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155-484: Japanese rock bands such as Happy End fused the Beatles and Beach Boys -style rock with Japanese music in the 1960s–1970s. J-pop was further defined by new wave and crossover fusion acts of the late 1970s, such as Yellow Magic Orchestra and Southern All Stars . Popular styles of Japanese pop music include city pop and technopop during the 1970s–1980s, and J-Euro (such as Namie Amuro ) and Shibuya-kei during

310-485: A gold record for selling one million copies. During this period, female duo The Peanuts also became popular, singing a song in the movie Mothra . Their songs, such as "Furimukanaide" ("Don't Turn Around") were later covered by Candies on their album Candy Label . Artists like Kyu Sakamoto and The Peanuts were called Wasei Pops ( 和製ポップス , Wasei poppusu , "Japan-made pop") . After frequently changing members, Chosuke Ikariya re-formed The Drifters in 1964 under

465-417: A parasocial relationship with a financially loyal consumer fan base. Japan's idol industry first emerged in the 1960s and became prominent in the 1970s and 1980s due to television. During the 1980s, regarded as the "Golden Age of Idols", idols drew in commercial interest and began appearing in commercials and television dramas. As more niche markets began to appear in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it led to

620-500: A "Girls Metal Band Boom" ( ガールズ・メタル・バンド・ブーム ) , with a large number of all-female heavy metal bands forming and gaining mainstream attention. Although not the first to form, Aldious have been cited as the initiators of the movement when their debut album Deep Exceed (2010) topped the Oricon Indies Albums Chart and reached number 15 on the main chart. Another notable girls metal band is Cyntia , who are believed to be

775-727: A "flavor" of blues . He composed Noriko Awaya 's hit song "Wakare no Blues" (lit. "Farewell Blues"). Awaya became a famous popular singer and was called "Queen of Blues" in Japan. Due to pressure from the Imperial Army during the war, the performance of jazz music was temporarily halted in Japan. Hattori, who stayed in Shanghai at the end of the war, produced hit songs such as Shizuko Kasagi 's "Tokyo Boogie-Woogie" and Ichiro Fujiyama 's "Aoi Sanmyaku" (lit. "Blue Mountain Range"). Hattori later became known as

930-487: A Japanese record store, adopted expanded classifications including Group Sounds, idol of the 1970s–1980s, enka , folk and established musicians of the 1970s–1980s, in addition to the main J-pop genres. Whereas rock musicians in Japan usually hate the term "pop", Taro Kato, a member of pop punk band Beat Crusaders , pointed out that the encoded pop music , like pop art , was catchier than "J-pop" and he also said that J-pop

1085-555: A change to the Japanese music in general. Since these bands don't rely in a very heavy sound but take a softer, catchier approach, they proved to be more appealing to pop fans that are not familiar with rock. Veteran rock bands like L'Arc-en-Ciel and X Japan sold out concerts at Madison Square Garden in 2012 and 2014, respectively, among other large arenas through the United States. As of 2015, slap-guitarist Miyavi , who had performed

1240-438: A closeness between idols and fans, some talent agencies offer meet-and-greets in the form of handshake events , where fans have the opportunity to shake hands, take a photograph, and speak briefly with the idols. AKB48 's business model created more opportunities for fan interactions with their "idols you can meet" concept. An example of this are their elections, where fans can vote for their favorite member, thereby including

1395-468: A darker image than that of the idol scene norm. Beginning in the mid-to-late 2010s, the Japanese idol industry crossed over with K-pop with the third Korean wave in Japan, which was sparked partially from positive reception of the Japanese members of the South Korean group Twice . In the years that followed, several Japanese and South Korean companies collaborated to form K-pop influenced groups for

1550-686: A demand for idols over the industry's growth. Work schedules for idols have been criticized for being excessive, as idols are expected to work even when sick. Miki Gonobe from Nikkan Sports noted that idols generally do not have a labor union and agencies see no need for one, as they view idol activities akin to extracurricular activities at school. She voiced concerns about young girls becoming idols at an early age, especially elementary school students. In addition, Sasetsu Takeda of GQ Japan criticized some idol managements for intentionally preventing their talents from taking time off, mentioning it "strange" that idols are only notified of their assignments

1705-492: A fan of Shonen Knife during the girls' tour in the LA in 1991. Cobain later asked the band to join them in a tour in the U.S. to which Shonen Knife accepted. Also during the 1980s, Japanese metal and rock bands gave birth to the movement known as visual kei . Taking visual influence from Western glam rock and glam metal , it was pioneered by bands like X Japan , Dead End , Buck-Tick , D'erlanger , and Color . Although starting in

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1860-766: A form of escapism from the troubles of daily life. Idols are predominantly singers, but are also often trained in acting, dancing, and modeling. This style of recruiting and training was pioneered by Johnny Kitagawa , the founder of Johnny & Associates , and has since been used in other pop idol industries such as Korean idols in K-pop . Idols often spend time isolated from family and friends while enduring busy work schedules, with some agencies withholding job assignments from their talents and notifying them of work on short notice to prevent them from taking time off. Some talent agencies do not rigorously train their idols and market them as amateurs who will gain experience over

2015-596: A former member, began a solo career and later formed Yellow Magic Orchestra . In the early 1960s, some Japanese music became influenced by the American folk music revival ; this was called fōku ( フォーク , "folk") , although the genre of music was mostly covers of original songs. In the late 1960s, the Folk Crusaders became famous and the underground music around that time became called fōku . As with enka , Japanese fōku singers Wataru Takada performed social satires. In

2170-472: A global consumer base, such as Iz*One , JO1 , and NiziU . Passionate male fans of idols are colloquially referred to as wota ( ヲタ ) , derived from the word " otaku ." Beginning in the 1980s, they formed cheering groups known as bodyguards ( 親衛隊 , shin'eitai ) to support idols at concerts and public appearances. During these events, the wota perform wotagei , an organized sequence of fan chants and dancing to show appreciation for

2325-454: A group are often given a farewell concert known as "graduations" ( 卒業式 , sotsugyō-shiki ) . The term originated from the idol group Onyanko Club , as the group's youthful concept drew similarities to an after-school club, and the fact that Miharu Nakajima 's final single before retirement was released around graduation season in Japan. Prior to the 1980s, the terms "retirement" and "disbandment" were used. "Graduation" saw usage again in

2480-500: A hit song, but she committed suicide immediately after that. Hikaru Genji , one of the Johnny & Associates bands, made their debut in 1987. They became a highly influential rollerskating boy band, with some of their members gaining their own fame as they got older. Their song "Paradise Ginga", written by Aska , won the Grand Prix award at the 30th Japan Record Awards in 1988. Some of

2635-587: A low effort or low quality form of music. The highest-selling single of the year was the enka song by Shiro Miya and the Pinkara Trio, " Onna no Michi ". The song eventually sold over 3.25 million copies. On December 1, 1973, Yōsui Inoue released the album Kōri no Sekai , which topped the Oricon charts and remained in Top 10 for 113 weeks. It spent 13 consecutive weeks in the number-one spot, and eventually established

2790-628: A member of the band The Drifters at the Nichigeki Western Carnival in 1958. His 1961 song "Ue wo Muite Arukō" ("Let's Look Up and Walk"), known in other parts of the world as " Sukiyaki ", was released to the United States in 1963. It was the first Japanese song to reach the Number One position in the United States, spending four weeks in Cash Box and three weeks in Billboard . It also received

2945-405: A million copies. While Globe's 1996 album Globe sold 4.13 million copies, establishing a record at the time, Namie Amuro's 1997 song " Can You Celebrate? " sold 2.29 million copies, is the best selling single of all time by the female solo artist in the history of Jpop. His total sales as a song producer reached 170 million copies. By 1998, Komuro's songs had become less popular. By

3100-411: A mix of video game livestreaming , entertainment, and music. The idol system has been criticized for its strict rules, intense work schedules, and offering idols little control over their personal lives. The system has been likened to salarymen in Japan who are unable to disobey their employers. Labor rights activist Shohei Sakagura stated that idols get very little revenue and are ill-prepared for

3255-538: A rehaul in Seiko Matsuda 's public image. Namie Amuro , who gained fame as the lead singer of Super Monkey's , found popularity among young girls who emulated her appearance. At the same time, Speed also found a fan following. However, neither Amuro nor Speed referred to themselves under the idol label. While idols appeared less in mainstream media, the popularity of Onyanko Club from the 1980s led to an increase of idol groups with large numbers of members debuting in

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3410-708: A show by then-upcoming artist Jimi Hendrix during a visit to Europe, Yuya Uchida returned home and formed Yuya Uchida & the Flowers in November 1967 in order to introduce a similar sound to Japan. Uchida replaced every member of The Flowers except its drummer and renamed them the Flower Travellin' Band for October 1970's Anywhere , which includes covers of heavy metal band Black Sabbath and progressive rock act King Crimson . They moved to Canada and published their first album of original material, Satori which

3565-512: A significant growth in the industry known as the "Idol Warring Period." Today, over 10,000 teenage girls in Japan are idols, with over 3,000 groups active. Japan's idol industry has been used as a model for other pop idol industries, such as K-pop . Sub-categories of idols include gravure idols , junior idols , net idols , idol voice actors , virtual idols , AV idols , alternative idols , underground idols, Akiba-kei idols, local idols, bandols, and Japanese- South Korean idols . An idol

3720-523: A specific concept appealing to certain audiences. The popularity of young female singers can be traced back to Sayuri Yoshinaga in the 1960s, as well as the Takarazuka Revue and theater shows from the Meiji era . In 1962, Johnny Kitagawa founded Johnny & Associates and created the group Johnnys , which is retroactively considered the first idol group in Japan. He is also credited with pioneering

3875-410: A specific concept appealing to different audiences. To celebrate the diversity of idols, AKB48, Shoko Nakagawa , and Leah Dizon performed a medley called "Special Medley: Latest Japan Proud Culture" at the 58th Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2007, introduced as " Akiba-kei idols" with each act described as a different sub-genre of idols. The idol industry experienced a rapid growth in the beginning of

4030-507: A still-standing record of a total 35 weeks at the number-one position on the Oricon charts. Yumi Matsutoya , formerly known by her maiden name Yumi Arai, also became a notable singer-songwriter during this period In October 1975, she released a single "Ano Hi ni Kaeritai" ("I want to return to that day"), making it her first number-one single on the Oricon charts. Miyuki Nakajima , Amii Ozaki , and Junko Yagami were also popular singer-songwriters during this period. At first, only Yumi Matsutoya

4185-495: A way of having a long-term relationship without the prospect of supporting a family or dealing with awkwardness outside of a controlled environment. The idol fan culture idealizes the idea of moe , where vulnerability is seen as an attractive trait. Using idols from Johnny & Associates as an example, male idols appeal to female fans by representing a pseudo-romantic ideal for them. However, there are some female fans, particularly in Japan, who prefer to put themselves in

4340-574: A world tour at London's Wembley Arena , becoming the first Japanese act to headline the venue, and their album Metal Resistance reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, marking the highest ever entry by a Japanese act. They also made their US television debut by performing "Gimme Chocolate!!" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . Band-Maid earned worldwide attention circa 2015 for their "submissive" maid appearance contrasting with their aggressive music. They began international activities

4495-512: A year. Beginning in the 1980s, companies would compete to secure contracts for idols in dramas, which led to the current four-season television cour in Japan. Variety, talk, and music shows also became popular, in part for featuring idols as guests or the stars of the show. The idol industry has crossed over to anime and video games. Using a media mix strategy, various multimedia projects have used fictional idols to market Japanese pop culture and anison music. The series Creamy Mami,

4650-405: Is a type of entertainer whose image is manufactured to cultivate a dedicated consumer fan following. Talent agencies commercialize idols by recruiting preteens and teenagers with little or no experience in the entertainment industry, and market them as aspiring stars. Idols are marketed for their image, attractiveness, and personalities. An idol's main objective is to "sell dreams", offering fans

4805-423: Is cool after all. The good thing is good." One term recently coined in relation to "J-pop" is gacha pop ( ガチャポップ , gachapoppu ) coming from the industry's association with other popular cultures within Japan that has gained international attention like city pop , anisong , Vocaloids and VTubing . Japanese popular music, called ryūkōka before being split into enka and poppusu , has origins in

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4960-541: Is known in Japan, in addition to pioneering synthpop and electro music . Their 1979 album Solid State Survivor reached number one on the Oricon charts in July 1980, and went on to sell two million records worldwide. At around the same time, the YMO albums Solid State Survivor and X∞Multiplies held both the top two spots on the Oricon charts for seven consecutive weeks, making YMO

5115-433: Is often seen with anime in hip hop . In addition, Latin music , CCM , and gospel music have scenes within J-pop. The origin of modern J-pop is said to be Japanese-language rock music inspired by the likes of The Beatles . Unlike the Japanese music genre called kayōkyoku , J-pop uses a special kind of pronunciation, which is similar to that of English . One notable singer to do so is Keisuke Kuwata , who pronounced

5270-533: Is their relationship with fans, and they are marketed intentionally by talent agencies to have a high emotional connection with their consumer fan base. Fans are built as active supporters into the narrative of the idol's journey to become a professional entertainer, viewing them as siblings, daughters/sons, or girl/boy next door types due to how easily they can relate to the public. One documented example are fans of female idols, typically consisting of men from 30 to 40 years of age, who seek interactions with them as

5425-481: The Far East Network and collaborated with the American soldiers to help expose the Japanese public to a wide variety of western genres. This eventually lead to the establishment of modern Japanese pop music, known as kayōkyoku . During the 1950s and 60s, many Kayōkyoku groups and singers gained experience performing on US military bases in Japan. Around the same time, yakuza manager Kazuo Taoka reorganized

5580-586: The Meiji period , but most Japanese scholars consider the Taishō period to be the actual starting point of ryūkōka , as it is the era in which the genre first gained nationwide popularity. By the Taishō period, Western musical techniques and instruments, which had been introduced to Japan in the Meiji period , were widely used. Influenced by Western genres such as jazz and blues , ryūkōka incorporated Western instruments such as

5735-493: The Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. In the late 2000s, Vocaloid software Hatsune Miku was received positively among amateur music producers, who used her as an avatar to perform their compositions, influencing Akiba-kei music. In the early 2010s, idol-themed multimedia projects, such as Love Live! , The Idolmaster , and Uta no Prince-sama , became popular. Professor Marc Steinberg suggested that

5890-638: The Reading Festival in England in 1982. After some member changes resulted in a more commercial sound, they changed their name to Vow Wow and relocated to England. Their 1989 album Helter Skelter reached number 75 on the UK Albums Chart . In the 1980s, a plethora of Japanese heavy metal bands formed. Anthem (band) was formed in 1981 and Loudness was also formed in 1981 by former Lazy members Akira Takasaki and Munetaka Higuchi . In 1983, they toured

6045-505: The communist takeover , and were collaborating with American soldiers to help introduce a variety of new genres to the Japanese public. In 1949, when the communists took over and established the People's Republic of China on the mainland , one of the first actions taken by the government was to denounce popular music (specifically both Chinese pop music, known as Mandopop , and Western pop music) as decadent music , and for decades afterwards

6200-665: The group sounds genre in Japan. Most Japanese musicians felt that they could not sing rock in Japanese , so the popularity of Japanese rock gradually declined. As a result, there were debates such as "Should we sing rock music in Japanese?" and "Should we sing in English?" between Happy End and Yuya Uchida about Japanese rock music. This confrontation was called "Japanese-language rock controversy" ( 日本語ロック論争 , Nihongo Rokku Ronsō ) . Happy End proved that rock music could be sung in Japanese, and one theory holds that their music became one of

6355-433: The violin , harmonica , and guitar . However, the melodies were often written according to the traditional Japanese pentatonic scale . In the 1930s, Ichiro Fujiyama released popular songs with his tenor voice. Fujiyama sang songs with a lower volume than opera through the microphone (the technique is sometimes called crooning ). Jazz musician Ryoichi Hattori attempted to produce Japanese native music which had

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6510-646: The "Father of Japanese poppusu ". The United States soldiers—who were occupying Japan at the time—and the Far East Network introduced a number of new musical styles to the country. Boogie-woogie , Mambo , Blues , and Country music were performed by Japanese musicians for the American troops. Chiemi Eri 's cover song " Tennessee Waltz " (1952), Hibari Misora 's "Omatsuri Mambo" (1952), and Izumi Yukimura 's cover song " Till I Waltz Again with You " (1953) also became popular. Foreign musicians and groups, including JATP and Louis Armstrong , visited Japan to perform. In

6665-453: The 1970s, the popularity of female idol singers such as Mari Amachi , Saori Minami , Momoe Yamaguchi , and Candies increased. Momoe Yamaguchi was one of the first kayōkyoku singers to use the special pronunciation characteristic of J-pop. In 1972, Hiromi Go made his debut with the song "Otokonoko Onnanoko" ("Boy and Girl"). Hiromi Go originally came from Johnny & Associates . In 1976, female duo Pink Lady made their debut with

6820-710: The 1980s to be known as the "Golden Age of Idols", in part due to Japan's economic bubble and growing commercial interest in them. Several figures who defined the Golden Age of Idols are Seiko Matsuda , Akina Nakamori , Kyōko Koizumi , and Onyanko Club . Television programs in which idols appeared often enjoyed high viewer ratings. Dentsu also created the "CM idol" business model , where idols were able to gain fame by singing and appearing in commercials. Onyanko Club, in particular, shifted public perception of idols from professional stars to ordinary schoolgirls who would gain experience throughout their career. They were also

6975-594: The 1980s, acts such as Boøwy inspired what is called the "Band Boom" ( バンドブーム , Bando Būmu ) , popularizing the formation of rock groups. In 1980, Huruoma and Ry Cooder , an American musician, collaborated on a rock album with Shoukichi Kina , driving force behind the aforementioned Okinawan band Champloose. They were followed by Sandii & the Sunsetz , who further mixed Japanese and Okinawan influences. Alternative rock bands like Shonen Knife , Boredoms and The Pillows formed. Nirvana 's Kurt Cobain admitted to be

7130-692: The 1980s, rock bands such as Southern All Stars , RC Succession , Anzen Chitai , The Checkers , The Alfee , and The Blue Hearts became popular. Anzen Chitai came from Yosui Inoue 's backup band. On December 1, 1983, rock singer Yutaka Ozaki debuted at the age of 18. In 1986, The Alfee became the first artists to play a concert in front of an audience of 100,000 people in Japan. Some Japanese musicians, such as Boøwy , TM Network , and Buck-Tick , were influenced by New Romanticism . Boøwy became an especially influential rock band, whose members included singer Kyosuke Himuro and guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei . Their three albums reached number one in 1988, making them

7285-409: The 1980s, uses idols' public image as a marketing asset. As the career of idols are dependent on their image, contracting offices create their image based upon trends in the market and with the intent of generating as much revenue as possible. Along with promoting products, commercials are also a cross-platform to promote idols at the same time by keeping both brand and idol product in the forefront of

7440-477: The 1989 single "Equal Romance" for the hit anime series Ranma ½ . Tetsuya Komuro , a member of TM Network, broke Seiko Matsuda's streak of 25 consecutive number-ones by making his single "Gravity of Love" to debut at number-one in November 1989. In the 1990s, the term J-pop came to refer to all Japanese popular songs except enka . During this period, the Japanese music industry sought marketing effectiveness . Notable examples of commercial music from

7595-454: The 1990s during the revival of idol groups when Tsunku , who produced the group Morning Musume , used the term as a euphemism regarding one of the members leaving the group. An idol having a "graduation" ceremony is seen more favorably than terminating a contract or voluntarily withdrawing, as the latter two terms are negatively connoted with scandals. The diversity of Japan's idol industry has created several sub-category markets, each with

7750-622: The 1990s, Japanese rock musicians such as B'z , Mr. Children , Glay , L'Arc-en-Ciel , Southern All Stars , Malice Mizer , Dir En Grey , Shazna , Janne Da Arc , Tube , Spitz , Wands , T-Bolan , Judy and Mary , Deen , Lindberg , Sharam Q , the Yellow Monkey , the Brilliant Green and Dragon Ash achieved commercial success. B'z is the best selling artist in Japan with over 86 million confirmed records sold and they are speculated to have sold 100 million worldwide. The duo are also

7905-490: The 1990s, performing under independent record labels. These idols became known as underground idols. Because of the lack of publicity over idols on television, many turned to the Internet. Johnny & Associates observed the popularity of former Shibugakitai member Hirohide Yakumaru's success as an MC on variety shows, which prompted them to develop and market their current acts with distinct public personalities. Groups from

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8060-481: The 1990s–2000s. Japanese country had popularity during the international popularity of Westerns in the 1960s–1970s as well, and it still has appeal due to the work of musicians like Charlie Nagatani and Tomi Fujiyama , along with venues like Little Texas in Tokyo . Japanese hip hop became mainstream with producer Nujabes during the 1990s–2000s, especially his work on Samurai Champloo , and Japanese pop culture

8215-660: The 2000s, the number of all-female rock bands all-female band started to grow. Two of the first of such groups to achieve success were Zone and Chatmonchy . Zone, which was planned to be an idol group, became a rock band thanks to one of their producers, who had decided to let them play with instruments, and was well received. The quartet from Osaka, Scandal , was created in 2006 and sold 52,956 copies of their debut album in 2009. Later, their albums also became top ten bestsellers. This success led them to become famous worldwide and later took them on several tours abroad. In 2018, Scandal established their own label "her". During

8370-465: The 2010s, and the media coined the nickname "Idol Warring Period" ( アイドル戦国時代 , Aidoru Sengoku Jidai ) to describe the phenomenon. Lawyer Kunitaka Kasai cited the Internet as a reason for the rapid growth of idols, as anyone can upload videos onto websites, and AKB48's business model encouraged this even further through creating more opportunities for fan interactivity. The 2013 television drama Amachan also inspired more idol groups to appear,

8525-572: The Beatles came to Japan and sang their songs at the Nippon Budokan , becoming the first rock music band to perform a concert there. The public believed that the Beatles would cause juvenile delinquency . The Japanese government deployed riot police against young rock fans at the Nippon Budokan. John Lennon felt that they were not well regarded in Japan, but Beatlemania has never really died there. The Beatles inspired Japanese bands, creating

8680-670: The Beatles , Bob Dylan , and the Rolling Stones , along with other Appalachian folk music , psychedelic rock , mod and similar genres: a phenomenon that was called Group Sounds (G.S.). John Lennon of the Beatles later became one of the most popular Western musicians in Japan. By the late 1960s, Group Sounds bands such as The Tempters, the Tigers, the Golden Cups, the Ox, the Village Singers,

8835-1307: The Carnabeats, the Mops , the Jaguars, the Wild Ones and the Spiders had big hits. After the boom of Group Sounds, there were several folk singer-songwriters. They were influenced by Bob Dylan and American folk music . The Tigers were the most popular Group Sounds band in the era. Later, some of the members of the Tigers, the Tempters , and the Spiders formed the first Japanese supergroup , Pyg . Late 1960’s and early 1970’s "New Rock" groups such as Powerhouse, The Helpful Soul, Apryl Fool , Mickey Curtis & The Samurai, Yuya Uchida (singer) & The Flowers (aka Flower Travellin' Band ), Blues Creation , Pyg (band) , Food Brain, Shinki Chen & Friends, Speed, Glue & Shinki , Too Much, Strawberry Path, Flied Egg, Cosmos Factory, Yonin Bayashi, Alan Merrill and Vodka Collins (band) , Rouge, and Okinawa Island rock groups such as Murasaki (band) , and Condition Green released rock albums. After seeing

8990-621: The Communist Party would promote Chinese revolutionary songs while suppressing Chinese folk songs, Chinese pop songs and Western pop songs. Dissatisfied with Chairman Mao Zedong 's new music policies, a number of Shanghainese jazz musicians fled to the British colony of Hong Kong and established Cantopop , which is pop music sung in the Cantonese dialect of Chinese . However, a few musicians instead settled in Japan, where they became members of

9145-546: The Grand Prix award for two consecutive years (1985 and 1986), also at the Japan Record Awards. Japanese idol band Onyanko Club made their debut in 1985, and produced popular singer Shizuka Kudō . They changed the image of Japanese idols. Around 1985, however, people began to be disenchanted with the system for creating idols. In 1986, idol singer Yukiko Okada 's song "Kuchibiru Network" ("Lips' Network"), written by Seiko Matsuda and composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, became

9300-415: The Japanese media. Performers learned to play the music and translate the lyrics of popular American songs, resulting in the birth of Cover Pops ( カヴァーポップス , Kavā poppusu ) . The rockabilly movement would reach its peak when 45,000 people saw the performances by Japanese singers at the first Nichigeki Western Carnival in one week of February 1958. Kyu Sakamoto , a fan of Elvis, made his stage début as

9455-547: The Japanese music market continued to increase. In October 1997, Glay released their album Review -The Best of Glay , which sold 4.87 million copies, breaking Globe's earlier record. However, it was surpassed in the next year by B'z 's album B'z The Best "Pleasure" , which sold 5.12 million copies. The Japanese market for physical music sales peaked in 1998, recording sales of ¥ 607,000,000,000. In March 1999, Hikaru Utada released her first Japanese album, First Love , which sold 7.65 million copies, making it

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9610-675: The Japanese word karada ("body") as kyerada . Additionally, unlike Western music, the major second ( sol and la ) was usually not used in Japanese music, except art music , before rock music became popular in Japan. When the Group Sounds genre, which was inspired by Western rock, became popular, Japanese pop music adopted the major second, which was used in the final sounds of The Beatles' song " I Want to Hold Your Hand " and The Rolling Stones ' song " (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction ". Although Japanese pop music changed from music based on Japanese pentatonic scale and distortional tetrachord to

9765-461: The Magic Angel was the first notable anime series to use a media mix marketing strategy, where Takako Ōta would provide the voice to the main character and portray her at music events; the series was used as a vehicle to launch her singing career. The first fictional idol to cross over to mainstream media is Lynn Minmay from Macross , whose 1984 single, " Ai Oboete Imasu ka ", charted at #7 on

9920-637: The United States and Europe and soon started focusing more on an international career. In a 1985 deal with Atco Records , Loudness became the first Japanese metal act signed to a major label in the United States. Their albums Thunder in the East (1985), Lightning Strikes (1986) and Hurricane Eyes (1987) reached numbers 74, 64 and 190 on the Billboard chart. Loudness replaced singer Minoru Niihara with American vocalist Michael Vescera in 1988, in an unsuccessful attempt to further their international popularity. Loudness were famous among heavy metal fans in

10075-585: The United States. He recorded the albums Yazawa , It's Just Rock n' Roll , and Flash in Japan , all of which were released worldwide, but were not very commercially successful. Keisuke Kuwata formed the rock band Southern All Stars (SAS), which made their debut in 1978. Southern All Stars remains very popular in Japan today. In the same year, Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) also made their official debut with their self-titled album . The band, whose members were Haruomi Hosono , Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto , developed electropop , or technopop as it

10230-474: The United States. In the '80s, few bands had a female members, like all-female band Show-Ya fronted by Keiko Terada , and Terra Rosa with Kazue Akao on vocals. In September 1989, Show-Ya's album Outerlimits was released, it reached number 3 in the Oricon album chart. Happy End is credited as the first rock band to sing in the Japanese language. Their self-titled debut album was released in August 1970 on

10385-408: The availability of having home television sets gave audiences greater accessibility of seeing idols at any time compared to going to theaters. Momoe Yamaguchi , Junko Sakurada , Saori Minami , and Mari Amachi , some of the idols recruited through television, were some of the more popular figures of this era, along with groups such as Candies and Pink Lady . Saori Minami, who debuted in 1971,

10540-439: The best-selling album in Oricon history. Japanese rock Japanese rock ( Japanese : 日本のロック , Hepburn : Nihon no Rokku ) , sometimes abbreviated to J-rock ( ジェイ・ロック , Jei Rokku ) , is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called group sounds , with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End in

10695-791: The center position in the group's choreography and thus receives the most focus. Another example is the leader, usually relegated to the oldest or most experienced member in the group, who acts as an intermediary for the members and the staff. Idols are seen as role models to the public, and their personal lives and image can sometimes be tightly controlled by their talent agencies. Common restrictions include not being allowed to smoke or drink in public, or pursue romantic relationships. Idols generally perform in elaborate costumes for specific performances. Costumes are created for each song in their promotion cycle, as well as graduation events, and some groups have their own in-house costume designer. AKB48 , in particular, has had over 1,102 costumes created for

10850-466: The charts and established new records, notably B'z, which eventually established a new record for consecutive number-one singles, surpassing Seiko Matsuda's record. B'z is the Japanese biggest selling artist of all time, according to Oricon charts and RIAJ certifications. On the other hand, Wands, regarded as a pioneer of the "J-pop Boom" of the 1990s, had trouble because member Show Wesugi wanted to play alternative rock / grunge . Many artists surpassed

11005-441: The company began gaining more attention, drawing in fans from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and their marketing success led to many other idols doing the same. In the mid-1990s, there was an increase in young idols in the elementary school age, which the media described as the "Chidol (child idol) Boom." The term "chidol" was coined by journalist Akio Nakamori in the magazine Weekly Spa! In the 2000s, "chidol" saw fewer usage, and it

11160-475: The concert touring industry by treating the performers as professionals. Many of these performers later became key participants in the J-pop genre. In 1956, Japan's rock and roll craze began, due to the country music group known as Kosaka Kazuya and the Wagon Masters; their rendition of Elvis Presley 's song " Heartbreak Hotel " helped to fuel the trend. The music was called " rockabilly " (or rokabirī ) by

11315-459: The consumers' minds. Pitches for commercials are often made with a specific idol who matches the company's image in mind. Idols contracted to particular brands are expected to uphold the brand's image and may not work for competing brands or networks; the agreement extends to magazine advertisements, online videos, and appearances in dramas. Idols may also provide the music or jingle for commercials. The idol industry makes approximately $ 1 billion

11470-411: The course of their careers and with support from their fans. Despite being trained in multiple roles in entertainment, idols in Japan are not expected to meet the high standards of performances that professionals in their fields do. Because of their manufactured image, idols are generally not regarded as authentic artists. Likewise, many young Japanese artists pursuing careers in acting or music reject

11625-501: The early 1970s are credited as the first to sing rock music in the Japanese language. Punk rock bands Boøwy and The Blue Hearts and hard rock / heavy metal groups X Japan and B'z led Japanese rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s by achieving major mainstream success. Rock bands such as B'z and Mr. Children are among the best selling music acts in Japan . Rock festivals like the Fuji Rock Festival were introduced in

11780-498: The early 1970s, the emphasis shifted from fōku ' s simple songs with a single guitar accompaniment to more complex musical arrangements known as new music ( ニューミュージック , nyū myūjikku ) . Instead of social messages, the songs focused on more personal messages, such as love. In 1972, singer-songwriter Takuro Yoshida produced a hit song "Kekkon Shiyouyo" ("Let's marry") without decent television promotion, though fans of fōku music became very angry because his music seemed to be

11935-404: The early 1980s, it was not until the tail-end of the decade that visual kei acts saw major success. Buck-Tick's 1988 album Seventh Heaven reached number 3 on the Oricon chart, and its follow-ups Taboo (1989) and Aku no Hana (1990) both topped it. In April 1989, X Japan's second album Blue Blood reached number 6 and sold 712,000 copies. Their third and best-selling album Jealousy

12090-530: The early 2000s. When AKB48 debuted in 2006, the group used a school concept and the members have performed in various stylized costumes based on school uniforms. Since then, other groups have used stylized school uniforms as costumes, such as AKB48's sister groups, Sakura Gakuin , and Sakurazaka46 , with some modifications to suit the groups' image and choreography. In 2017, Nihon Tarento Meikan noted that stylized school uniforms being used as costumes gained popularity through AKB48 due to their unique designs,

12245-407: The early 2010s, the diversification of the idol industry led to several acts mixing pop music with other musical genres such as alternative rock and heavy metal ; this was pioneered by Bis and Seiko Oomori and was given the sub-category " alternative idol " by English-speaking publications. They have also been known for utilising shock value to gain public and media attention and making use of

12400-518: The electronic music group "Yellow Magic Band" (later known as Yellow Magic Orchestra) in 1977. In 1978, Eikichi Yazawa 's rock single "Jikan yo Tomare" ("Time, Stop") became a smash hit that sold over 639,000 copies. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of Japanese rock. He sought worldwide success, and in 1980 he signed a contract with the Warner Pioneer record company and moved to the West Coast of

12555-620: The end of New Music and paved the way for the emergence of the J-pop genre in the 1980s. Both bands, SAS and YMO, would later be ranked at the top of HMV Japan 's list of top 100 Japanese musicians of all time. In the early 1980s, with the spread of car stereos , the term city pop ( シティーポップ , shitī poppu ) came to describe a type of popular music that had a big city theme. Tokyo in particular inspired many songs of this form. During this time, music fans and artists in Japan were influenced by album-oriented rock (especially adult contemporary ) and crossover (especially jazz fusion ). City pop

12710-510: The era were the tie-in music from the agency Being and the follow-on, Tetsuya Komuro 's disco music. The period between around 1990 and 1993 was dominated by artists from the Being agency , including B'z , Tube , B.B.Queens , T-Bolan , Zard , Wands , Maki Ohguro , Deen , and Field of View . They were called the Being System ( ビーイング系 , Bīingu kei ) . Many of those artists topped

12865-486: The experimental record label URC (Underground Record Club). This album marked an important turning point in Japanese music history, as it sparked what would be known as the " Japanese-language Rock Controversy  [ ja ] " ( 日本語ロック論争 , Nihongo Rokku Ronsō ) . There were highly publicized debates held between prominent figures in the rock industry, most notably the members of Happy End and Yuya Uchida, regarding whether Japanese rock music sung entirely in Japanese

13020-486: The fans directly into the members' individual success. Because idols share an intimate relationship with their fans, fans may feel "betrayed" if idols reveal unfavorable parts of their personal lives that are different from the image they present, or break the illusion that they are there exclusively for fans. Idols often appear in advertising, with 50–70% of commercials in Japan featuring an idol. The "CM idol" business model, conceptualized by advertising agency Dentsu in

13175-402: The film sold more than a million copies in Japan. Vartan was heralded for her youthful, adorable looks and musical talent, leading the Japanese entertainment industry to assign the word "idol" to singers who shared a similar aesthetic. Television greatly impacted the popularity of the idol phenomenon, as beginning in the 1970s, many idols were recruited through audition programs. In addition,

13330-505: The first Asian band to be inducted in the Hollywood's RockWalk . In the 1990s, anime was becoming the best-selling genres of music in Japan. The rise of disposable pop has been linked with the popularity of karaoke , leading to criticism that it is consumerist : Kazufumi Miyazawa of the Boom said "I hate that buy, listen, and throw away and sing at a karaoke bar mentality." Ska-punk bands of

13485-448: The first Asian group to do so. After TM Network disbanded in 1994, Tetsuya Komuro became a serious song producer. The period between 1994 and 1997 was dominated by dance and techno acts from the "Komuro family" ( 小室ファミリー , Komuro Famirī ) , such as TRF , Ryoko Shinohara , Yuki Uchida , Namie Amuro , Hitomi , Globe , Tomomi Kahala , and Ami Suzuki . In that time, Komuro was responsible for 20 hit songs, each selling more than

13640-465: The first album to sell over 3 million copies in Japan. Mr. Children's 1994 album Atomic Heart established a new record, selling 3.43 million copies on Oricon charts. The duo Chage and Aska, who started recording in late 1979, became very popular during this period. They released a string of consecutive hits throughout the early 1990s; in 1996, they took part in MTV Unplugged , making them

13795-542: The first artist to make 24 consecutive number-one singles, breaking Pink Lady's record. Other female idol singers achieved significant popularity in the 1980s, such as Akina Nakamori , Yukiko Okada , Kyōko Koizumi , Yoko Minamino , Momoko Kikuchi , Yōko Oginome , Miho Nakayama , Minako Honda , and Chisato Moritaka . Okada received the Best New Artist award from the Japan Record Awards in 1984. Nakamori won

13950-442: The first group to introduce a "graduation system", where older members would eventually leave the group while newer inexperienced members would join, with the system being named such as the group drew similarities to a school club. Onyanko Club also led to idols becoming closely associated with television due to the popularity of their variety show, as the visual component became important to the overall enjoyment of their music. At

14105-439: The first male artists to have three number-ones within a single year. Subsequent Japanese rock bands were modeled on this band. Guitarist Tak Matsumoto , who supported TM Network's concerts, formed rock duo B'z with singer Koshi Inaba in 1988. In the late 1980s, girl band Princess Princess became a successful pop-rock band. Their singles "Diamonds" and "Sekai de Ichiban Atsui Natsu" ("World's Hottest Summer") were ranked at

14260-402: The first of the movement to sign to a major record label when they joined Victor Entertainment in 2013. The year 2014 brought the international success of self-described " kawaii metal " idol act Babymetal , through the viral YouTube hit " Gimme Chocolate!! ". They were the opening act to five of Lady Gaga 's concerts on her ArtRave: The Artpop Ball 2014 tour. In 2016, Babymetal began

14415-692: The following year, including signing to JPU Records . In 2018, Lovebites won the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards for Best New Band and became the first Japanese all-female heavy metal band to perform at Germany's Wacken Open Air . Japanese idol An idol ( アイドル , aidoru ) is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture . Idols are primarily singers with training in other performance skills such as acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements by talent agencies , while maintaining

14570-641: The group since 2017. The outfits worn by female idols are generally described as "cute", while outfits worn by male idols are described as "cool." Among many idol groups, school uniforms have been used as a standard costume. The integration of school uniforms in the idol industry originated from Onyanko Club , who debuted in 1985 with a concept based on school. Following their disbandment in 1987, other groups began adopting school uniforms as costumes, such as CoCo and Ribbon , two groups put together by Fuji TV 's audition programs, followed by Seifuku Kōjō Iinkai  [ ja ] in 1992 and Morning Musume in

14725-513: The group's backing dancers later formed SMAP . The late 1980s also saw the rise of the female duo Wink . They did not laugh, unlike Japanese idols of former eras. Wink debuted in 1988, surpassing the popularity of the then-most popular female duo, BaBe . Wink's song " Samishii Nettaigyo " won the grand prix award at the 31st Japan Record Awards in 1989. Popular singer Hibari Misora died in 1989, and many kayōkyoku programs, such as The Best Ten , were closed. CoCo made their hit debut with

14880-559: The group's dating ban to similar dating bans for baseball teams competing at the Kōshien , where dating is seen as a distraction from preparing for tournaments. On the other hand, critics have suggested a dating ban is implemented in order to sell a fantasy of idols being accessible to their fans and disagreed with them for being inhumane. The Japan Times noted that aside from talent agencies, idol fan culture has contributed to this, especially with male fans of female idols; male fans buy into

15035-463: The group, and Nagata filed a counter lawsuit for libel and resigned several days later. On February 10, 2020, the Tokyo District Court dismissed his claims and ordered him to pay ¥1.1 million to the woman in damages. Most idols are not allowed to form romantic relationships or must obtain permission from their agencies to get married. Yasushi Akimoto , the producer of AKB48 , likened

15190-523: The history of the Japanese Oricon chart by staying in the Number One spot for 20 consecutive weeks. The Drifters later came to be known as television personalities and invited idols such as Momoe Yamaguchi and Candies to their television program. The Ventures visited Japan in 1962, causing the widespread embrace of the electric guitar called the " Ereki boom". Yūzō Kayama and Takeshi Terauchi became famous players of electric guitar. In 1966,

15345-548: The idea of " moe ", which fetishizes weakness and submissiveness while asserting "complete control" over the girls' sexual independence. Several idols who were confirmed to have been dismissed, suspended, demoted, or forced to leave their groups following reports of them dating or having sexual relations include Mari Yaguchi , Ai Kago , Aya Hirano , Rino Sashihara , and Minami Minegishi . Minegishi, in particular, caught international media attention after her apology video went viral, causing international criticism over

15500-410: The idol label in their bid to be seen as professionals. Music from idol singers is generally categorized under J-pop , though talent agencies may label them under the sub-genre "idol pop" for further distinction. Many idol singers find success as groups rather than individually. Within each idol group, the members are sometimes given distinct roles. One example of a role is the center, who occupies

15655-480: The idol system commodifying youth, the industry is criticized for putting minors at risk, most particularly junior idols , who are aged 15 years and younger. Idol swimsuit photo books are often sold in the same sections as pornographic titles. In 1999, Japan banned production and distribution of sexually explicit depictions of minors, which outlawed photo books depicting nude junior idols. Multiple junior idol distributors closed after possession of child pornography

15810-564: The idol trainee system, where talents would be accepted in the agency at a young age and train not only in singing, but also dancing and acting, until they were ready for debut. However, the concept of an idol was not defined by mainstream Japanese media until in November 1964, when the 1963 French film Cherchez l'idole was released in Japan under the title Aidoru o Sagase ( アイドルを探せ ) . Many Japanese audiences took interest in Sylvie Vartan , whose song " La plus belle pour aller danser " from

15965-581: The idols' accessibility may cause fans to be unable to distinguish between fantasy and real life. Talent agencies have also been criticized over offering inadequate protection towards idols after several incidents of violent attacks on female idols such as the saw attack on Anna Iriyama and Rina Kawaei , the stabbing of Mayu Tomita , and the assault of Maho Yamaguchi . Idols are often sexualized, especially female idols, some of whom also work as gravure idols and have suggestive swimsuit photo shoots that are published in magazines targeted towards adults. With

16120-476: The idols. Fan chants where an idol's name is called after each bar is sung was popularized by Mari Amachi 's fans in the 1970s. Because mainstream Japanese media exercises self-censorship over taboo, controversial subjects, fans are influential in circulating under-reported news through social media. Idol fan culture has introduced several slang terms into the Japanese public, including: A notable trait of idols that sets them apart from typical celebrities

16275-437: The indie label Extasy Records in 1988; their album Blue Blood was released on CBS Sony in 1989. Blue Blood sold 712,000 copies, and their 1991 album Jealousy sold over 1.11 million copies. Surprisingly, X Japan were a heavy metal band, but guitarist hide later came under the influence of alternative rock , releasing his first solo album Hide Your Face in 1994 and launching his successful solo career. In

16430-404: The late 2000s there was an increasing number of bands that had built up a strong fan base prior to their main break-through in the music industry. Indie band flumpool sold over one million copies of their first digital single "Hana ni nare". Sakanaction performed their first live concert at Nippon Budokan while enjoying major success with their singles " Aruku Around " and "Rookie". Sakanaction

16585-437: The late 90s with attendances reaching a peak of 200,000 people per festival making it the largest outdoor music event in the country. Rockabilly had a brief surge in popularity in Japan during the late 1950s. Suppressed by authorities, elements of it nevertheless managed to reach the mainstream through singers such as Kyu Sakamoto . In the 1960s, many Japanese rock bands were influenced by Western rock musicians such as

16740-419: The late nineties extending in the years 2000 include Shakalabbits and 175R . The first Fuji Rock Festival opened in 1997. The following year, Supercar released its influential debut album Three Out Change . Characterized as having "almost foundational importance to 21st century Japanese indie rock", Supercar remained active through 2005 with their later albums containing more electronic rock. Around

16895-627: The majority of them being "local idols" who performed in specific rural communities. Several independent idol groups also crossed over into mainstream, such as Dempagumi.inc , Dorothy Little Happy , and Rev. from DVL , the latter of which gained mainstream popularity after a photo of then-member Kanna Hashimoto went viral. Since 2010, the biggest idol concert festival, Tokyo Idol Festival , has taken place. More than 200 idol groups and about 1500 idols performed, attracting more than 80,000 spectators in 2017. During 2014, about 486,000 people attended AKB48 and Momoiro Clover Z 's live concerts, which

17050-419: The management of her group, AKB48, as well as the Japanese idol industry. A talent agency filed a lawsuit against a 17-year-old former idol singer for accepting an invitation to a hotel room from two male fans, which had caused her group to disband within the first 3 months of their debut. In September 2015, Judge Akitomo Kojima, along with the Tokyo District Court , ruled in favor of the talent agency and fined

17205-490: The mid-1950s, Jazz kissa ( ジャズ喫茶 , Jazu Kissa, literally "Jazz cafe" ) became a popular venue for live jazz music. Jazz had a large impact on Japanese poppusu , though "authentic" jazz did not become the mainstream genre of music in Japan. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Japanese pop was polarized between urban kayō and modern enka . Modern J-pop is also sometimes believed to have had its roots with Chinese immigrant jazz musicians who had fled Shanghai during

17360-409: The middle part of the first decade of the 21st century, Komuro's debt lead him to attempt the sale of his song catalog—which he did not actually own—to an investor. When the investor found out and sued, Komuro tried to sell the catalog to another investor in order to pay the 600,000,000 Japanese yen judgement he owed the first investor. Namie Amuro , who was arguably the most popular solo singer in

17515-416: The more occidental music over time, music that drew from the traditional Japanese singing style remained popular (such as that of Ringo Shiina ). At first, the term J-pop was used only for Western-style musicians in Japan, such as Pizzicato Five and Flipper's Guitar , just after Japanese radio station J-Wave was established. On the other hand, Mitsuhiro Hidaka of AAA from Avex Trax said that J-pop

17670-733: The most successful international tour by a Japanese artist in 2008, has performed at 250 concerts in more than thirty countries around the world. In 2016, One OK Rock became the first Japanese band to perform at the Taipei Arena in Taiwan, and it has sold out concerts at venues such as AsiaWorld-Arena in Hong Kong and Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines, making it one of the band's biggest performances outside of Japan, with an average attendance of twelve thousand people at each concert. The decade saw

17825-598: The music scene. Several Japanese musicians began experimenting with electronic rock in the early 1970s. The most notable was the internationally renowned Isao Tomita , whose 1972 album Electric Samurai: Switched on Rock featured electronic synthesizer renditions of contemporary rock and pop songs . Other early examples of electronic rock records include Inoue Yousui 's folk rock and pop rock album Ice World (1973) and Osamu Kitajima 's progressive psychedelic rock album Benzaiten (1974), both of which involved contributions from Haruomi Hosono, who later started

17980-483: The night before. He also condemned the idol industry for not providing talents access to better mental health resources, as idols are often suspended or dismissed for publicly showing they are stressed out of concern that they may cause fans to feel worried or upset. In March 2018, Ehime Girls member Honoka Omoto died by suicide, with her family launching a lawsuit against her talent agency in October 2018. Allegedly, Omoto

18135-448: The number-one and number-two spots, respectively, on the 1989 Oricon Yearly Single Charts. In the late 1980s, a new trend also emerged in Japanese rock music: the visual kei , a movement notable by male bands who wore makeup, extravagant hair styles, and androgynous costumes. The most successful representatives of the movement are X Japan (formerly known as "X") and Buck-Tick . X Japan released their first album Vanishing Vision on

18290-450: The only band in Japanese chart history to achieve this feat. Young fans of their music during this period became known as the "YMO Generation" ( YMO世代 , YMO sedai ) . YMO had a significant impact on Japanese pop music, which started becoming increasingly dominated by electronic music due to their influence, and they had an equally large impact on electronic music across the world. Southern All Stars and Yellow Magic Orchestra symbolized

18445-605: The only bands to maintain a high standards of their sales along the years. Japanese rock has a vibrant underground rock scene, best known internationally for noise rock bands such as Boredoms and Melt Banana , as well as stoner rock bands such as Boris and alternative acts such as Shonen Knife , Pizzicato Five , and the Pillows (who gained international attention in 1999 for the FLCL soundtrack). Other notable international touring indie rock acts are Mono and Nisennenmondai . In

18600-450: The origins of modern J-pop. The Beatles also inspired Eikichi Yazawa , who grew up in an underprivileged family, his father dying when he was a child. Keisuke Kuwata , who grew up in a dual-income family, was influenced by the Beatles through his older sister, then an avid fan. Yōsui Inoue was also a fan of The Beatles, but he said that his music style was not particularly related to them. After Happy End disbanded in 1973, Haruomi Hosono ,

18755-457: The period, came from the " Okinawa Actors School ", which also incubated the bands MAX and Speed . At first, while still a part of the Komuro Family, Amuro remained in the dance music genre, but she slowly changed her music style to contemporary R&B and ended her partnership with Tetsuya Komuro. Komuro's band Globe became a trance band after their 2001 album Outernet . The sales in

18910-453: The popularity of idol-related media mix projects may stem from the managerial aspect found in life simulation games, with The Idolmaster being the first notable idol franchise to include this. These franchises set the fans in the active contributing role of the "producer" and regularly involved interactivity, as input made by the players were crucial to the idols' success. The growth of idol-related media mix projects in anime and video games

19065-407: The public after retirement. In public, idols took steps to play a distinct character and uphold an illusion of perfection, such as maintaining a virginal image. Other examples include being told not to use restrooms in public and answering interview questions about their favorite food with feminine-sounding answers such as "strawberries" and "shortcake." The influence idols had on television led

19220-634: The public became disillusioned with the idol system. By the 1990s, public interest in idols began to wane, as audiences lost interest in singing and audition programs, particularly due to a shift in attitudes caused by Japan's economic collapse . The media coined the term "Idol Winter Period" ( アイドル冬の時代 , Aidoru Fuyu no Jidai ) to describe the stagnation of the idol industry beginning in 1990. More young people yielded aspirations to be defined as an artist instead of an idol. During this decline, public perception of idols again shifted from inexperienced amateurs to strong, independent women, in part due to

19375-421: The public. Independently managed idol groups offer even less protection, with idols given ambiguously worded contracts that keep them in their companies for years, while offering almost no pay and compensation for transportation and costuming fees. Lawyer Kunitaka Kasai stated management may be poor, especially among independent idol groups, because they were established by people with a lack of experience to fill

19530-445: The rhythm based on rock or blues. Hide of Greeeen openly described their music genre as J-pop. He said, "I also love rock, hip hop and breakbeats, but my field is consistently J-pop. For example, hip hop musicians learn 'the culture of hip hop' when they begin their career. We are not like those musicians and we love the music as sounds very much. Those professional people may say 'What are you doing?' but I think that our musical style

19685-558: The role of an external observer. For them, the absence of other women is a way of watching the male idols interact with one another and imagining their interactions to be similar to yaoi . Fans spend money on merchandise and endorsed products to directly support their favorites, comparing it to spending money on "loved ones"; some express feeling happy that they were able to make someone they admired happy. Dedicated fans may give up their careers and devote their life savings to supporting and following their favorite members. To foster

19840-569: The same name. At a Beatles concert in 1966, they acted as curtain raisers, but the audience generally objected. Eventually, The Drifters became popular in Japan, releasing "Zundoko-Bushi" ("Echoic word tune") in 1969. Along with enka singer Keiko Fuji , they won "the award for mass popularity" at the 12th Japan Record Awards in 1970. Keiko Fuji's 1970 album Shinjuku no Onna/'Enka no Hoshi' Fuji Keiko no Subete ("Woman in Shinjuku/'Star of Enka ' All of Keiko Fuji") established an all-time record in

19995-961: The same time, bands such as Quruli and Number Girl had begun heavily influencing Japanese alternative rock. Music critic Ian Martin wrote that, along with Supercar, these groups had demonstrated that "Japanese rock bands could take on the British and American alternative bands of the 90s at their own game ... and in doing so, they had laid new ground for Japanese rock to develop in its own way from this point on." Rising Sun Rock Festival opened in 1999. Summer Sonic Festival and Rock in Japan Festival opened in 2000. New bands such as Bump of Chicken , Radwimps , Asian Kung-Fu Generation , ONE OK ROCK , Orange Range , Uverworld , Remioromen , Sambomaster , and Aqua Timez have achieved success. Established bands as B'z, Mr. Children, Glay, and L'Arc-en-Ciel also continue to top charts, though B'z and Mr. Children are

20150-482: The same time, male idols gained popularity, with acts from Johnny & Associates normalizing idols singing and dancing at the same time. However, fewer male idol acts from other companies achieved the same success as Johnny's idols due to the company's CEO, Johnny Kitagawa, controlling the media and pressuring certain programs not to invite male idols from competing agencies, as he would continue to until his death in 2019. Around 1985, idols soon became unpopular after

20305-419: The short skirts, and the neatness of the uniform. The uniforms found popularity with men, as they represent their "eternal longing" and nostalgia for high school, while only gaining popularity with women in the 2010s through anime. Idols are typically expected to change careers after aging out of the industry, with female idols typically changing careers at age 25 and male idols at ages 30–45. Idols who leave

20460-449: The single " Pepper Keibu ". They released a record nine consecutive number-one singles. In the 1980s, Japanese idols inherited New Music, though the term fell out of usage. Seiko Matsuda especially adopted song producers of previous generations. In 1980, her third single "Kaze wa Aki Iro" ("Wind is autumn color") reached the number-one spot on the Oricon charts. Haruomi Hosono also joined the production of her music. She eventually became

20615-515: The sports genre in anime due to a similar competitive nature and team-building the characters face, as well as being linked to the Odagiri effect for featuring attractive people of the same gender interacting with each other. The idol fan culture is heavily tied to anime and manga , and most fans of anime are also fans of idols. The idea of " moe ", which was popularized by anime, can be projected onto both idols and fictional characters, linking

20770-679: The techno pop music group "Yellow Magic Band" (later known as Yellow Magic Orchestra) in 1977. Early examples of Japanese punk rock include SS , the Star Club , the Stalin , Inu, Gaseneta, Bomb Factory , Lizard (who were produced by the Stranglers ) and Friction (whose guitarist Reck had previously played with Teenage Jesus and the Jerks before returning to Tokyo) and the Blue Hearts . The early punk scene

20925-490: The two-million-copy mark in the 1990s. Kazumasa Oda 's 1991 single "Oh! Yeah!/Love Story wa Totsuzen ni", Chage and Aska 's 1991 single " Say Yes " and 1993 single "Yah Yah Yah", Kome Kome Club 's 1992 single " Kimi ga Iru Dake de ", Mr. Children 's 1994 single " Tomorrow Never Knows " and 1996 single " Namonaki Uta ", and Globe 's 1996 single "Departures" are examples of songs that sold more than 2 million copies. Dreams Come True 's 1992 album The Swinging Star became

21080-480: The two. Some may prefer fictional idols due to them never disbanding, leaving groups, or getting into scandals. A 2005 study by the Nomura Research Institute revealed that idol fans were the third largest group of otaku interests, following comics and anime . In the late-2010s, the idol agency influenced the business model of VTuber agencies such as Hololive and Nijisanji —which focus on

21235-533: The woman to pay ¥650,000 , stating that the dating ban was necessary for idols to "win the support of male fans." In January 2016, a similar lawsuit filed with the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of a 23-year-old former idol, with Judge Kazuya Hara stating that the dating ban "significantly restricts the freedom to pursue happiness." Since handshake and other related events allow fans to be in close proximity with idols, critics also believe that marketing

21390-595: The work force after leaving their groups, as many of them spend their academic years learning poor job skills. In addition to this, Rob Schwartz from Billboard addressed that Japanese mainstream media outlets rarely bring attention to controversies and allegations of power harassment due to self-censorship on what they are allowed to write. Sasetsu Takeda of GQ Japan wrote that talent agencies dismiss idols regardless of their popularity, sometimes intentionally blocking job offers in order to pressure them to leave, all while declaring that they are "resting from illness" to

21545-475: Was affected by new music, though its origins have been traced back to the mid-1970s, with the work of the Japanese rock band Happy End and its former member Haruomi Hosono , as well as Tatsuro Yamashita . The popularity of city pop plummeted when the Japanese asset price bubble burst in 1990. Its musical characteristics (except its "cultural background") were inherited by 1990s Shibuya-kei musicians such as Pizzicato Five and Flipper's Guitar . Throughout

21700-640: Was also seen as an attempt from the Japanese government to market Japanese pop culture overseas through the Cool Japan initiative. Music produced by voice actor idols and fictional idols have crossed over to mainstream music charts, with Billboard Japan launching the Billboard Japan Hot Animation Chart on December 1, 2010, exclusively for anime and video game music releases. Fictional idols have been treated like real-life celebrities. Idol-themed anime and video game series have been compared to

21855-629: Was commonly called a new music artist, but the concept of Japanese fōku music changed around that time. In 1979, Chage and Aska made their debut, and folk band Off Course (with singer Kazumasa Oda ) released a hit song "Sayonara" ("Good-bye"). Saki Kubota was described as the standard bearer of new music. Rock music remained a relatively underground music genre in the early 1970s in Japan, though Happy End managed to gain mainstream success fusing rock with traditional Japanese music . Several Japanese musicians began experimenting with electronic music , including electronic rock . The most notable

22010-808: Was eventually replaced by the term " junior idol " to legitimize them as part of the idol industry as well as removing the focus on their age. The 2000s saw the rise in popularity of idol groups again after Morning Musume 's debut in 1997 and the formation of their musical collective , Hello! Project . Around the same time, there was an increase in gravure idols , who competed in magazine and photo book sales. In addition, anime voice actors , such as Yui Horie , Nana Mizuki , and Yukari Tamura , were also marketed as idols to promote both their activities and singing careers. While idols briefly experienced another decline after 2002, AKB48 debuted in 2005 and later became known as nation's idol group. The public image of idols had diversified, with each idol group having

22165-509: Was immortalized on film by Sogo Ishii , who directed the 1982 film Burst City featuring a cast of punk bands/musicians and also filmed videos for The Stalin. The independent scene also included a diverse number of alternative/post-punk/new wave artists such as Aburadako , P-Model , Uchoten , Auto-Mod, Buck-Tick , Guernica and Yapoos (both of which featured Jun Togawa ), G-Schmitt, Totsuzen Danball, and Jagatara , along with noise/industrial bands such as Hijokaidan and Hanatarashi . In

22320-456: Was made illegal in Japan in 2014. However, junior idol content currently stands on legally ambiguous ground due to open interpretations of child pornography laws in Japan . In 2017, through a survey conducted by the Japanese government, 53 out of 197 women contracted with talent agencies stated that they had been asked to take part in pornographic photo or video shoots of which were not previously disclosed nor included in their contracts. 17 of

22475-468: Was not listened to by fans of other music in Japan at that time. In contrast to this, although many Japanese rock musicians until the late 1980s disrespected the kayōkyoku music, many of Japanese rock bands of the 1990s—such as Glay —assimilated kayōkyoku into their music. After the late 1980s, breakbeat and samplers also changed the Japanese music scene, where expert drummers had played good rhythm because traditional Japanese music did not have

22630-502: Was noted by scholar Masayoshi Sakai to be the turning point of when teenage stars became popular in mainstream media. Music was produced by a shared climate of songwriters and art directors seeking a step towards a depoliticized youth culture. Idols grew in popularity over the 1970s, as they offered audiences escapism from political violence and radical student movements. Idols at the time were seen as ephemeral because of how short-lived their careers were, and how they would disappear from

22785-741: Was originally derived from the Eurobeat genre. However, the term became a blanket term , covering other music genres—such as the majority of Japanese rock music of the 1990s. In 1990, the Japanese subsidiary of Tower Records defined J-pop as all Japanese music belonging to the Recording Industry Association of Japan except Japanese independent music (which they term "J-indie"); their stores began to use additional classifications, such as J-club, J-punk, J-hip-hop , J-reggae , J-anime , and Visual kei by 2008, after independent musicians started to release works via major labels. Ito Music City,

22940-420: Was pinned as a different type of band since they experimented with electronic music and synthrock . Other bands that have gone mainstream included Gesu no Kiwami Otome , Sekai no Owari , and Alexandros . Because of the sudden major increase on indie bands and rock bands in general which competed with contemporary J-Pop artists, the movement has been referred to as a band boom by the media and has been praised as

23095-586: Was released in April 1971 and is now considered a progenitor of heavy metal music and, together with Kirikyogen , doom metal . Japanese heavy metal bands started emerging in the late 1970s, pioneered by Bow Wow (1975), 44 Magnum (1977) and Earthshaker (1978). In 1977, Bow Wow supported Aerosmith and Kiss on their Japanese tours. They performed at both the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and

23250-481: Was released in July 1991, topped the charts and sold over 1 million copies. They released two more number one studio albums, Art of Life (1993) and Dahlia (1996), before disbanding in 1997. X Japan signed an American record deal with Atlantic Records in 1992, but an international release never happened. In the 1990s, Luna Sea , Glay , and L'Arc-en-Ciel sold millions of records, while Malice Mizer , La'cryma Christi , and Siam Shade also found success. In

23405-553: Was sustainable. The success of Happy End's debut album and their second, Kazemachi Roman released in November 1971, proved the sustainability of Japanese-language rock music in Japan. Carol (led by Eikichi Yazawa ), RC Succession and Funny Company were especially famous and helped define the sound. Sometimes also beginning in the late sixties, but mostly active in the seventies, are musicians mixing rock music with American-style folk and pop rock elements. Folk rock musicians such as Tulip, Banban, Garo , Yosui Inoue were popular in

23560-466: Was the pops ( ポップス , poppusu ) music, memorable for its frequency of airplay, in an interview when the band completed their first full-length studio album under a major label, P.O.A.: Pop on Arrival , in 2005. Because the band did not want to perform J-pop music, their album featured the 1980s Pop of MTV . According to his fellow band member Toru Hidaka, the 1990s music that influenced him (such as Nirvana , Hi-Standard , and Flipper's Guitar )

23715-593: Was the highest record of all female musicians in Japan. Momoiro Clover Z has been ranked as the most popular female idol group from 2013 to 2017 according to surveys by The Nikkei , There were more than 10,000 teenage girls who performed as idols in Japan in 2017. In 2019, there were over 3,000 female idol groups. From 2013 to 2018, boy band Arashi was ranked as the most popular artist overall in Japan according to Oricon polls of 20,000 people. Other male idols also found success as underground idols, as well as anime media mix projects and 2.5D musicals . In

23870-469: Was the internationally renowned Isao Tomita , whose 1972 album Electric Samurai: Switched on Rock featured electronic synthesizer renditions of contemporary rock and pop songs . Other early examples of electronic rock records include Inoue Yousui 's folk rock and pop rock album Ice World (1973) and Osamu Kitajima 's progressive psychedelic rock album Benzaiten (1974), both of which involved contributions from Haruomi Hosono, who later started

24025-486: Was working 10 hours a day at the expense of her studies and when she had asked to leave the group, a staff member threatened her with violence while Takahiro Sasaki, the head of her managing company, told her she would have to pay a penalty fee of ¥1 million . In June 2018, a former member of Niji no Conquistador filed a lawsuit against Pixiv representative director, Hiroaki Nagata, and the group's management companies for voyeurism and sexual harassment during her time with

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