The resurgence of City Pop, how it’s becoming popular among Japanese music fans overseas

In the late 1970’s and through the 1980′,s “City Pop” (a term used for adult contemporary music in Japan) was very popular.

According to music writer Kanazawa Hisakazu, City Pop is ” a popular music genre in the 1970s and 1980s with strong Western-oriented urban pop music with lyrics and melodies.  The iconic works are the albums “A LONG VACATION” (1981) by Ohtaki Eiichi and Yamashita Tatsuro’s album “FOR YOU” (1982).  Among music enthusiasts, Yamashita has a reputation and style that is considered a high musical standard”.

A generic term for easy-listening, soft rock and pop music, among the artists known for music of the “City Pop” genre are Yamashita Tatsuro and wife Takeuchi Mariya, Arai Yumi (now known as Matsutoya Yumi), EPO, Ohtaki Eiichi, Toshinobu Kubota, Single Like Talking, Tokunaga Hideaki, Dreams Come True, Nakahara Meiko, Hamada Kingo, Stardust Revue, Satou Hiroshi, Kadomatsu Toshiki, Inagaki Junichi, to name a few.

And with songs such as Takeuchi Mariya’s “Plastic Love” and many of Yamashita Tatsuro’s songs always being played yearly, shops are reporting an increase of people overseas requesting for city pop CD’s and vinyls.  Before requests were made by westerners but now there are people in Asia (Korea, Thailand, etc.) requesting for City Pop.

Matsuoka Hideki, manager of Shinuku’s “Disc Union Shinjuku” said that Yamashita Tatsuro (66-years-old) and Takeuchi Mariya (64-years-old) are the two most inquiries they get at their store.  When it comes to city pop, these two names are heavily requested.

In a recent article about the resurgence of City Pop, one 29-year-old woman from France came to Japan to search for a J-Pop vinyls of Yamashita Tatsuro.

Even for our SPY! CREW staff, when we go to Japan, we are asked by one who is not a J-Pop fan, if we can find certain vinyls of Yamashita Tatsuro as they become highly collectible and are recommended purchases.

So, popular that we saw Tower Records Shibuya promoting City Pop at their store and even a music video for Takeuchi Mariya’s “Plastic Love” was made 35-years after the song was released!

For the most part, it’s awesome to see fans discovering City Pop but also discovering music from the past and artists who are still very much popular today.

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