Hijōkaidan (非常階段, emergency staircase) is a Japanese noise and free improvisation group with a revolving lineup that has ranged from two members to as many as fourteen in its early days.

The group is the project of guitarist Jojo Hiroshige (JOJO広重), its one constant member, who is head and owner of the Osaka-based Alchemy Records.

[1] As the group's lineup changed over time, their focus became less performance-based and more musically based, fine-tuning their sound into a dense wall of noise.

Hijōkaidan originally began in 1979 in Kyoto as a side project of Rasenkaidan members Jojo Hiroshige (JOJO広重) and Naoki Zushi (頭士奈生樹).

After their second performance, Zushi left, and Jojo decided to quit his existing musical projects (Hijōkaidan, Rasenkaidan, and Ultra Bide).

The practice sessions devolved into improvised noise, and Jojo considered disbanding the group, but was convinced otherwise by Oka, Zuke, and Ichiguchi.

In August he met Naoto Hayashi (林直人), who had started an independent label called Unbalance Records, and made a deal to release the show.