Japanese artists are making a bigger impact than ever on the global stage. Viral hits, sold-out international tours, and festival slots at Coachella and Lollapalooza have put Japan’s music industry in the spotlight, raising questions about how it will engage with the growing overseas demand.
Now, CEIPA—the Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association—is stepping in to accelerate that shift. The newly formed organisation, backed by Japan’s leading music associations, is launching two major initiatives: matsuri ’25: Japanese Music Experience and MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN (MAJ). Both events are part of a larger strategy to make Japanese music more competitive in global markets.
Who Is CEIPA?
CEIPA was founded in December 2023 as a response to growing international interest in Japanese music and structural issues within the industry. Despite being the world’s second-largest music market, Japan’s industry has historically taken a passive approach to global promotion, relying on anime tie-ins, viral hits, and niche fanbases rather than a coordinated international strategy.
The organisation is backed by five of Japan’s major music associations, spanning record labels, artist management, touring, and publishing:
- Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ)
- Japan Association of Music Enterprises (JAME)
- Federation of Music Producers Japan (FMPJ)
- Music Publishers Association of Japan (MPA)
- All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference (A.C.P.C.)
The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point. Japan’s music industry, which had been highly reliant on domestic sales and live performances, faced a crisis when touring halted and streaming overtook physical media. Tatsuya Nomura, President of FMPJ and a CEIPA board member, explained at Live Entertainment EXPO:
“The business structure has changed, and we need to increase the number of overall music fans in Japan and expand the market. The five organisations came together with the shared goal of growing Japanese music as an industry.”
For the first time, these five groups—which rarely collaborated before the pandemic—are now working together under CEIPA’s umbrella. The organisation’s leadership includes key industry figures such as Tatsumi Yoda, former Avex Group chairman and co-founder, who serves as CEIPA’s chairman. Shunsuke Muramatsu, CEO of RIAJ and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, holds the role of Chair of the Board.
Their collective influence spans major labels, live event production, and artist development, giving CEIPA a central role in shaping Japan’s global music strategy.
What Is CEIPA Trying to Achieve?
Japan has produced massive international success stories—from Hikaru Utada and BABYMETAL to ONE OK ROCK and YOASOBI—but these have often been individual efforts rather than the result of industry-wide planning.
CEIPA aims to change that by securing slots for Japanese artists at major festivals, strengthening Japan’s streaming infrastructure, and developing artist programs to help musicians build sustainable careers abroad.
At Live Entertainment EXPO, Shunsuke Muramatsu addressed the importance of this shift:
“Since 2019, the way people consume entertainment has changed dramatically. Music now competes with other forms of content, such as gaming and movies, in the streaming era. The key challenge is making sure audiences choose music.”
CEIPA’s first major international project is matsuri ’25: Japanese Music Experience, a showcase of Japan’s biggest acts for Western audiences.
matsuri ’25: J-pop’s Big Push in the US
Positioned as the first in a series of international showcases, matsuri ’25: Japanese Music Experience LOS ANGELES brings together three of Japan’s biggest contemporary acts—Ado, YOASOBI, and ATARASHII GAKKO!. Taking place on March 16th, 2025, at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, the event is organised in collaboration with Goldenvoice (the team behind Coachella) and is being framed as a major step in introducing Japanese pop music to a wider international audience. The event will also be livestreamed in regions across the globe using Sony Music Solutions’ Stagecrowd platform.
Why Now?
The international demand for Japanese music has never been higher. A record-breaking 36.87 million foreign visitors came to Japan in 2024, and anime-related music dominates Japan’s exports, with 90% of Japanese music streamed overseas coming from anime tie-ins. Major collaborations between Japanese and international artists have also brought more visibility, and social media has helped turn niche domestic acts into global names.
All three acts performing at matsuri ’25 have already made major inroads overseas. YOASOBI’s 2024 US tour saw multiple sold-out shows, alongside performances at Coachella and Lollapalooza. ATARASHII GAKKO!, signed to 88rising, turned their viral success into a 26-city world tour and a high-profile Coachella debut. Ado, one of Japan’s most influential contemporary vocalists, built her career through the utaite scene—a subculture of online singers who cover Vocaloid and J-pop tracks—and will soon launch the biggest world tour ever by a Japanese artist.
At the same time, more and more Japanese artists have started to break through organically, from Creepy Nuts’ viral spread with ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’ in 2024, to Fujii Kaze’s 2020 track ‘Shinunoga E-Wa’ seeing massive success across Asia.
RELATED: Ado, YOASOBI, and ATARASHII GAKKO! unite for matsuri ’25 in Los Angeles
The growing presence of Japanese artists on major festival lineups suggests a shift in how the country’s music industry is approaching global audiences. While anime tie-ins still play a role in international reach, more artists are actively booking tours, working with overseas press, and adjusting their promotional strategies to connect with a wider audience. CEIPA’s matsuri ’25 aims to tap into this momentum by being a stepping stone for future international showcases.
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN – Japan’s Answer to the Grammys?
Japan has had its share of domestic award shows, but MAJ is positioning itself as a different kind of event—one that aligns Japanese music with major global markets. The awards will cover over 60 categories, spanning J-pop, rock, hip-hop, idol music, anime soundtracks, and Vocaloid, with new internationally focused categories such as Top Global Hit from Japan, recognising the most successful Japanese song abroad, and Best Song Asia, spotlighting standout releases from across the region.
Unlike many of Japan’s existing awards, which are largely broadcast-driven, MAJ’s winners will be determined by a panel of 5,000 industry professionals, following a multi-round voting system designed to prioritise artistic merit over commercial dominance.
Unlike many of Japan’s existing awards, which are largely broadcast-driven, MAJ’s selection will be based on streaming numbers, sales, and airplay data from sources like Billboard JAPAN, Oricon, and Luminate. A panel of 5,000 industry professionals from Japan and beyond will cast the final votes in a multi-round system designed to prioritise artistic merit over commercial dominance. The public will also have a say through a public voting category that uses Spotify’s built-in voting system. Speaking at Live Entertainment EXPO, MAJ Executive Committee Chair Tatsuya Nomura explained:
“For a long time, we’ve discussed whether Japan could have an award similar to the Grammys. The Grammys involve the entire industry in recognising achievements—something that hasn’t existed in Japan before. If we introduce such an award, it could elevate the industry and inspire artists to create even greater work.”
CEIPA is also pitching MAJ as more than just an awards show. A week-long series of industry panels, live performances, and networking events—dubbed MAJ Week—will run from May 17th to May 23rd, giving the event a broader industry impact.
A Transparent Approach to Japan’s Music Industry
One of CEIPA’s key talking points has been transparency, a long-standing issue in Japan’s music industry. CEIPA and its sponsors will fund the awards directly, rather than relying on television networks, and will reinvest all revenue into future industry projects instead of distributing it among organisations. In an interview with Real Sound, Yutaka Inaba, Vice Chairman of the MAJ Executive Committee said:
“Traditionally, award shows in Japan have been led by broadcasting stations that fund and organise the event with industry cooperation. However, MAJ is managed entirely by CEIPA, including funding and production. Media outlets and platforms are supporting us, but the overall structure is different. Even if we receive a lot of sponsorships and generate profit, that money will not be distributed among organisations. Instead, it will be reinvested into the next award event and various industry projects. This is also a first for Japan.”
What’s Next for CEIPA?
Beyond matsuri ’25 and MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, CEIPA is backing the TOKYO CALLING × INSPIRED BY TOKYO showcase at SXSW 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Set for March 11th at Mohawk, one of SXSW’s key venues, the showcase will bring together a mix of emerging and established Japanese artists across genres. The TOKYO CALLING Stage will feature Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai, Enfants, ENTH, and Chiaki Mayumura, while the INSPIRED BY TOKYO Stage includes Fuki Kitamura, XAMIYA, VivaOla, and luvis.
With Japan’s music industry still navigating its approach to global promotion, festivals like SXSW have become key testing grounds for breaking acts overseas. While Japanese showcases have long been a staple of the festival, CEIPA’s direct involvement signals the potential for a more structured effort to position Japan’s artists in front of international industry professionals.
Will CEIPA Make an Impact?
Japan’s music industry has historically prioritised domestic sales over global expansion, relying on a market that has favoured physical media over streaming. While K-pop has built a global ecosystem through streaming, strategic marketing, and industry-wide coordination, Japan’s approach has often been more fragmented. CEIPA wants to shift that strategy.
The success of matsuri ’25 and MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN will be an early indicator of whether Japan’s industry can unify behind a long-term strategy. The presence of major label Japanese artists in Los Angeles and the creation of an awards platform that aims for global credibility are significant steps, but their real impact depends on whether they create sustained opportunities for Japanese artists outside Japan.
The challenges are clear: international promotion remains underdeveloped, artist mobility is limited, and many Japanese acts still struggle with overseas visibility beyond anime tie-ins. But with CEIPA backing initiatives on multiple fronts—from live showcases and digital strategy to industry networking—the effort is more ambitious than anything Japan’s music industry has attempted before.
Whether it succeeds remains to be seen. But if Japan is ever going to build the infrastructure needed to support long-term international careers, this could be the first real step in that direction.
UPDATE: MUSIC WAY PROJECT: CEIPA and TOYOTA GROUP team up to support Japanese artists globally
Links:
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN Website
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN Official X
CEIPA website
