Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, styliz… Read Full Bio ↴Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, stylized as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan, in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi. Starting out as a college band, Asian Kung-Fu Generation released a series of independent EPs featuring lyrics mostly sung in English. In 2002, they released their major-label EP debut Hōkai Amplifier, from that point singing their lyrics in Japanese. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western alternative rock acts as well as their own local Japanese indie-rock and punk scene. Their songs incorporate various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast tempos and prominent power chord guitar riffs in addition to rhythmic groove and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim. Asian Kung-Fu Generation has been cited as one of the best, most balanced modern rock bands to emerge from Japan in the 2000s.

The four of them came together in the music club of their university in 1996; for Gotoh, Kita, and Yamada, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION was the first band they ever formed.

After a while, they began to perform at the school and in the local Yokohama area. Interestingly, their first songs were all written in English and, in fact, their first independent 6 track album (released in 2000) was entirely sung in English. The CDs were sold at concerts and over the internet.

In 2001, beginning with "YMD" they held many self-planned events at Yokohama's CLUB24.

Once "Konayuki," the first song in which they used Japanese lyrics, was completed, they sent copies to all the independent shows on the FM stations, and were consequently able to get their music played for the first time on FM radio.

After that, they released their second CD of original works, this time using Japanese lyrics. It achieved great success within the region and at all the Live Houses.
From this time on, starting at Shibuya, Shimokitazawa, Kichijouji and other places, they started putting on shows famed for their energy.

In 2002, they submitted a track to the Underflow Records Compilation CD. In November of the same year, they released "Houkai Amplifier," their first Mini Album to be produced professionally. This album, which would decide their future, debuted in the number 1 spot of Highline Records weekly charts, and also made it to the number 35 spot in the Oricon Indies Chart.

On April 4, 2003, "Houkai Amplifier" was re-released under Ki/oon Records. That summer, they appeared at FUJI ROCK (on the "ROOKIE A GO GO" stage), and at SUMMER SONIC '03 in Osaka.

Following their October 16, 2003 single "Kimi to Iu Hana," their first full album "Kimi Tsunagi Five M" was released on November 19.

From January 19 to February 25 2004, they went on the "five nano seconds" tour. All shows immediately sold out and were a massive success.

In 2004, their first proper single "Siren" and their second single, the iconic "Loop & Loop," were released, the former on April 14th and the latter on May 19th.

Their self-planned event ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents "NANO-MUGEN FEST" took place on July 1st at Nihon Budoukan and, that summer, they appeared live at festivals in areas all over the country. On August 4th, their new single "Rewrite" was released, followed by "Kimi no Machi Made" on September 23rd.

On October 20, 2004, their long-awaited new album "Sol-fa" was released and this really pushed the band to the forefront of the J-Rock scene. Then, on November 2nd, they started their second national tour: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Tour Suihai No!

June 8 2005 saw the release of "NANO-MUGEN COMPILATION," an album composed of songs from various acts, both Japanese and English-language alike. Included was their first single after "Sol-fa": "Blackout." Later, the band released their first real single in over a year; "Blue Train."

In 2006, the band released another single "World Apart," followed by their third album, "Fanclub." A month later, they released their latest album "Feedback File," which includes live versions of some of their most popular tracks.

Their song "Haruka Kanata" was chosen to be a theme song for the anime series "Naruto," and the popular single "Rewrite" was selected as a theme song to the hit anime series "Fullmetal Alchemist." The song "Aru Machi no Gunjou" was used in the animated movie "Tekkon Kinkreet," and the song "After Dark" was used as a theme song for the animated series "BLEACH." The song "Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat" was used as the opening theme for the anime "The Tatami Galaxy".

ロケットNo.4
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

ふいに虚しくなる
雲の隙間からこの世を刻み燃える月
隣から溢れるノイズ
搾り取る悲しみの合図が
淀んだ窓辺にひれ伏す運命さ

No.4ロケットは希望という木星行き
No.4ロケットは衝動が原動力なんだ

No.4ロケットは狂う術を吐き出し
No.4ロケットは宇宙を切り裂いたよ

数えた心　君だけ乗せて
たった一度だけならば
燃え尽きるまで

途絶えてしまったあの日
夢中で拾った欲望を許してよ、答えてよ

No.4ロケットは希望という木星行き
No.4ロケットは宇宙を切り裂いたよ

数えた心　君だけ乗せて

たった一度だけならば
燃え尽きるまで

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's song ロケットNo.4 talks about loneliness, despair, and the struggles that come with life. The first verse describes the feeling of emptiness that suddenly hits, like a burning moon etching the world through the gaps in the clouds. The noise overflowing from nearby represents the sadness that grips one's heart. The signal of that sadness is then squeezed out, signifying the depressing fate that awaits, as one collapses in front of the stagnant window.

The chorus of the song speaks of No.4 Rocket being a spaceship that travels to Jupiter with hope as the driving force. The rocket is powered by an impulse that sets it apart from others. No.4 Rocket is determined to break free from the madness and cut through space. The second verse continues with a promise to carry the counted hearts of only the person they love, just once, until it burns out. The song ends with a plea to allow the desire that was passionately clung to on that fateful day to be accepted and replied to.

Line by Line Meaning

ふいに虚しくなる
Suddenly feeling empty

雲の隙間からこの世を刻み燃える月
The moon burning through the gaps in the clouds, marking the world

隣から溢れるノイズ
Overflowing noise from the next door

搾り取る悲しみの合図が
The signal of sadness being squeezed

淀んだ窓辺にひれ伏す運命さ
The fate of groveling by a stagnant window

No.4ロケットは希望という木星行き
Rocket No.4 flies towards Jupiter with hope

No.4ロケットは衝動が原動力なんだ
Rocket No.4 is powered by impulsiveness

No.4ロケットは狂う術を吐き出し
Rocket No.4 spits out ways to go crazy

No.4ロケットは宇宙を切り裂いたよ
Rocket No.4 tore through space

数えた心　君だけ乗せて
Taking only your counted heart

たった一度だけならば
If only once