Grounded in the fields of Ethnomusicology, Anthropology, Popular Music Studies, and Japanese
Studies, this book explores the underground Tokyo hardcore scene, ultimately asking what play
as resistance through performance of the scene tells us about Japanese society in general.
Matsue highlights the complicated positioning of young adult Japanese in contemporary Japan
as they negotiate both increasing social demands and increasing problems in society at large.
Further drawing on theories of play, identity building, and the construction of gender, all
informed by the increasingly influential field of Performance Studies, the book offers a highly
interdisciplinary look at the importance of musical scenes for expressing resistance at the turn
of the 21st century. Within the underground Tokyo hardcore scene this resistance is expressed
through play with individual and collective identity, in intimate and potentially illicit spaces,
with an arguably challenging sound and performance style.

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