I remember the first time I listened to a song and knew that it was Japanese. I thought, “Hey! This is new and different!” and as the years went by I later found out that Japanese music and music from Western countries weren’t all that different. You have your avante garde jazz groups, your punk rockers and pop punk poseurs, even your reggae and dub all stars.

Yet one thing has always bothered me. There’s a rare quality among Japanese musicians that Western musicians have no trouble obtaining: beards. I can think of several bearded American and British artists from The Beatles all the way down to System of a Down. Out of all the Japanese artists out there, only Tetsuya Fukagawa of envy comes to mind. Maybe I’m just not listening to enough bearded artists, or maybe I just don’t realize how many artists I do know that possess at least a goatee. Being half asian myself I do know how difficult it is to grow facial hair, but with enough effort it can be done.

So come on guys. Do Oda Nobunaga proud. Grow a beard.