Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Ryoji Shinomoto will perform with two line-ups at the Kaaos Festival in Vaasa in July 2026. The first of the performances will be with his band Ryujin, and the second will be a unique “Samurai Metal Tribute to Aleksi Laiho.” Ryoji Shinomoto has been interested in Finnish metal music from a young age. He cites Aleksi Laiho as his greatest musical influence.
Kaaoszine interviewed Ryoji Shinomoto about, his upcoming gig in Finland, fishing, and his interest in Finnish metal music, especially Aleksi Laiho.
How are you feeling ahead of your first Finnish shows and your performance at Kaaos Festival?
Ryoji Shinomoto: When this offer came in, I was literally jumping for joy. With my main band, Ryujin, I’ll be on the main stage, and I also get to perform a second set with the Children of Bodom tribute project—which is essentially the root of my entire current musical style.
So yes, I’m incredibly excited, but I’m also nervous. To be honest, I get nervous before every single show, but I actually prefer it that way because it channels into a better performance. I even get nervous during my weekly YouTube live streams!
That said, this trip is incredibly special, so I want to fill myself with as much joy as possible. First and foremost, I just want to breathe in the atmosphere of Finland—the ultimate metal kingdom—and experience the lifestyle, the cityscapes, and the beautiful nature that I love so much.
When did your interest in Finnish metal first begin, and what originally drew you towards it?
Ryoji Shinomoto: I think it’s because I’m a child of the North myself! Hah! If it weren’t for Finnish metal, I’d probably be composing music for anime right now.
When I was in junior high and high school, magazines in Japan started hyping up the Finnish metal scene. My high school was located right in front of a ski slope, surrounded by mountains like the Alps, and we got a massive amount of snow. The winters were inconvenient, the days were short, and I honestly hated it back then. But in the midst of that darkness, Finnish metal was the light that saved me. The fusion of glittering synthesizers and power metal perfectly matched the snowy landscapes of my home, Hokkaido.
At the time, I was listening to Children of Bodom’s “Follow the Reaper” on repeat. The intro to “Mask of Sanity” fit the scenery outside my window so perfectly that it inspired me to create beautiful music just like that. I was also heavily into Sonata Arctica, Nightwish, Norther, and Kalmah.
What drew me in was how relentlessly melodious it all was. Groovy music is great, but when you live in a cold northern climate, those melancholic, minor-key melodies just strike a chord. It might sound like a strange comparison, but to me, it felt very close to listening to Japanese Enka (traditional melancholic ballads). The chord progressions and melody placements felt surprisingly natural, and I realized I could channel my own natural Japanese melodic sense into this style.
What has it been like building a band and touring the world with your own sibling? Do you have a clear division of roles, or does everything happen naturally between you?
Ryoji Shinomoto: It was incredibly tough. During our 2018 world tour, the mental strain on my brother reached a tipping point, and flying overseas for shows became impossible for him. In our 20s, the band was our entire life, and even the most brutal schedules and travel routines were pure fun. But that turning point forced me to start thinking about the importance of not pushing ourselves past our limits.
Working with siblings or family can be the hardest dynamic because you are so close. However, it allowed us to experience things together that most people could never dream of in a normal lifetime. As for the division of roles, the band originally grew out of my solo work, so I ended up handling most of the tedious administrative and managerial tasks. But because of that, as the frontman and main composer, the spotlight naturally focused on me as well.
My brother and I are only a year apart, but I have a very typical “oldest child” personality, while he is very much the “youngest child.” I was always stressed out and tense about responsibilities and running the band. When we were young, becoming a top-tier band was everything, and we didn’t have the mental capacity to think about anything else.
Moving forward, Ryujin will operate as my solo project-led band, but I intend to invite my brother to participate whenever he feels up to it, ensuring it’s completely within his comfort zone.
What led to these name changes, and why did Ryujin ultimately feel like the right identity for the band?
Ryoji Shinomoto: Well, Twitter became X, Facebook became Meta, and Eskimo Callboy became Electric Callboy—so I just wanted to jump on the trend! Just kidding…
You can give a million reasons, but at the end of the day, all of those eras are simply Ryoji Shinomoto. I created the band to manifest the ideal vision I had as a composer. That said, each chapter holds its own special meaning. We formed Suicide Heaven when I was still in high school, starting out by imitating the Finnish style. But even back then, we were already playing songs like “Desire,” which we’ll actually be performing on this upcoming Finnish trip. The foundation was definitely laid there.
When I moved from Hokkaido to Tokyo, I changed the name to Gyze. It was named after my father’s business, “Gize”. It was a completely made-up word, but I loved that it was four letters long, just like Kiss, the band that made me pick up rock music in the first place.
The transition to Ryujin began around 2022 when I was collaborating with Matt Heafy of Trivium. We discussed whether it was time to rebrand. By then, we had already found our original sound with Gyze, and we felt we should lean into our Japanese heritage more proudly.
One major fatal flaw with Gyze was the pronunciation; everyone overseas pronounced it like “Guys.” Even when Matt selected me for the All-Star Jam on the “70000tons of Metal cruise”, Jeff Waters from Annihilator introduced me on stage as “Ryoji from Guys!” Haha!
I realized it was a real issue. At one point, we considered changing it to Gize, but ultimately we settled on Ryujin, which comes from my own name, Ryuji (Dragon Master), meaning “Dragon God” (God of Dragons). Napalm Records, whom we signed with for the album release, also strongly preferred Ryujin over Gyze at the time.
But as I said, all three names represent my music. If fans in Japan still prefer to call us Gyze because it’s deeply rooted there, that’s totally fine by me.
Where did the idea for creating the “Children of Bushido” tribute album come from?
Ryoji Shinomoto: The motivation was actually very simple. One day, I just felt like recording “Follow the Reaper,” so I opened up Pro Tools. As I was tracking it, I started messing around just for fun, thinking, “What kind of sounds would I add if this were my song?” I ended up putting a traditional Japanese Shamisen into the mix.
The result sounded so fantastic that I decided to try “Lake Bodom” next. I felt that song deserved a highly symphonic treatment, so I layered in full orchestral strings and cinematic timpani for impact, using the Shamisen and Wadaiko (Japanese drums) as sharp accents. This arrangement was the game-changer. I knew right then that this project had a definitive theme: “What if Children of Bodom had been a Japanese band?” Around that same time, someone had left a comment on one of Ryujin’s music videos saying “Children of Bushido,” and it stuck in my head. So, I figured, why not just make a whole album out of it?
Initially, I only planned to put it on YouTube, but labels in Japan and Napalm Records showed a lot of interest, so it became an official release.
What was it about Aleksi Laiho’s playing style and music that had the biggest impact on you personally?
Ryoji Shinomoto: Let me state this very clearly: if it weren’t for Aleksi Laiho, my life would be entirely different. His impact on me is comparable to what Ritchie Blackmore was to Yngwie Malmsteen, or what Stratovarius was to Sonata Arctica.
As a boy, I was studying classical guitar while simultaneously being obsessed with Kiss. Later on, I played in punk rock bands. But I always felt a nagging doubt about whether I could truly express my own identity in those genres. When I discovered Aleksi and his music, I realized that if I used this style as my foundation, I could achieve exactly what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to sing clean vocals, but I had already learned the hard way in high school that having a separate frontman can be incredibly complicated. I wanted the music to be intensely melodious, and since I was already obsessed with shredding, I wanted to play fast solos. Aleksi was the one who made me realize, “Wow, you’re actually allowed to do all of this.”
Furthermore, his guitar playing was incredibly honest and straightforward. It gave me the beautiful illusion of thinking, “Hey, maybe I can do this too!” In reality, it took me a monumental amount of time and practice to actually master it!
After we toured Asia together and did magazine interviews in 2015, I actually intentionally distanced myself from his music for a while. I wanted to be myself, not “Alexi Part 2 (Asian Edition).” But even while I was pursuing my own original sound, people would always say, “Whenever I look at you, I see Aleksi.”
I guess his influence is stamped into my career at a level that transcends conscious thought.
At Kaaos Festival you’ll also perform a special “Samurai Metal Tribute to Aleksi Laiho” show. What can you tell us about this project, and how meaningful is it for you personally?
Ryoji Shinomoto: That project is exclusively for Kaaos Festival. When I recorded the album, I never intended to perform it live. In fact, I received multiple offers to perform the tribute set in Japan, but I turned them all down. That said, performing Children of Bodom tracks might eventually become a regular staple whenever Ryujin plays live shows in the future.
What does it feel like to perform together with Finnish musicians such as Timi Tonteri, Petri Sara, and Teppo Ristola?
Ryoji Shinomoto: I have wanted to play in a band with Finnish musicians for the longest time. Knowing how exceptionally talented these players are, I am incredibly excited.
This might sound like a stereotype, but I find the Finnish disposition—very grounded, not aggressively pushy, yet incredibly precise and reliable—to be a breath of fresh air. Moving forward, whenever we get offers in Europe, I want to keep performing with them and expand our activities in Finland. So to anyone interested, please feel free to send us booking offers anytime!
Since this is your first time visiting Finland, are there any special places or experiences you’re hoping to check out? Are you planning to visit Bodom Bar & Sauna while you’re here?
Ryoji Shinomoto: Bodom Bar is a mandatory stop for sure. Visiting Aleksi’s grave and Lake Bodom are also absolute musts. Additionally, the members of ChthoniC are currently living and working in Finland, so we’ve already made plans to meet up.
While I’m looking forward to the cities, what I want most is to see the nature with my own eyes. I want to closely observe everything—the specific types of grass, the flowers, the fish, the birds. I have a feeling it might not be drastically different from Hokkaido, but I still want to experience that authentic atmosphere firsthand. If anyone has recommendations, please let me know! Though rather than tourist spots, I often prefer quiet, empty places where you can feel the sheer history etched into the land. Even a single tree is an elder that has lived far longer than I have, and I respect that.
What is the biggest fish you’ve ever caught, and are you hoping to do some fishing in Finland as well if your schedule allows it?
Ryoji Shinomoto: I cannot tell you how happy I am that you asked me about fishing!! Haha!
Please let me brag right here: just the other day, I caught an Ito (Sakhalin Taimen), which is the largest freshwater trout in Japan and can only be found in Hokkaido. It measured a massive 102 cm! Landing a fish over a meter is the ultimate, lifelong goal for anyone who fishes for Ito. It’s a legendary encounter that you don’t just stumble upon. I’ve been fishing for about 30 years, and that was undeniably a dream-come-true moment. And now, I’m heading to Finland in July. This year really feels like the year where all my dreams are aligning!
As for fishing in Finland, I absolutely must do it because you guys have Northern Pike, which don’t exist in Japan. Catching a pike has been a modest dream of mine for a long time. Luckily, our drummer Teppo loves fishing too, so we’ve already promised each other to go out on the water.
I often chat with Juuso from Battle Beast about fishing info and send him lures from Japan, and I also get into hyped fishing chats with Victor from Brymir. It honestly makes me wonder if I was born in the wrong country… maybe I was supposed to be born in Finland! Haha! Either way, fishing is definitely one of the topics I am most looking forward to on this trip.
Which artists or bands are you personally most excited to see perform at Kaaos Festival?
Ryoji Shinomoto: Well, the headliners will be amazing, of course, but I am particularly excited to see Warmen. Seeing them perform Bodom tracks is going to be incredibly emotional for me—especially since Petri is handling the vocals.
What’s currently happening in the world of Ryujin? Are you working on new music or any special projects at the moment?
Ryoji Shinomoto: Starting this year, I’ve shifted our strategy to release new music as digital singles the moment the tracks are finished. This has been a desire of mine for years. Traditional models force you to hold onto songs until you have a full album, right? But by the time the album drops, those “new” songs feel like they’re years old to me. Furthermore, people don’t consume music by the album unit as much as they used to. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up for debate, but content consumption moves incredibly fast now.
I had serious doubts about the old style of only releasing music once every few years, so I decided to just do whatever the hell I want.
For example, this summer, I’ll be releasing a new song specifically tailored to traditional Japanese summer customs. As a fisherman, I guess I just believe in letting people experience things fresh, when they are “in season.” Ultimately, as a musician, I just want to release music honestly and transparently. I don’t want our listeners to feel the weight of annoying industry politics or corporate agendas that have nothing to do with the art.
Of course, once we have an abundance of these singles, I will compile them into a full physical album alongside unreleased tracks and alternate versions. Next year marks the 10th anniversary of our third album, Northern Hell Song. Our licensing deal with Universal Music concluded this year, so I plan to re-release it.
Outside of music, I’m also launching my own signature 36-fret original guitar for sale, and a signature strap is being released by Richter Straps in Germany. I’m incredibly excited about those projects too!
What has been the most unforgettable live experience of your career so far, and why?
Ryoji Shinomoto: Every single one of them is unforgettable. Even playing in a tiny town in front of a handful of people holds a special place in my heart. To be completely honest, back around 2012, I used to busk completely alone on the streets of Shibuya in Tokyo with just my guitar. That era was incredibly special and unforgettable to me.
But if we are talking big stages, our set at an open-air festival in China in 2015 was deeply moving. Why? Because the band playing right after us on the exact same stage was Children of Bodom! Also, the 2018 “70000tons of Metal cruise” was mind-blowing. Sailing on a ship while playing metal felt like being in a heavy metal Disneyland; I will never forget that voyage. If I started listing Summer Breeze and the others, we’d be here all day! Haha!
Finally, what would you like to say to your Finnish fans before your very first performances in Finland?
Ryoji Shinomoto: Moi! Nice to meet you all. I am Ryoji Shinomoto from Ryujin. Performing in front of all of you in the Metal Kingdom has been my ultimate dream. Thank you so much for making my dream come true! We are going to give you absolutely everything we’ve got on stage, so let’s share an incredible, positive time together! I will work as hard as I can to ensure we return to Finland again soon.
Kiitos! (Thank you!)
