Confidence and sources

Data are current through 24 September 2026. Every node and edge was checked against at least one reference or primary source between 1 and 4 September 2026, with the Nordic entries (Studio Fredman, Fredrik Nordström, Finnvox, Roskilde, Lunar Fest) and the status of every current case rechecked on 24 September 2026 and the Bridear entry rechecked on 4 October 2026 after its crowdfunding closed, and where sources disagree the map takes the band's own announcement over a reference article and a reference article over a retrospective. Each node carries a confidence grade in the index and in the interactive map: High means an official announcement or two independent sources; Medium means a Wikipedia or Metal-Archives entry or a single press report; Low means a detail still flagged as unverified. Of the 324 nodes, 67 are High, 251 Medium and 6 Low. The preferred evidence for each kind of claim is set out below; where a claim rests on a weaker tier than its preferred one, the wording says reported.

Work in progress. This map is not exhaustive. It presents the result of documented research at this release and changes as sources are added, corrected, or superseded. Every node is based on at least one public source and carries its sources and confidence class.

Public disclosure policy. This map uses public business records, public corporate filings, property records, public calendars, public civic documents, public press coverage and public listings. It maps commercial infrastructure and documented civic activity, not endorsements, partnerships or private cultural behavior. Inclusion does not require participation, consent or approval. The map corrects factual errors promptly and considers removal requests case by case where a listing is outdated, an entity has closed, publication presents a material safety concern, or the entity is not conducting public facing commercial activity. Public commercial infrastructure is mappable; private cultural behavior is protected.

Terminology and names

Stylistic labels on the map are pragmatic classifications, not definitive ones. Burning Spirits names a specific Tokyo hardcore current built on melodic, metallic lead guitar, associated with Death Side and Bastard. Harajuku core is Hanabie.'s own descriptor for its style. Kawaii metal is a widely used but contested label for Babymetal and its derivatives. Visual kei metal and metalcore are used as the bands themselves and the trade press use them. Band names follow one house style: title case for names the press commonly capitalizes (Lovebites, Babymetal, Band-Maid), the band's own casing where it is distinctive (Dir en grey, lynch., coldrain, hide), the terminal period in Hanabie., the exclamation mark in Burrn!, and NAON no YAON as the festival writes it. X refers to the band before the 1992 name change and X Japan after it. Compound descriptors are written without hyphens throughout (female led, all female, co led) as a house convention.

Japanese forms of names. 172 of the 324 nodes carry a Japanese form of their name in the index, the interactive map and the node pages, taken from the title of the Japanese Wikipedia article on that band, person or institution and, where the article lead gives one, the kana reading [WJA]. The roman name remains the name of record; the Japanese form is a finding aid and a search key, not a transliteration of this map's own making. Nodes without a Japanese Wikipedia article carry no Japanese form, and the Corrections page accepts a documented form in either language. A Japanese reader's guide to the map, the rules and the corrections form is published at japan.themusiccities.com/ja/, and the interactive map and the site can be read with a Japanese interface.

Open items

The following items are on the map with lower confidence or are deliberately left off it.

Source register

Ids are cited beside claims, tables and figures in this document, in the node panel of the interactive map, and in the Sources column of the workbook.

Written for The Music Cities™. BusinessFlare® and Street Economics® are registered marks of their owner. The interactive map and the node and edge workbook accompany this document.