When I heard in January that one of Japan's undeniably best rock bands was breaking up at the end of February, it didn't really faze me. It didn't faze me because it doesn't matter what Tokyo Jihen's frontwoman Shiina Ringo does. As long as she's making music, it will be brilliant.

She's that good of an artist/songwriter. In my opinion, she is Japan's second best rock songwriter behind Keisuke Kuwata, the leader and songwriter behind Southern All-Stars, who have been around longer than Shiina Ringo has been alive.

But the only reason why Shiina Ringo is second best is because Keisuke Kuwata has been around so long and doing it so well for so long. Southern All-Stars are essentially an institution in the Japanese rock world.

In the long run, I think Shiina Ringo will be considered equal or greater to Keisuke Kuwata, and it won't be as ambiguous such as whether The Rolling Stones or the The Beatles are the ultimate Western rock band.

It did furrow my brow, though, as to why they were breaking up. Who's breaking up the band?

To review, Shiina Ringo was already an enormously successful and highly heralded musician/songwriter when she "retired" from her solo career to "join" Tokyo Jihen in 2004, her hand-picked backing band who supported her on her last solo tour.

Tokyo Jihen got off to a rocky start after the original guitarist and keyboardist quit after the first album and tour. And I understood the dissension. Some of Japan's finest musician's were recruited, and they were asked to be the backing band/second fiddle for Shiina Ringo. That wasn't what she wanted, but it wasn't easy to remove her from her stature nor the fact that Shiina Ringo was the main draw for Tokyo Jihen.

The replacement guitarist and keyboardist were Ukigumo and Ichiyo Izawa, both also brilliant and set ups for a perfect band. I think Ukigumo had to be personally cajoled by Shiina Ringo (for a second time) into agreeing to join the band with assurances that there would be no barriers to his creative freedom, i.e., he wasn't a part of a Shiina Ringo vehicle.

Even though Tokyo Jihen's first album was mostly written and controlled by her, which may be why the original guitarist and keyboardist left, she wanted Tokyo Jihen to be a band with equal contributions by all members.

Tokyo Jihen, mk. II, also got off to a rocky start, but the addition of Ukigumo and Ichiyo Izawa, I think, soon proved their worth.

Both were competent, contributing songwriters and secondary/backing vocalists (the original guitarist and keyboardist provided no vocals at all). Their presence in the works of Tokyo Jihen increased by the album, while Shiina Ringo allowed her control to be diminished, at times just handling lyric and melody writing. There are even songs where she doesn't have any writing credits as well.

I was astounded by their 2010 album, Sports, and subsequent DVD of the supporting concert. 2011 saw their release of the Discovery CD, which was no less impressive. I thought they hit their stride and could go on for another 10 years of success just doing what they were doing.

They were a team, they were brilliant, Ukigumo and Ichiyo Izawa seemed happy with their role in the band, and everything they did included surprises and something new and different. So why the sudden break-up announcement in January 2012? Was it something disagreeable about working with a luminary like Shiina Ringo again?

What other set of musicians would any of them prefer to be working with!? Who can compare to them? They're like top-level jazz musicians playing cutting-edge rock music with no limitations.

I think Shiina Ringo gave Ukigumo and Ichiyo Izawa enough room and freedom that they had no reason to complain, and bassist Seiji Kameda and drummer Toshiki Hata, as capable as they are in their own careers, likely had no problem being taken to the heights Tokyo Jihen took them.

I wonder if the break-up of Tokyo Jihen was instigated by Shiina Ringo herself. An artistic career decision. She could've sailed on with Tokyo Jihen for 10 more years. But way back when, when she could've sailed on with her solo career for 10 more years no problem, she instead announced her retirement as a solo artist and joined Tokyo Jihen, which back then was unproven.

Anyway, there are good aspects to Tokyo Jihen's break-up. I will be able to stop buying their albums and DVDs as soon as I see them. Yesterday I found they released a DVD of their Discovery tour last year, and I bought it without question and it's incredible and I can't believe they've broken up.

I don't know the facts, but from my speculative knowledge and inability to find otherwise online, I think Shiina Ringo herself broke up the band because they had gotten comfortable with their ability to succeed indefinitely, and that's not her definition of success.

I think she'll continue to work with Seiji Kameda who was with her from the beginning as bassist, producer and mentor, and I hope she'll retain Toshiki Hata who's an unparalleled drummer that she obtained from her brother's band. I hope Tokyo Jihen is open to reunion shows in the future, but I feel confident that whatever Shiina Ringo pursues next, I will buy in a heartbeat at least until she starts covering old enka songs.