People love to complain about the high cost of media in the U.S., but we've actually got it pretty good compared to the Japanese. (The first time I ventured into a Tokyo music store to pick up a few CDs resulted in a severe case of sticker shock.)
So how do you dabble in Japanese music without going broke or swiping it off the Internet? JapanFiles.com. The website, which has been thriving since 2004, offers DRM-free downloads for 99 cents each, and because the site works directly with Japanese artists, a good deal of that money goes directly to the artist, and not a mega-corporate record label or a big-box retail middleman. You'll be surprised, too, at the breadth of music on the site. The genre list goes all the way from extra poppy anime music to ska to some truly unheard of hardcore bands. Enjoy!
