Uketsu (雨穴), the mysterious, faceless creator behind Japan’s bestselling horror-mystery novel series “Henna,” is making his debut as a music artist. He has signed to Echoes, an artist management and label division within Sony Music Entertainment Japan, and will release his first single, “Norowashite ne?” (roughly “Will You Curse Me?”), on July 5.
Echoes is home to a roster of major Japanese acts, including YOASOBI, Kitani Tatsuya (キタニタツヤ), MAISONdes, Aooo, NOMELON NOLEMON, and Puppet Sunsun, making Uketsu a labelmate of some of the country’s biggest streaming-era stars. “Norowashite ne?” doubles as the ending theme for the TV anime “Let’s Go Kaikigumi,” which also premieres on TBS on July 5. A preview of the anime’s promotional video, which includes a snippet of the new song, is already available on YouTube.
The music debut comes during a particularly high-profile stretch for Uketsu. His illustrated novel “Henna E” was recently nominated in the translated crime novel category of the Dagger Awards, a prestigious prize presented by the UK’s Crime Writers’ Association, drawing significant attention online. Around the same time, his YouTube channel passed 2 million subscribers.
Who is Uketsu?
Uketsu is a Japanese content creator and novelist who conceals his identity, appearing publicly only in a white mask. He rose to fame with YouTube videos built around unsettling mysteries tied to floor plans and everyday objects, a format he later turned into the “Henna” book series, which has sold more than 9 million copies combined. Beyond writing, Uketsu has also released original songs through a YouTube “music series,” in which he handles the lyrics, composition, and arrangement himself, showcasing a musical side to go along with his literary and video work.
With his signing to Echoes, Uketsu now moves from independently released YouTube tracks to a major-label music career alongside some of Japan’s most prominent contemporary artists.
