Japanese Music in Culture

Deanna Fries
COMP 106
April 13, 2010

Japanese Music in Culture

Japanese commercials consist of up-and-coming stars trying to sell people this and that. The songs in commercials are sung by the most popular groups and singers so more people will want to buy the product, even if the only reason is “because so-and-so sang in the commercial.” It would be an understatement to say that music merely affects aspects of the lives of people of Japan because the music industry is in their everyday lives.

One person who holds a large spot in the entertainment industry is a man named, Johnny Kitagawa. This influential man owns a talent agency called Johnny’s Jimusho, or Johnny’s Entertainment. The groups that Johnny creates are usually “male stars who sing, dance, act and make him millions of dollars along the way.” (Sims 1). The boy bands owned my Johnny’s Jimusho are affectionately called Johnny’s. These boys start out at a very young age because their families send them away to Johnny Kitagawa to become famous. They do not get to become a full fledged boy band until they are older, but they do get to have appearances on television shows and as back-up dancers for their senior Johnny’s.

Not only does Mr. Kitagawa control this company, but he also has a tight grip on the media industry. Johnny controls “what newspapers, magazines and television programs report about his clients and himself.” (Sims 1) Basically, if Johnny does not want them to say it, they will not. According to Masaru Nashimoto, an entertainment reporter ''If you're a television station and you don't comply with Johnny's Jimusho's wishes then all the popular stars will be withdrawn from your programs, your variety shows (talk shows) will not get any interviews with celebrities, and your ratings will plummet, the same thing goes for publications.'' (Sims 1) In the 28th July edition of Japanese magazine Shuukan Gendai, there were photos of one of Johnny’s top selling artist, Ohno Satoshi of Arashi, allegedly smoking marijuana in a Karaoke bar. Johnny Kitagawa as well as Ohno Satoshi denied these allegations so much that Mr. Kitagawa will not be working with Shuukan Gendai’s publisher Kodansha. Kodansha owns many fashion magazines which Johnny’s Idols will not be featured in anymore. Unfortunately, “the most painful result of the breakup is the loss of the annual Johnny's calendars - which bring in a steady 200,000,000 yen a year (roughly $1.8 million)” (Scoop).

In the fall of 2000, Johnny Kitagawa was accused by the one of Japan’s most popular magazines, Shukan Bunshun of have sexual relationships with some teenage boys. Whether these allegations were true or not was never revealed, but ever since then, Johnny has “denied [Shukan Bunshun’s] requests for promotional photos and interviews with acts managed by Mr. Kitagawa.” (Sims 1) Not only did Johnny Kitagawa deny these things from this magazine, but also denied other magazines from the same company the same things.

Now-a-days, Johnny’s boy bands are selling the most singles, albums and DVDs. They tend to have larger scale, sold out, concerts at the Tokyo Dome, a large arena for Japan’s baseball games. Since Johnny’s sing, dance and act, they get roles in Japanese dramas and television commercials. Statistics show that the dramas that Johnny’s idols act in have more viewers and last longer than dramas that do not. Also when a Johnny acts in a drama, they also sometimes get to make the theme song, therefore, becoming free advertisement for their group. People love Johnny’s boy bands because “their pop music is light and fun, it's never anything too derogatory or crude, and Johnny's Entertainment always releases cheerful songs that brighten up people’s days.” For those people who do not want to be bothered with scandals, whether they are true or not, there are always different kinds of music to listen to.

Japanese rock music comes in a wide range of flavors, amongst them is Visual Kei. This type of music tends to be on the eccentric side in both looks and sound. X Japan may have been the first band to start the Visual Kei movement in the 1980s. (--) The people in Visual Kei bands wear elaborate costumes and change their names in order to become someone else. They change their appearances and become a new person for their fans to give them a sense of fantasy. Many Visual Kei artists “strive to be androgynous, many not only wear dresses but also striking make-up and over-the-top hairstyles.” (Garnermann 1). While some bands enjoy playing this ‘character,’ others only do it for the fans. When a band is still independent, or indie, they tend to do what their record label wants them to do. If having good looking guys dressed in fancy outfits sells records, then band persuaded to do it. Of course when the band makes it big, or becomes major, they will sometimes stop dressing up, but this does not stop people from buying their albums. Many fans believe that “the Visual Kei look is part of the music” and that “they pull it off well.” (Anonymous)

Another Style of music that is popular in Japan, called Oshare Kei, does not venture very far away from Visual Kei. Oshare directly translates to “fashion conscience.” Where Visual Kei is darker and more gothic, Oshare Kei is just the opposite, colorful and happy. In 2001, one of the first Osahre kei bands, Baroque, appeared on the music scene. This new style of music was brought to the public’s attention once more bands like “Kra, Charlotte and An Cafe,… displayed classic, cute styles without going overboard.” (Garnermann 1) The original sound of Oshare Kei was much like that of Visual Kei. Only recently was the genre “characterized by upbeat, positive rock music [sometimes containing] dance, techno and even jazz influences.” (Garnermann 1). Even though Visual Kei came first, Oshare Kei seems to have become more popular recently. Many of the new bands in Japan, like Mix Speaker’s Inc., xTRiPx, the KIDDIE, and DaizyStripper, showcase themselves as Oshare, although sometimes delving into Visual Kei. Since these genres are very similar, it is not uncommon to see bands dressing and playing as both.

The reason Visual Kei and Oshare Kei bands are important to Japan’s culture is because of the events and concerts that are available for the public. Many bands will have signing events when a new single or album comes out, so there are more opportunities to meet with a visual band. Unlike Johnny’s, who only have a few huge concerts, Visual and Oshare Kei bands will have many small concerts leading up to a “Grand Finale” at a venue that is larger than the ones they were previously playing at. There are more concerts for a Visual bands during a course of time then there is for a Johnny. Generally, Johnny’s will play about three concerts at the Tokyo Dome every few years while Visual bands will play many concerts at different venues.

Japanese music affects their culture, but it is not only limited to Japan. Recently, Japanese music has become very popular in Europe as well as South America. Many bands try to travel to these places and play a few concerts for their overseas fans. When asked why people listen to Japanese music, many people agreed that “I am surrounded everyday by Western music, I have nothing against it, but am so used to hearing it that Japanese music is refreshing to listen to” (Anonymous). The creativity and the difference between American music and Japanese music is a breath of fresh air that even can be seen from the Japanese culture.

Works Cited

Garnermann, Lara. "Oshare Kei - Articles - JaME U.S.A." JaME World - The 1st Database and Information Website about Japanese Music. 18 Apr. 2010. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. http://www.jmusicamerica.com/us/articles-62095-oshare-kei.html.

Kodanshi, ed. Trans. Uwasa-ko. Shuukan Gendai 28 July 2008. Web. 22 Apr. 2010.

Sims, Calvin. "In Japan, Tarnishing a Star Maker." New York Times. 30 Jan. 2000. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

"Urban Dictionary: Oshare Kei." Urban Dictionary, April 22: Buy-curious. 9 Dec. 2006. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=oshare+kei.

Wolfe, Scottie, and Ryan Cook. "X JAPAN -
- Artists - JaME U.S.A." JaME World - The 1st Database and Information Website about
Japanese Music. 14 July 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. http://www.jmusicamerica.com/us/database-artists-biography-3-x-japan.html.