is the major-label debut EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 by Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION

Asian Kung-fu Generation

, typeset as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, is a Japanese rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...

, released on November 25, 2002 on Under Flower Records.

Background

After six years since its inception and three independent releases, Asian Kung-Fu Generation contributed to the Under Flower compilation album, Whatch You Gonna Do?, before dropping their first major-label EP. The critically acclaimed mini-album topped the High Line Records weekly chart for two weeks straight and peaked at number thirty-five on the Oricon

Oricon

, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

 indies sales chart. Due to its success, Hōkai Amplifier was re-released by Ki/oon Records

Ki/oon Records

is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-Artists:Their artists include L'Arc-en-Ciel, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, FLOW, Home Made Kazoku, Puffy AmiYumi, Polysics, Pushim, chatmonchy, Denki Groove, The Babystars, DOES, Guitar Wolf, Miki Furukawa, Nico Touches the Walls, plingmin,...

 on April 23, 2003. Although the mini-album didn't release any singles, the intro track "Haruka Kanata" enjoyed immense domestic and international popularity after it came to be used as the second opening theme for the anime series Naruto

Naruto

is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...

.

Track listing

All songs written by Masafumi Gotō

Masafumi Goto

is the lead vocalist, main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Masafumi met fellow band members Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer...

 except:

• "Rashinban" written by Masafumi Gotō and Takahiro Yamada
  Takahiro Yamada (musician)
  is the bass player and backing singer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Yamada met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Kensuke Kita while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University...
  
  

1. – 4:02
2. – 2:32
3. – 3:46
4. – 3:52
5. – 4:03
6. "12" – 4:36

Personnel

• Masafumi Gotō
  Masafumi Goto
  is the lead vocalist, main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Masafumi met fellow band members Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer...
  
   – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics
• Kensuke Kita
  Kensuke Kita
  is the lead guitarist and backing singer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Kensuke met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...
  
   – lead guitar, background vocals
• Takahiro Yamada
  Takahiro Yamada (musician)
  is the bass player and backing singer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Yamada met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Kensuke Kita while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University...
  
   – bass, background vocals
• Kiyoshi Ijichi
  Kiyoshi Ijichi
  is the drummer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Ijichi credits the origin of his drumming ability to playing in marching bands in junior high....
  
   – drums
• Kumiko Ishikawa – additional vocals
• Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  Asian Kung-fu Generation
  , typeset as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, is a Japanese rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...
  
  /Katsuhisa Ogawa – producer

• Jun-ya Iwata – engineering, mixing
• Masato Wantanabe – mixing
• Kazuhiro Yamagata – mastering
• Kenichi Nakamura – recording
• Kanetsugu "Kan" Tanaka – directing
• Yusuke Nakamura/KAN – art direction

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Peak positions
2002	High Line Records	1
	Oricon Indie Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...	35