COVER STORY • 7 The Rise of J-Pop in Asia and Its Impact By Ng Wai-ming APANESE pop music is commonly music, but also their images. They are bases to make Asian editions of J-pop Jreferred to as “J-pop,” a term coined mostly handsome young boys and cute albums for the Asian market. by Komuro Tetsuya, the “father of J- and pretty young girls who know how to Compared to Japanese editions, Asian pop,” in the early 1990s. The meaning sing, dance, talk, act and dress. Many J- editions are more user-friendly and of J-pop has never been clear. It was pop fans in Asia enjoy music videos affordable. They usually come with the first limited to Euro-beat, the kind of (MVs) as much as CDs. Due to physical Chinese translation of the lyrics. These dance music that Komuro produced. and cultural proximities, Asian youths Asian editions are much cheaper (about However, it was later also applied to feel close to Japanese idols. Unlike 50% less) than the Japanese originals many other kinds of popular music in Western idols who are too out of this and are only permitted to circulate in the Japanese music chart, Oricon, world to Asians, J-pop idols adopt a Asia outside of Japan. They have a wide including idol-pop, rhythm and blues down-to-earth approach and present circulation in Asia. For example, in (R&B), folk, soft rock, easy listening and themselves like the people next door. 2000, the Asian edition of Kiroro’s sometimes even hip hop. This article Asian youths think that they will never album produced by Music Street sold uses a broader definition of J-pop. look like Western idols but can some- more than two million copies in Asia. J-pop has been one of the fastest- how copy Japanese idols. For example, Pirated editions made in Taiwan, growing and influential music forces in the hairdos of Sakai Noriko and Kimura Mainland China and Malaysia are Asia since the 1990s, warmly embraced Takuya as well as the make-up of omnipresent and cheap but are inferior by young people in Taiwan, Hong Amuro Namie and Hamasaki Ayumi in sound quality and packaging. Since Kong, Mainland China, South Korea, were once very popular in Asia. the concept and legislation of copyrights Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Top Third, the popularization of Japanese have not been firmly established in Asia, J-pop artists such as Hamasaki Ayumi, dramas and the Japanese language in pirated editions continue to flourish. In SMAP, Speed, Utada Hikaru, V6, Kinki Asia promote J-pop. Many J-pop addition, the recent trend of download- Kids and w-inds. have become common singers (in particular artists managed by ing music illegally to computers or MP3 idols among Asian youths. Their Johnny & Associates) participate in players popularizes J-pop at the expense records and merchandise sell like hot Japanese television dramas or sing the of the Japanese music industry. cakes and they serve as models for Asian theme songs. Japanese dramas have music companies to train and promote jump-started the J-pop craze in Asia. The Making of a J-Pop Craze in their own singers. Many Asians listen to J-pop for the first Asia time through Japanese dramas. Reasons for the Rise of J-Pop in Soundtracks of Japanese dramas sell Japanese pop music has a relatively Asia extremely well in the Asian market. In long history in Asia that can be traced addition, Japanese is now a very popular back to World War II. In 1963, J-pop has become an integral part of language in Asia and thousands of peo- Sukiyaki (Ue o muite arukou [I will walk Asian music. Why are Asian youths so ple are taking Japanese lessons in major with my head up]) by Sakamoto Kyu crazy about J-pop, an alien music sung Asian cities. Learning Japanese through was a smash hit in Asia introduced indi- in an alien language? First, the musical listening to J-pop is a very popular rectly from the United States. During form of J-pop itself is appealing to method adopted in Japanese classes in the 1960s and 1970s, Japanese enka Asians. J-pop is a hybrid music which Asia. (nostalgic and sentimental ballads) had fuses different foreign music traditions Fourth, the Asian edition and pirated had a very strong impact on Taiwanese with the Japanese touch. J-pop provides edition play an important role in mak- pop songs in which about half of a viable alternative for Asians who are ing J-pop affordable and accessible to Mandarin songs were cover versions of looking for something different and Asians. Japanese music CDs are made Japanese enka. From the 1980s onward, refreshing. J-pop is quite mainstream for the Japanese market and thus they Japanese pop music has been introduced and easy listening. Asians have been contain only Japanese lyrics, and they to different parts of Asia directly from familiar with Japanese tunes, thanks to are very expensive. Without Asian and Japan. There were two golden eras of the popularity of cover versions since the pirated editions, J-pop would never have Japanese pop music in Asia. The first 1970s. Sometimes, Asians listen to the been so popular in Asia. Some Japanese boom was in the early 1980s when cover versions first and then turn to the music companies such as Sony Music Japanese idol singers such as Kondo original Japanese versions. Entertainment Inc. (SME) and Avex “Matchy” Masahiko, Nakamori Akina, Second, J-pop singers sell not only Trax use Hong Kong and Taiwan as Matsuda Seiko, Shonentai and Saijo 24 JAPAN SPOTLIGHT • March / April 2004 COVER STORY • 7 Photo: Johnny’s Entertainment Inc. Hideki became the hottest idols in Hong woman in 2001, hun- Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. They dreds of letters sent by came to Asia for concerts and their tapes fans of SMAP from (many were pirated) and LPs sold well. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Many Asian TV stations broadcast the Singapore and China Japanese “Red and White Singing flooded into Johnny & Contest” (Kohaku Utagassen). “Matchy Associates to ask for cut” was once the trendiest hairstyle for lenient treatment. At men and the cute style of Matsuda Seiko 2003 Christmas, fans of also made an impact on Asian fashion. w-inds. in Hong Kong The cross-dressing and outrageous make- sent 10,000 letters to up of Sawada Kenji also influenced some their icons. Asian singers (such as Roman Tam). Singapore is the major Young men and women groups modeled market for J-pop in after Shonentai and Shojotai mush- Southeast Asia. J-pop roomed in Taiwan and Hong Kong. albums have entered the The second peak appeared in the late top 10 of the Singapore 1990s when Speed, SMAP, Amuro music chart since March Namie, Sakai Noriko, Utada Hikaru 1999. In 1999 and 2000, and Kinki Kids became Asian superstars. 19 Japanese artists had In different Asian nations, J-pop albums albums the top 10 in the entered the local music charts, and con- Singapore music chart certs by J-pop artists were often quickly and at least nine Japanese A Kinki Kids’ Concert in Hong Kong in 2001 sold out. albums topped the chart. Taiwan and Hong Kong were the two J-pop albums also sell well in Malaysia, down in the early 2000s. The decline of consumption and distribution centers of Thailand and Mainland China, although J-pop in Asia after 2000 has been affect- J-pop in Asia outside Japan. In the late piracy remains a serious problem. Even ed by a number of factors such as the 1990s, the circulation of J-pop could young people in South Korea are also slump of the music industry in Japan match its local and Western counter- under the spell of the J-pop craze in Asia. and Asia, the rise of Korean pop music, parts and a J-pop album by top artists J-pop was an underground musical form the end of the Japanese drama boom in could usually sell more than a hundred in South Korea before the South Korean Asia and the problem of piracy. thousand copies in Taiwan and Hong government partially lifted its ban on Regardless of its decline, J-pop has Kong. For example, Utada’s First Love Japanese songs in 1998. Licensed become an integral part of pop music in album (1999) sold more than 500,000 Japanese CDs and MVs were circulated in different Asian nations and it is going to copies in Taiwan. J-pop artists have big the South Korean market. In June 2000, stay and make a comeback in the future. concerts in Taiwan and Hong Kong Japanese singers were allowed to sing in every year. J-pop fans in Taiwan and Japanese in their concerts in South The Impact of J-Pop in Asia Hong Kong have founded fan clubs, Korea. The World Cup Soccer 2002 both official (like Johnny’s fan club in concert was a breakthrough because for J-pop is now one of the most influen- Taiwan and the Sakai Noriko fan club the first time in South Korea since tial music forces in Asia and it is no exag- in Hong Kong) and unofficial, for their World War II, Japanese songs (sung by geration to say that Asian music has been J-pop singers. Johnny’s Fan club in Chemistry and Sowelu) were telecast somehow Japanized. The Japanization Taiwan has recruited 30,000 members. nationwide. Mainland China is the mar- of Asian music can be seen from the fol- J-pop fans in Asia are very faithful to ket that the Japanese want to penetrate.