Hitsujibungaku Rocks Sold-Out LA Show on First West Coast Tour
- Aliyah Hinckley
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
Updated: May 30
Japanese alt-rock band Hitsujibungaku brought an unforgettable night of music and emotion to a packed house at The Echoplex in Los Angeles, selling out the venue as part of their first-ever west coast tour in the United States. They sold out shows all along the coast, including shows in San Diego and San Francisco.
The Tokyo-based trio consists of Moeka Shiotsuka (vocals, guitar), Yurika Kasai (bass), and Hiroa Fukuda (drums). For this tour, Fukuda has taken a temporary break, with Yuna stepping in as a support drummer.
The band's name, Hitsujibungaku, translates to "Sheep Literature"—inspired in part by another band called Sleeping Rag Sheep and “literature” in hopes that their lyric-driven songwriting could transport listeners to another world, in which Moeka felt when listening to one of her inspirations from the rock band Sigur Rós.
Photo Cr.: Aliyah Hinckley
Their music has gained international recognition thanks to placements in anime. Their track “more than words” was featured as the ending theme for Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident, and their latest single “Burning” is set to close out OSHI NO KO Season 2.
The night began with a set by Canadian pop artist Jonathan Roy, warming up the crowd before Hitsujibungaku took the stage.
Fans packed tightly toward the front of the venue, eager for the main act. As soon as the band hit the stage, the energy in the room lit up. The first songs of the night eased the crowd into their set, allowing them to listen and sway to the sound laced with lyrics about relationships and love, including “countdown” and “砂漠のきみへ” (Sabaku no kimi he).
In the middle of the set, the band slowed things down, creating an atmospheric stretch where they truly let the sonic textures of their instrumental shine. Yurika and Moeka stepped to the center of the stage, locking into a steady groove with their guitar rhythms and Yuna’s drumming behind them. There were multiple moments of immersion that had fans swaying and dancing, drinks in hand, from the front to the back of the venue.
Photo Cr.: Aliyah Hinckley
Whenever Yurika and Moeka had guitar solos, it brought cheers from the crowd. During the performance of “Addiction,” an up-tempo rock song, Moeka really got into the song, jumping around playing the guitar and whipping her head around to then shouting out to the Los Angeles crowd yelling, “Come on, Los Angeles!” in the mic, gaining cheers from the fans.
Each song carries a deep meaning, and when the band plays, their music moves you—body and soul. From the soft, emotional songs like “tears” where Moeka and Yurika’s gentle harmonies blend, to the headbanging energy of “Burning,” they take you on a full journey.
For the encore, the band returned wearing LA Dodgers jerseys, earning a huge reaction from the crowd. Moeka revealed she’s a massive fan of Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese two-way star of the Dodgers. The crowd broke out into chanting “Let’s go Dodgers” and clapping, to which the band joined in clapping and laughing with joy. The band playfully acted out a scene on stage, with Yurika pitching an imaginary ball to Moeka, who “hit a home run” like her baseball idol, drawing loud cheers and laughter from both the crowd and the band members.
Photo Cr.: Aliyah Hinckley
In the second-to-last song, Moeka let loose, whipping her hair with joy as smiles lit up the stage. In another moment, Yurika stepped up to the front of the crowd, her guitar angled high with the headstock pointing toward the ceiling. She strummed with raw passion, the music pulsing through the room. Then, with a joyful smile, she spun around as she played. During the final number, she and Moeka performed their signature on-stage jump, across from each other, landing perfectly in sync with the song’s final beat—a fitting close to a night filled with heartfelt performances and chill music.
Before exiting, Yurika shared how happy she was to sing and see everyone’s faces in LA. The band thanked the crowd, with Moeka flashing heart hands to the fans.
After the show, Hitsujibungaku held a meet and greet with fans. They wrapped up their West Coast tour with one final stop in Portland, Oregon, and will go on to tour in Asia.
What song of Hitsujibungaku resonates with you? Let us know in the comments or by reaching out to us on Instagram or X!
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Edited by Martina Yee
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