Shiga-formed rock band Lenny code fiction are turning frontman Wataru Katagiri’s travels through more than 30 countries into their first EP, with ‘Sekai’ (meaning world) set for release on December 2nd.
Announced during the four-piece’s 10th-anniversary one-man at Shibuya WWW X on August 29th, marking a decade since their major debut, the six-track concept record draws on places Wataru has visited alone around the world, translating the landscapes, atmosphere, sounds, and experiences of those journeys into music and lyrics.
Explaining the concept behind the record, Wataru said:
“Travelling the world allowed me to see both its beautiful and ugly sides, and I wanted to put all of that into words. I wanted to bring home the landscapes that had burned themselves into my memory and turn even the atmosphere I felt in those places into sound. That is why I chose the simple yet weighty title ‘Sekai’.
I feel I have travelled alone enough to do justice to that name, and this journey will continue. I want to become a one-of-a-kind musician who can turn the world I have travelled through on my own two feet, completely alone, into words and sound. This EP is a new starting point towards becoming that ‘someone’.”
Those travels have been feeding into his songwriting for some time. During a two-part appearance on TOKYO FM in June 2025, Wataru spoke about having travelled alone through 13 countries within a year, while ‘SUGAR’, released that April, had already incorporated experiences from his solo travels. The following week, he said travelling the world alone had begun turning into songs.
Wataru has also documented many of those journeys through a growing series of solo-travel videos on Lenny code fiction’s official YouTube channel, taking viewers through countries including Ireland, Scotland, Thailand, India, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Morocco, and Spain. The series has continued into 2026, with recent videos following his travels through England, including the Cotswolds.
Lenny code fiction’s July single ‘Episode 1’ (第一話), their first new song in one year and three months, drew directly on cultures and experiences Wataru encountered while travelling, alongside perspectives gained from films he had watched. The track frames life as a story with only one “first episode”.
The title of ‘Sekai’ also echoes one of the band’s earliest releases. Their August 2016 major-debut single, ‘Key -bring it on, my Destiny-‘, included ‘Sekai ni Tsuite’ (‘About the World’), which Wataru wrote while living in Shiga and later described as drawing on memories of looking at the night sky there with friends and bandmates. Lenny code fiction revived the title for a one-man show at SHIBUYA DIVE in December 2025, and now, a decade after their major debut, their first EP connects the dots again.
Three tracks are currently confirmed for the EP: ‘Episode 1’, ‘Sekai Isan to Yoru’, and ‘Shuushin’. The latter is currently unreleased, but has been part of the band’s live repertoire since at least February 2025.
Further details, including the remaining three tracks, will follow at a later date.
Lenny code fiction
Sekai
Release Date: 02/12/26
Label: Ki/oon Music
Pre-order: Links
About Lenny code fiction
Lenny code fiction are a four-piece rock band formed in Shiga, Japan, comprising Wataru Katagiri on vocals and guitar, Sora on guitar, kazu on bass, and KANDAI on drums. Wataru and kazu were finalists in teenage music competition Senkou Riot in 2012 with predecessor band CROMARTY. The Lenny code fiction name was adopted in 2014, with Sora and KANDAI joining in 2016 to establish the current lineup. Cinema is a major influence on the band's identity and Wataru's songwriting, with their name combining references to Memento, The Da Vinci Code, and Pulp Fiction. Their music centres on a rock-band ensemble, while Wataru's lyrics frequently explore emotions including desire, defiance, and affection. Lenny code fiction made their major debut through Ki/oon Music in August 2016 with 'Key -bring it on, my Destiny-', the opening theme to D.Gray-man HALLOW. They have since provided music for anime including ALL OUT!!, Puzzle & Dragons X, My Hero Academia, Fire Force, BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS, The Misfit of Demon King Academy II, and My New Boss Is Goofy. Their first album, 'Montage', arrived in 2018, followed by their second album, 'Happy End wo Hajimetai', in 2023.
