The members of Maya Ongaku — (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano — grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days. | JAMES HADFIELD
Jul 18, 2026
Maya Ongaku doesn’t need to turn up the volume to make a statement. The trio — specializing in a mellow, hypnotic brand of psychedelic rock — has spent the past few years quietly making waves, both at home and overseas, while working outside what guitarist and vocalist Tsutomu Sonoda calls the “rigid system” of Japan’s music industry.
“There are bands doing things DIY-style who we think are cool, but most of them used to be signed to bigger labels, which is how they made their name,” he says. “There aren’t so many people who are taking the DIY route right from the start.”
The group’s members, all in their late 20s, have been figuring things out as they go along, from self-recording their music to organizing their first U.S. tour last year.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
