Rock Music of Japan

In the 1960s the Japanese rock music ensemble imitated the western rock artists like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones along with other Appalachian folk music, psychedelic rock mod and similar genres; this was known as group sounds (G.S). John Lennon of the Beatles later became one of the most well-known western artists in Japan, the group sounds is a genre of Japanese rock music that was renowned in the mid to late 1960s. After the boom of the group sounds, there were many powerful singer-songwriters; Nobuyasu Okabayashi was the first who became widely recognized. Wataru Takada, encouraged by Woody Gurthrie, also became famous; they both were influenced by the American folk music but wrote the Japanese lyrics. Takada used the recent Japanese poetry as lyrics, while Kazuki Tomokawa made an album using Chuya Nakahara’s poems. Tomobe Masato, inspired by Bob Dylan, wrote critically acclaimed lyrics, the Tigers were the most well-known group sounds ensemble in the period. Later, some of the members of the Tigers, The tempters and the Spiders formed the first Japanese super-group Pyg.

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Homegrown Japanese traditional rock had established by the late 1960s, musicians like happy End are considered to have practically developed the genre, during the 1970s, it grew more renowned. The Okinawan ensemble Champllse, along with carol led by Eikichi Yazawa, RC Succession and Shinji Harada were especially popular and helped defined the genre’s sound. Sometimes also starting in the late sixties, but mostly active in the seventies are artists combining rock music with American-style folk and pop elements, which is usually labeled folk by the Japanese because of their regular use of the audio guitar. This includes ensembles such as Tulip, Off Course, Alice (led by Shinji Tanimura), Kaguyahime, Garo and Banban. Solo musicians of the same trend include the Yosui Inoue, Irukam Yuming, later groups like Kai band led by Yoshihiro Kai and early Southern all stars are often attached to the same trend.

Many Japanese artists began experimenting with electronic rock in the early 1970s, the most notable was the internationally popular Isao Tomita, whose 1972 album electric Samurai; switched on rock featured electronic synthesizer versions of current rock and pop songs. other early instances of the electronic rock records include Inoue Yousui’s folk rock and pop rock album Ice World in the year 1973 and Osamu Kitajima’s progressive psychedelic rock album Benzaiten in the year 1974, both of which involved contributions from Haruomi Hosono, who later began the electronic music orchestra Yellow magic band (later known as Yellow magic orchestra) in the year 1977. Most powerfully, the 1970s spawned the electronic music band yellow magic orchestra which is led by Haruomi Hosono.

In the 1980s, Boowy encourage the alternative rock ensembles such as Boredoms, The Pillows, Shonen Knife and Tama & Little creatures as well as more normal ensembles as Glay. In the year 1980, Huruoma and Ry Cooder, an American artist, team up on a rock song with Shoukichi Kina, driving force behind the said Okinawan ensemble Champloose. They were accompanied by Sandii & the Sunsetz, who further combined Japanese and Okinawan influences. Also during the 80s, Japanese metal and rock bands gave birth to the trend called visual kei, represented during its history by ensembles such as X Japan, Luna Sea, malice Mizer, Buck-tick and many others, some of which experienced national and international success in the latest years.

In the 1990s, Japanese rock artists like Mr. Children, Glay, B’Z, Southern All-stars, Tube, Spitz, L’Arc-en-Ciel, Wands, T-Bolan Judy and Mary, ASsia Kung-Fu generation, Deen, Ulfulsm Lindberg, Field of View, Sharam Q, The Yellow Monkey, and The Brilliant Green  achieved great commercial achievement. B’z is the number one best-selling act in Japanese music since Oricion began to count, followed by Mr. Children. In the 90s pop songs were often used in films, anime, television advertisement and dramatic programming, becoming some of the best-selling type of music in Japan. The rise of disposable pop has been connected with the fame 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. Of the visual kei ensembles Luna Sea, whose members toned down their on-stage outfit with on-going success, was either very successful, while Malice Mizer, Shazna, Janne Da Arc, Fanatic and Crisis, La’cryma Christ also achieved commercial success in the late 90s.

The first Fuji rock festival was opened in the year 1997, Rising Sun Rock Festival opened in the year 1999. Summer Sonic Festival and Rock in Japan Festival opened in the year 2000. However the rock scene in the 2000s is not as strong, fresher ensembles like Bump of Chicken, Sambomaster, Flow, Orange Range, Uverworld, Radimps, Remioromen and Aqua Timez, which are considered rock ensembles, have achieved success, orange range also adopts hip pop. Established ensembles as B’z and Mr. Children are the only ensembles to maintain a high standard of their sales along the year.

Japanese rock has a vibrant underground rock scene, nest known internationally for noise rock ensembles like Boredoms and Melt Banana, as well as stoner rock ensembles such as Boris and alternative acts like Shonen Knife (who were championed in the west by Kurt Cobain), Pizzicato Five and The Pillows (who gained the international attention in the year 1999 for the FLCL soundtrack). More conventional indie rock musicians such as Eastern Youth, The band apart and Number Girl have found some success in Japan, but little recognition outside of their home country, other notable international exploring indie rock acts are Nisennemondai and Mono.