Heya FOTS,
Who are the best Japanese rock bands? The FOT Hive Mind must know.
I just got back from teaching in Japan a few months ago and I was lucky to catch a few live shows during my time there despite living in a very small community.
Some of my personal faves are:
Number Girl (aka the "Japanese Pixies")
Zazen Boys
Polysics
Eastern Youth
Guitar Wolf
Mass of the Fermenting Dregs (yes, that is the actual name of the band)
The Pillows
Thee 50s High Teens (all girl group)
If you like a mix of punk/metal, Maximum the Hormone might be right up your alley.
If you like poppier stuff, you might like:
Greeeen
Mongol 800
The Brilliant Green
That's all I can think of off the top of my head and I didn't really include any J-Pop in this list. If you want to know more feel free to ask!
