Fishmans (Japanese: フィッシュマンズ, Romaji: Fisshumanzu) is a Japanese dub/rock band that was founded in 1987 at Meiji Gakuin University in Minato City, Tokyo. The band consists of:
- Shinji Sato (lead vocals, guitar, cornet) (1987-1999)
- Kin-Ichi Motegi (drums, vocals) (1987-Present)
- Yuzuru Kashiwabara (bass) (1988-Present)
- Kensuke Ojima (guitar, vocals) (1987-1994)
- Hakase-Sun (keyboard) (1990-1995)
- Susumu Hisamatsu (bass) (1987-1988)
They together have been working with the band's music intermittently since as early as 1985. Since their inception, Fishmans has become known simultaneously as a kitschy pop act and an experimental rock group, depending on the individual asked. Despite their obscurity, the group has managed to gain significant popularity overseas in America and Europe with their groundbreaking sixth album Long Season, even decades after the death of their frontman Shinji Sato. The band's third live album 98.12.28 男達の別れ is reviewed by rating aggregate website Sonemic as the highest rated live album of all time[1], this ultimately serving as a swan song as it chronicles the band's last live performance before Sato's passing. Fishmans' legacy and career arc continues to have an outsized impact on the world of experimental rock and dub, especially throughout the various music scenes of Japan with their sixth and eighth albums 空中キャンプ and 宇宙 日本 世田谷. Today, the band's legacy is carried by drummer and current band leader Kin-Ichi Motegi through modern live performances, which usually employ stand-in vocalists to compensate for the loss of their lead member, such as Ikuko Harada. Contrary to popular belief amongst Western music communities, Fishmans never formally disbanded and continues to perform live and release new material to this day, despite being slowed by the loss of their primary member, and in 2007, the loss of their keyboardist Honzi. A documentary surrounding the band titled The Fishmans Movie debuted in Japanese theaters on July 9, 2021, with home video release of the same in June 2022.
Directories for Fishmans:
1985-1990 - Early years[]
Fishmans circa 1989, preparing for a university festival
The band was officially founded by Sato, Motegi, and Ojima in 1987 at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo. The three had met one another through song writing collective Song Lights [ソング・ライツ] in 1985. Apparently at this stage, lead vocalist Sato didn't expect the band to go anywhere notable. In the same year, bassist Hisamatsu would join the band to record the group's first song demo, Blue Summer as a 4-piece group. However, Hisamatsu would leave the band by 1988. Bassist Kashiwabara would quickly replace him, and the group would proceed to perform dozens of shows a year starting in 1988, with their earliest known concert being on May 3rd. The band would feature on Captain Records artist compilation Panic Paradise with their songs いなごが飛んでる and Special Night in 1989, which would be the first time Fishmans was printed on any musical media. The band's songs were printed alongside four other bands, none of which (other than Kusu Kusu) went anywhere significant beyond the compilation. After this, sometime in June, the band would begin recording their own first album. The same year on November 3 at a college performance, influential dub group producer Kazufumi Kodama discovered the band and ultimately signed them to record label Virgin Japan. The following year in 1990, keyboardist Hakase-Sun would join the band, completing the group's initial 5-man lineup, which would remain for multiple years to come. After this, on April 28, the band would perform its first ever solo, unsupported performance at venue La.mama. On October 17, the president of Virgin Records came to a performance by the band and finalized their recording contract. The band was to release an album the next year, produced by Kodama, who pitched the record to the band by simply stating, "Let's make a rocksteady album".
1991-1992 - Reggae, Shibuya-kei & Chappie, Don't Cry[]
In February of 1991, Fishmans would travel overseas to Melbourne, Australia to record their first album. This release, titled Chappie, Don't Cry, was printed on May 21, 1991, taking a straightforward approach to reggae. Despite the band's flexible live sound, Kodama's style of production (such as his work with Mute Beat) helped Fishmans in creating a record more akin to popular dub/lovers' rock releases at the time. Even so, some songs on the album foreshadow the band's intended direction towards shibuya-kei inspired music, following this album's release. On June 1, producer ZAK would join the group for a live performance, marking his first work with the group. The band would release their first EP later this year on November 7, titled Corduroy's Mood, which was self-produced without the assistance of Kodama. The EP allowed a much more comfortable shibuya-kei style to emerge from the group, and apparently the band used the material on it for self-inspiration moving forward. It was also this year that the band's songs いかれたBaby (on November 18) and 100ミリちょっとの (on December 13) were performed live for the first time. The earliest known performance of Walkin' was also performed this year (on December 25), alongside then-obscure rock band The Pillows. In January of 1992, TV network Fuji TV would approach the group for a song to be used as an opener for a new show called 90日間トテナムパブ (romanized: 90 Days Tottenham Pub, English: The 90 Days). The band would give them 100ミリちょっとの as an opener, and the single 100ミリちょっとの would be released soon afterwards, marketed as the opening song for the program. It would serve as the opener for the show from January to March of that year.
Later 1992 - Shifting direction & King Master George[]
After the release of 100ミリちょっとの, Fishmans wanted to continue the evolution of their sound, wishing to avoid any release significantly resembling their last. This resulted in somewhat of a migratory period, in which the band would deliberate between potential new sounds for multiple months while crafting their next record. They would continue performing live, and on May 10, the band would begin recording King Master George, aided by one Haruo Kubota as producer. Apparently recording with Kubota was frustrating and sporadic at times, making the growing pains of finding new footing significantly more difficult. In modern accounts, the band specifically cites one recording session as being particularly ridiculous, that being one late night while Kubota was drunk off sake. He'd seen it fit to call the band in randomly to the studio, and not much was accomplished. Such antics would result in a record that was inconsistent in sound, constantly jumping from one genre to the next as the band searched for new direction. The album was released on October 21, displaying the band's unwillingness to stagnate even in tense conditions, desperate to explore new directions. One notable contribution to the record was なんてったの, a song Hakase-Sun had penned instead of Sato. Also included was a new mix of 100ミリちょっとの, as well as a few "joke" songs that only span up to a couple seconds. This, alongside its disorganized nature made King Master George a notoriously playful album when compared to their earlier works. Toward the end of the year, Fuji TV show "Wanwan Variety Star" would begin using いなごが飛んでる as an opening theme and Walkin' as a closing theme. Reportedly, Sato found this silly, however this shows there may have been studio recordings of Walkin' since at least late 1992.
1993 - ZAK, dub & Neo Yankees' Holiday[]
Early 1993 was fairly uneventful for Fishmans, even in terms of live performances, only performing once in March. On February 19, however, the group would release single Walkin', their first to be produced by longtime contributor ZAK. This was a significant point in their discography, as they would settle on ZAK as producer for mostly all of their remaining career. Their next single would come on June 18, entitled いかれたBaby, which gained significant radio play upon release. This would be their first breakout single, releasing before a return to live performances in June and July. On the 21st of July, their third record Neo Yankees' Holiday was released, revealing a newfound turn to dub for the band. This was an expected shift in direction, taking into consideration their previous two singles, as well as considering the genre's close relation to reggae. Being their first production with ZAK, it was also their most musically consistent record upon release, showcasing his expertise in production. Later that year in September, the band would begin selling official merchandise, the first of which being t-shirts Sato had made himself. On November 1 1993, Fishmans would establish their fanclub and administrative group Neri, headed by manager Akiko Ueta. Later, they would print their first editions of fanzine Pool. On November 15, the group would perform their song Go Go Round This World! for the first time, bearing significant resemblance to Neo Yankees' Holiday's sound. The band would gear up and perform many concerts in November and December, ending the year with a DJ-interviewing event between Sato and DJ Kensuke Kawamura, where he would play many unreleased live recordings on-air. This had been a very calm year for the band in the wake of 1992, making for a breath of fresh air. This contributed to the band's music from this era holding a particular calm, easy-going atmosphere.
1994 - Melody, Orange & departure of Kensuke Ojima[]
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Fishmans went into 1994 strong, releasing their first maxi-single Go Go Round This World! in early February. The single was meant as a companion release for previous album Neo Yankees' Holiday, featuring one song that didn't appear on the album, as well as three remixes. Live performances continued as they released their second maxi-single Melody later in June, this also becoming the first of the group's releases to be distributed on vinyl. Melody was also the first project by the group whose cover artwork was designed by artist Moog Yamamoto However, this was a bittersweet development in the band as guitarist Ojima would shortly leave the group after the single's release, making it their last work together. On June 18, the day after Melody's release, the band would perform live for the first time with support guitarist Shinya Kogure, who would slowly yet surely become a mainstay in the group's lineup. In July, the group would begin recording a fourth album, bringing in support guitarist Sugar Yoshinaga for studio recording. These sessions included a two-week-long stay in London, England where they recorded most of the album's material. Between July and album Orange's release in October, the group performed live alongside Cornelius and Buffalo Daughter, the latter being a group Sugar was a member of. Orange was released alongside single My Life, and the album displayed a turn towards funk rock and shibuya-kei, possibly due to influence from Buffalo Daughter and other likeminded groups at the time. It featured a new recording of Melody, as well as a new Hakase-Sun composition, Woofer Girl. Late in the year, six live performances were recorded in full between December 12th and December 21st in preparation for the release of a new live album, the first in their catalog.
1995 - Oh! Mountain & Polydor transfer[]
With the recording of performances in late 1994, Fishmans prepared for the release of their first live album Oh! Mountain with a tour of the same name. The album was released on March 17, with heavy in-studio remixing making the album a "Studio Live" album by the band's own definition. No performances appearing on the album actually occurred during the Oh! Mountain tour, but the tour (meant to promote said live album) was the first nationwide tour the band would embark on, marking an important stepping stone for the group. The tour would end on May 13, a concert Sugar would join them for, and in July the group would acquire a new recording studio called Waikiki Beach. This is where the group would begin recording their fifth studio album, coinciding with a transfer away from record label Media Remoras and to Polydor Japan, a subsidiary of Universal Music. A concert on September 19 titled "Let's Polydor" was conducted to celebrate the move, however this would become Hakase-Sun's final performance with the band before departing. On November 1st, the group would perform live with support keyboardist Honzi for the first time, a musician previously appearing as a guest on one track from Oh! Mountain. Later that month on the 25th, single ナイトクルージング was released, marking a significant shift toward dream pop for the group. This was also the first time Honzi or Kogure would appear in a studio work with the group. On December 2, tour ナ亻スᆞチヨ亻スᆞツアー would be performed and consisted of four performances ending on the 15th. The third, on December 12 would feature support keyboardist Rei Ueda, despite Honzi's continued presence.
Early 1996 - Dream pop & 空中キャンプ[]
The band opened 1996 with one concert on January 27, 1996 @Shimokitazawa Club Que, this being the first concert Fishmans would perform alongside support guitarist Michio "Darts" Sekiguchi. He would become a mainstay of the group's live performances going forward. By the time ナイトクルージング was released in November 1995, Fishmans had already decided many aspects of their next album, including an album cover, song list and a title: 空中キャンプ. This album was released on February 1st, becoming a definitive album for the group. To this day, Kuchu Camp is their most well-known album in Japan and contains multiple of their better known songs, such as Baby Blue, ナイトクルージング and 新しい人, along with many others. Immediately following the release of this album on February 2, their next tour 若いながらも歴史あり would commence in celebration and promotion of the album's release, sporting nine concerts over its run. One concert in particular, March 2, 1996 @Shinjuku Liquid Room was recorded on video in full and later distributed in 2005 on DVD as 若いながらも歴史あり 96.3.2 @新宿Liquid Room. Baby Blue would be released on March 27 as its own single, with a B-side remix of Sunny Blue by Hicksville, a band Shinya Kogure was involved in. The group would proceed to participate in live performances through June and August, however at the same time, the group was attempting to conceive their next album on Polydor Records. The group was required to release three albums in two years, and with their first out of the way, Fishmans decided they wanted to continue in the creative direction of Kuchu Camp going forward, at one point saying that the album was so well-made and cohesive in sound that it was more like one song with eight parts. This inspired them to create an album literally only made of one song divided in parts, and recording began sometime in mid 1996 for this follow-up record.
Later 1996 - Long Season & experimentation[]
Advertised as a "one track album", Fishmans began work for their next album Long Season first by releasing a single, Season, in September. The song was significantly popular upon release, still standing as one of their most popular today, bearing significant musical resemblance to the dream pop sound achieved on their previous album Kuchu Camp. The single was released with B-side I Dub Fish, an experimental, sparse track which gave insight as to the experimental nature of recording behind the scenes. Out of these sessions also gave rise to Fish Is Watching You, a track even more experimental which wasn't released until later on rarity compilations. Season, however, was the song by which their next album was based on, taking significant inspiration from the track's motifs to create an entire album worth of material. Founded upon repetitive synth lines and evolving melodies over 35 minutes, Long Season was ultimately recorded by splicing together many different takes and creating a rock song more akin to a classical symphony than it was to its dream pop counterpart. Released on October 25, the album remains to this day a cult classic among music fans worldwide, gaining particular popularity overseas in the west. As of August 26, 2024, English-speaking music rating aggregate site Sonemic lists Long Season as the best dream pop album ever released, leading in front of Slowdive's Souvlaki and Cocteau Twins' Heaven or Las Vegas. This album was the first time support vocalists MariMari and UA would appear in a studio recording for Fishmans, marking a milestone in their career with the band. This also includes support guitarist Michio "Darts" Sekiguchi, who'd previously only appeared for live performances. On November 29, 1996 @Shinjuku Liquid Room, Fishmans would perform Long Season live for the first time alongside rap group De La Soul, and on December 3, the group would begin 3-show-long tour Long Season '96~7 to celebrate and promote the album's release. One show in particular, December 26, 1996 @Akasaka Blitz was recorded in full and later distributed on CD as Long Season '96~7 - 96.12.26 Akasaka Blitz in 2016, this concert also including a complete performance of Long Season. Recording for their next album began in late 1996 to complete the Polydor contract, with Sato beginning on home demos soon after Long Season's release.
1997 - Internal struggle, 宇宙 日本 世田谷 & end of Waikiki Beach[]
Initially, recording of their seventh studio album was very difficult and tumultuous. Primarily, this stress came from a crowded live schedule. One performance, May 31, 1997 @Kobe Chicken George had the group performing alongside rap group Tokyo No. 1 Soul Set for a performance of Long Season, and another concert on July 4, 1997 @Shibuya Club Quattro had the group opening for alternative rock group Pavement, performing Long Season exclusively. However, this stress also came from Sato taking a creative lead in the band around this time. Previously, the group had functioned as one unit, Sato writing material that every other member would build off of. For this album, however, Sato found himself writing nearly all of the new material, bringing in home demos that sounded nearly complete as is. This caused the other band members to become disenfranchised with the band as time went on, and in turn this caused Sato to feel lonely and depressed while under this stress to release a new album for Polydor. In-fighting between Sato and producer ZAK wasn't unheard of either, both having differing opinions on where the band's sound should be taken. Ultimately, just before the release of their next album 宇宙 日本 世田谷 in July, ZAK decided to depart from the band and leave Sato as the group's producer. It was apparently while recording Daydream, the final song to be recorded in the band's studio Waikiki Beach, that ZAK had felt that the band was not going to last much longer anyways. In August, only a few weeks after the album's release, Waikiki Beach was closed for the last time to the band after their three-album deal with Polydor was complete. Despite this internal struggle, however, the massive 12-show tour 宇宙 日本 奥田イズム was conducted after the album Uchu Nippon Setagaya's release. Throughout this time, producer ZAK would create his final work with the group, Walking in the Rhythm, a 4-song remix maxi-single dedicated to the song of the same name found on Uchu Nippon Setagaya. The single is 40 minutes long, taking the same cohesive song structure as the band's earlier album Long Season. To celebrate its release, Fishmans conducted the three-show tour Walking in the 奥田イズム, during which sound mixer Ichizo Nishikawa would join the band to assist in recording, specifically during December 12, 1997 @Shinjuku Liquid Room. This concert would later be broadcast in full on Space Shower TV multiple times in the coming years, however it was never officially released beyond this. It's unknown if this was his first work with the band, but from this point forward, he would essentially replace ZAK in production duties, assisting Sato primarily in guiding the band's sound.
1998 - 8月の現状, space rock & 男達の別れ[]
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Going into the new year, Fishmans kicked off with a 30-minute performance on January 11, 1998 @Space Shower TV where they performed extended, sparse and expanded versions of Walking in the Rhythm and それはただの気分さ, a song previously recorded during sessions for 宇宙 日本 世田谷. These psychedelic, post-rock-esque visions of their songs displayed a clear shift in direction for the group going forward, showing Sato's desire to create more large-scale projects in the same vein as the band's earlier Long Season. They would follow with the four-show tour 低音バッシュ in March, then on June 7, 1998 @Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall performing live with experimental rock group Buffalo Daughter, a group Sugar Yoshinaga, previously Fishmans' support guitarist was now a member of. Many of these performances were recorded in full, this being in preparation for a desired second live album from the band to be released in August in the same vein as their earlier record Oh! Mountain. Recording for their next single, ゆらめき in the Air would begin on July 26, and their next live album 8月の現状 was released on August 19, being coined a "Live!? Album" by the band because of its studio live nature. This was followed by a gigantic 17-show tour by the same name taking place between August and October of that year. Specifically on October 10, 1998 @Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, the finale of the tour, the band would perform a song titled A Piece of Future which would easily become Sato's most sparse, cosmic vision of the group's music. Following this, the band's next single ゆらめき in the Air was released in early December, advertised as a "One Track Single" just as Long Season was advertised as a One Track Album. The song stretches for over thirteen minutes, evolving and climaxing once and again over its runtime. This was an obvious jump in scope for the group, and at the same time, band member Yuzuru Kashiwabara was becoming so disenfranchised with the band and how little involvement he had in the creative process that he desired to leave the group by the end of the year. For a last hurrah with Kashiwabara, the group planned the five-show tour 男達の別れ to give the member a proper sendoff, which was performed from December 17 to December 28. The final show, December 28, 1998 @Akasaka Blitz was recorded and later distributed on CD and DVD. Following this performance, Kin-Ichi Motegi and Sato both intended on going forward with Fishmans as a duo, possibly returning to their roots as a band in reggae-esque music.
1999-2001 - Passing of Shinji Sato, 98.12.28 男達の別れ & 記憶の増大[]
Through the beginning of 1999, Fishmans had little to no activity. Occasional promotional material was made for the future of the band before March with only Sato and Motegi present. Unfortunately, however, on March 15 Sato reportedly fell ill in some way and passed away due to heart failure at home. He was 33 years old when this happened. Band activities were immediately halted, and member Kin-Ichi Motegi would organize previous members of Fishmans for a three-show tour in memory of Sato, フィッシュマンズ的組合, to be held between July 11 and July 15. This tour included the likes of Kensuke Ojima, Yuzuru Kashiwabara, Hakase-Sun, Honzi, Michio "Darts" Sekiguchi, and Shinya Kogure, who would all go on to become permanent support members of the group going forward. So sudden was Sato's death that only two days later, on March 17, compilation album Fishmans 1991-1994 Singles & More and video album The Three Birds & More Feelings were released, the latter on VHS. This was planned in advance to have been released, these being Fishmans' first compilation works. Later on June 30, compilation album Aloha Polydor was released, which cataloged many of Fishmans' well-known hits from their Polydor years to contrast with 1991-1994 Singles & More, which focused on Media Remoras-era releases. On September 29, 1999, the band's third live album 98.12.28 男達の別れ was released, comprising of the band's complete final performance on December 28, 1998 @Akasaka Blitz which was lightly remixed before its release to include additional effects and a more polished sound. Upon its release, Motegi said that the concert recording was proof that they were a good band. As of August 8th, 2024, English-speaking rating aggregate sites RateYourMusic and AlbumOfTheYear both list 98.12.28 as the best live album of all time. AlbumOfTheYear also lists the performance of Long Season as the best song of all time. In 2000, The Three Birds & More Feelings was repressed on DVD, and a second video album titled 記憶の増大 was released, containing a variety of live video performances from 1995 to 1998. This video was screened in smaller venues three times from November 2000 to April 2001 in a tour/event titled 映像キャンプ2000～記憶の増大～, where Motegi and other musicians would accompany the video with live instrumentation. Following the conclusion of this tour, Fishmans would mostly go dormant for the next few years, with no releases or performances between 2001 and 2005.
2004-2007 - Tributes and The Long Season Revue[]
In 2004, a tribute album by the name of Sweet Dreams for Fishmans was released, containing a multitude of Fishmans covers from Japanese acts all fond of Fishmans' legacy, such as Clammbon, Bonobos and OOIOO, among others. The tribute album was the first in a string of events to revive the band, including two rarity compilations released in April 2005 titled 宇宙 and 空中 respectively, wherein their previously recorded song A Piece of Future was finally released. This was in tandem with live DVD 若いながらも歴史あり 96.3.2 @新宿Liquid Room, cataloging a full performance from 1996. Later on August 20, 2005 @Rising Sun Rock Festival, Fishmans would perform their first concert in four years, acting as a reunion event. On November 9, the group would release a maxi-single titled いかれたBaby / 感謝(驚) / Weather Report which included three different song performances from different concerts by the band, this being in advertisement of an upcoming three-show tour titled The Long Season Revue. The tour ran from November 22 to November 28, and included all previous support musicians as well as a host of newly appearing musicians such as Chung-ho Sai, Ikuko Harada and others. The same year on December 28, Fishmans' final live performance with Sato was released on DVD as 男達の別れ 98.12.28 @赤坂Blitz. On March 22, 2006, single Season was reissued under the new title Seasons (Life) with a new 10-minute remix of a performance of Long Season by Moog Yamamoto, as well as a short DVD titled "Seasonal Report" that includes the music video for Season, as well as behind-the-scenes footage for videos shot for Space Shower TV's broadcast of December 12, 1997 @Shinjuku Liquid Room. The single's release was primarily to promote two showings of the new concert film titled The Long Season Revue centered around the previous three-show tour of the same name, both happening in March and April of that year. Later in August the full movie was distributed on DVD, but not before an appearance the band made on July 30, 2006 @Naeba Ski Resort for a concert. Next year, on September 27 2007, support musician Honzi would pass away due to some form of cancer, further crippling the lineup of the band. Their next few years would consist of finding new musicians to make up for this loss, as Honzi was a known instrumentalist responsible for keyboards, effects and violin on many Polydor-era recordings from the band.
2008-2012 - Further live performances & Fishmans+[]
From 2008 to 2010, the band mostly laid dormant, sometimes appearing for live performances at festivals. In 2010, tribute group Fishmans+ was founded with many of Fishmans' original members in order to continue Fishmans' legacy in a new light. On March 28, 2011 @Dommune Japan, Fishmans+ performed live and later distributed this performance on CD as 2011.3.28 LIVE@DOMMUNE!!!!!!!!!!. Throughout 2011, the group began work on finishing Shinji Sato's incomplete work A Piece of Future and performed one of their longer interpretations live alongside Fishmans proper on May 3, 2011 @Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, a three hour-long concert later printed on DVD in full as Live 2011/5.3 At Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall "A Piece Of Future". In 2012, Fishmans+' efforts in finishing the piece culminated in the 6-track EP A Piece of Future, including a mix by Ryuichi Sakamoto, contributions from Cornelius and many other notable Japanese musicians who all chose to pay tribute to Fishmans' legacy. On April 15, 2012 @Saitama Super Arena, Fishmans performed live with J-pop group Sakanaction in a performance that was broadcast on television.
2013-2018 - Long Season 2016 and I Dub Fish[]
Following this brief revival, Fishmans played occasional live performances at various venues and festivals until 2016, when a three-show tour by the name of Long Season 2016 was announced. A four-track remix EP was released at these performances on cassette, this being titled I Dub Fish. It was the first new studio material to come from the band since 2012's A Piece of Future, and before that 2005's Seasons (Life). This was alongside the first tour to occur since 2005's The Long Season Revue, which was notable news for the band. To advertise the tour, Fishmans released live album Long Season '96~7 - 96.12.26 Akasaka Blitz, the first live album since 1999's 98.12.28 男達の別れ. This time, this CD was to comprise entirely of their performance on December 26, 1996 @Akasaka Blitz, another concert wherein they performed Long Season as a closer. This concert had previously been partially broadcast on television network NHK, however this was the first time the entire concert was publicly available.
2019-Present - The Fishmans Movie[]
Fishmans opened 2019 with a performance in February 19, 2019 @Zepp Tokyo alongside Japanese rock group cero, similar to the joint performance they'd made in 2012 alongside Sakanaction. The performance was heavily publicized. Later in the year, independent filmmaker Yuki Teshima announced a project to create a documentary about Fishmans and their history. The film was crowdfunded, and the project was to be titled The Fishmans Movie and released sometime in early 2020. The crew for the film has interviewed many past members of Fishmans about various aspects of the band's history, as well as recording a full concert from the group on September 7, 2019 @Otodama 2019, integrating them into the larger marketing team of Fishmans themselves. The film debuted early on July 9, 2021 in Japan and was screened across the country throughout the latter half of the year, ending in early 2022 alongside the February 25 release of the film on Japanese streaming services. On June 1, 2022, The Fishmans Movie was released on physical Blu-ray, including several outtakes, a second documentary film titled 闘魂：フィッシュマンズ, the entirety of the band's previous performance on February 19, 2019 @Zepp Tokyo and English subtitles for both documentaries. Later on December 9 2023, the documentary was uploaded for paid viewership on streaming service Vimeo intended for international audiences.
Regarding the December 9 2023 release of the Fishmans Movie, an account named User:Fishmansmovie edited this Wiki page to include the following text:
“Fishmans” (movie) with English subtitles on Vimeo now! *excluding Japan
Three days’ rental for USD5 here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fishmans
Check it out!
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of Fishmans' performances were livestreamed online instead of being open to attendance. These include dates like June 14, 2020 @Dommune Japan, April 21, 2021 @Kichimu Event Space & Cafe and January 7, 2022 @Kichimu Event Space & Cafe, all of which were preserved by fan communities online. In 2021, Fishmans released their fifth live album, 2nd March 1996 at Shinjuku Liquid Room, a remaster of the concert's previous DVD release which had earlier coincided with a similar DVD release of 98.12.28. The next year in 2022, Fishmans would perform two live performances at Ebisu Liquid Room, these both being referred to as the History of Fishmans performances. The first night's performance on March 1, 2022 @Shinjuku Liquid Room focused on their early career, and the second, March 2, 2022 @Shinjuku Liquid Room focused on their later. And in 2023, Fishmans embarked on their first tour since 2016, performing three times across Japan within the Long Season 2023 tour.