of The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...
song "A rose is a rose".
In February 2010, the band spent 2 weeks in New York, in which they recorded 2 songs. In the same month it was announced that the band would provide the opening theme for the anime The Tatami Galaxy
The Tatami Galaxy
is a Japanese comedy-drama campus novel written by , originally published in December 2004 by in the tankōbon format and later reissued in March 2008 by Kadokawa Shoten as a bunkoban...
, which features character design from Yusuke Nakamura, the same artist who illustrates the Ajikan CD covers. The song was titled . A single release is to follow.
In April 2010, Gotoh posted an entry into his diary stating that the band's 6th full length album would be released in June 2010 with the title .
In March 2011, the 2011 Japan natural disaster
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
caused the band to cancel the rest of their "2010-2011 Vibration of Music Tour", due to some touring equipment being damaged. Within the next week after the disaster, Masafumi Gotō
Masafumi Goto
is the lead vocalist, main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Masafumi met fellow band members Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer...
published lyrics on his diary, inspired by the disaster, called . The song was later recorded, and was played on live radio airplay around Japan. In the next month, Gotoh later announced in his diary that they are in the studio, recording new songs. It isn't clear if it will be an album, or an EP. Two new AKFG songs were released on the upcoming Nano-Mugen Compilation 2011
Nano-Mugen Compilation 2011
-External links:*...
, Hikari and All right Part2.
In July 2011, Asian Kung-Fu Generation played live at "Jisan Valley Rock Festival" an annual 3 day music festival held every July at Jisan Valley Ski Resort, in Icheon, South Korea.
In November 2011, the band announced that they would release a new single and a best of album. The new single, titled "Marching Band", will be released on the 30th of November and the best of album, as of yet untitled, will be released in January 2012 Goto announced via twitter that the best of album does not represent the end of the band, and that they still plan on releasing an original album in summer, 2012.
Band members
– lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
– lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals – bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals – drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Discography
- Kimi Tsunagi Five MKimi Tsunagi Five Mis the first full-length studio album by Japanese rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION and their second major-label release overall, released on November 19, 2003 on Ki/oon Records. The album's name is sometimes given as "Kunkei Five M," but the reading "Kimitsunagi" is given in katakana on the...
(2003) - Sol-faSol-fa (album)is the second full-length studio album by Japanese rock band, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, released on October 20, 2004.-Reception:With the LP, AKG fully realized and honed the upbeat tempo but hard-edged and emotionally-charged sound first expressed within Hōkai Amplifier...
(2004) - FanclubFanclub (album)-B-sides:-Personnel:*Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics*Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals*Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals*Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums, percussion, piano*Asian Kung-Fu Generation – producer...
(2006) - World World WorldWorld World World-Personnel:*Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics*Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals*Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals*Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums*Asian Kung-Fu Generation – producer*Yusuke Nakamura – art direction-Album:-Singles:...
(2008) - Surf Bungaku KamakuraSurf Bungaku Kamakura-B-sides:-Personnel:*Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics*Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals*Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals*Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums*Asian Kung-Fu Generation – producer*Kenichi Nakamura – mixing, recording...
(2008) - Magic DiskMagic Disk-Personnel:*Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics*Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals*Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals*Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums*Asian Kung-Fu Generation – producer*Yusuke Nakamura – cover art...
(2010)
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 04 | "Kimi to Iu Hana" | Best New Artist | |
| 2005 | SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 05 | "Kimi no Machi Made" | Best Concept Video | |
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2005 MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2005 The MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2005 were hosted by Takashi Fujii and Megumi at Tokyo Bay NK Hall, the awards included performances by Namie Amuro, Rain, Mariah Carey, Hoobastank, Jamiroquai and Ashanti.-Video of the Year:* Namie Amuro — "Girl Talk"... |
Best Rock Video | |||
| Best Group Video | ||||
| 2006 | MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2006 MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2006 The MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2006 were hosted by Mokomichi Hayami and Masami Hisamoto at Tokyo. The 5th annual show premiered live on MTV, Saturday May 27 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. The awards show was filmed before a live audience of 8000 screaming music fans... |
"World Apart" | Best Rock Video | |
| SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 06 | "Blue Train" | Best Group Video | ||
| 2007 | MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2007 MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2007 Hosted by Misaki Ito and Hidehiko Ishizuka, the awards show took place at the Saitama Super Arena before a live audience of 12,000 screaming music fans. The 6th annual show premiered live on MTV, Saturday May 26 to over 6.6 million homes in Japan.... |
"Aru Machi no Gunjō" | Best Rock Video | |
| American Anime Awards American Anime Awards The American Anime Awards are a series of awards designed to recognize excellence in the release of anime and manga in North America.The first annual American Anime Awards balloting was supervised by Milton Griepp of industry website ICv2. The first gala awards presentation was hosted in New York... |
"Rewrite" | Best Anime Theme Song | ||
| 2008 | SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 08 | "After Dark" | Best Rock Video | |
| 2009 | SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 09 | "Fujisawa Loser" | Conceptual Video | |
| 2010 | SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 10 | "Shinseiki no Love Song" | Best Rock Video | |
| 2011 | MTV Video Music Aid Japan 2011 | "Solanin" | Best Video from a Film |