Best Japanese Acid Folk: A Playlist

I love exploring music from different countries and cultures, and Japan is one nation I’ve been particularly drawn to. Throughout the past few years, I’ve written about the best Japanese doom metal for Monster Riff and then jumped into the best Japanese psych rock for the Third Eye.

Recently, I began to look at Japanese acid folk, which also has a rich history. The two main places I learned about it were from this excellent Bandcamp Daily article and a very cool compilation called Nippon Acid Folk 1970-1980 from London-based reissue label Time Capsule.

A bit about the scene’s history …

The emergence of Japan’s acid folk scene in the late 1960s resulted from a chaotic political landscape. The movement was born on Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka campuses and centered around the independent label URC, a hotbed of left-wing activism.

A distinctly Japanese folk expression took root, offering musicians a way to break free from merely mimicking Western sounds. Instead, they began to sing in their native language and weave traditional elements into fresh, innovative compositions.

Leading the charge was Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra. Hosono’s band, Happy End, released the first Japanese-language rock album, laying the groundwork for a new era. His influence rippled across Japan’s music scene for decades, particularly inspiring the Kansai scene’s Takashi Nishioka and Happy End collaborator Ken Narita.

These artists experimented with the rhythms and nuances of the Japanese language, paving the way for others to explore psychedelic folklore.

Nishioka and Kazuhisa Okubo, who balanced their musical ventures with a career in chemistry, represent the eclectic spirit of this scene. Among the most daring was Hiroki Tamaki, a classically trained violinist turned synth-prog pioneer. Obsessed with the divine, Tamaki was drawn to the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, dedicating an album to the controversial spiritual leader.

Those artists and more are featured in the Best Japanese Acid Folk playlist I created, so check it out below. And, like always, drop some suggestions for anyone I left out, especially newer Japanese acid folk artists. Enjoy!