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Tokyo Doesn't Exist: Not a Guide to Music or Cycling in Japan
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781937220136
Publisher: Awai Books
Published: Oct 17 2026
Pages: 296
Weight: 0.88
Height: 0.62 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Why devote your life to art if commercial success seems impossible?
Part travel memoir, part essay, and part exploration of Japan's local music scenes, this book follows Ian F. Martin as he cycles across the country, exploring underground music communities in every prefectureーand maybe figuring out some of his own confused motivations in the process.
From tiny basement clubs in Hokkaido to remote Tochigi record stores, Martin encounters more than three hundred bands and artists, along with the venue owners, promoters, shop staff, and die-hard fans who keep independent culture alive far from Tokyo's spotlight.
This is not a guidebook, but it traces an alternative map of Japan, beyond familiar clichés and into the regional spaces, bars, and back roads where local cultures take shape. Along the way, Martin encounters a side of the country rarely seen. Featuring over sixty original photographs, this is an insightful, funny, and moving portrait of contemporary Japanーand of the people who continue creating its culture against the odds.
About the Author
Ian F. Martin is a Tokyo-based music journalist and founder of Call And Response Records. He is the author of Quit Your Band! Musical Notes from the Japanese Underground and has spent more than two decades documenting Japan's independent music scenes for publications including The Japan Times and Japanese magazine Ele-king, as well as pieces in Frieze, The Guardian, CNN Travel, and The Wire.
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