No exploration of Japanese music would be complete without a dive into the world of J-Pop. Short for Japanese popular music, J-Pop is hard to define. It encompasses a wide breadth of genres and artists. So, in order to get a handle on it all, we looked to Chiaki Horan.
Horan was one of the hosts for Songs of Tokyo, the television series made by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Musicians in the Japanese music scene would come on Songs of Tokyo to showcase their talents, so Horan has no shortage of song recommendations.
photo by Kimberly Junod for WXPN
We met up with Horan at NHK headquarters in Tokyo and asked her to share five songs that showcase the variety within J-Pop and to tell us about Songs of Tokyo.
“アイドル” by YOASOBI
Horan had to kick off her list of recommendations with an anime song because the genre is among the most popular. Unlike in the U.S., where most animated content is geared toward kids, Japan creates a plethora of anime for people of all ages.
Horan says getting a song featured on a popular anime can be a huge breakthrough for J-Pop artists. This song by YOASOBI, which translates to “Idol,” served as the opening theme for the anime Oshi no Ko.
“Chessboard” by OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM
This band is one of the best Japanese rock acts at the moment, says Horan. While “Chessboard” is not among their biggest hits, it’s one of her personal favorites. She also recommends bands like 10-FEET, Radwimps and Mrs. Green Apple.
“NIGHT DANCER” by imase
Horan describes this track as the strain of new age J-Pop that is more popular among Gen-Z listeners. 23-year-old singer-songwriter imase found success after “NIGHT DANCER” went viral on Tik Tok. Horan says imase’s song adhered to a specific formula for success.
“90 beat per minute and having six to eight words in four bars,” she says. “Of course, it’s about storytelling but he’s also emphasizing beats, rhyming and rhythm when compared to past J-Pop songs.”
“天城越え (Amagi-goe)” by 石川さゆり
Released in 1989, “Amagi-goe” was one of enka singer Sayuri Ishikawa’s biggest hits. As Horan explains, enka is a modern Japanese music genre that resembles the kind of traditional forms you might have heard in the 19th and early 20th century.
The emotional ballads often revolve around loss, solitude and heartache, so Horan says enka songs are sort of J-Pop’s version of country music.
“Automatic” by Hikaru Utada
Since debuting in 1999 with First Love, Hikaru Utada has reigned as the “Queen of Japanese Pop.” With her debut single, “Automatic Love,” Utada shook up J-Pop with her blend of Japanese and Western influences.
“And she kept on making music that we’ve never heard before,” Horan says.
Thanks to Chiaki Horan for joining us on the show, and stay tuned for more dispatches from our Sense of Place: Japan series.
This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod. The web story was created by Miguel Perez. Our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.
