Deep dive into Za-Ningen’s profile, their appeal and recommended listening!

Playing it loud with an emotional rock and roll sound, Za-Ningen creates an unparalleled universe of their own.

This rock band has gained a passionate following from fans for their music that is absolutely overflowing with originality. In this article, we’ll take a look at who they are and what makes people go crazy for them!

We’ll also pick out a few of their best tracks and discuss their appeal from many angles!

Who is Za-Ningen?

Za-Ningen is a rock band formed in the Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan in 2008. They started off as a four-piece band, but after multiple departures and changes of band members, the band is currently composed of guitarist and vocalist Riwo Shimokawa and bassist Majiru Seiji who also handles the chorus.

Their unique take on the rock and roll sound has captured the hearts of the audience, but it’s their outrageous live performances that have absolutely driven the fans crazy.

The band’s name comes from the movie “Ningen” which left an impact on Shimokawa. The prefix Za supposedly comes from his opinion that “Most bands have ‘the’ in their name” and the fact that “It’d be cool if it was a kanji too.” The name can also be interpreted as meaning “A human that has given up.”

Za-Ningen’s members

Riwo Shimokawa

| Profile: Handles vocals and guitar

| Born on July 2nd, 1992

Riwo Shimokawa is the vocalist and guitarist of Za-Ningen. He also handles most of the writing while acting as a central figure of the band by working together with other members to compose tracks.

His lyrics are full of emotion and while they’re intense, there’s a genuine quality to them. Shimokawa sings them with a melodic, high-tone voice that is known to capture listener’s hearts.

His works aren’t just limited to music. He also wrote and performed the commercial song for “Mitsukan Apple Cider Vinegar”, has contributed essays to the monthly literary magazine “Gunzō” and participates in many subculture-related events. He’s a truly talented individual who is gaining attention for his solo work as well.

Majiru Seiji

| Profile: Handles bass and chorus

| Born on August 20th, 1992

Majiru Seiji handles the bass and chorus for Za-Ningen. He’s a bit of an outlier having joined in November 2020 after being a member of the Sapporo Hip Hop team “Chuka Ichiban”.

He’s known for his powerful bass performance that you can feel in your bones and his Gyaru mindset. One listen of his deep sound is enough to captivate you.

While he’s only been part of the band for four years, he’s become an absolutely necessary part of Za-Ningen.

Za-Ningen’s appeal! Powerful, but playful Rock and roll!

Za-Ningen’s appeal is, without a doubt, their “intense emotions” (instagram)

Their lyrics and melodies give off the feeling that they’re made straight from raw emotions. But it’s not just a simple power-play. There’s a poetic nature to them that hits you straight in the heart. This gritty rock and roll feel is their number one weapon.

But not only that, Za-Ningen has experimented with many different genres such as paying homage to many classics or putting out danceable tracks that are favorites at live performances. Using rock as a base, they continue to do what they want. That playful aspect is definitely one of their appeals.

Za-Ningen’s career

Za-Ningen was formed in 2008 in Kumamoto Prefecture by Riwo Shimokawa, Takuma Yoshida, and God Karma Shin Oinari who were all friends from middle school who shared an interest in music (instagram).

As 10th graders, they went down their own path claiming their goal was “Revenge against all humanity” and amazingly, they made it to the 2009 Kyushu local finals of “Senko Riot” which is known to be a gateway to success for young bands. They were chosen by event girl Erena Natsumi for the Erena Natsumi Award which helped them gain attention.

In 2010, Shimokawa and others headed to Tokyo after graduating high school. It was at this time that Makoto Abe joined and Za-Ningen entered a new phase.

Moving up in the world by doing drama theme songs

After moving their base of operations to Tokyo, Za-Ningen released their first nationally distributed full album “Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo” (苺苺苺苺苺 / Strawberry Strawberry Strawberry Strawberry Strawberry) in 2013.

The next year, the movie “Obake” which they participated in also provided music for one the Musician award at MOOSIC LAB 2014. The year after that, they did the theme song for NHK Educational TV’s drama “Nenriki Kazoku” and were riding high (youtube).

They even released a streaming only single with an adult actress handling the main vocals and also wrote music for an idol group. These kinds of activities solidified their absolutely unique position in the music world.

However, they ended up switching out band members many times over the years. In 2014, Shimokawa became the only founding member, and band members would come and go in the following years.

Becoming a duo after many band member changes

In October 2020, Abe Makoto, who had been with them for 10 years as a bassist, left. Majiru Seiji and Slow Sex Ishijima joined the band right after. However, Ishijima ended up leaving the year after, and in July 2022, Sōta Natsume, who had played the guitar for the band for nine years, left the band.

This left Za-Ningen as a duo composed of Riwo Shimokawa and Majiru Seiji. As a duo, the two of them have remained active and released three streaming-only singles in 2023. In March 2024, they released their first new album as a duo titled “Ginga Zekkyō” (銀河絶叫 / Galaxy Scream) (youtube)

Nothing is going to stop Za-Ningen and their momentum has only gotten stronger with each year. This new chapter has only just begun. Their further evolution and activity is definitely worthy of your attention!

Three recommended Za-Ningen tracks

“Ore Dake ga ZU・BU・NU・RE……” (俺だけがZU・BU・NU・RE…… / Only I’m soaking wet)

“Ore Dake ga ZU・BU・NU・RE……” was released as a digital-only single in February 2024 (youtube).

This impactful song starts off with them yelling “ZU・BU・NU・RE da-!” which is an homage to X JAPAN’s famous “Kurenai” (紅 / Crimson). The song is filled with a catchy rock sound that harks back to 90s visual kei making it a truly addictive track of theirs.

This one is a recommendation that shows off a new side to Za-Ningen.

“Sell-out Zen Mondō” (セルアウト禅問答 / Sell-out Zen Riddle)

“Sell-out Zen Mondō” is included on their second album released in 2015, “Teleport Music” (youtube).

The pop-inspired danceable chorus is definitely memorable, but there are elements of rap and hard rock infused throughout which helps to create a unique vision.

Also, it includes a reference to THE BLUE HEARTS’ famous “TRAIN-TRAIN” song included in the lyrics making it a real playful track. First-time listeners can consider this a good entry point song, so be sure to check it out.

“Isshō no Onegai” (一生のお願い / I’ll Ask Only Once in My Life.)

“Isshō no Onegai” is included in their fifth album “Burakura” which was released in 2020 (youtube).

This one is one of their more recent iconic songs and was known for being used as the ending theme for popular variety show “Goddotan”.

This one’s a down-to-earth and honest love song that includes genuine lyrics like “I’ll only ask once in my life, please never leave me” put to a pop-inspired melody. This love song done in a Za-Ningen style shows off a more innocent side.

In conclusion

Za-Ningen has created a unique position for themselves in the music industry with a wide repertoire of music.

Without doubt, they’ll continue to take on new challenges and do what they want. We can’t take our eyes off their exciting and ever-evolving career!