Japanese Popular Music

I am quite a music fan.  Although perhaps not as devoted as I previously was, I still read music magazines, buy actual CDs (how antiquated?), attend concerts and rank musicians amongst my heroes.  So when I arrived in Japan, I was keen to sample the local music.  Here's a summary of what I've learnt.

Japan is the second largest popular music market in the world after the USA.  It is largely dominated by Japanese artists even though every major Western artist will tour here.  So what are Japanese artists like?  Well, there are three really popular genres of popular music in Japan: J-Rock, idol groups and J-Pop.  Sure, there are some Japanese metal bands and rappers but they seem to be in the minority.

J-Rock

Above: Rad Wimps

To be a J-Rock band, you must have a ridiculous name.  It appears to be compulsory.  The most popular J-Rock band is called Mr Children.  Other successful groups are Rad Wimps and Bump of Chicken.  Given that the most successful Western band of all time was called The Beatles, I probably shouldn't criticize these name choices but it's hard not.  If you move outside J-Rock, the band names get even worse.  For example, there's a Japanese boy band called Sexy Zone.  You can just imagine the record executive meeting prior to their christening: "We need a name.  Something like Boy Zone but sexy.  I know!"

How do J-Rock bands sound?  Well, I can't understand the lyrics but the music sounds very samey.  It's quite middle-of-the-road pop-rock.  

Idol Groups

Above:  AKB 48

Although Slayer would like us to think they're Satan's elect on Earth, I think it's more likely to be a group of irritatingly cute Japanese school girls called AKB 48.  AKB 48 is Japan's most popular idol group.  Their name is an abbreviation for Akihabara 48.  The Akihabara part makes sense: Akihabara is a region of Tokyo famous for maid cafes (as mentioned in my previous post on maid cafes) and AKB 48 performs there daily.  But the 48 part doesn't make any sense: there's over 60 members in this idol group, as if 48 wasn't enough! 

The band members are selected by fans through various competitions. This gives the group its "idol" component.  Some may consider AKB 48 adorably cute but I think they're crushingly banal.  Unfortunately, they're unavoidable in Japan.  Still, they're better than Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and P!nk who all belong in Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre.

If you wish to pick further fruit from the Tree of Knowledge Good and Evil, follow this link at your peril:

http://www.akb48.co.jp/english/members/index.html

J-Pop

  

J-Pop is largely the domain of the solo singer.  The J-Pop singer that I'm best acquainted with is Kimura Kaela.  She's half Japanese/half English and is a sometimes model and TV-presenter as well as a singer.  I saw her play a couple of months ago and was impressed not only by the size of the crowd but the quality of the show.  Still, her music is a little cutesy and trite for my liking.  That said, I love her song "Ring a Ding Dong."  Here's the video clip.  Please, please, please watch it! You won’t regret it.  If this doesn't warm your heart, you don't have one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=tcS6Me5eu50

Above: Kimura Kaela

In case, you are wondering what the lyrics mean, here's a rough translation.

In my hour of need, I was cast into the desperate streets of addiction,

To scavenge like a leper as my hungry veins howled for a fix.

Oh! Death knell! Won't you toll for me?

Please toll: Ring a ding dong. Ring a ding ding dong.

What is blacker than black? My soul.

I am an island swallowed by the bottomless abyss of despair.

I am done with words.

May the bell toll: Ring a ding dong. Ring a ding ding dong.

Hmm … bleaker than the video suggests.

Thank you for reading and take care.

Our Man in Japan.

Melbourne Cup v Yabusame

If you are from Melbourne, you will know that the start of November means horse racing, gambling, drinking and most important of all ... undeserved, but welcome, public holidays. For those of you not from Melbourne, let me quickly explain. There is a big horse racing carnival in Melbourne at the start of November. The pinnacle of this carnival is the Melbourne Cup horse race. Strangely, all of Melbourne is granted a public holiday in honour of the Melbourne Cup. Some say it's strange to have a whole day off work for a race that lasts approximately 3 minutes, but I'm not going to question it.

When I came to Japan, I thought it would be the end of gratuitous public holidays at the start of November. Thankfully, I was mistaken. In Japan, the 3^rd of November is a public holiday called Culture Day, the focus of which is unsurprisingly Japanese culture.

Out of deference to the Melbourne Cup I decided to mark Culture Day by observing a Japanese equestrian activity. Originally, I was tempted to eat horse sashimi (Basashi) but then decided it would be best to see some horses in the flesh ... living flesh, that is. So I decided to watch some Yabusame.

Yabusame is Japanese horseback archery. It is a traditional activity which dates back hundreds of years. Basically, a mounted archer gallops along while firing arrows at two stationary targets. As you can imagine, this is not easy! The rider is at a full gallop, is not holding onto the horse with his/her hands in any way, must gather an arrow from the holder on his/her back, draw their bow, take aim and fire. To make matters worse, the rider is wearing a pretty elaborate and bulky outfit. Here are some photos.

So how does Yabusame compare to the Melbourne Cup? Well, it's a matter of horses for courses (ha!) In some ways they are alike: both are crowded with on-lookers, both occur on a holiday and both are probably dangerous. As much as I love Melbourne, the use of bows and arrows in Yabusame definitely adds a level of excitement which is not present in the Melbourne Cup. Perhaps a hybrid could be created, the Melbourne Yabusame Cup. It could be the Melbourne Cup but with jockeys armed with bows and arrows and allowed to shoot at each other. Yes, I think that would work well.

Thank you for reading and take care.

Our Man in Japan