Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan, leaving untold destruction and casualties in its wake, GlobalGrind decided it would be fitting to honor Japanese culture and salute their precedence as purveyors of taste.
Music is no exception to this rule and many of our favorite artists have released amazing albums, tracks and various other media exclusive to Japan. Many music fans go to great lengths and costs to obtain rare Japanese imports from their favorite artists. GlobalGrind put together a list of some of the coolest Japanese musical imports throughout the years, and wish the very best for the resilient people of Japan.
First up, Mos Def is one of the most notable artists to embrace Japan for a musical export. Current TV followed Mos while on his tour of the country behind his album “The Ecstatic” in 2009.
Mos gave viewers an all access pass, hit up the Harajuku fashion district, went to a sumo wrestling match and gave impromptu a cappella performances of his songs. Check out his performance of “Auditorium” on the streets of Tokyo below.
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Britney Spears has quite a few Japanese import albums due to her multiple hit records. But the special packaging on her “Outrageous” remix EP takes the cake.
The record has exclusive remixes of the title track, “Toxic” and “Everytime,” as well as a full color photo book and slipcase with original Japanese artwork. You can also get it on vinyl.
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The Rolling Stones released their album “Goats Head Soup” in 1973 and it was probably one of the great rock band’s most underrated records.
The album was censored in the U.S. due to the song “Starf**ker,” but it became a hit single in Japan. Japan’s censor laws are much less stringent than those in the U.S. They took a banned song and turned it into a smash.
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Kings of Leon‘s breakthrough record “Only By The Night” was a hit in the U.S. but the Japanese have an even cooler version.
Their record has original packaging and artwork and two bonus tracks. Plus, there’s a sealed picture sleeve with Japanese/English lyric booklet and obi strip.
An obi strip is a wraparound piece of paper, which notes special tracks, concert dates, discography information and release anniversaries. It’s something particular for Japanese records.
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Bjork is the queen of Japanese imports. She has a ton of exclusive content and artwork that her fans covet and collect.
The import of 2001’s “Vespertine” boasts an 8″ x 8″ fold-out handbill to promote the album. Included in the packaging is the single “Hidden Place,” DVD single artwork and black and white pictures of Bjork wearing her “swan” dress alongside Japanese text and track listing information with a pictorial discography.
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Ke$ha‘s smash debut “Animal” also has an amazing Japanese import. The Japanese version features four Bonus Tracks, a DVD loaded with live videos, “On The Road” episodes and music videos. Ke$ha fans should take note, plus the packaging is glittery Ke$ha fun to the max.
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Shonen Knife is a Japanese all-girl punk band who rocks. They mix pop, punk and grunge and have a large discography to choose from. Their Japanese import albums have outrageously fun artwork and a ton of extras you can’t get anywhere else.
