From 50s Americana to 90s B-Boys, no-one puts subcultures through the blender quite like the Japanese. So when we heard there was a grime scene bubbling in the land of the rising sun, we were more than a little intrigued.

Dating all the way back to 2003, when UK grime was in its first imperial phase, the scene originated in Osaka when a group of MCs and DJs already enthralled by the sounds of UK garage came across Roll Deep’s

‘Rules And Regulations’ mixtape.

A small scene bubbled away in Japan through the 2000s led by the likes of MC Dekishi, MC Duff and the late MC Tacquilacci. But as grime has returned to the forefront once again in the UK, a revitalised scene has sprung up in the Tokyo region of Shibuya.

Below are the Japanese producers and MCs leading the way.