Tokyo alternative rock trio of dreamy guitars and quiet intensity
Hitsujibungaku (羊文学, literally Sheep Literature) was formed in Tokyo in 2011 by singer and guitarist Moeka Shiotsuka, then 15 and in her first year of high school. The band started as a five-piece cover group and worked around school schedules before turning to original material. The name pairs the word sheep, which Shiotsuka liked in both English and Japanese, with literature, chosen to signal a worldview wider than music alone.
The current lineup settled in 2017 when bassist Yurika Kasai joined. Drummer Hiroa Fukuda played with the band from 2015 until his amicable departure at the end of 2025, after which the group has performed with support drummers. The sound moves between alternative rock, shoegaze and dream pop, built on distorted guitars, introspective lyrics and Shiotsuka’s airy vocals.
After the indie debut To the Youth (2018) and their first major-label album Powers (2020), Hitsujibungaku broke through with Our Hope (2022), which won the Blue Grand Prix at the 2023 CD Shop Awards. Anime tie-ins widened their reach, including more than words for Jujutsu Kaisen and Burning for Oshi no Ko.
The band has toured Asia, Europe and the US west coast, played Fuji Rock, and won Best Japanese Alternative Artist at the 2025 Music Awards Japan. Their fifth album Don’t Laugh It Off arrived in 2025, and the 2026 single Dogs served as the theme for the Netflix series The Sins of Kujo.
