J-pop found new ways to diversify in 2025

Takuya Chigira ended last year sounding an alarm. The Cloud Nine CEO — whose roster includes hit songmaker Ado — warned that unless J-pop found firmer footing abroad, it risked becoming niche.

Over the past year, Japanese music seemed to take that warning seriously. A growing number of artists embarked on international tours, introducing themselves to the burgeoning Asian market or making more ambitious treks through Europe and North America.

The government got involved, too. It backed two J-pop-focused concerts in Los Angeles and launched the inaugural Music Awards Japan in an effort to spotlight the domestic industry and position it as a regional leader. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi even posted on X about plans for multiyear support aimed at promoting Japanese music internationally.