Radwimps

Biography

Radwimps (Japanese: ラッドウインプス, Hepburn: Raddo'uinpusu; stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band who debuted independently in 2003 and signed with Toshiba EMI's Virgin Records label in 2005. The band's name, Radwimps, was formed from two English slang terms, "rad" and "wimp". According to the band, the coined word had several meanings, including "excellent weakling" and "superlative coward".
Radwimps achieved commercial success in 2006 with their album Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan and are best known for their later singles "Order Made" (2008) and "Dada" (2011), both of which hit number one on the Oricon Singles Chart. They have also gained recognition for providing the soundtracks to the anime films Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022), all three by Makoto Shinkai.

2001–2005: Early work

Radwimps formed in 2001 in Kanagawa, Japan during their first year of high school. The five original members had been friends since middle school. Lead vocalist Yojiro Noda first became interested in music after hearing Oasis in middle school, when he would try to remember the guitar chords and sing to Oasis songs.
The band's activities were initially centred on Yokohama, and their first performance took place on BB Street in Kannai district on 5 February 2002. At this point, guitarist Akira Kuwahara dropped out of high school in order to focus on the band. In September and August 2002, Radwimps partook in the Yokohama High School Music Festival and eventually won the grand prize for the competition with the song "Moshi mo". "Moshi mo" was released as the band's debut single in May 2003, with 10,000 copies pressed and sold for 100 yen each. Following this single, Radwimps toured the Yokohama area, including a performance as the sole act at Yokohama's Club 24West. The band released their debut album, Radwimps, in July through independent label Newtraxx, featuring songs they wrote in middle school. The following August, after a guest appearance at the Yokohama High School Music Festival, the band went on hiatus for Noda and other members to focus on their school exams.
Radwimps returned from hiatus in March 2004, though Kei Asō, Yūsuke Saiki, and Akio Shibafumi did not rejoin the group. To replace the musicians, the band added acquaintances, such as drummer Satoshi Yamaguchi and bassist Yusuke Takeda. Radwimps immediately began recording new songs, and by July had released a second single, "Kiseki", and performed a three-month Japan-wide tour. Right after the end of the tour, the band started work on their second album, Radwimps 2: Hatten Tojō, which was finalized by the end of the year and released in March. Directly after the release, the group departed on a five-month Radwimps Haruna Tour (はるなっTOUR) and also performed at high-profile summer music festivals, such as Setstock, Rock in Japan, and Summer Sonic. During this time, the band released a third single, "Hexun / Kanashi", which was their first charting release.

2005–2006: Major record deal

In November 2005, the band made their major debut under Toshiba EMI's Virgin Records label, with the single "Nijūgoko-me no Senshokutai", followed by "EDP (Tonde Hi ni Iru Natsu no Kimi)" in January, both of which rose to the top 50. In shifting to a major label, Noda explained that the band took the same stance as they had as an independent group, and that "If we thought we were bigger on a major label, that would have been a big mistake". The band's third and first major-label album, Radwimps 3: Mujintō ni Motte Ikiwasureta Ichimai, regraded 3 in March 2006, was a landmark in establishing their popularity, debuting at number 13 on the Oricon Albums Chart. Radwimps 3 saw a change in the band's musical style, allowing them to be more experimental in their sound.
By the end of 2006, the band's popularity had increased significantly: their album Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan, led by the top-20 singles "Futarigoto" and "Yūshinron" and the top-5 "Setsuna Rensa", debuted at number five and had an initial shipment of more than 100,000 copies. At this time, the band's older releases, such as Radwimps, Radwimps 2, and "Kiseki", began charting for the first time, with Radwimps eventually being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. In the next three years, both Radwimps and Radwimps 2 charted for approximately 100 weeks, and as of early 2011, Radwimps 3 and Radwimps 4 still continued to chart.

2008–2012: First number-one single

In 2008, the band achieved their first number-one single, with "Order Made", on the Oricon charts. Their 2009 album, Altocolony no Teiri, sold around 213,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number two on the Oricon charts. The band achieved their second Oricon number-one single, "Dada", in 2011.
In 2011, Radwimps released their sixth album, Zettai Zetsumei, which debuted at number two on the Oricon charts and went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAJ. Following this release, the band embarked on their Zettai Enmei Tour throughout Japan from April to August 2011.
On 11 March 2012, Radwimps released the single "Hakujitsu" (白日; "Broad Daylight") on YouTube, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

2016–2020: International exposure

On 24 August 2016, Radwimps released the soundtrack album Your Name (君の名は。×君の名は。24 August 2016 · Album · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 27 tracks1夢灯籠2:122三葉の通学1:083糸守高校1:524はじめての、東京1:205憧れカフェ1:326奥寺先輩のテーマ2:077ふたりの異変2:378前前前世 (movie ver.)4:469御神体3:2810デート4:0611秋祭り1:0812記憶を呼び起こす瀧1:4313飛騨探訪1:3214消えた町1:5615図書館1:4416旅館の夜1:3417御神体へ再び2:2318口噛み酒トリップ2:5519作戦会議2:2420町長説得2:4921三葉のテーマ4:0622見えないふたり0:5323かたわれ時2:5024スパークル (movie ver.)8:5825デート22:0926なんでもないや (movie edit.)3:1727なんでもないや (movie ver.)5:44, Kimi no Na wa.), to the anime film of the same name, directed by Makoto Shinkai. The film was an international success, further boosting the band's global profile and sending them to number two on the Billboard World Albums chart. The record also charted at number 16 on Billboard Heatseekers, and number 15 on Billboard's Soundtrack Albums chart. In their home country of Japan, it was certified Double Platinum by the RIAJ, with over 500,000 copies sold, making it the band's best-selling album. It went on to win the Japan Record Special Award, the Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Music, and Soundtrack Album of the Year at the 31st Japan Gold Disc Awards.
Three months after that release, Radwimps returned with their ninth studio album, Human Bloom. On 19 April 2017, while in the middle of their Human Bloom Tour, Radwimps performed as a guest act for Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams Tour at Tokyo Dome. In the same month, they also added Singapore to their Asian tour. On 10 May 2017, Radwimps released the single "Saihate Ai ni / Sennou".
At the end of 2018, they issued their next album, Anti Anti Generation×ANTI ANTI GENERATION12 December 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Anti Anti overture1:202tazuna3:253NEVER EVER ENDER5:324IKIJIBIKI3:515カタルシスト4:056洗脳 [Anti Anti Mix]5:337そっけない6:328<宿題発表-skit->1:109PAPARAZZI 〜*この物語はフィクションです〜5:2910HOCUSPOCUS4:1311万歳千唱4:2412I I U3:0413泣き出しそうだよ4:4114TIE TONGUE4:2415Mountain Top3:2116サイハテアイニ3:4517正解 [18FES ver.]5:57, featuring Taka of One Ok Rock, singer-songwriter Aimyon, Tabu Zombie of Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, and rapper Miyachi. The record produced three singles: "Saihate Aini / Brainwashing", "Mountain Top", and "Catharsis". The album peaked at number one on both Oricon and Japan's Billboard charts, receiving a Gold certification from the RIAJ for sales of 100,000 copies. The band followed it with their Anti Anti Generation Tour 2019, from June to August.
In 2019, Radwimps provided music for Shinkai's next film, Weathering with You, released on 19 July. The album debuted at no. 3 on the Oricon Albums Chart, before peaking at no. 2 in the following week. It won the 34th Japan Gold Disc Award for Animation Album of the Year, which made it the top-selling anime album of 2019, with more than 128,000 copies sold that year. It also won the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Music and Best Soundtrack at the 24th Space Shower Music Awards. The band launched a world tour with stops in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in July 2020. However, the tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a planned Japan tour was postponed.

2020–2024: 15th anniversary

On 22 and 23 November 2020, Radwimps held a special fifteenth-anniversary concert at Yokohama Arena.
In September 2021, Akira Kuwahara announced that he would go on hiatus for an indefinite period of time, after the weekly magazine Shūkan Bunshun reported his extramarital affair with a former model.
In 2022, Radwimps provided music for the film The Last Ten Years, released on 4 March. The same year, the band also wrote music for Shinkai's film Suzume, making this the third time they collaborated with the director. In October, Kuwahara returned to the band after his year-long hiatus.
In 2024, the band embarked on a world tour, performing in multiple locations across Asia. In October of that year, they announced that they had parted ways with Kuwahara.

2025–present: Anew and 20th anniversary

In February 2025, Radwimps launched a special 20th-anniversary website, and they began highlighting past milestones through a series of retrospective posts on their social media accounts. The same month, they confirmed that their new song "Tamamono (賜物)" would serve as the theme for the NHK drama series Anpan (あんぱん), which began airing on 31 March. A music video for the song was released in April, and it marked the first appearance of Jun Shirakawa as the band's supporting guitarist, replacing Kuwahara.
On 23 June, the band announced a special live session of "Tamamono", which premiered on 29 June 2025 on their YouTube channel. The livestream also featured a performance of the song "Meidai (命題)", which debuted in and had been used as the theme song for NTV's News Zero since March, as well as the surprise announcement of a new album that was scheduled for release on 8 October, and the band's nationwide 20th-anniversary tour, which will include three consecutive days at Yokohama Arena, with special guests Bump of Chicken, Yoasobi, and Vaundy, respectively. The tour began in Hiroshima on 18 October and is set to end in Tokyo on 27 December.
The cover of the new album, titled Anew, was revealed on 12 September, together with a twelve-track tracklist that included "Tamamono" and "Meidai". On 22 September, it was announced that "Piaf (ピアフ)", the last track on Anew, would replace "Meidai" as the theme song of News Zero, starting on 29 September.
On 8 October, the single "World End Girl Friend (ワールドエンドガールフレンド)" and its music video were issued alongside Anew. The album debuted atop the Oricon Albums Chart and the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart, marking the band's first record in more than six years to top the latter.
On 21 October, the music video of "Hitsu Zetsu (筆舌)" was released, featuring Japanese actress Suzu Hirose. It was directed by Michihito Fujii, marking his second collaboration with the band.
On 2 November, Radwimps announced Dear Jubilee, a tribute album commemorating their 20th anniversary, and teased its fourteen tracks performed by various artists. The album had been confirmed earlier on 20 October, with a scheduled release date of 19 November. The songs and participating artists were revealed daily starting on 3 November. Ultimately, the album featured Kenshi Yonezu, Mrs. Green Apple, Vaundy, Yorushika, and Yoasobi, among others, reinterpreting Radwimps songs. Upon release, the record debuted at number one on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.
On 27 December, Satoshi Yamaguchi made a return to the stage at Ariake Arena, after being on hiatus since 2015 due to a medical condition. He was accompanied by Noda and Takeda as well as the other touring members and performed "25kome No Senshokutai (25コ目の染色体)". Earlier in the year, Yamaguchi, in collaboration with Yamaha, developed a voice-operated drum kit that enabled him to start playing again despite his musician's dystonia. In recent years, Yamaguchi has published research on the topic of his condition and has held events at universities such as McMaster, Stanford, and Harvard to give the lecture series "The Past Can be Changed" as well as to perform.

Side projects

Radwimps have also released music under the moniker Misoshiru's ("the miso soups"), beginning with the song "Jennifer Yamada-san" from the 2006 single "Yūshinron". A band with a primarily punk rock sound who perform disguised in Groucho glasses and red T-shirts, Misoshiru's released their debut album, Me So She Loose, in March 2013.
In 2008, Yojiro Noda acted as a record producer for the first time, writing and producing the song "Labrador" for singer Chara, which was used as the leading promotional track for her album Honey. During the recording sessions, Noda collaborated with musicians such as Nobuaki Kaneko (Rize), Yoshifumi Naoi (Bump of Chicken), Susumu Nishikawa (Diamond Head), and Koichi Tsutaya.
In 2010, Radwimps took part in a special project called Terrakoya, a commemorative band formed for the EMI Rocks 50th anniversary of EMI Music Japan rock concert, featuring Radwimps along with Acidman, Fujifabric, Atsushi Horie (Straightener), Susumu Nishikawa, The Telephones, and Kazuya Yoshii. The band released the song "Emi" in November, written by Noda in collaboration with Yoshii.
Yojiro Noda made his solo debut under the name Illion in 2013 and released his debut album, Ubu, on 25 February 2013, in the United Kingdom.

Songwriting

Lead vocalist Yojiro Noda writes all of the band's music and lyrics (the only exception currently is the bonus track "Yonaki" from Radwimps 4, written by Akira Kuwahara). Almost all of Noda's lyrics are based on events he has experienced, or nonfictional events. "Enren" from Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan, released in 2006, was the first fictional-themed song Noda wrote since the band formed.

Band members

Current members

Yojiro Noda (野田洋次郎) – lead vocals (2001–present), rhythm guitar (2005–present)
Yusuke Takeda (武田祐介) – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Satoshi Yamaguchi (山口智史) – drums, backing vocals (2003–present; on hiatus since 2015)
Former members
Yūsuke Saiki (斉木祐介) – rhythm guitar (2001–2002)
Kei Asō (朝生恵) – bass guitar (2001–2002)
Akio Shibafuji (芝藤昭夫) – drums (2001–2002)
Akira Kuwahara (桑原彰) – lead guitar, backing vocals (2001–2024; on hiatus from 2021 until 2022)
Touring members
Toshiki Hata (刃田綴色) – drums (2017–2020)
Jun Shirakawa (白川詢) – lead guitar (2025–present)
Mizuki Mori (森瑞希) – drums (2017–present)
Masafumi Eno (エノマサフミ) – drums (2020–present)
Timeline