Bump of Chicken

Members

History

The four members of BUMP OF CHICKEN have known each other since kindergarten, although at that time, Fujiwara, Naoi, and Masukawa did not know Masu. After graduating from kindergarten, Naoi, Masu, and Masukawa attended the same elementary school, Sakura City Usui Elementary School. Later, they all attended the same middle school, Sakura City Usui Nishi Junior High School, where they reunited.

In 1994, during their third year of middle school, they formed a band for the school’s cultural festival (the band's original name was "Hage Band"), playing a cover of The Beatles' version of "Twist and Shout". At the time, Masukawa did not play guitar, and his role was more akin to a staff member, assisting with tasks like raising and lowering the curtains.

By 1995, the band began performing original songs and participated in various competitions. Eventually, Masukawa was officially added to the band as the guitarist.

On February 11, 1996, the band officially became the current lineup and changed their name to BUMP OF CHICKEN (the name was chosen to mean "the retaliation of the weak" or "the strike of the coward"). The band later designated this date as their "formation anniversary."

After a brief hiatus to focus on Masukawa and Masu's university entrance exams, the band resumed activities in June 1998, performing as the live band for the theater production Hashiru Onna by the theater company "Switch." Fujiwara also composed about six songs for the performance.

On October 24, 1998, BUMP OF CHICKEN released their first CD demo, titled BUMP OF CHICKEN, limited to 500 copies. The demo sold out in just one month.

1999 - 2000: "FLAME VEIN" & "THE LIVING DEAD"

In 1999, BUMP OF CHICKEN released their first album, FLAME VEIN on High Line Records. Later that year, they released their first single, "Lamp". In 2000, they released THE LIVING DEAD, their final release on High Line. They also held their first live tour, "Tsuaa Pokiiru", during March and April.

Later in 2000, the group switched to Toy's Factory, releasing their first single on the label, "Diamond", in September.

2000 - 2002: "jupiter"

BUMP OF CHICKEN's first big success occurred when their single, "Tentai Kansoku", appeared on the Oricon Weekly Charts in 2001. They held two live tours, "Star Porking Tours 2001" beginning in March and "Surf Porkin'" beginning in July. In October, they released "Harujion". They released their first album on Toy's Factory, jupiter, in February 2002 and it was their first number one on the Oricon Weekly Charts. In the summer of 2002, their music was featured on the Japanese TV drama Tentai Kansoku, giving them more exposure.

At the end of 2002, the group released the single "Snow Smile".

2002 - 2004: "Yggdrasil"

In 2003, BUMP OF CHICKEN saw the release of their first double A-side single "Lost Man/sailing day". "sailing day" was used as the ending theme to the animated movie One Piece: Dead End Adventure. The beginning of 2004 saw a slew of re-releases. "Arue", from their album FLAME VEIN, was released as a single in March. They re-released their first two albums in April. FLAME VEIN received an extra song and was re-released as FLAME VEIN +1. THE LIVING DEAD received no modifications. In July, the group released "Only Lonely Glory", which became their first single to chart at number one on the Oricon Weekly Charts. A month later, they released their fourth album, Yggdrasil, which was their second album to reach number one on the Oricon Weekly Charts. Shortly after, they released "Sharin no Uta", from Yggdrasil, as a single.

2005–2007: "orbital period"

In 2005, BUMP OF CHICKEN released two singles, "Planetarium" and second double A-side single "supernova/Karma". Karma was used as the theme song for Namco's "Tales of the Abyss". The band's next single, "Namida no Furusato" was used in a commercial for Lotte Airs. It became the group's second number one single. In 2007, they released the singles "Hana no Na" and "Mayday" on the same day. The two singles reached number one and two respectively on the Oricon Weekly Charts. BUMP OF CHICKEN released their fifth studio album, orbital period, on December 19, 2007. They released their first compilation album present from you on June 18, 2008. This album contains b-sides from singles and other non-album tracks.

2008–2010："COSMONAUT"

On November 25, 2009, BUMP OF CHICKEN released its third double A-side single "R.I.P./Merry Christmas", their first single in two years. On April 14, 2010, they released "HAPPY" and then in the following week, another single, "Mahō no Ryōri (Kimi kara Kimi e)". These two singles also reached number one consecutively for two weeks on the Oricon Weekly Charts, the first time a band achieved this since Orange Range's "Love Parade" and "Onegai! Señorita" in 2005. They released a fourth double A-side single "Uchūhikōshi e no Tegami/Motorcycle" on October 13, 2010, and they released a music video for the song on Toy's Factory's YouTube channel on September 14, 2010, which surpassed 200,000 views in two days. On December 15, 2010, they released their sixth studio album, COSMONAUT but it did not feature the song "Merry Christmas".

2011–2014: "RAY"

In 2011, BUMP OF CHICKEN announced that they wrote the song "Tomodachi no Uta" as the theme song for the animated 3D movie Doraemon: Nobita and the New Steel Troops: Angel Wings, and "Tomodachi no Uta" was released as the single on February 23, 2011. They also released two singles, "Smile" on May 11, 2011, with all revenue from the ringtone and CD sales donated to the Japan Red Cross for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. On October 19, 2011, they released their 21st single "Zero," which was used as the theme song for video game by Square Enix, Final Fantasy Type-0. It achieved over 200,000 sales, marking their highest sales since "Hana no Na" and "Mayday."

Also in 2012, they released two more singles "Good Luck" in January 18, which earned their seventh No.1 spot on the Oricon Single Chart. On September 12, they release "firefly", which was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Breathless Summer, marking their first ever TV drama theme song.

On July 3, 2013, BUMP OF CHICKEN released their first best-of albums, *BUMP OF CHICKEN I * and *BUMP OF CHICKEN II * and held their first stadium live at QVC Marine Field in Chiba on August 9, 2013 that was live streamed fully in YouTube. The band also released a new single "Niji o Matsu Hito," featured in the live-action movie Gatchaman, as a digital-only release on August 21, 2013.

From September 9, 2013, BUMP OF CHICKEN started their arena tour WILLPOLIS 2013, with the final shows held at Nippon Budokan on October 28 and 29. During the tour's final show, the band announced the release of their new album RAY, scheduled for late January 2014.

On March 12, 2014, BUMP OF CHICKEN released RAY, their first original album in over three years. On the same day, the band released a special version of the song "ray," featuring Hatsune Miku, marking the band's first collaboration with a featured artist.

On March 20, 2014 it was announced that lead vocalist Fujiwara had been hospitalized for pneumothorax. As a result, the band's solo concert scheduled for March 31, 2014, in Shin-Kiba was postponed to July 15, 2014. Despite concerns about Fujiwara's health, the band continued their WILLPOLIS 2014 tour, which began on April 5, 2014. The tour included a performance in Taiwan on June 28 and concluded with a Tokyo Dome show on July 31.

On August 1, 2014, they released the digital-only single "You were here," and also made their first appearance on the TV show Music Station on July 25, 2014.

The WILLPOLIS 2014 tour's progress, particularly the Tokyo Dome show, was featured in a documentary broadcast by NHK in October 2014. Additionally, on December 5, 2014, the band released their first documentary film, BUMP OF CHICKEN "WILLPOLIS 2014" Theater Version.

2014–2016: "Butterflies"

On November 28, 2014, BUMP OF CHICKEN released "Fighter", a digital-only single written as a collaboration with the manga March Comes In like a Lion. The song was also included as part of the special edition of March Comes In like a Lion Volume 10, published by Hakusensha. Later that year, on November 29, 2014, the band released "Parade," written for the film Parasyte, as another digital-only single.

On April 22, 2015, the band released the double A-side single "Hello, world!/ Colony," marking a major commercial success with over 200,000 copies sold. As part of the release, special live performances were held on July 30 at Intex Osaka and August 4 at Yokohama Arena. Due to high demand, the Yokohama concert was also live-streamed to cinemas nationwide, attracting 47,000 viewers, marking the band's first-ever live screening event.

On December 31, 2015, BUMP OF CHICKEN performed for the first time at the 66th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, where they sang "RAY" live from the Countdown Japan 15/16 venue.

On February 10, 2016, the band released their sixth studio album Butterflies, which debuted at No. 1 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart and also became the first BUMP OF CHICKEN album to reach the No. 1 position on the Monthly Albums Chart. The following day, they held their 20th anniversary special live 20 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, drawing 25,000 attendees. The performance was later released as the BUMP OF CHICKEN 20th Anniversary Special Live "20" DVD/Blu-RAY on July 13, 2016.

Starting in April 2016, the band launched their first-ever stadium tour, BUMP OF CHICKEN Stadium Tour 2016 "BFLY", which toured six venues, attracting a total of 280,000 people. The final show at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama drew 140,000 attendees across two days. This performance was recorded and released as BUMP OF CHICKEN Stadium Tour 2016 "BFLY" Nissan Stadium 2016/7/16,17 on December 21, 2016.

The band also made multiple appearances on NHK’s SONGS music program in December 2015 and February 2016, with hundreds of requests for re-broadcasts. In May 2016, an edited "Complete Version" of their performance was aired. On June 17, 2016, the music video for ""Hōseki ni Natta Hi" (宝石になった日, Those Days Became Jewels), from Butterflies, was released.

2016–2019: aurora arc

In July 2016, BUMP OF CHICKEN provided the theme song "Aria" for the TBS drama Aogeba Tōtoshi, which was released digitally on August 17, 2016. Later that year, they provided the opening theme song "Answer" and the ending theme song "Fighter" for the anime March Comes In like a Lion, with "Answer" released as a digital single on December 21, 2016. In April 2017, the band contributed the opening theme song "GO" for Granblue Fantasy: The Animation, and a commercial for the game also aired in May 2017.

On January 28, 2017, BUMP OF CHICKEN released a demo of their new song "Nagareboshi no Shōtai" for free on their website until January 30, 2017. They also performed "Ribbon" during a live-streamed anniversary special on February 10, 2017, which was released digitally on May 1, 2017. The band also opened official Twitter and Instagram accounts on the same day. On July 5, 2017, BUMP OF CHICKEN released "Kinen Satsuei" as a digital single, which had been used in a Nissin Cup Noodles commercial.

From September 16, 2017, to February 11, 2018, the band toured nationwide with their BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2017-2018 "PATHFINDER" tour, with a complete recording of their second-day performance at Saitama Super Arena released on August 8, 2018 .

In April 2018, BUMP OF CHICKEN provided the opening theme "Sirius" and the ending theme "Spica" for the anime Last Hope (重神機パンドーラ, Juushinki Pandora). "Sirius" was released as a digital single on September 24, 2018.

Later June 2018, they also provided "Bōen no Māchi" as a commercial song for Yo-Kai Watch World, a new mobile game app developed by GungHo Online Entertainment and Level-5. The song was released as a digital single on July 23, 2018.

In October 2018, BUMP OF CHICKEN provided the theme song "Hanashi ga Shitai yo" for the film Okuotoko (億男, Okuotoko). The band also contributed "Gekkou" (Moonbow) as the opening theme for the anime Karakuri Circus. On October 19, 2018, they made a special appearance on Music Station, performing "Hanashi ga Shitai yo" live for the first time since their last appearance in July 2014. This marked their return to television after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus since their appearance on SONGS in 2016.

On November 14, 2018, the band released their first single in about three and a half years, Hanashi ga Shitai yo / Sirius / Spica. "Hanashi ga Shitai yo" had been released as a digital single on October 15, 2018.

In December 2018, BUMP OF CHICKEN wrote and provided the new song "Shin Sekai" (New World) as the theme song for Lotte's 70th-anniversary special animation Baby I Love You-Daze. That same month, their song "Lost Man," originally released in 2003, was chosen as the theme song for Sapporo Beer’s 95th Hakone Ekiden - Beyond the Hakone Ekiden commercial. The commercial aired during the 95th Tokyo-Hakone Roundtrip University Ekiden on January 2 and 3, 2019.

In January 2019, BUMP OF CHICKEN wrote and provided the theme song "Aurora" for the TBS Sunday drama Good Wife.

On June 28, 2019, the band made all the tracks from their single "Diamond" including "Hello, world!/Colony," and the album FLAME VEIN +1 available for streaming.

On July 10, 2019, they released aurora arc, their seventh original studio album, after a gap of about three and a half years. From July 12 to November 4, 2019, BUMP OF CHICKEN embarked on their "aurora ark" tour, which included 18 performances across four dome venues and five live houses.

2020–2024: Iris

In May 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, BUMP OF CHICKEN released the full live footage of their BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2017-2018 PATHFINDER SAITAMA SUPER ARENA concert film on YouTube for a limited time. Additionally, the band released nearly all of their music videos that had not been previously available on YouTube, including those from after their major debut.

On August 24, 2020, during their regular radio program PONTSUKA!!, Fujiwara announced his marriage to a non-celebrity woman.

On September 10, 2020, the band released the single "Gravity." This track was later chosen as the theme song for the animated film Love Me, Love Me Not (2020).

On September 18, 2020, news of Naoi’s past personal issues with women surfaced. Following this, Naoi issued a public apology, and on September 25, a statement was issued by the remaining three members, announcing that Naoi would be taking a hiatus from his music activities. The band continued to perform as a three-piece for the time being.

On September 29, 2020, BUMP OF CHICKEN released a collaboration music video for Pokémon featuring the song "Acacia," titled "GOTCHA!" that was uploaded to celebrate the release of the Crown Tundra DLC in Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch. The music video was produced by Bones and directed by Rie Matsumoto. The song was made available for pre-release on September 30, 2020. On November 4, 2020, they released their first physical single in about two years, Acacia / Gravity, along with the live concert film BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2019 aurora ark TOKYO DOME.

On February 11, 2021, the band released "Flare," their first single in about three months, to mark their 25th anniversary as a band.

On May 18, 2021, they released "Nanairo," which they had written as the theme song for the NHK morning drama Okaeri Mone.

On June 6, 2021, BUMP OF CHICKEN announced the return of Naoi’s activities, and on September 5, 2021, Naoi also returned to the regular radio program PONTSUKA!!.

On October 13, 2021, it was announced that their song "Small world" would be used as the theme song for the film Sumikko Gurashi: The Little Wizard in the Blue Moonlight. To coincide with this, the band updated their artist photos for the first time in a year. The song was released digitally on November 1, 2021.

On November 14, 2021, BUMP OF CHICKEN streamed their studio live performance Silver Jubilee on YouTube, marking the return of the four-member band for the first time in two years. Immediately after, the band announced the release of the physical single "Nanairo" and the live concert event BUMP OF CHICKEN LIVE 2022 Silver Jubilee at Makuhari Messe 02/10-11. The physical single "Nanairo" was released on December 22, 2022.

On December 31, 2022, the band performed at the 72nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, singing "Tentai Kansoku" and "Nanairo," marking their second appearance since 2015.

On February 14, 2023, BUMP OF CHICKEN announced that their song "Chronostasis" would be used as the theme song for the 25th Detective Conan movie, Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween. The song was digitally released on April 11, 2023.

From July 2 to 3, 2023, BUMP OF CHICKEN held their first audience-attended concert in about 2 years and 8 months, BUMP OF CHICKEN LIVE 2022 Silver Jubilee at Makuhari Messe at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall 9-11. The concert had originally been scheduled for February 10-11, 2023, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rescheduled performances took place on July 2-3, 2023.

On July 3, 2023, the band launched their official TikTok account.

On September 15, 2023, it was announced that their song "SOUVENIR" would be used as the opening theme for the second season of the anime Spy×Family. The song was scheduled for digital release on September 29, 2023.

From October 24 to December 13, 2023, BUMP OF CHICKEN held their BUMP OF CHICKEN LIVE 2022 Silver Jubilee, performing 12 concerts at six live house venues across Japan.

On October 25, 2023, it was announced that a CD single for "SOUVENIR" and a live video release BUMP OF CHICKEN LIVE 2022 Silver Jubilee at Makuhari Messe would both be released on December 21, 2023, though this was later delayed to April 5, 2024. Additionally, the band announced their upcoming arena tour BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2023 be there, set to begin in February 2024.

On March 31, 2024, BUMP OF CHICKEN appeared on NHK General TV’s BUMP OF CHICKEN 18 Matsuri, and the following day, April 1, 2024, their song "Mado no Naka Kara" performed on the program was digitally released in advance. On April 5, 2024, the song was included in the CD single SOUVENIR and the live video release BUMP OF CHICKEN LIVE 2022 Silver Jubilee at Makuhari Messe.

On May 24, 2024, the band released the live video BUMP OF CHICKEN LIVE 2022 Silver Jubilee at Zepp Haneda (Tokyo).

On May 28, 2024, BUMP OF CHICKEN launched their official app be there.

On December 11, 2024, BUMP OF CHICKEN released the song "Sleep Walking Orchestra," which was used as the opening theme for the anime Delicious in Dungeon.

On December 20, 2023, the band released the live video BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2023 be there at Saitama Super Arena.

To mark their 28th anniversary, from February 11 to April 25, 2024, BUMP OF CHICKEN held a nationwide arena tour as a revival of their 2008 orbital period tour, performing 16 concerts across eight venues and attracting 150,000 fans.

On April 15, 2024, the band released "Kaikou" as the theme song for the live-action Japanese film Onmyoji 0.

On July 31, 2024, "Strawberry" was released as the theme song for the TBS drama Ms. Saionji Doesn't Do Housework.

On April 25, 2024, the band announced the release of their tenth studio album Iris, scheduled for September 4, 2024, along with a dome tour BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2024 Sphery Rendezvous to start in September 2024. On August 19, 2024, they added 10 additional concerts at halls and live houses, and on September 2, 2024, it was announced that Tokyo Dome performances would take place on December 7 and 8, 2024, marking their first Tokyo Dome shows in five years since BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2019 aurora ark. The tour will consist of 19 performances at 10 venues across Japan.

2025 - present

On June 25, 2025, it was announced that BUMP OF CHICKEN's song "Ribbon," originally released in 2017, would be used as the Japanese ending theme for the Disney & Pixar film Elio, set to be released on August 1, 2025.

On September 27, 2025, it was revealed that BUMP OF CHICKEN would provide their new song "I" as the ending theme for the final season of the anime My Hero Academia, with the season scheduled to begin airing on October 4, 2025.

On November 14, 2025, the band is set to perform at the music event Wonderlivet 2025, held at Kintex Hall 7, 8, and 10 in South Korea, where they will be the headliner for the first day of the event.

On October 15, 2025, BUMP OF CHICKEN released the digital-only single “I”.

Band members

Motoo Fujiwara

Motoo Fujiwara is the composer, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and main vocalist of the group. He has written most of the music, and has also drawn the artwork for their albums THE LIVING DEAD and Yggdrasil. In March 2006, he released a solo album entitled Song for Tales of the Abyss, which included "Karma" and instrumental versions of songs from the game Tales of the Abyss. In August 2020, Fujiwara got married.

• Birth date:
• Birthplace: Sakura, Chiba Prefecture
• Position: composer/lyricist/vocalist/rhythm guitarist

Hiroaki Masukawa

is the guitarist of the group, and also writes most of the hidden joke tracks for albums. His nicknames within the band are "Hiro", "Hose", (meaning "very thin"), and "Nikke".

• Birth date:
• Birthplace: Sakura, Chiba Prefecture
• Position: lead guitarist

Yoshifumi Naoi

is the bassist of the group, and is referred to as the "crowd pleaser". He has released an artbook containing his works, and helped with some album artwork. His nickname within the band is "Chama", a play on the Japanese phrase "Obotchama" referring to a rich family's son.

On September 18, 2020, an article was published detailing an affair he had in 2016 and 2017 while hiding the fact that he was married and a father. Later the same day, he published an apology for his behavior, and announced that he would be taking a break from music. On June 6, 2021, he published yet another, longer apology for the same incident, at the same time announcing his return to the band.

• Birth date:
• Birthplace: Sakura, Chiba Prefecture
• Position: bassist

Hideo Masu

is the drummer for the band.

• Birth date:
• Birthplace: Sakura, Chiba Prefecture
• Position: drummer

Musical influence

The bands that all members of BUMP OF CHICKEN shared an affinity for include Green Day, Nirvana, The Stone Roses, and The Pogues. They also listen to 1990s electronic music, citing artists such as The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Aphex Twin, and Underworld.

Fujiwara has stated that he watched MTV from a very young age and generally liked most of the popular musicians of that era. Among those he listened to frequently were Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Cinderella, Poison, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Skid Row, and Aerosmith. During junior high school, he was introduced to The Beatles by a friend, and in high school he became increasingly drawn to hard rock. He has said that he played cover versions of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and songs by Guns N’ Roses.

He later described enjoying the process of “digging deeper” into the roots of the genres he liked at the time, such as hard rock, melodic hardcore, and Britpop. Through this process, he discovered artists and styles including neo-acoustic pop, Paul Weller, and Zakk Wylde. He has noted that the impact of Pride & Glory was particularly significant for him, which led him to explore Southern rock in greater depth, including artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Mamas & the Papas, and The Allman Brothers Band. In terms of guitar style, he has cited Zakk Wylde as his hero. He also listens to Irish traditional and bluegrass compilation albums, as well as artists such as Jackson Browne.

Naoi has stated that he was initially drawn to punk rock through Green Day, and later listened to shoegaze bands such as Pixies. Regarding the band’s wide range of musical influences, he commented, “What Fujiwara brings to us is genreless and borderless. Because of that, we try to keep our antennas up for all kinds of cool music as much as possible”.

Production structure

BUMP OF CHICKEN's management office is Longfellow. The company was formerly operated as a limited company under the Hip Land Group, but ceased business operations in 2022. Since then, it has continued to function as an artist label within Toy's Factory, the record label with which the band has been affiliated since 2000.

Artist management is handled by Hiroaki Takahashi, who previously wrote a column titled TAKAHASHI DIARY on the band’s official website. The title was derived from the diary planners published by Takahashi Shoten.

The band’s former producer MOR had long been responsible for music production and co-arrangement. However, beginning with the song “I,” released in 2025, production credits have been listed solely under the band name, and MOR is no longer credited.

The band’s logo design and the jacket artwork for singles released since Planetarium have been created by design studios such as Tycoon Graphics and VERDY.

Nearly all music videos released from the band’s major debut through “Hello, world!” (2015) were directed by video creator Shuichi Banba. He also handled the visual production for released live videos and the visual segments of the video work Ningyō Geki Guild. Additionally, he served as the director for NHK’s program Super Live in early 2005.

At the Space Shower Music Video Awards, the band won the fan-voted “BEST YOUR CHOICE” award in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2014 for the music videos “Lost Man,” “Sharin no Uta,” “Hana no Na,” and “Niji o Matsu Hito,” respectively. “Hana no Na” additionally won Best Video of the Year and Best Group Video, marking the first-ever triple win in a single year.

According to a 2005 interview, the band has not produced a single unreleased or “discarded” song since their debut. In other words, every song brought to recording by Fujiwara has been released in some form.

For the singles associated with the 2010 album COSMONAUT, the band did not compose songs specifically for single releases, but instead selected singles from existing album material. As a result, except for “R.I.P.” and “Merry Christmas,” many singles experienced significant delays between composition and release. For example, "HAPPY" was written in November 2008 but was not released as a single until April 2010, a gap of approximately 17 months.

In magazine interviews, Fujiwara has explained his philosophy on coupling tracks, stating:

“A coupling exists because it pairs with the single. The two songs on a single are a couple. That’s why the coupling track belongs exactly where it is, and that’s how I think when composing—I believe the songs want that too.”

As a result, coupling tracks were generally not included on albums (the sole exception being “Battlecry,” originally from the out-of-print Lamp single and later included on FLAME VEIN +1). In 2008, the band released a compilation album of coupling tracks titled present from you, explaining that they were disappointed that such songs were often dismissed as mere extras and overlooked by listeners.

While excluding coupling tracks from albums is common practice in the music industry, the band’s release pace of CD singles declined sharply after 2012, with most releases issued as double or triple A-sides. Consequently, as of July 2022, the last newly produced coupling track was “Honto no Honto,” included with the 2012 single “firefly.”

Since their major debut, the band has increasingly devoted extended periods to songwriting, often requiring several years to complete a single album. Because most singles are eventually included on studio albums, significant time gaps frequently occur between single and album releases. For example, Yggdrasil was released 1 year and 8 months after its first single “Snow Smile,” orbital period followed “Planetarium” after 2 years and 5 months, RAY followed “Tomodachi no Uta” after 3 years and 1 month, aurora arc followed “Aria” after 2 years and 11 months, and Iris followed “Gravity” after 4 years.

In July 2019, streaming distribution began for all studio recordings released since 1999.

Fujiwara has described the band’s ideal recording approach as follows:

“We want to record things that make your nose sting a little—like the smell of the road we walked home together, or the scenery we saw side by side. Capturing that sense of shared memory is what feels closest to ideal for us right now”.

Recorded materials

Most released recordings by BUMP OF CHICKEN are produced in half-down tuning, in which all strings on the guitar and bass are tuned a semitone lower than standard tuning. Some songs, however, employ alternative tunings, including “asgard” and “midgard” from Yggdrasil, as well as “Mitsuboshi Quartet” and “beautiful glider” from COSMONAUT.

With the exception of the single “Smile,” all CDs, videos, DVDs, certain official scorebooks, and the official app contain hidden tracks or hidden artwork. In these hidden tracks, unlike regular releases, all band members typically participate in the songwriting process, particularly in writing lyrics. Although hidden tracks were previously available on karaoke services, they are no longer distributed at the band’s request.

Some CD releases include a hidden jacket, in which removing the plastic disc tRAY from the CD case reveals printed lyrics for the hidden track underneath. Certain DVD and Blu-RAY releases also feature alternate artwork printed on the reverse side of the outer jacket. In addition, the band’s official app BOC-AR contains unlisted hidden elements.

All performances on hidden tracks are played by members of BUMP OF CHICKEN, although some tracks are credited under alternate names.

Official application

The official application is titled "be there" and was released on May 28, 2023.

The app was jointly planned and developed by Inbstyle Group (Instyle Publisheing) and teamLab. teamLab has previously worked with the band on music video production—most notably for “Aria”—as well as on live concert staging. In addition, the band’s official website, which was renewed simultaneously with the release of the app, was also designed and developed by teamLab.

Main features and content

• Live Music
• Meet Nicole
• Music
• Movie

The Music and Movie sections are available exclusively to paid members under the "be there more" subscription.

Songs in popular culture

Their single "Arue" is a song dedicated to the fictional character Rei Ayanami, from the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The song is listed as R.A., the initials of the aforementioned character.

Their song "sailing day" is used at the end credits of the animated film One Piece The Movie: Dead End no Bōken. The same song is also featured in the Guitar Freaks and Drummania series of arcade games.

The songs "Tentai Kansoku", "K", "sailing day", "Karma" and "Mayday" were later used in the musical arcade game by Bemani in GuitarFreaks, DrumMania, Jubeat, Reflec Beat Limelight and Pop'n Music. "Tentai Kansoku" was also featured in Metcha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: Nanatsu no Shima no Daibouken. "Tentai Kansoku" and "Karma" were also featured as covers by the band Afterglow in the mobile game for BanG Dream!.

The song "Karma" from their "supernova / Karma" single is the main theme for Namco's Tales of the Abyss video game. It also is used in the anime adaptation of the game as the opening theme.

The movie Doraemon: Nobita and the New Steel Troops—Winged Angels released on March 5, 2011, uses BUMP OF CHICKEN's song "Tomodachi no Uta" as its ending song. All 4 members have loved Doraemon for its unique and loving characters and story and have said that it is an honor to be chosen to sing for the new Doraemon movie.

The song "Hello, world!" from their "Hello World! / Colony" single is used as the opening song of the TV anime adaptation of the manga Blood Blockade Battlefront. The song is also available as a playable song in the rhythm game Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!, where it is performed by Leo/need, a fictional band featured in the game.

Their song "Zero" was also featured as the opening song for Final Fantasy Type-0.

Their songs are used as the opening and closing themes for episodes 1-11 of the anime, March Comes in like a Lion (3月のライオン). The opening is "Answer", while the closing is "Fighter". Around 2014, before the manga was adapted into an anime, they and the manga's author, Chika Umino, collaborated to make a CGI music video set to their single, "Fighter". The video was made into a stand-alone story promoting the original manga, called March Comes in Like a Lion Meets BUMP OF CHICKEN. In early April 2017 they posted a long form music video for Answer to YouTube.

Their song "GO" was featured as the opening song for the 2017 anime adaptation of the Japanese mobile game, Granblue Fantasy.

Their songs "Sirius" and "Spica" are the opening and closing theme songs respectively for Satelight's (Shoji Kawamori) anime Juushinki Pandora, released in 2018.

Their song "Gekkou" was used as the opening song for the 2018 TV anime adaptation of the manga Karakuri Circus.

Their song "Acacia" was used in a music video collaboration with the Pokémon franchise.

Their song "Chronostasis" was used for Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween (Meitantei Conan: Halloween no Hanayome), the 25th anime film in the Detective Conan franchise.

Rie Takahashi performed a cover of the group's song "Tentai Kansoku" as the second ending theme music for Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie (2022) during its second week of release.

Their song "SOUVENIR" was featured as the opening song for the 2022 anime adaptation of the manga Spy × Family. Specifically, it was the opening song for the 2nd cour of the series' first season.

In 2022, they were the featured artists in NHK's Juhachi Fes (18fes). They wrote and released their song “Madononakakara” for the this event, which was eventually included in their 2024 album Iris.

Their song "Sleep Walking Orchestra" was featured as the opening song for the 2024 anime adaptation of the manga Delicious in Dungeon.

Their single "Mayday" was used in the Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie by Studio Trigger in 2024.

Their song "I" was featured as the ending theme song for the final season of My Hero Academia.

Live Performance

Live Tour

Appearances

Appearances

• April 18, 2000 – LIVE SHOWER PHANTOM
• August 9, 2000 – MAJI ROCK FESTIVAL
• August 26, 2000 – au Sound Marina 2000
• August 29, 2000 – RUSH BALL 2000
• September 3, 2000 – SPACE SHOWER TV SWEET LOVE SHOWER 2000
• August 3, 2001 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2001
• January 26, 2002 – FM NORTH WAVE Presents “NBQ”
• January 30, 2002 – FM AICHI Presents “COLLABORATION 807”
• February 1, 2002 – HFM 20th Anniversary DEAD STOCK BBQ
• February 4, 2002 – CROSS FM Presents “LIVE FUTURE FLAVA”
• August 10, 2002 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2002
• September 1, 2002 – RUSH BALL 2002
• March 8, 2003 – SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 2003
• August 3, 2003 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2003
• August 9, 2003 – SETSTOCK ’03
• August 16, 2003 – RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2003 in EZO
• August 30, 2003 – HIGHER GROUND 2003
• August 31, 2003 – RUSH BALL 2003
• August 7, 2004 – Busan International Rock Festival 2004
• August 14, 2004 – RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2004 in EZO
• August 18, 2004 – TREASURE 052 with ZIP-FM – Rainbow Surprise –
• August 28, 2004 – SETSTOCK ’04
• August 29, 2004 – RUSH BALL 2004
• July 24, 2005 – SETSTOCK ’05
• August 5, 2005 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2005
• August 28, 2005 – RUSH BALL 2005
• September 3, 2005 – The Tug of Rock ’n’ Roll 05
• July 16, 2007 – HIGH LINE RECORDS 10th Anniversary – The 10th Summer –
• July 22, 2007 – SETSTOCK ’07
• July 28, 2007 – HIGHER GROUND 2007
• August 4, 2007 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2007
• August 18, 2007 – RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2007 in EZO
• September 1, 2007 – SPACE SHOWER SWEET LOVE SHOWER 2007
• October 17, 2007 – FM802 “DESIGN THE NIGHT” Special Live – ICON-TACT –
• October 19, 2007 – SCHOOL OF LOCK! LIVE TOUR YOUNG FLAG 07
• March 15, 2008 – SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards 2008
• August 1, 2008 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2008
• June 23, 2012 – MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2012
• August 3, 2013 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2013
• December 28, 2013 – FM802 ROCK FESTIVAL RADIO CRAZY 2013
• December 30, 2013 – COUNTDOWN JAPAN 13/14
• August 8, 2015 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2015
• December 31, 2015 – COUNTDOWN JAPAN 15/16

They also appeared via live broadcast on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen during this period.

• August 7, 2016 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2016
• December 28, 2018 – COUNTDOWN JAPAN 18/19
• August 10, 2019 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2019
• August 11, 2022 – ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2022
• November 14, 2025 – WONDERLIVET 2025
• December 26, 2025 – FM802 ROCK FESTIVAL RADIO CRAZY 2025
• December 30, 2025 – COUNTDOWN JAPAN 25/26

Media appearance

In the early years, the band rarely appeared on terrestrial television, instead focusing their promotional activities on radio, magazines, paid broadcasting services, and the internet. In more recent years, they have begun appearing more frequently on terrestrial TV. They occasionally appear on JAPAN COUNTDOWN (TV Tokyo), particularly ahead of new releases, and since the release of “R.I.P./Merry Christmas” in 2009, they have increasingly made video appearances on morning information programs such as Mezamashi TV (Fuji TV) and ZIP! (Nippon TV). At the time of their major debut single “Diamond,” they also appeared on Music Tomato JAPAN (tvk).

In 2010, some media outlets reported that the band would appear on the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, but they ultimately did not participate. In 2012, Kazumasa Oda revealed on the NHK year-end special Christmas no Yakusoku that he had invited the band to appear when he performed a cover of “Hana no Na,” but the invitation was declined.

In July 2014, the band performed on terrestrial television for the first time on a special episode of Music Station (TV Asahi), performing “Niji wo Matsu Hito” and “RAY” live in front of an audience. They appeared as the final act of the three-hour special broadcast.

In 2015, the band made their first appearance on the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen during its 66th edition, performing “RAY” via live broadcast from the rock festival COUNTDOWN JAPAN 15/16. On December 5 of the same year and February 13 of the following year, they appeared twice on NHK’s music program SONGS, each time featuring interviews and four studio live performances. Due to the strong response, a special extended program titled SONGS: BUMP OF CHICKEN Complete Edition aired on April 30, 2016, featuring eight studio performances and previously unreleased interview footage.

In October 2018, the band appeared on Music Station 2-Hour Special for the second time, four years after their previous appearance, performing “Hanashi ga Shitai yo,” the theme song for the film Okuotoko. Actors Takeru Satoh and Issei Takahashi, who starred in the film, also appeared as supporting guests.

On February 27, 2021, the band appeared on SONGS for the first time in approximately five years. They performed four songs—“Mahō no Ryōri Kimi kara Kimi e,” “Aurora,” “Acacia,” and “Flare”—as a three-member lineup, excluding Naoi, who was on hiatus at the time. The broadcast also featured a location shoot in Shimokitazawa led by Fujiwara.

On December 31, 2021, the band returned to the 72nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, performing “Nanairo,” the theme song of the NHK morning drama Okaeri Mone, and “Tentai Kansoku.” This marked their second appearance on the program in six years and featured all four members, including Naoi.

Until February 2021, the band had never performed shortened versions of songs on television, instead performing full-length versions identical to their live concerts. However, at the 72nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, “Tentai Kansoku” was performed in a shortened version for the first time in the band’s history, including live performances.

NHK has produced three documentary programs focusing on the band’s tours and live performances. The 2004 documentary PEGASUS YOU was directed by Shuichi Banba, while the 2008 Homesick Satellite documentary featured narration by Masami Nagasawa. In 2014, footage from the band’s first Tokyo Dome concert and behind-the-scenes material was broadcast as BUMP OF CHICKEN: Creation with Creators, narrated by actor Tori Matsuzaka, who has publicly stated he is a fan of the band.

On the radio, the band hosts a regular program titled PONTSUKA!! on bayfm, which airs weekly. A near-identical version of the program, with music segments removed, is also available via online streaming.

Space Shower

BUMP OF CHICKEN has frequently appeared on Space Shower TV. The following information is based on descriptions from the band’s official website.

• November 1999: During their independent era, the single “LAMP” was selected as a POWER PUSH, Space Shower TV’s heavy rotation program.
• September 2000: The band appeared at SWEET LOVE SHOWER, a live music event organized by Space Shower TV.
• March 2001: Following their major-label debut, the single “Tentai Kansoku” was again selected as a POWER PUSH.
• April 2001: Their first regular television program, BUMP TV-Men's Experience-, began airing on Space Shower TV.
• May 29, 2004: To commemorate the fifth anniversary of their debut, the band held a concert at Sakura Civic Gymnasium, which was broadcast live on Space Shower TV. On the same day, the network designated the date as “BUMP DAY”, rebroadcasting past live performances and special programs related to the band throughout the day. Footage from these broadcasts was later partially used in the promotional video produced when “Arue” was released as a single.
• April 2006: Fujiwara appeared as the first guest on SPACE SHOWER HOT 50 Chart ★ Cobain, credited under the name Motoo Fujiwara.

In addition to these appearances, the band has also participated in limited-time exclusive broadcasts of new music videos and made guest appearances on various Space Shower TV programs.

Fanbase

According to Oricon’s ongoing survey Favorite Artist Rankings, BUMP OF CHICKEN ranked second among teenagers in the 2006 survey (first among teenage males and fifth among teenage females). In the 2012 survey, the band ranked sixth among teenagers and tenth among people in their twenties. In the 2014 survey, they ranked eighth overall, eighth among teenagers, fourth among people in their twenties, and seventh among people in their thirties.

A number of fellow musicians have publicly stated that they are devoted fans of the band, including Yojiro Noda of RADWIMPS, Kazutoshi Sakurai of Mr.Children, Masamune Kusano of Spitz, Kentaro Kobuchi, and John-Ken Johnny of MAN WITH A MISSION.

In particular, Sakurai has stated that he frequently listens to and sings BUMP OF CHICKEN’s songs in private, praising their music as being “art on the level of Osamu Dazai”. In a magazine interview reflecting on the 2000s, he also cited “Lost Man” as the most memorable song of that decade.

In addition, Fukase of SEKAI NO OWARI, Kenshi Yonezu, and Yuuri have also identified themselves as enthusiastic fans and have named the band as a major influence on their own music.

Outside the music industry, notable fans include astronaut Soichi Noguchi, figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, voice actress Wasabi Mizuta (the voice of Doraemon), actress Miki Sakai, and comedian Nobu, all of whom are known listeners of BUMP OF CHICKEN.

Charity activities

In response to the Great East Japan Earthquake caused by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the band produced its first charity song, “Smile.” The single was released nationwide on May 11, approximately two months after the disaster, with all proceeds from CD sales and digital distribution donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society. Donation amounts were disclosed on a dedicated website at monthly intervals, with the total contribution reaching 69,627,833 yen.

In addition, during the nationwide GOOD GLIDER TOUR held from late 2011, the band sold “Great East Japan Earthquake charity wristbands.” Sales proceeds totaled 10,010,500 yen, all of which were donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society as disaster relief funds.

Following the Kumamoto earthquakes in April 2016, the band began selling reconstruction-support wristbands starting with the Nagoya Dome performance of the BFLY tour on May 8. Proceeds from sales at the Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Yokohama shows, as well as from mail-order sales, exceeded 35 million yen, which the band reported on its official website was donated and remitted to the Japanese Red Cross Society on September 30 of the same year.

Furthermore, during the final Tokyo Dome performances of the aurora ark tour in 2019, charity wristbands were sold at the venue and through the official online store. All proceeds from these sales were designated for donation via the Japanese Red Cross Society to disaster relief funds for Typhoon Faxai in Chiba Prefecture, Typhoon Faxai disaster relief in Tokyo, and Typhoon Hagibis.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Other albums

Singles

Digital singles

Videos

Participating works

Self-produced

• Demo Tape (Date Unknown)
  • BUMP OF CHICKEN (Theme)/Danny/Glass Blues and others No Reason (BOC-001) (October 1997) A demo tape sold at Chiba ANGA. Later sold by Shimokitazawa Highline Records.
  • Glass Blues/Alue/Knife no title (demo tape) (September 23, 1998) Tracks: BUMP OF CHICKEN Theme/18 Years Story/Little Braver/Alue/Knife/Kudaranai Uta/Glass Blues
  • BUMP OF CHICKEN (BOC-002) (October 24, 1998) A limited edition CD with 500 copies, serial numbers included. Tracks: Alue/Little Braver/Knife Note: There were multiple tapes prior to these, mostly covers and other tracks.

Tie-up

Music video

From the album jupiter to COSMONAUT, a music video collection (PV collection) was released with each album (however, no MV collection was released for the compilation album present from you). For the music videos of songs from RAY onward, they are often included on the limited edition DVD (or Blu-RAY) that comes with the album. Nearly all music videos released after their major debut have been made available on YouTube.

As mentioned earlier, nearly all music videos from the time of their major debut up until "Hello, world!" in 2015 were directed by filmmaker Shuichi Banba. In recent years, directors Atsunori Higashi and Kyotaro Hayashi have often been in charge of the music videos.

Note: The release year is based on the YouTube publication date.

Unreleased music videos

Note: Music videos that have not been published on YouTube (including those that were previously released).

Appearance

Regular program

• bayfm・Pontsuka!!（since October 3, 1999）

Past appearances / Past programs

Radio

bayfm "Neo Stream Night" - "Viva!!Longfellow" (October 4, 1998 - October 25, 1998)

• Nippon Broadcasting System BUMP OF CHICKEN's allnightnippon-r (Weekly Tuesday 2nd part regular) (December 2001 - March 2002)
• JFN BUMP OF CHICKEN Produce Super Edition (August 2004)
• Tokyo FM "School of Lock!" - "Bump Locks!" (October 5, 2005 - December 27, 2005, December 4, 2007 - February 26, 2008, October 4, 2010 - March 28, 2011, March 6, 2014 - March 27, 2014)
• NHK Radio 1 "Rajiru Labo" - "Rabo Talk" (May 17, 2021)

Television

• Space Shower TV Bump TV - Men'Experience (April 2001 - March 2002)

• JAPAN COUNTDOWN / MUSIC STATION (TV Tokyo, December 19, 2010)

• JAPAN COUNTDOWN / MUSIC STATION (TV Tokyo, October 2, 2011)

• JAPAN COUNTDOWN / MUSIC STATION (TV Asahi, July 25, 2014) - First terrestrial performance.

  • Song performed: "Niji o Matsu Hito", "RAY"

• SONGS (NHK General, December 5, 2015)

  • Songs performed: "Tentai Kansoku", "Hana no Na", "RAY", "Glass Blues"

• 66th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (NHK General, December 31, 2015)

  • Song performed: "RAY"
  • Note: Performance from Countdown Japan 15/16 (Makuhari Messe) was broadcast live.

• SONGS (NHK General, February 13, 2016)

  • Songs performed: "Hello, world!", "Sharin no Uta", "supernova", "Butterfly"

• Music Station (TV Asahi, October 19, 2018)

  • Song performed: "Hanashi ga Shitaiyo"

• SONGS (NHK General, February 27, 2021)

  • Note: Appearance by three members, excluding Naoi, who was on hiatus at the time.
  • Songs performed: "Acacia", "Aurora", "Flare", "Mahou no Ryouri Kimi kara Kimi e"

• 72nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (NHK General, December 31, 2021)

  • Songs performed: "Tentai Kansoku", "Nana-iro" (Both were pre-recorded)

• BUMP OF CHICKEN 18 Sai (NHK General, March 31, 2023)

  • Song performed: "Mado no Naka kara" (Performance with 1000 people from the 18-year-old generation)

• Kanjam Kanzen Nen Show (TV Asahi, April 2 & 16, 2023)

  • April 2 broadcast: Only Fujiwara appeared
  • April 16 broadcast: All four members appeared (both were VTR appearances)

• CDTV Live! Live! (TBS, September 2, 2024)

  • Songs performed: "Nana-iro", "RAY", "SOUVENIR", "Sleep Walking Orchestra", "Chronostasis", "Tentai Kansoku", "Acacia" (Appearing on BUMP OF CHICKEN Fes)

• CDTV Live! Live! (TBS, September 9, 2024)

  • Song performed: "Strawberry"