tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25016704486574168242024-03-18T20:45:42.004-04:00Kayo Kyoku PlusI've been a fan of Japanese popular music for 40 years, and have managed to collect a lot of material during that time. So I decided I wanted to talk about Showa Era music with like-minded fans. My particular era is the 70s and 80s (thus the "kayo kyoku"). The plus part includes a number of songs and artists from the last 30 years and also the early kayo. So, let's talk about New Music, aidoru, City Pop and enka. J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.comBlogger10606125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-43364545473470189382024-03-18T19:45:00.002-04:002024-03-18T19:47:08.619-04:00Thank You, Shigeichi Negishi!<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TXuK-y_1AJ0u8mZNm6YkKGdUYfUE1mZ6WdncbaZvW_eseEYSHtkoy9GmW7_CeZp_BbUSS4zRj9V7nXfjAyfr5lwwRPSCPAlu5WkL_e9PO4vT7FRB0MjGU8ylP7KTyjv-jnS4EwvZUz9Gd5vHhiY1sXJFpspYQ_o61_Jb88YGw2-jm6eQrmpWbsW7xkc/s270/Kayo%20at%20karaoke%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TXuK-y_1AJ0u8mZNm6YkKGdUYfUE1mZ6WdncbaZvW_eseEYSHtkoy9GmW7_CeZp_BbUSS4zRj9V7nXfjAyfr5lwwRPSCPAlu5WkL_e9PO4vT7FRB0MjGU8ylP7KTyjv-jnS4EwvZUz9Gd5vHhiY1sXJFpspYQ_o61_Jb88YGw2-jm6eQrmpWbsW7xkc/s1600/Kayo%20at%20karaoke%202.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>In the last few days, I saw <a href="https://people.com/shigeichi-negishi-inventor-karaoke-dead-100-8610223#:~:text=Shigeichi%20Negishi%2C%20the%20man%20who,per%20The%20Wall%20Street%20Journal." target="_blank">reports </a>that the inventor of <i>karaoke </i>(there have been a couple of theories on that), <b>Shigeichi Negishi(根岸重一)</b>, who had come up with something called a <b>Sparko Box</b> in <b>1967 </b>for those who wanted to sing their favourite <i>kayo kyoku,</i> passed away on<b> January 26th</b> at the age of 100. First off, my condolences to his family, friends and fans.</p><p>Secondly, although I've already posted some of my own personal choices when it comes to <i>karaoke </i>such as <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2014/12/j-canucks-5-go-to-karaoke-tunes.html">my five go-to karaoke tunes</a>, I still would like to provide my own tribute to the man and his invention by putting up another five songs. However, these are songs that I didn't personally try out but are those entries that my friends and other customers tackled quite often at our karaoke haunt of <b>Kuri </b>back in our university years.</p><p>Ah, by the way, as of this writing, we're getting close to <b>7 million views</b> since we got started back in <b>2012</b>. Maybe by the time I get back here tomorrow, we'll have reached it! Thanks to all of you!</p><p><b>Anri -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/10/anri-kanashimi-ga-tomaranai.html">Kanashimi ga Tomaranai</a> (悲しみがとまらない)</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9j1vTO7vOfk" width="320" youtube-src-id="9j1vTO7vOfk"></iframe></div><br /><p><b>Checkers -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/05/checkers-namida-no-request.html">Namida no Request </a>(涙のリクエスト)</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ALjoR-0rDMo" width="320" youtube-src-id="ALjoR-0rDMo"></iframe></div><br /><div><b>Seiko Matsuda -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/04/seiko-matsuda-akai-sweet-pea.html">Akai Sweet Pea</a> (赤いスイートピー)</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KDseG8rPfNU" width="320" youtube-src-id="KDseG8rPfNU"></iframe></div><br /><div><b>Akina Nakamori -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/08/akina-nakamori-shojo.html">Shojo A</a> (少女A)</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P_aw_TR01es" width="320" youtube-src-id="P_aw_TR01es"></iframe></div><br /><div><b>Shinji Tanimura -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2013/06/shinji-tanimura-subaru.html">Subaru </a>(昴)</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_nIxYaIlQDk" width="320" youtube-src-id="_nIxYaIlQDk"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-58768624664864327112024-03-18T16:44:00.000-04:002024-03-18T16:44:03.087-04:00Akari Yamanishi -- Kinokawa yo(紀ノ川よ)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KW3-RYwe-Uc" width="320" youtube-src-id="KW3-RYwe-Uc"></iframe></div><p></p><p>The above video comes from <b>YouTube's Hidaka Channel</b> and it's a short presentation of <b>Hidaka Town</b> in <b>Wakayama Prefecture </b>which is basically where my ancestors hail from. I haven't been there in a few decades but my grandparents used to run a <i>minshuku </i>by the coast. It was in a very remote area where in all likelihood, the insects and reptiles (including the dangerous <i>habu </i>snake) far outnumbered the citizens living there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LcBwVa5HmZE" width="320" youtube-src-id="LcBwVa5HmZE"></iframe></div><p>I'm not sure whether it was <b>TV Japan's </b>way of making amends to the especially senior citizen group of viewers as the broadcasting service approaches its end on <b>March 31st</b>, but for some reason last <b>Friday </b>afternoon, my parents got two solid hours of <i>kayo kyoku</i> and <i>enka </i>as the 90-minute <i>"Shin BS Nihon no Uta"</i><b>(新BS日本の歌...Songs of Japanese Spirit) </b>and then 30-minute <i>"Hayauta"</i><b>(はやウタ)</b>were shown back to back. </p><p>On <i>"Hayauta"</i>, we all got to meet an <i>enka </i>singer from <b>Wakayama Prefecture, Akari Yamanishi(山西アカリ)</b>, who released her newest single last <b>October</b>. <i>"Kinokawa yo"</i> <b>(The Kino River)</b>. It's quite the boisterous enka <i>go-touchi</i> song from her home province, delivered in those lower tones by Yamanishi. What really makes her stand out is that she doesn't quite sing in the usual way for female enka singers: basically standing still in a conservative dress or kimono while making graceful and sweeping arm gestures. She follows the upbeat rhythm with some sharp arm slashes almost on the level of an <i>aidoru </i>and in the music video at least, she's even doing some high jumps as if she were in an ancient <b>Toyota </b>commercial. Lastly, she's not in any traditional dress; Yamanishi is in a matching tartan blazer and slacks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wpT65Xc-lZU" width="320" youtube-src-id="wpT65Xc-lZU"></iframe></div><p><i>"Kinokawa yo" </i>was written by <b>Chisato Sakura(さくらちさと)</b>and composed by <b>Hideo Mizumori(水森英夫).</b> According to her biography on the<b> Tokuma Japan Communications</b> <a href="https://www.tkma.co.jp/enka_profile/yamanishi-akari.html" target="_blank">website</a>, <b>Yamanishi </b>got her start in the music industry by winning the weekly <b>NHK </b><i>"Nodo Jiman"</i><b>(のど自慢)</b>episode when it was taking place in <b>Tanabe City</b> in <b>Wakayama </b>in <b>2008</b> and even participating in the grand championship episode. Then she was placed under Mizumori's wing to be trained as a professional singer. She made her official debut in <b>2017 </b>with <i>"MIZMO"</i><b>(水雲)</b>.</p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-63596698689356072382024-03-18T15:58:00.001-04:002024-03-18T15:58:12.722-04:00QUBIT -- Fast Life<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIM5oH8tNP1VXkc5WQHpSH4IlyzUCHvt9czSgZz33cgvwcMu9866NgcCOFk_ZMLMWzKv3QspmNKHF0w3Biu_h110rxVVGzFLgCrMfBOHqvyxkT2U4KeVNWimcOKvz1J_TdRxK3a2iMo1gFhKZ7c_cPyv3KFqkwLFFHIje7eBSOLx63LDOzqbHj-KB50I/s1600/2023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIM5oH8tNP1VXkc5WQHpSH4IlyzUCHvt9czSgZz33cgvwcMu9866NgcCOFk_ZMLMWzKv3QspmNKHF0w3Biu_h110rxVVGzFLgCrMfBOHqvyxkT2U4KeVNWimcOKvz1J_TdRxK3a2iMo1gFhKZ7c_cPyv3KFqkwLFFHIje7eBSOLx63LDOzqbHj-KB50I/s320/2023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Welcome to <b>Monday</b>! Spring is literally around the corner here and yet the temps in <b>Toronto </b>for much of this week will be hovering merely around the <b>0-degree Celsius </b>mark. It's rather ironic since this past winter has been called by one of the chief meteorologists in the nation as a non-winter. Ailing ski resort managers may have to agree.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X2pPmnXVNWE" width="320" youtube-src-id="X2pPmnXVNWE"></iframe></div><p>Anyways, singer-songwriter and rapper <b>DAOKO </b>has been someone that I finally posted an article about just last fall; notably, her <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2023/09/daoko-shibuyak.html">"ShibuyaK"</a></i> from <b>2015</b>. She's done her solo work and collaborated with other artists but last year, she actually got together with four other musicians to form the band <b><a href="https://columbia.jp/qubit/" target="_blank">QUBIT</a></b>.</p><p>Mind you, it's just the one song so far that I've heard, but it sounds like <b>QUBIT </b>may be more into the cute and bubbly <b>technopop</b> in comparison with <b>DAOKO's rap and dance </b>beats. Still, her <i>"Fast Life"</i> from <b>July 2023</b> has the singer providing the rap amidst all of the fast-moving bleeps and bloops. There's even some piano <b>jazz </b>percolating away in the last half of<b> "Fast Life"</b>. In a way, the song does remind me of the helter-skelter nature of navigating <b>Shibuya </b>on a <b>Friday </b>afternoon or night.</p><p>The rest of <b>QUBIT </b>is <b>Seiichi Nagai</b> on guitar, <b>Masato Suzuki </b>on bass, <b>Shohei Arimori </b>on keyboards and <b>Kazuya Oi </b>on drums. <b>DAOKO </b>and Arimori were the creators behind <i>"Fast Life"</i> which I assume is also part of <b>their first album </b><i>"9BIT"</i> which came out in <b>November 2023.</b></p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-73772594499381407252024-03-17T15:08:00.005-04:002024-03-17T15:08:36.660-04:00Misa Misaki -- Taiwa Shitai wa(対話したいわ)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMLqxLIyrVnSk8sBB1WGsMTHYK4rmGuSDMhw64F4ECiAhb_3H5uugaejTBDnVVI8Vi6IeC3WLBK8keDgWsvFR45TNTc_WUHA3bWBBbtHRSMW0OTdXugTIfNqfM4iEsaz_TjL_l-kZnKCOA4gxb1oTDly8jVgy-wLvQyTnsiOtsJ7d_9-GUMtLQOH9yI/s1600/2022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMLqxLIyrVnSk8sBB1WGsMTHYK4rmGuSDMhw64F4ECiAhb_3H5uugaejTBDnVVI8Vi6IeC3WLBK8keDgWsvFR45TNTc_WUHA3bWBBbtHRSMW0OTdXugTIfNqfM4iEsaz_TjL_l-kZnKCOA4gxb1oTDly8jVgy-wLvQyTnsiOtsJ7d_9-GUMtLQOH9yI/s320/2022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MvCY5dfr_D0" width="320" youtube-src-id="MvCY5dfr_D0"></iframe></div><p>A couple of months ago, I posted an article for a song, <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2024/01/misa-misaki-choko.html">"CHOKO"</a></i>, by <b>soul singer Misa Misaki(美咲ミサ)</b>. Near the end, I noted that I had discovered another tune by her that I would cover the following month. Well, <b>February </b>has passed and we are now in <b>March </b>so my apologies on that. However, we are all somewhat lucky this time around since whenever I have overshot a promise to write a song, I've often neglected that promise by a few years! Two months is nothing.</p><p>Anyways, that song I was talking about it is <i>"Taiwa Shitai wa"</i> <b>(I Want to Have a Conversation) </b>which first saw the light of day in May 2022. Compared to <i>"CHOKO",</i> which has some <b>synthpop </b>mixed in, <b>"Taiwa Shitai wa" </b>is fully into its sweet soul as <b>Misaki </b>sings about her request to have a meaningful talk as in a conversation which lovers would have. We can all use a heart-to-heart like this with our significant others. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VkM6Xn-MY5g" width="320" youtube-src-id="VkM6Xn-MY5g"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-85876158845918273142024-03-17T14:17:00.001-04:002024-03-17T14:17:39.305-04:00Ichiro Fujiyama & Aiko Anzai -- Midori no Uta(みどりの歌)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXIARfg0Oq3p6yxLb50rWWyF2rJZyGBjyR-IyNa2l9NoflBj0SB_QXW4j6GgX6PZ0HLopX_anb1IunqnEo_rjIXHdZtX_qufVPNyws079zVan23m83SzC_09V4E8XSoBdO1CjKNqUUv1T4hU1kAizhLcJVYta82TvgXq9oTXgd3UdmgEixALCWwmyito/s270/OIG1.AyNKNu8t7r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXIARfg0Oq3p6yxLb50rWWyF2rJZyGBjyR-IyNa2l9NoflBj0SB_QXW4j6GgX6PZ0HLopX_anb1IunqnEo_rjIXHdZtX_qufVPNyws079zVan23m83SzC_09V4E8XSoBdO1CjKNqUUv1T4hU1kAizhLcJVYta82TvgXq9oTXgd3UdmgEixALCWwmyito/s1600/OIG1.AyNKNu8t7r.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>Well, I did mention yesterday about <b>St. Patrick's Day</b> today and so young <b>Kayo </b>has decided to take part in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade somewhere on <b>Earth</b>. And rest assured, she is old enough to enjoy a pint of <b>Guinness </b>at some Irish pub though the bartender may ask her for ID. She might even be flattered by the request.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m68d_ESg2HA" width="320" youtube-src-id="m68d_ESg2HA"></iframe></div><p>It's a bit of a tall ask but I was looking around to see if there were a <b>kayo kyoku </b>associated with the Irish holiday, and sure enough, I couldn't find anything. Then I searched for any Japanese songs that had a connection with <b>Ireland </b>itself. Once again, I got nothing. So, next I made the trek for any song title that had the word <b>"green" </b>or <i><b>"midori"</b></i>.</p><p>Happily, it was there that I got the hit. Let me introduce you to <i>"Midori no Uta"</i><b> (The Green Song or The Greenery Song) </b>which was released in <b>1948 </b>and it is a duet between the legendary <b>Ichiro Fujiyama(藤山一郎)</b>and children's song vocalist <b>Aiko Anzai(安西愛子)</b>. Written by <b>Riki Nakamura(中村利器)</b>and composed by <b>Yuuji Koseki(古関裕而), "Midori no Uta"</b> is a typically Koseki upbeat march, this time celebrating the verdant land surrounding the citizenry. It was still the early days of recovery from the war so I'm not sure whether all involved with the <i>kayo kyoku</i> were reflecting on home and hearth in the regional towns and villages while the younger generations were toiling away in the factories in the big cities. Perhaps <b>Tokyo </b>had some greenery in patches where people could visit and relax.</p><p>There's not much of a writeup on <b>Anzai </b>but on <b><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%89%E8%A5%BF%E6%84%9B%E5%AD%90" target="_blank">J-Wiki,</a></b> she was born in <b>Tokyo </b>in <b>1917 </b>and after her singing days, she became a <b>Lower House</b> member for <b>the Liberal Democratic Party</b> for three terms. She also had high status in a few organizations including one as vice-chairperson for the ultra-conservative <b>Japan Conference </b>lobbying group. She passed away in 2017 at the age of 100.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEx6qPPOBgvt2x0eurSZb5vayx2ioB-vLel86DDlOpz2dPbcTJJrXU8rr24wQy9U8ezi5eBMStBzQukKGw3jjdLSD7s7bQsNGm7F2qGvutmhy8VrbijlhICgozNdnACE9ZJUon0Z32N5jPFLSisy_tNT0zN9mks4O4QHs2lDn1FEIO4FhVegveUeFZ3M/s270/OIG1.Xm5ZtF3RIoOEfiNI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEx6qPPOBgvt2x0eurSZb5vayx2ioB-vLel86DDlOpz2dPbcTJJrXU8rr24wQy9U8ezi5eBMStBzQukKGw3jjdLSD7s7bQsNGm7F2qGvutmhy8VrbijlhICgozNdnACE9ZJUon0Z32N5jPFLSisy_tNT0zN9mks4O4QHs2lDn1FEIO4FhVegveUeFZ3M/s1600/OIG1.Xm5ZtF3RIoOEfiNI.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-27274399470399037292024-03-16T11:45:00.004-04:002024-03-16T11:45:57.367-04:00Sheena & The Rokkets -- Baby Maybe<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UItJwloUJDeBodmAMKNqyguKVJ9o2uF8ZyiC98tWfGIJet1jwQp8mA0cwStEULf09NSgAcbR5E_09WWU-BUGJSVDpHf2zbcTlNndv-AuwxfG-eA-DNSJH6wNp_zWsWsr8bY2VzNaqp-UAfqK8BYy6ZnxS6AyrJAjIx95GpiHDvZWlOzFhyl5ql-rYEU/s5152/1980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UItJwloUJDeBodmAMKNqyguKVJ9o2uF8ZyiC98tWfGIJet1jwQp8mA0cwStEULf09NSgAcbR5E_09WWU-BUGJSVDpHf2zbcTlNndv-AuwxfG-eA-DNSJH6wNp_zWsWsr8bY2VzNaqp-UAfqK8BYy6ZnxS6AyrJAjIx95GpiHDvZWlOzFhyl5ql-rYEU/s320/1980.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ji0OcsOZCQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="-ji0OcsOZCQ"></iframe></div><br /><div>It's been a little over a year since the passing of guitarist <b>Makoto Ayukawa(鮎川誠)</b>at the age of 74 while his fellow bandmate and partner in life, <b>Etsuko "Sheena" Ayukawa(鮎川悦子)</b>left this mortal coil a little over nine years ago. But as cliché as it sounds, I'm sure that the music of <b>Sheena & The Rokkets(シーナ&ザ・ロケッツ)</b>has been living on within the survivors of the band and their fans.</div><div><br /></div><div>Recently, I found this follow-up single to their <b>1980 </b>hit <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2015/02/sheena-rokkets-you-may-dream.html">"You May Dream"</a>. "Baby Maybe"</i>, which was written and arranged by <b>Sheena and Makoto</b> respectively with <b>Yellow Magic Orchestra's Yukihiro Takahashi(高橋幸宏)</b>, was released in <b>October 1980</b>, a little over ten months following the release of <b>"You May Dream"</b>. To me at least, <b>"Baby Maybe"</b> sounds like a <b>1950s rock n' roller</b> given that <b>New Wave </b>sheen with the synths and what also makes it work is Sheena's cute-as-a-button delivery. No, I'm not saying that she was being an <i>aidoru </i>about it; more like <b>Marilyn Monroe.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The song was also a part of <b>Sheena & The Rokkets' 3rd album</b> <i>"Channel Good"</i><b>(チャンネル・グー)</b>which came out on the same day as the single. And yep, the video below does have that <b>1950s </b>look. They sure don't make music videos like those anymore.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/roN_IzqtUMQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="roN_IzqtUMQ"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-5089904976059165662024-03-16T11:15:00.008-04:002024-03-16T11:15:48.214-04:00Nash Music Library -- SC-4702<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJOD9vHgPu_WjTAmzcYH7GATc5-g_5QLBqg_-2YNQnTD4swGEU62RrmSm-EV13Y3mAEmigwvTGAlsj9RQo7zejJQN3IQxsS8CZiUFJujkvI-oXz5OMLKjNFiD_v1bnTrxGPwDSr9EeceSwEGDEb7MHnIFIEwbQZj7v4ojUXXKfw1h-cqjlKM4-ySfeYo/s2304/CIMG0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2304" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJOD9vHgPu_WjTAmzcYH7GATc5-g_5QLBqg_-2YNQnTD4swGEU62RrmSm-EV13Y3mAEmigwvTGAlsj9RQo7zejJQN3IQxsS8CZiUFJujkvI-oXz5OMLKjNFiD_v1bnTrxGPwDSr9EeceSwEGDEb7MHnIFIEwbQZj7v4ojUXXKfw1h-cqjlKM4-ySfeYo/s320/CIMG0179.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Happy Weekend</b> to all of you and of course, for those who celebrate it, a <b>Happy St. Patricks' Day</b> although the Irish holiday isn't until <b>the 17th</b>. The weather in my neck of the woods is kinda/sorta: not brilliantly sunny but not overcast either. The temps aren't exactly frigid but they aren't too warm either. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WCXIXlh5a6I" width="320" youtube-src-id="WCXIXlh5a6I"></iframe></div><p>Anyways, I would like to start off this weekend's edition of <b>KKP </b>with a nice little something from the good folks at <b>Nash Music Library.</b> It comes from <b>the February 2006 album</b> <i>"Resort"</i> but the track itself has been given the very dry title of <i>"SC-4702"</i> which makes it sound like one of the minor starships in <b>Starfleet</b>. Maybe I could rename it into something more homey such as <i>"Sunday Drive"</i> since those are the images that I get. It's about that comfy trip in a British <b>MINI </b>through the countryside perhaps in that kinda/sorta weather I was talking about above. </p><p>Maybe this music wouldn't be <b>City Pop</b> but perhaps it can be called <b>Japanese Countryside Pop</b>. 😉</p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-31001543009819123622024-03-15T19:45:00.000-04:002024-03-15T19:45:07.084-04:00Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Sugar Babe -- DOWNTOWN<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpghs9SPMTzjXgFi21TrfHLj8yUlH7zrYHW2HgQJesMmMDnUWWAZ8Hi_BXRQitNLsFzgEh_gdE43VgAvcDd2EyGYCjgtGzmS0eDCxh7fWQDvGsomD9XKKGGadP7D9ITMSP7oEPaLHsHuqdsVCAU8-VY31PMKcLlfDs7P1ducEx-t-Y6WOaLIl59ZxRXW4/s3648/7th%20Ichigaya%20Station%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpghs9SPMTzjXgFi21TrfHLj8yUlH7zrYHW2HgQJesMmMDnUWWAZ8Hi_BXRQitNLsFzgEh_gdE43VgAvcDd2EyGYCjgtGzmS0eDCxh7fWQDvGsomD9XKKGGadP7D9ITMSP7oEPaLHsHuqdsVCAU8-VY31PMKcLlfDs7P1ducEx-t-Y6WOaLIl59ZxRXW4/s320/7th%20Ichigaya%20Station%202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g_Jtu2nhleY" width="320" youtube-src-id="g_Jtu2nhleY"></iframe></div><p><b>Number: 049</b></p><p><b>Lyricist: Ginji Ito</b></p><p><b>Composer: Tatsuro Yamashita</b></p><p><b>Arranger: Tatsuro Yamashita</b></p><p><b>From Sugar Babe's 1975 album: <i>"SONGS"</i></b></p><p>Beginning with <b>EPO</b>, many singers have covered this <b>City Pop</b> classic<i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/03/epotatsuro-yamashita-downtown.html"> "Downtown"</a></i>, and in the purest sense of the word, this is a true collaboration between <b>Ginji Ito(伊藤銀次)</b>with his lyrics for the hook and <b>Tatsuro Yamashita(山下達郎)</b>with his additions. In terms of the sound, the synchronization of the clavinet and Stratocaster gave birth to the comfortable rhythm, and the fact that all the elements were random and yet organically overlapped is also worthy of a masterpiece.</p><p>The above comes from <i>"Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised"</i> (2020).</p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-80480882153072869992024-03-15T15:57:00.004-04:002024-03-15T15:57:47.003-04:00Nami Hirai -- Mada Yume dake no(まだ夢だけの)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGdkhQWSOvpuaeHKvng95CgnPWSniI0PTRZj0xMaa7Bi3QvmSXbDjlu_22yLpDwnBMl5v-MaroCqnNqbznE3Z8p590BPYiptnEmXhKnoPxcU1msutvCc5LzdvUuOYdUfrE3Yjkpaq2gwR5D4PnZGCSy1d6AvoSlHX4yKWUnuHp-mI5cMKSQdTQrHoAms/s1600/1991.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGdkhQWSOvpuaeHKvng95CgnPWSniI0PTRZj0xMaa7Bi3QvmSXbDjlu_22yLpDwnBMl5v-MaroCqnNqbznE3Z8p590BPYiptnEmXhKnoPxcU1msutvCc5LzdvUuOYdUfrE3Yjkpaq2gwR5D4PnZGCSy1d6AvoSlHX4yKWUnuHp-mI5cMKSQdTQrHoAms/s320/1991.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The beginnings of the <b>1990s </b>in <b>Japan </b>may have been the end of the high-flying<b> Bubble era</b>, but the <b>City Pop</b> music of that time was still very effective in giving that vibe of the good times, albeit in a more <b>sophisticated pop</b> sense.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Qq6wi5_n64" width="320" youtube-src-id="3Qq6wi5_n64"></iframe></div><br /><div>Singer-songwriter <b>Nami Hirai(平井菜水)</b>is most likely not a household name in the Japanese music industry but she's just one of the unsung chanteuses who were keeping the luxury nights going in a melodic sense at least while the economy was finally coming down like a house of cards. One of the songs of hers that I have posted up in the past is her creamy but urbane <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2018/09/nami-hirai-kagayakitai-kara.html">"Kagayakitai kara"</a></i><b>(輝きたいから), her 2nd single from September 1991 </b>and the final track on <b>her debut album</b> <i>"Yume no Silhouette"</i><b>(夢のシルエット)</b>which was released a month later.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another track from <i>"Yume no Silhouette"</i> is <i>"Mada Yume dake no"</i> <b>(Still Just a Dream)</b> which was written by <b>Etsuko Kisugi(来生えつこ)</b>and composed by <b>Takao Kisugi(来生たかお)</b>. The Kisugi siblings were known a decade prior for providing singers with some lush romantic ballads, but in the <b>1990s </b>apparently, they could also come up with the<b> City Pop </b>creations, and in <b>1990</b>, <b>Takao (and Etsuko)</b> got a hit with his urban classy <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2013/11/takao-kisugi-yume-yori-tooku-e.html">"Yume yori Tooku e"</a></i><b>(夢より遠くへ). "Mada Yume dake no"</b> is also another cool and contemporary city tune by him under <b>Motoki Funayama's(船山基紀)</b>arrangement. Those particular keyboards bring in a lot of nostalgia of that time.</div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-60393982684297729902024-03-15T15:18:00.003-04:002024-03-15T19:45:57.806-04:00Mikiko Noda -- Travelin' Heart<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1CZeatY1mJc" width="320" youtube-src-id="1CZeatY1mJc"></iframe></div><p></p><p>One observation that I've had about the Japanese is that they are heads-over-heels for their wine. I know that they love their beer, <i>sake </i>and <i>shochu</i>, but they have kept their eyes, ears and palates finely tuned for any of that<b> Beaujolais Nouveau</b> and other such libations. <b>Japan </b>was also the place where I first learned of the term <i>sommelier</i>, the trained and knowledgeable wine professional. There was even a<b> J-Drama</b> in the <b>1990s </b>titled <i>"Sommelier" </i>starring <b>Goro Inagaki(稲垣吾郎)</b>of <b>SMAP </b>and there is a sommelier who pops up quite a lot on TV over there named <b>Shinya Tazaki(田崎真也).</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fTPub6nZUEg" width="320" youtube-src-id="fTPub6nZUEg"></iframe></div><p><b>Mikiko Noda(野田幹子)</b>is a name that I've come across now and then over the years but as surprising as it may sound, I hadn't put her onto <b>KKP </b>until today. She's not only a singer-songwriter but also a sommelier who got her credentials sometime in the <b>1990s</b>. Hailing from <b>Osaka</b>, she appeared on the TV audition show<i> "Star Tanjo!"</i><b>(スター誕生!...A Star is Born!)</b>during high school in <b>the early 1980s</b> and in <b>1986</b>, she participated in <b>the 3rd annual Yamaha Vocal Auditions</b> after which she debuted as a singer in <b>1987</b>. She was noted for her velvety voice and was compared with another singer-songwriter <b><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/10/yumi-tanimura-tomodachi.html">Yumi Tanimura</a>(谷村有美)</b>who had the same vocal qualities and debut time.</p><p>Now, what triggered me to finally bring <b>Noda </b>aboard was a bit of "scouting" into <b>the City Pop Masterpieces 100 list</b> from <b>Yutaka Kimura's(木村ユタカ)</b><i>"Japanese City Pop"</i> book whose translations I post at the end of my <b>Fridays </b>on the blog. You won't be seeing this song up in <b>Yutaka Kimura Speaks</b> for several weeks but it's <b>No. 55</b> (today will be <b><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2024/03/yutaka-kimura-speaks-japanese-city-pop_15.html">No. 49</a></b>) and it happens to be called <i>"Travelin' Heart"</i>.</p><p><b>Noda's 7th out of 12 singles</b> up to <b>2017</b>, <i>"Travelin' Heart"</i> isn't something that I would call a <b>City Pop</b> tune per se. It's actually more in the snazzy <b>Shibuya-kei </b>vein but that's obviously no denigration against it at all. Written by <b>Noda </b>and composed by guitarist <b>Tomofumi Suzuki(鈴木智文)</b>, it's a smooth take-that against an ex-boyfriend while the female protagonist takes that exotic vacation to finally get that man out of her hair. Lyrically, it might be a slap in the face but melodically, it's a slap-banger. <b>"Travelin' Heart"</b> was released in <b>November 1990</b> but it did get an earlier exposure since it was included in <b>her 5th out of 18 albums</b>, <i>"Vacances est Vacances"</i><b>(ヴァカンス、ヴァカンス)</b>which had been released in <b>August </b>of that year. </p><p>I also read in her <b><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%87%8E%E7%94%B0%E5%B9%B9%E5%AD%90#%E9%9F%B3%E6%A5%BD%E4%BB%A5%E5%A4%96%E3%81%AE%E6%B4%BB%E5%8B%95" target="_blank">J-Wiki</a></b> file that <b>Noda </b>has quite the gift of the gab so she's been a regular on the TV and radio circuit for years. At the same time, I would also think that along with her sommelier skills, she would be an excellent dinner companion.</p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-39172890590826573532024-03-15T14:03:00.002-04:002024-03-15T14:03:23.045-04:00JADOES -- Simply Another Love<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK81CivX-bmpmps6IZ_TgZtb_wLOnmbc-kwnCyEgGoTMC3pc8rg1pW9bmoPG0LV5qr5uhkEzsaWjqftc1cixVo9wQ9XyAVX9dfYauxpC91XKcvq7I3-jctw574N_0ckcoXXwP8GkNRAHsN6by5tH7B1SDeL01BZ_ie3qDqhfQHuSjBKXt9xrwEDpBdns/s270/City%20Pop%20Highway%20Syd%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK81CivX-bmpmps6IZ_TgZtb_wLOnmbc-kwnCyEgGoTMC3pc8rg1pW9bmoPG0LV5qr5uhkEzsaWjqftc1cixVo9wQ9XyAVX9dfYauxpC91XKcvq7I3-jctw574N_0ckcoXXwP8GkNRAHsN6by5tH7B1SDeL01BZ_ie3qDqhfQHuSjBKXt9xrwEDpBdns/s1600/City%20Pop%20Highway%20Syd%202.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wsNcyOtIVE0" width="320" youtube-src-id="wsNcyOtIVE0"></iframe></div><br /><div>Way back when, when I actually treated <b>Friday </b>nights as the night to be out with friends, it was a toss-up between the discos in downtown <b>Toronto </b>or our <i>karaoke </i>hangout of <b>Kuri </b>in the tony district of <b>Yorkville</b>. That was simply the case for a few years in the latter half of my university time. Never got tired of it although it did become a routine, reflecting on the old days.</div><div><br /></div><div>Looks like the good folks of <b>JADOES </b>may have been wondering whether their romances out on the town were becoming a little humdrum just from that title <i>"Simply Another Love"</i> from <b>their March 1989 4th album</b> <i>"Dumpo"</i> (I have to admit that I'm left in askance about how the guys managed to get <i><b>that </b></i>sort of title). The track by lyricist and bassist/vocalist <b>Hideki Fujisawa(藤沢秀樹)</b>, the future <b>Dance Man(ダンス☆マン)</b>, and composer and percussionist <b>Kensaku Saito(斎藤謙策)</b>isn't humdrum at all with that slow-burning <b>R&B</b> beat but it does sound rather contemplative. It's more of a feeling of nursing that drink by the bar rather than hitting the dance floor. Of course, Fujisawa was having a lot of fun on his bass.</div><div><br /></div><div>As of this writing, all of the <b>Friday </b>fun in <b>Tokyo </b>ended for another week (or maybe not) a few hours ago. Considering all of the construction going on over the past few years, there is probably a whole lot of new venues to explore and enjoy.</div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-38803617620343348952024-03-15T13:43:00.002-04:002024-03-15T13:43:21.048-04:00Shoko Arai -- Circuit<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPDAHgeHtzREBDNHZo8qDmCgNBeVYmjBgK3FExHLtO_4Sszz-_BtfCjnE14s7VXEIa8660Pul7MW8yzelcGXxN_QldKufdDuN3DGpFpDNemKV0QXyoHJnwesKqRDmKHOjNLzPZUuNUs3X2LzOc_rK0Cl7XMaojcnvUMDNYZKxMZeG-CigNQbOCTig3Vs/s270/Kayo%20Grace%20Kyoku%20in%20the%20city%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPDAHgeHtzREBDNHZo8qDmCgNBeVYmjBgK3FExHLtO_4Sszz-_BtfCjnE14s7VXEIa8660Pul7MW8yzelcGXxN_QldKufdDuN3DGpFpDNemKV0QXyoHJnwesKqRDmKHOjNLzPZUuNUs3X2LzOc_rK0Cl7XMaojcnvUMDNYZKxMZeG-CigNQbOCTig3Vs/s1600/Kayo%20Grace%20Kyoku%20in%20the%20city%202.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>Got <b>Kayo Grace Kyoku</b> standing in front of some tall skyscrapers which probably means that it's <b>Urban Contemporary Fridays </b>on<i> "Kayo Kyoku Plus"</i>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XS2f3gKL2gc" width="320" youtube-src-id="XS2f3gKL2gc"></iframe></div><p>It was almost a couple of years back in <b>April 2022</b> when I first posted a song by <b>Shoko Arai(荒井尚子)</b>, <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2022/04/shoko-arai-kansho-ryoko.html">"Kansho Ryoko"</a></i><b>(感傷旅行)</b>from her one-and-only <b>1990 </b>album <i><a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/2654594-Shoko-Arai-%E8%8D%92%E4%BA%95%E5%B0%9A%E5%AD%90-Je-Vous-Aime-%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A5%E3%83%96%E3%82%BC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0" target="_blank">"Je Vous Aime"</a></i>, produced by <b>Meiko Nakahara(中原めいこ)</b>. Arai is someone that I had not heard about but from<b> "Kansho Ryoko"</b>, it sounds like the singer enjoyed some of that <b>Quiet Storm</b> in her music. And my posting of the song was deliberate since I also noted there that travel was finally beginning to awaken after a few years of the pandemic.</p><p>Well, another track from <i>"Je Vous Aime"</i> is <i>"Circuit"</i> which was created by the same duo behind <i>"Kansho Ryoko"</i>, lyricist <b>Keiko Aso(麻生圭子)</b>and composer <b>Tsunehiro Izumi(和泉常弘)</b>. The song takes things into<b> the late 1980s City Pop</b> and s<b>ophisticated pop</b> realms, and it has quite the pop through the bass and percussion (was <b>Sheila E</b> in the house?:)). Of course, having the brassy saxophone lends even more brio to the proceedings.</p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-16152577723933877592024-03-14T19:59:00.001-04:002024-03-14T19:59:51.135-04:00Kumahachi Morino -- Koi no Napolitan Rock(恋のナポリタンロック)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O7Mr4_Nunu0" width="320" youtube-src-id="O7Mr4_Nunu0"></iframe></div><p></p><p>One of the things about Japanese pop culture that I've learned over the decades is that the Japanese have borrowed various aspects of Western culture and given them that several-degree twist. That also goes for the culinary arts. <b>Tonkatsu </b>and <b>Hayashi Rice</b> are a couple of examples. <b>Napolitan Spaghetti </b>is another. For years, I had assumed that this postwar Japanese take on pasta was straight from <b>Naples </b>but nothing could be farther from the truth. Supposedly, the dish was invented by chef <b>Shigetada Irie(入江茂忠)</b>at <b>the Hotel New Grand</b> in <b>Yokohama </b>according to <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naporitan" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></b>. Since then, it's been available in supermarkets and basically just about every family restaurant in the nation. And yep, I've had my fair share of the Japanese pasta as well.</p><p>By the way, the above video comes from the <b>YouTube </b>channel <b>No Recipes</b> as the ever-cheerful <b>Mark Matsumoto</b> shows how to make the <b>Napolitan</b>. I used to see him on a cooking program on<b> TV Japan</b> at noon until about a few years ago.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K5g0XRYhFrs" width="320" youtube-src-id="K5g0XRYhFrs"></iframe></div><p>Now to segue into the song of note here, <b><a href="http://www.j-two.co.jp/kuma/" target="_blank">Kumahachi Morino</a>(森野熊八)</b>is not one that would usually be on a music blog such as <i>"Kayo Kyoku Plus"</i>, but he's not your ordinary singer. In fact, his main profession is as a chef who has specialized in French and Italian cuisines but he also has a like for singing. According to his <b><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A3%AE%E9%87%8E%E7%86%8A%E5%85%AB" target="_blank">J-Wiki </a></b>profile, he decided back in <b>1990 </b>that he wanted to put his recipes into song lyric form and sing them, something that he showed at<b> the Yamaha Popular Song Contest.</b></p><p>And one of those recipes was for <b>Napolitan Spaghetti</b> which he not only provided lyrics but also the <b>rock n' roll </b>melody for his <b>2009 </b><i>"Koi no Napolitan Rock"</i><b> (Napolitan Rock of Love)</b>. He probably provided a lot of swing into his fans while cooking the dish although the tempo is such that it could get a bit dangerous in the kitchen. Incidentally, <b>"Koi no Napolitan Rock"</b> was the coupling song for the second ending theme, <i>"Mizonoguchi Forever"</i><b>(溝の口Forever)</b>, of the <i>anime "Tentai Senshi Sunred"</i><b>(天体戦士サンレッド...Astro Fighter Sunred)</b>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ZDT7ITbUrg" width="320" youtube-src-id="8ZDT7ITbUrg"></iframe></div><p>The jovial <b>Morino </b>has also been a <i>tarento </i>on television and in this video of footage dated <b>1996</b>, he gives his musical touch to his takes on curry rice and an omelette. </p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-28408939815387271512024-03-14T16:00:00.007-04:002024-03-14T16:00:55.053-04:00Natsuko Yamamoto -- Kuchibiru Scandal(くちびるスキャンダル)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGudI1Gg0tvmGXct0lLMxjfY8BQvyLTQV6qWM7dUYDrg8LT72Vz1gLEVgGqtJgZz81UpcGFtb9L5lqKs1wbUYM4Ua0hcBqZnA0nCAeA8AH2d1_cQ4_UFZz_WIFSJvTYw1duTCCrlFoAh-wkFIVPoDSkIU2otngwgXVwOMGwa0HsioEdj50uFjLKzv6Jh8/s5152/1984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGudI1Gg0tvmGXct0lLMxjfY8BQvyLTQV6qWM7dUYDrg8LT72Vz1gLEVgGqtJgZz81UpcGFtb9L5lqKs1wbUYM4Ua0hcBqZnA0nCAeA8AH2d1_cQ4_UFZz_WIFSJvTYw1duTCCrlFoAh-wkFIVPoDSkIU2otngwgXVwOMGwa0HsioEdj50uFjLKzv6Jh8/s320/1984.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ROU3iSg0mvI" width="320" youtube-src-id="ROU3iSg0mvI"></iframe></div><p>Back in <b>August 2022</b>, I posted an article regarding <b>Natsuko Yamamoto(山本奈津子)</b>, a singer and actress who had a brief career in entertainment during the <b>1980s </b>before calling it quits in <b>1988</b>. Her <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2022/08/natsuko-yamamoto-hachi-gatsu-no-fuan.html">"Hachi-gatsu no Fuan"</a></i><b>(八月の不安)</b>from <b>her lone November 1984 album</b> <i>"19/20"</i> was a slice of <b>City Pop</b> with a hint of <b>synthpop</b>. </p><p>I found another track from <i>"19/20". "Kuchibiru Scandal"</i> <b>(Lip Scandal)</b> is a track that takes things more fully into the <b>technopop </b>realm. The whimsical nature of the song made me think initially that either <b>Taeko Ohnuki(大貫妙子)</b>or <b>Akiko Yano(矢野顕子)</b>or maybe even <b>EPO </b>had their hands in the arrangement and/or composition. It was all the more surprising that it was the same duo behind <i>"Hachi-gatsu no Fuan" </i>that took care of <b>"Kuchibiru Scandal". Mirai Minegishi(嶺岸未来)</b>was once again behind the lyrics while <b>Fujimal Yoshino(芳野藤丸)</b>, someone that I usually associate with the groovy <b>City Pop </b>realm, came up with the blippity-bloppity music.</p><p>This time around, the demands to have <b>Yamamoto </b>hit the higher registers vocally weren't nearly as great as they were for <i>"Hachi-gatsu no Fuan"</i>, so the singer had a better handle on the delivery. Still, the song is quirky enough to be appealing as a good ol' <b>80s pop</b> tune from <b>Japan</b>.</p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-77667123708992615842024-03-14T15:08:00.004-04:002024-03-14T15:08:57.404-04:00Bobby Caldwell/Boz Scaggs -- Heart of Mine<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrI6qVxAuZ8TIsUf2zcki4XF4cyptdTQS4MfCJpLIH7ZGM7xWcDypQWhpN3fTJP8SK9GmdSSuydHaedHARwZxY5DtcUDlGKzu8F9hJlZtmVfePMNkNIGIPrsKs0zNdSakQDeNWo4VCwGthRarLCt2zKgF8_76FMh8eg5dt0OMTQUhOl85w6JLbxtJyvg/s179/th.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="118" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrI6qVxAuZ8TIsUf2zcki4XF4cyptdTQS4MfCJpLIH7ZGM7xWcDypQWhpN3fTJP8SK9GmdSSuydHaedHARwZxY5DtcUDlGKzu8F9hJlZtmVfePMNkNIGIPrsKs0zNdSakQDeNWo4VCwGthRarLCt2zKgF8_76FMh8eg5dt0OMTQUhOl85w6JLbxtJyvg/s1600/th.jpg" width="118" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>From Wikipedia</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Being <b>March 14th,</b> it is <b>White Day </b>in <b>Japan </b>so the guys there are getting their cookies and chocolates. In the rest of the world perhaps, it is known as <b>Pi (3.14) Day</b> for the mathematically inclined and strangely enough, the theoretical physicist <b>Albert Einstein </b>was born on this day in <b>1879</b>. I've already mentioned <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2024/03/hiroshi-itsuki-koshi-no-miyako.html">yesterday </a>that <i>enka </i>singer <b>Hiroshi Itsuki(五木ひろし)</b>also has his birthday today. But for this weekly <b>Reminiscings of Youth</b> article, I'm going to be featuring once more singer-songwriter <b>Bobby Caldwell </b>because it was one year ago today that he passed away at the age of 71.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-5XQSMrTQt4" width="320" youtube-src-id="-5XQSMrTQt4"></iframe></div><p>The man known as <b>Mr. AOR</b> in <b>Japan </b>will always be famous and adored for his <b>1978 </b><i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2023/03/bobby-caldwell-what-you-wont-do-for-love.html">"What You Won't Do For Love"</a></i>. I've been listening to that one for decades but it was also the fact on the ol' radio that I also got to hear another song of his, <i>"Heart of Mine"</i>, which was the title track for <b>his 1989 album</b>. Yet another tenderhearted ballad by the late crooner about trying to mend a broken heart after a sudden and unexpected romantic breakup, I was surprised that the song came into being so much later than I had thought. I had assumed that <b>"Heart of Mine"</b> was the follow-up to <b>"What You Won't Do For Love"</b> which perhaps attests to its timelessness. I am still assuming that the song was used for one of those ancient <b>Parliament </b>cigarette commercials in Japan.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mv7tMnwdT8c" width="320" youtube-src-id="mv7tMnwdT8c"></iframe></div><p>Crazy thing though. When this song first came to my ears' notice decades ago, I'd been left wondering whether it was <b>Caldwell </b>or other <b>AOR </b>crooner <b>Boz Scaggs </b>behind <i>"Heart of Mine"</i>. Well, it turned out to be both: both of them co-wrote the song along with <b>Dennis Matkosky</b> and <b>Jason Scheff.</b> And Scaggs' version came out first as a single in <b>1988 </b>with its inclusion in Scaggs' <b>May 1988 album</b> <i>"Other Roads"</i>. As much as his <b>1976 </b><i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2021/01/boz-scaggs-lowdown.html">"Lowdown"</a></i> is one of my favourite uptempo tunes by him, <b>"Heart of Mine"</b> is his representative love ballad. <b>"Other Roads"</b> ended up peaking at <b>No. 35</b> on the <b>US </b>charts while in <b>Canada</b>, it ranked in at <b>No. 25.</b></p><p><b>May 16th 1988</b> was the release date for <i>"Other Roads"</i>. Coincidentally enough, I was able to find the <b><a href="http://mgyh0906.web.fc2.com/19880516.html" target="_blank">Oricon </a></b>chart for that date. What was up at <b>Nos. 1, 3 and 4</b>?</p><p><b>1. Yui Asaka -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/12/yui-asaka-c-girl.html">C-Girl</a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pjdh0HaRQyE" width="320" youtube-src-id="Pjdh0HaRQyE"></iframe></div><br /><p><b>3. Yoko Oginome -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2013/09/yoko-oginome-stardust-dream.html">Stardust Dream</a>(スターダスト・ドリーム)</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/43U49F_46s4" width="320" youtube-src-id="43U49F_46s4"></iframe></div><br /><p><b>4. TUBE -- <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2013/06/tube-beach-time.html">Beach Time</a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WiNIxR8fy94" width="320" youtube-src-id="WiNIxR8fy94"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-45086360577707220052024-03-14T07:41:00.002-04:002024-03-14T12:21:03.874-04:00Noelle's Tadaharu Nakano Photo Cards (中野忠晴フォト・カード)<p><b>Photo cards</b> (<b>PC)</b>. They're decorated portraits of your favourite artists in varying degrees of cuteness and gaudiness. Japan seems to have been promoting <i>oshikatsu</i> (fan activities) for a few years now, with 100 yen and music stores dedicating one entire section to it. You'll find all the necessary products to make your fangirl/fanboy/fanperson life a breeze, like stickers and photo frames to make said photo cards. The wildest thing I've seen was a mini version of a literal <i>kamidana</i> (home shrine) wherein one can put your beloved <i>aidoru</i> in. Now that's dedication. When it comes to photo cards, I usually come across younger folks having these dangling from their bags and purses, but they are certainly not age restricted. I think the occurrences of catching sight of these eye-catching mini works of art increases depending on the area you're in and if there's some <i>aidoru</i> concert going on. Ordinarily, you'd see images of young pretty people (real, 2.5D or 2D) in these pretty frames. </p><p>Not to long ago, I told a good friend of mine, let's call her <b>Ms. C</b>, a few things over several meet-ups: </p><p>1. My most recent muse, <b>Tadaharu Nakano (中野忠晴)</b>, is one of the figures responsible for popularizing jazz in prewar Japan. </p><p>2. I'm still livid that bromide store <b>Marubell</b> does not have a single <b>Mr. Nakano</b> bromide despite 1. and the number of suave portraits he had during his Columbia Records days.</p><p>3. I brought my MacGyvered Mr. Nakano "bromide" to Part I of a recent <b>Ryoichi Hattori (服部良一)</b> <b>record appreciation event</b>. </p><p>Typical tea topics. All that combined eventually gave Ms. C the idea to make me PCs of Mr. Nakano to bring to Part II of the Hattori event, to which I simply went, "<i>If you make it, I'll definitely use it.</i>" Mr. Nakano photo cards in the style of current-day pop idol frames. The idea just sounded so wild to me, but I was equal parts curious and terrified to see what could come out of it, especially when she insisted: <b><u>No retro designs</u></b>, it has to be <b><u>unhinged</u></b>. Oh, geez. Nevertheless, I sent her some of my favourite pictures I had at the time and trusted my friend's ingenuity.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP838LTpUZfaqaDyFdE3k076XQ_T_bsldAv0dqRNBiZ4hHP-akAcPGXBl4GdQhCgtV9fPTvYuJu6wthU_9hISgHP2D90BJOOnMYFopLoVMbVpRZVcEJk-QJ5iM9MJDhz-9RNTftIL_F4xvSwLk99U_AaWr32Ks4mMHeOm3aUj53vaDPCTv3u99i8tNWTXF/s4032/IMG_4609.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP838LTpUZfaqaDyFdE3k076XQ_T_bsldAv0dqRNBiZ4hHP-akAcPGXBl4GdQhCgtV9fPTvYuJu6wthU_9hISgHP2D90BJOOnMYFopLoVMbVpRZVcEJk-QJ5iM9MJDhz-9RNTftIL_F4xvSwLk99U_AaWr32Ks4mMHeOm3aUj53vaDPCTv3u99i8tNWTXF/w200-h150/IMG_4609.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Totemo ureshii wa</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>You know when you witness something so unbelievable your brain can't handle it so all you can do is laugh? That was me when I took those photo cards out of the envelope Ms. C handed to me. I was told beforehand that they were less unhinged than intended because she wasn't able to find more stickers at the time. Still, I was speechless. </p><p>First we have what I call <b>"Yellow Nakano"</b>. Inspiration came from the fact that I like Pompompurin, hence the yellow colour scheme and roly-poly dogs surrounding the dandy jazz singer. The second one, <b>"Pink Nakano"</b>... Okay, for context, I introduced Mr. Nakano to Ms. C using this very photo, which led to the establishment of the nickname - I can't believe I'm saying this here - "<i>Jazz Daddy</i>" as opposed to "Father of Jazz"... <span style="font-size: xx-small;">I mean,</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">I don't see anything wrong with that judgement and</span> I like this smoldering Nakano very much, but to see him surrounded by pink hearts and ribbons, I blurted out, "<i>Why is the one that's giving <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Daddy</span> energy the one with the pink bows??</i>" And I was promptly told that it's exactly <i>that</i> which warrants the cuteness. It balances out the spiciness. As the kids say these days, I was deceased. I'm all for men in pink, but I was not expecting this combo. The juxtaposition of the frame designs and the photos for both PCs caused an initial Error 404 in the noggin, but it doesn't take away the fact that I like them a lot. And as another pal (<b>Lad B</b> from many articles back) said, "That's just Japan in a nutshell, innit? Cute on the outside, actually Showa on the inside."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G2vhjxxbOIg" width="320" youtube-src-id="G2vhjxxbOIg"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mr. Nakano's cover of <b>"Some of These Days"</b>, titled <b>"<i>Totemo Ureshii</i>" (とても嬉しい)</b></div><p>Never would I have thought to have such photo cards of any of the singers I like. I always thought they were beyond me. I mean, <i>who</i> would've thought to decorate monochrome portraits of singers from the early Showa era? Well, in hindsight, many of them were handsome and glamourous and would more than fit the term "Pop idol", so maybe the idea of them in glitzy photo cards isn't as wild as I initially thought. Y'know, give <b>Shizuko-san</b> some rhinestones, <b>Mr. Fujiyama</b> cream soda stickers - I can imagine it. But I just can't find it in me to put hearts or Pompompurin on any of <i>my</i> fellows. To use Mom's words, I would've never done something like this on my own. So, I greatly appreciate Ms. C's efforts for coming up with what I thought was unimaginable in such a creative and tasteful way. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BDG6kR6KVWq2V0Or4l66mxYQQ8MIhWJB_o6ZnmRCZxH-zOW8sTbkgH17CvNER0b6Ae1VGNnYpYWxsOFGl9VyGZKO3sRi9p-oVQO1F6IWZ-8KVNlq8QgE3J1icyBcdiSbXGsImRDCYbASY8ZlfKVsdFEuwmzMKIvgCtK4Ba01UMQ6emp3HJ6kI9Wq5f1a/s3321/IMG_4769.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3321" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BDG6kR6KVWq2V0Or4l66mxYQQ8MIhWJB_o6ZnmRCZxH-zOW8sTbkgH17CvNER0b6Ae1VGNnYpYWxsOFGl9VyGZKO3sRi9p-oVQO1F6IWZ-8KVNlq8QgE3J1icyBcdiSbXGsImRDCYbASY8ZlfKVsdFEuwmzMKIvgCtK4Ba01UMQ6emp3HJ6kI9Wq5f1a/w182-h200/IMG_4769.jpg" width="182" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwCC67Z07knzpjo7P9-IPoIGM60743Xh37DTZwxoJYkssRxLGTsXDzieSJddVfYKuqwdOu4CoBA1beHmzcHY37LQMa7M_t6uBWWZMHu36BJCzsDOK_-cet101W5bIbdjltGt1m0sM1ILtxAyM730EveA6z5uSTacDapM-7muycCjRq3A6EH9pvEIVP3CH/s4032/IMG_4643.jpg"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwCC67Z07knzpjo7P9-IPoIGM60743Xh37DTZwxoJYkssRxLGTsXDzieSJddVfYKuqwdOu4CoBA1beHmzcHY37LQMa7M_t6uBWWZMHu36BJCzsDOK_-cet101W5bIbdjltGt1m0sM1ILtxAyM730EveA6z5uSTacDapM-7muycCjRq3A6EH9pvEIVP3CH/w150-h200/IMG_4643.jpg" width="150" /></span></a><br /></div><p>As promised, I brought the Pink Nakano PC to the Hattori event with my MacGyvered Nakano bromide. Having these around was intense at first, especially Pink Nakano, but I quickly grew to enjoy having them around. And since one can't let her friend's efforts be for naught, I've attached Yellow Nakano to my wallet as a daily accessory. That's my favourite photo of him and there's a Pompompurin on his head. What more could a fan ask for? It's also really handy for impromptu <i>oshikatsu</i>, like when I was in the Tokyo-Hibiya area recently and wanted to visit the Shisei Kaikan (市政会館), the building where the prewar Columbia Records recording studio was. If you're in Japan and were to ever see anyone on the streets with a Pompompurin-framed photo(s) of early Showa male singers, you know who that crazy person is. She is me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MOFW8d5Zqog" width="320" youtube-src-id="MOFW8d5Zqog"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mr. Nakano's cover of <b>"Marinella"</b></div><p>Considering how Mr. Nakano now has prettily decorated photo cards and a fan toting them around in the new decade, wherever he is now, he must be awfully pleased. Or, I would like to think he is. However, I do feel kinda bad for my other five. But fret not, says Ms. C, for she intends to make at least one for each of them. I've already gotten a preview of one and some rough ideas for two others. The idea of <i>Akita Boi</i> and <i>Hawaiian <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Daddy</span></i> is making me sweat nervously again, but I am curious about <i>Kimono Pretty Boy</i> since his brand was literally flashy and outstanding. How ever they turn out, I'm just really glad and appreciative to have a friend that would go the extra mile to support and encourage (and kick up a notch) my fangirl behaviour. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVYBNTAJMuhwZfIpLKGmEF8gCLbWVCEPG3oE1-YTd_ea1nIA-60P35igD6JoeGTDpSOa0ZCRS3b2t3fDLkc4wOD5uR2ecbS0e0Kqs6HyWAB4jdjbgr6odpzIbF3T8GtMWqUn4f643ZH1brhW-WnPocOqTu4Sh4rN1bGXBNbRuWdIOFA5P_FjztycY0aHh/s4032/IMG_5104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVYBNTAJMuhwZfIpLKGmEF8gCLbWVCEPG3oE1-YTd_ea1nIA-60P35igD6JoeGTDpSOa0ZCRS3b2t3fDLkc4wOD5uR2ecbS0e0Kqs6HyWAB4jdjbgr6odpzIbF3T8GtMWqUn4f643ZH1brhW-WnPocOqTu4Sh4rN1bGXBNbRuWdIOFA5P_FjztycY0aHh/w150-h200/IMG_5104.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Ude wo kashimashouka?</i><br /><i>Revue mimashouka?</i><br /><i>Ocha wa ikagadesu?<br /></i><span class="s1" face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN", メイリオ, meiryo, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(84, 84, 84); color: #545454; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: 100%;">(〃</span><span class="s2" face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN", メイリオ, meiryo, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(84, 84, 84); color: #545454; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: 100%;">艸</span><span class="s1" face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN", メイリオ, meiryo, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(84, 84, 84); color: #545454; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: 100%;">〃) </span>Yes.</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="s1" face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN", メイリオ, meiryo, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(84, 84, 84); color: #545454; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: 100%;"> </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>P.S. According to Ms. C, she encountered a bit of a technical difficulty when printing the photos at a 7 Eleven. What came out from this technical difficulty was multiple copies of the same Nakano in various sizes. She couldn't bear to throw them away, so she handed them all over with the photo cards. As much as I love 1949 Nakano, I don't really know what to do with five of him. I took the below photo at a Starbucks and it's got to be one of the more bizzare things I've done so far. I hope we did not scare the other patrons who were just trying to have their evening desserts. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqm_AM9W9eYDOkiKs2LEQOQohVPaGYVHw1svoHmD_3YwgC8q2Fck5un2YTKIQfbmbh3lnQq0-lNRELsjm9rMCLwxSUUxJGD1-RmIh22-dhb0DWMYSikxfiqV_SC6fu0UDUfrq4TED0zdbNll_oKec-t0X5tDjqNeOOeb_BW0QDhxJog3nlOvbUBobiUMt/s4032/IMG_4607.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqm_AM9W9eYDOkiKs2LEQOQohVPaGYVHw1svoHmD_3YwgC8q2Fck5un2YTKIQfbmbh3lnQq0-lNRELsjm9rMCLwxSUUxJGD1-RmIh22-dhb0DWMYSikxfiqV_SC6fu0UDUfrq4TED0zdbNll_oKec-t0X5tDjqNeOOeb_BW0QDhxJog3nlOvbUBobiUMt/w200-h150/IMG_4607.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Noelle Thamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02869350840856391942noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-64309453150920902892024-03-13T15:59:00.004-04:002024-03-13T15:59:39.678-04:00SOAP -- Balcony Party(バルコニー・パーティー)<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrWHeYRQ8c2cGv7nj3tCKbKSAgZN2RfOcEUYjyI7wD6GXKL2-8wO9KLOJhKhBk2xL-ZOV1bXHdstOxtURYbEiro9LE3-smH5LuvaJJr70A8wdpp70aRpvU9CzgILlwditbW2sx69bMFOibJV8fItoG5VYh7KfiabtleNPawuWlXXWZWu1gkmInKI8h2E/s259/0000000007114300009_20240226095933635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrWHeYRQ8c2cGv7nj3tCKbKSAgZN2RfOcEUYjyI7wD6GXKL2-8wO9KLOJhKhBk2xL-ZOV1bXHdstOxtURYbEiro9LE3-smH5LuvaJJr70A8wdpp70aRpvU9CzgILlwditbW2sx69bMFOibJV8fItoG5VYh7KfiabtleNPawuWlXXWZWu1gkmInKI8h2E/s1600/0000000007114300009_20240226095933635.JPG" width="194" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>From ABLE</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><p>OK, first, my apologies to my old real estate agency <b>Able </b>for using one of their photos but I never got to take a photo of my balcony in my humble <b>Ichikawa </b>apartment and this is what it looked like although I don't think it's my exact apartment; probably <a href="https://www.able.co.jp/detail/Detail.do?bk=000000620711430009" target="_blank">one </a>on the other floors. Besides, why would I have wanted to take a shot of my very narrow balcony back then? It was so narrow and it was merely the place for the washing machine and the futon to air out on. Couldn't have had any party there and even my modest abode at 269 square feet/25 square metres was a bit of a struggle to have any sort of soiree, although in my early days, I managed to pack 20 people in the living room for a hot pot party!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2N-bgE0Bf18" width="320" youtube-src-id="2N-bgE0Bf18"></iframe></div><p>Regardless, allow me to present this very cheerful song by the vocal group <b>SOAP</b>. It hails from <b>their 1981 album</b> <i><a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/9453701-Soap-Harmotopia" target="_blank">"Harmotopia"</a></i> which also includes the other two songs that I've posted by them: <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2021/11/soap-shinjuku-transfer.html">"Shinjuku Transfer"</a></i><b>(新宿トランスファー)</b>and <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2019/04/soap-roommate.html">"Roommate"</a></i><b>(ルームメイト)</b>. The mellow and fun <i>"Balcony Party"</i> straddles the line between <b>City Pop</b> and <b>regular pop</b> with some good ol' tropical in there, and of course, there are the heavenly vocals by all involved. Written by <b>Keisuke Yamakawa(山川啓介)</b>and composed by SOAP member <b>Takanori Arisawa(有澤孝紀),</b> the song feels like it's taking place on a balcony of an apartment that is far more expensive and bigger and luxurious than anything possible in my old building. Basically any party on SOAP's property has the indoor and outdoor stages or it's actually happening on <b>the Lido Deck</b> of a huge cruise liner.</p><p>Also, from my memories, whenever anyone wanted to go smoke while at my apartment for a party had to do so out on the external corridor outside of my place or in the tiny kitchen under the vent hood. Hey, but let me finish this off with the video below of properly party-friendly balconies in <b>Tokyo</b>. Maybe you can even play <i>"Balcony Party"</i> while watching the video below on mute.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ifHMsJUGts" width="320" youtube-src-id="3ifHMsJUGts"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-55239904026289106972024-03-13T15:13:00.001-04:002024-03-13T15:13:29.449-04:00Hiroshi Itsuki -- Koshi no Miyako(こしの都)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rv3h8JuJtYA" width="320" youtube-src-id="rv3h8JuJtYA"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>I made mention about last night's <i>"Uta Con"</i><b>(うたコン)</b>on the <b>Shizuko Kasagi(笠置シズ子)</b><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2024/03/shizuko-kasagi-hey-hey-boogie.html">article </a>with the tribute to the <b>NHK </b><i>asadora "Boogie Woogie"</i><b>(ブギウギ)</b>. Well, <i>enka </i>legend <b>Hiroshi Itsuki(五木ひろし)</b>was also appearing on the show as well and what I didn't know was that <b>March 14th </b>(tomorrow) will be <b>his 76th birthday.</b> So, <b>Happy Birthday, Dear Hiroshi!</b>🎂 I have to say that the man really doesn't look his age.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FlLUqjf7CaQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="FlLUqjf7CaQ"></iframe></div><br /><div>Perhaps in commemoration of that anniversary, his latest single came out today which he did perform last night on stage.<i> "Koshi no Miyako"</i>, which might translate as <b>"The Capital of My Strength"</b>, was created by composer <b>Itsuki </b>and lyricist <b>Michito Gouda(合田道人)</b>under <b>Kei Wakakusa's(若草恵)</b> arrangement as the singer's own proud tribute to his home prefecture of <b>Fukui</b>. I'm sorry to say that I never had the opportunity to visit <b>Fukui Prefecture</b> but over the years, I've come to know it as as a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils and even during Itsuki's performance last night, we got to see a montage of the prefecture's other delights including the delicacy of Echizen crabs.</div><div><br /></div><div>If anyone out there has been to <b>Fukui Prefecture</b>, let me know of any other highlights in the province!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0olbprTUHkY" width="320" youtube-src-id="0olbprTUHkY"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eFygnSk5cv4" width="320" youtube-src-id="eFygnSk5cv4"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-279278138933944582024-03-12T22:08:00.000-04:002024-03-12T22:08:01.150-04:00Shizuko Kasagi -- Hey Hey Boogie(ヘイヘイ・ブギ)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LM7Y1miz2XI" width="320" youtube-src-id="LM7Y1miz2XI"></iframe></div><p>Over the last number of days, I've been getting into recording some of the programs from <b>TV Japan</b> for posterity since as all viewers will know, the specialty channel will end its broadcasting history as of <b>March 31st.</b> But from <b>March 20th,</b> the new Internet streaming service <b>Jme </b>will be going into operation as the inheritor of Japanese television supply for the masses in <b>North America.</b></p><p>If I were to tape any <i>"Uta Con"</i><b>(うたコン)</b>episodes, I should have done so tonight since everyone put on quite a show, opening with their tribute to the current <b>NHK </b>morning serial <i>"Boogie Woogie"</i><b>(ブギウギ)</b>which will be ending its own run at the end of <b>March</b>. Apparently,<b> "Uta Con" </b>won't be returning until <b>April </b>which is when <b>Jme </b>will be in full service but <b>TV Japan</b> has assured us that the weekly music program will be available on the new platform.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LVnRPM5La7c" width="320" youtube-src-id="LVnRPM5La7c"></iframe></div><p>Getting back to <i>"Boogie Woogie"</i>, it's been the fictionalized story of the legendary <b>Queen of Boogie</b> <b>Shizuko Kasagi(笠置シズ子)</b>and her career. I've been getting to know her for the big hits of <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2013/05/shizuko-kasagithe-venus-tokyo-boogie.html">"Tokyo Boogie Woogie"</a></i><b>(東京ブギウギ)</b>and <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2015/06/shizuko-kasagitokyo-ska-paradise.html">"Jungle Boogie"</a></i><b>(ジャングル・ブギー)</b>, both done in <b>1948</b>, a year in which all of her records had the word <b>"boogie"</b> in the titles.</p><p>In between those two songs was <i>"Hey Hey Boogie"</i>, which was performed on <i>"Uta Con"</i> tonight by actress <b>Sakura Kiryu(吉柳咲良)</b>, who will actually be making her debut on <i>"Boogie Woogie" </i>in the last several episodes as the new ingenue, and the singing group <b>Junretsu(純烈)</b>. Enjoying what I had heard there, I looked up the original version by <b>Kasagi </b>and gave that a listen. Written by <b>Ko Fujiura(藤浦洸)</b>and composed by <b>Ryoichi Hattori(服部良一)</b>, who had taken care of every other <b>boogie </b>song for the singer,<b> the Queen of Boogie</b> continued her streak of flamboyance and good feelings through her performance. I'd say that the song may especially be good for laughter therapy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o-s6dWvtb1k" width="320" youtube-src-id="o-s6dWvtb1k"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>(1:50)</b></div><p></p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-26084883081846782382024-03-12T16:03:00.001-04:002024-03-12T16:03:29.078-04:00ZOO -- Adam<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaX4u5qSjit3s8-lrAZChL_uBOGda6c35urNWFDo9wYG99KV1ypSY6nNmIlALQ7Z0LJG3oDkSCaFlpseeuNnvvG5DR7bo5JFnu-va6CUR1OmpZSFyFMoHX0ZG44wiMDmDjgE_VTvr4jAz7_hDwbro5TF8b74CEwWlUmj-BHzFdaGHH9Gy04doLv71Vc4/s1600/1995.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaX4u5qSjit3s8-lrAZChL_uBOGda6c35urNWFDo9wYG99KV1ypSY6nNmIlALQ7Z0LJG3oDkSCaFlpseeuNnvvG5DR7bo5JFnu-va6CUR1OmpZSFyFMoHX0ZG44wiMDmDjgE_VTvr4jAz7_hDwbro5TF8b74CEwWlUmj-BHzFdaGHH9Gy04doLv71Vc4/s320/1995.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I remember writing about <b>ZOO's 1991</b> <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/04/zooexile-choo-choo-train.html">"Choo Choo Train"</a></i> almost a dozen years ago on <i>"Kayo Kyoku Plus"</i>. It was quite the hit for the funky song-and-dance troupe and that one part of their dance became quite the fad to emulate for several months afterward. However that was basically the only song by ZOO that I've featured on the blog.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/crywCiBKZDI" width="320" youtube-src-id="crywCiBKZDI"></iframe></div><p>That is, until today. I came across <b>ZOO's </b><i>"Adam"</i> which was <b>the group's 11th and final single from March 1995</b>. It's a pretty smooth and mellow funky <b>pop </b>tune, this time sung by dancer <b>SAE </b>instead of vocalist <b>Satsuki</b>. Written by <b>Mayumi Ito(伊東真由美)</b>, who also delivered the lyrics for <b>Akina Nakamori's(中森明菜)</b>comeback <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2012/06/akina-nakamori-dear-friend.html">"Dear Friend"</a></i> back in <b>1990</b>, and composed by Singaporean musician <b>Dick Lee</b>, the title character seems to be someone who works too hard and plays even harder, although I hope that the tenor of the song means that he's still alive and kicking. </p><p>I also found out that <i>"Adam"</i> has two different videos showing only some very slight differences in the arrangement of the song. <b>SAE </b>is apparently dancing in some stone structure, presumably in an arid country, in the above video while the one below has her performing in a hotel suite with her bandmates chilling out. I've seen a few inquiries in the <b>YouTube </b>comments about the fate of SAE; according to <b><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZOO_(%E3%83%80%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%26%E3%83%9C%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AB%E3%83%A6%E3%83%8B%E3%83%83%E3%83%88)#%E8%A7%A3%E6%95%A3%E6%99%82%E3%83%A1%E3%83%B3%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC" target="_blank">J-Wiki,</a></b> she's currently a yoga instructor.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t3HlpDIorZU" width="320" youtube-src-id="t3HlpDIorZU"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-42112281650862320302024-03-12T15:26:00.008-04:002024-03-12T15:26:57.783-04:00Haru & Chicchi Kazoku -- O-niku Tabeyou no Uta(お肉食べようのうた)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKVaiqJtuPHSVSltMCdQ1mEc9-aySsujLloTMiOhg5tIOy5ch3gKxD_2yQ1qo3DXMk3UUc0YsTBsHS3rSneJZwYugNrAdoB0e0dx85gg5TkMIVUgHU6WoOI-v1crXnNxjNiRp6sQUV11Utg5_Ei7jviJqx6zd90FYOBCK6sTDLhN9-muXcA-DnM-lRbk/s3648/15th%20Radio%20Kaikan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKVaiqJtuPHSVSltMCdQ1mEc9-aySsujLloTMiOhg5tIOy5ch3gKxD_2yQ1qo3DXMk3UUc0YsTBsHS3rSneJZwYugNrAdoB0e0dx85gg5TkMIVUgHU6WoOI-v1crXnNxjNiRp6sQUV11Utg5_Ei7jviJqx6zd90FYOBCK6sTDLhN9-muXcA-DnM-lRbk/s320/15th%20Radio%20Kaikan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The above is a shot of <b>Radio Kaikan(ラジオ会館),</b> a literal and figurative institution in <b>Akihabara </b>which had gotten a major facelift by the time I got there during my last trip to <b>Tokyo </b>in <b>2017</b>. It was appealingly grungy back in the old days but it was then thoroughly modernized. Well in <b>2024</b>, it looks like it isn't the only major architectural and commercial change happening in the megalopolis' electronics and pop culture district.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dXWzON4-pqM" width="320" youtube-src-id="dXWzON4-pqM"></iframe></div><p>Yesterday, I was mentioning that instead of watching <b><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2024/03/ai-okuribito.html">the Oscars</a></b> on <b>Sunday</b>, I had joined my friends in partaking in a dinner with copious amounts of animal protein at a BBQ place called <b>Shinta </b>out in the boonies of my city. Ironically, just before my <i>anime </i>buddy drove us all there, he let me know that the main branch of <b>Niku-no-Mansei(肉の万世)</b>in the form of a mighty skyscraper at the southern end of <b>Akihabara </b>will be closing up shop at the end of this month. The above video from <b>NTV </b>tells it and there is also an article from <i><a href="https://soranews24.com/2024/02/22/akihabaras-iconic-meat-restaurant-skyscraper-is-closing-down-after-33-years-of-great-meals/#:~:text=The%20Niku%20no%20Mansei%20Akihabara%20Main%20Branch%20opened%2033%20years,at%20the%20end%20of%20March." target="_blank">"Sora News 24".</a></i></p><p><b>Niku-no-Mansei </b>was all about the meat (all due respect to <b>Arby's</b>) and when <b>Akiba </b>was just the hangout for the local <i>otaku </i>and electronics geeks and not tourists and couples from everywhere around the globe, it and perhaps the <b>McDonalds </b>at the northern end were the only obvious sources of nourishment in the area. The Niku-no-Mansei tower became the landmark and the gastronomical oasis for those who wanted their beef and other hearty fare at the various restaurants on the many floors of the building. I was there a couple of times myself and I remember going to the hamburger steak restaurant one night for dinner with a friend after some scouring through places like <b>Sato Musen</b> and <b>Yodobashi Camera. </b></p><p>It'll be kinda weird perhaps no longer seeing that friendly red bull at the top of the building and considering that the tower has been sold to other interests, maybe it will get torn down for something new which is in itself not new in ever-evolving <b>Tokyo</b>. But all hope is not lost. As for the <i>"Sora News 24"</i> article states, there's already a <i>yakiniku </i>restaurant under the <b>Mansei </b>banner just a block away from the old tower and on <b>March 25th</b>, another new Mansei restaurant will be opening up on <b>Akihabara's </b>main strip (loin). 🐄</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xUyRCwO5GiA" width="320" youtube-src-id="xUyRCwO5GiA"></iframe></div><p>In commemoration of this major change in <b>Akiba's </b>restaurant landscape, I was wondering whether to find something Akiba-based as a song for this article. Couldn't really find anything too appealing on that theme, but I did find this happy-go-lucky carnivore-encouraging march titled <i>"O-niku Tabeyou no Uta"</i> <b>(The Let's Eat Meat Song)</b> by the group <b>Haru & Chicchi Kazoku(ハル&チッチ歌族...The Haru & Chicchi Song Family)</b>. Consisting of a real-life brother and sister kid combination <b>Haru & Chicchi</b> who were around 6 and 8 at the time, songwriter <b>Don Papa (DON-9) </b>and singer <b>Maa Mama (MADOKA)</b>, they've come up with a number of tunes according to their <b><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AB%26%E3%83%81%E3%83%83%E3%83%81%E6%AD%8C%E6%97%8F" target="_blank">J-Wiki</a></b> page but <b>"O-niku Tabeyou no Uta"</b> was recorded and played for the travel variety show<i> "Moya Moya Samaazu 2"</i><b>(モヤモヤさまぁ〜ず2)</b> in <b>2012 </b>whenever the cast approached any place where meat was the main dish. In a way, this song could have been used as a jingle for <b>Mansei </b>itself. Veteran lyricist <b>Natsumi Watanabe(渡辺なつみ)</b>provided the words with <b>Toshikazu Miura(三浦年一)</b>as the arranger under his pseudonym of <b>Kazutoshi Miura(三浦一年).</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MzLvVejRbAo" width="320" youtube-src-id="MzLvVejRbAo"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-59877393411783939472024-03-11T15:41:00.006-04:002024-03-11T15:41:45.303-04:00Sukima Switch -- Lovin' Song<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBygo4Dk-Zedb8tCnNfhhAANZD4U1MhqlFKzwtwv2ZeXpprYpYpyo0XLIR-ASUTidV3sJVRMW_WmJ8wZ5sveeKdso9kBIEzTwidjgFIsEMxcMfLwAvFJmvMLXp5QSGD_ov85mlMkPbbiiGhY5fcqmB2sGJYLSmwwG0VKvSx3EEBIkUBO4l9NFdQ0G-Dg/s180/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="135" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBygo4Dk-Zedb8tCnNfhhAANZD4U1MhqlFKzwtwv2ZeXpprYpYpyo0XLIR-ASUTidV3sJVRMW_WmJ8wZ5sveeKdso9kBIEzTwidjgFIsEMxcMfLwAvFJmvMLXp5QSGD_ov85mlMkPbbiiGhY5fcqmB2sGJYLSmwwG0VKvSx3EEBIkUBO4l9NFdQ0G-Dg/s1600/th.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>From ebay</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><p>I've never been a fan of the <b>BL (Boys' Love)</b> genre in <i>manga </i>or <i>anime</i>. However, an old friend of mine once related the time when all of us were still living in <b>Japan </b>during which he and another mutual buddy, a young lady, visited a famous bookstore franchise <i>"Manga no Mori"</i><b>(まんがの森)</b>up in <b>Ikebukuro, Tokyo</b>. The two of them opted to go to different sections of the store and then meet up a half-hour later back at the entrance or cashier. My old friend decided to check out the magazines for <i>mecha anime</i> at one side. </p><p>Well, the half-hour passed, my friend was patiently waiting at the front door but the other friend didn't show up, so he then went back into the aisles to see what was up. It turned out that she was at the back, fully engrossed in one <i>manga </i>which happened to be a <b>BL </b>story and it was the BL section. She must have lost all track of time and awareness of place since when he greeted her, she suddenly seized up and threw the manga away from herself so hard that she almost took out an entire shelf. She apparently was rationalizing that she was simply curious...that's all. Meanwhile, he was insisting that he wasn't being judgmental on her literary choices. I thought that the two did a fine live-action reenactment of a typical scene in <i>anime</i>.😆</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hNIHuwdrivk" width="320" youtube-src-id="hNIHuwdrivk"></iframe></div><p>Well, all that preamble ramble was for the fact that on a recent episode of <i>"Uta Con"</i><b>(うたコン)</b>,<b> the pop duo Sukima Switch(スキマスイッチ)</b>appeared to perform their latest single from <b>February 2024</b>,<i> "Lovin' Song".</i> It is the theme song for the third season of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossan%27s_Love" target="_blank">"Ossan's Love"</a></i><b>(おっさんずラブ)</b>which had just wrapped last week. I mean, I've heard of corporate PR but this is the first time that I ever came across corporate BL. The series that first started in <b>2016 </b>deals with a fellow who finds out that both his male boss and his male colleague are madly in love with him. I assume that hilarity has ensued.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T78AHVOgOd4" width="320" youtube-src-id="T78AHVOgOd4"></iframe></div><p><i>"Lovin' Song"</i> is the duo's <b>27th single</b> and it has stood out for me for that wonderful piano which I've often associated with some of<b> the 80s love ballads </b>or <b>AOR </b>tunes. It does strike me as something that is hopeful and triumphant at the same time and I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually gets used as a popular tune to be played at wedding receptions. It certainly appears that it's gotten its popularity because it peaked at <b>No. 9 on Oricon.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YRIxp7QiNUE" width="320" youtube-src-id="YRIxp7QiNUE"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-84723941343582387092024-03-11T14:21:00.007-04:002024-03-11T14:21:52.030-04:00AI -- Okuribito(おくりびと)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxl9c3U8FMFxM2o7jHuVKPDfYG_hxC6Uz8QCDTLTzJoBALDBVoIenInd6AO6HR7smqyYaE9YojLft_l_-h8cf7Mu2YRb5J8gu77ViVbl-sa1OMZ28NH7pExusANzH_o1JnYDuakipx3vexu6QcS7rbA-jUESLcWJc9NLi0eALqvl9Mx82zpk4tYu76fNo/s1600/2000s.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxl9c3U8FMFxM2o7jHuVKPDfYG_hxC6Uz8QCDTLTzJoBALDBVoIenInd6AO6HR7smqyYaE9YojLft_l_-h8cf7Mu2YRb5J8gu77ViVbl-sa1OMZ28NH7pExusANzH_o1JnYDuakipx3vexu6QcS7rbA-jUESLcWJc9NLi0eALqvl9Mx82zpk4tYu76fNo/s320/2000s.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Happy Monday!</b> As I've mentioned in the past, I generally don't watch the <b>Oscars </b>anymore for a number of reasons, and as for last night's reason, I was out with friends for a nice if pricey <b>Korean BBQ</b> dinner (just wish the restaurant would accept credit cards). I've heard that there really wasn't anything cringe about this year's ceremony as there has been in the past (such as the slap heard around the world) and the big shocker was that <b>Jimmy Kimmel </b>and company were able to finish the program before <b>11 PM Eastern Daylight Time</b>! I actually had to check things to make sure that there hadn't been some sort of terrorist attack.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CEArEbO25lE" width="320" youtube-src-id="CEArEbO25lE"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hvAe9rWaSpY" width="320" youtube-src-id="hvAe9rWaSpY"></iframe></div><br /><div>I had heard beforehand that there were three Japanese movies that were in contention for <b>Oscars</b>, and I'm glad to hear that two of them won. Many congratulations to <i>"Godzilla Minus One"</i> for <b>Best Visual Effects </b>and <i>"The Boy and the Heron"</i> for <b>Best Animated Feature</b>. The amazing thing is though I haven't been one who watches a lot of Oscar movies, I managed to catch four such flicks in <b>2023</b>: the above two,<i> "Barbie"</i> and <i>"Oppenheimer"</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3pRF9T3D6Bo" width="320" youtube-src-id="3pRF9T3D6Bo"></iframe></div><br /><div>I wondered about putting something up to begin this week's round of <b>KKP </b>entries to commemorate the <b>Oscar </b>victories but I had already contributed articles regarding <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2023/12/naoki-sato-resolution.html">"Godzilla Minus One"</a></i> and <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2023/12/kenshi-yonezu-chikyuugi.html">"The Boy and the Heron" </a></i>back in <b>December</b>. Didn't want to quit quite yet so after breaking a brain cell or two, I realized that the movie <i>"Okuribito"</i><b>(Departures)</b> had won for <b>Best Foreign Picture </b>back at the <b>2009 </b>Oscars.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ks6ZghMqJqA" width="320" youtube-src-id="Ks6ZghMqJqA"></iframe></div><br /><div>Never thought that I would see two former cute teenage singers from <b>Japan </b>show up on <b>Hollywood's </b>biggest staged event but it did happen. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XHenwMKcSL0" width="320" youtube-src-id="XHenwMKcSL0"></iframe></div><br /><div>I figured that any major Japanese motion picture would have some sort of song attached to it, and sure enough, Japanese-American <b>R&B</b> singer <b>AI </b>provided one. <i>"Okuribito"</i> is a tenderhearted creation written by AI and composed/arranged by <b>Joe Hisaishi(久石譲)</b>. It's certainly a different tune for AI since <b>"Okuribito"</b> has a heartfelt orchestra backing up a hushed and solemn delivery by the singer. There's even some prominence given to the cellos which happened to be the instrument of profession for <b>Masahiro Motoki's(本木雅弘)</b>main character before transitioning to become a ritual mortician. It's a perfect fit for the tone of the story. "Okuribito" was the coupling song to AI's <b>18th single</b> <i>"So Special -Version AI-"</i> from <b>September 2008.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M8awB1IXF7s" width="320" youtube-src-id="M8awB1IXF7s"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Hj7QG7TLuc" width="320" youtube-src-id="1Hj7QG7TLuc"></iframe></div><br /><div>Of course, there were a few highlights in last night's ceremonies. After his antics, <b>John Cena</b> has been compared here in <b>Japan </b>to one other local comedian with a similar shtick.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZOyz66en6pg" width="320" youtube-src-id="ZOyz66en6pg"></iframe></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-65219490978901691052024-03-10T14:38:00.006-04:002024-03-10T14:40:34.168-04:00Mone Kamishiraishi -- Seifuku (制服)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPou54LLIyLw2uykh-LIRCP9U-dgL__1ExDMR8qena0DE38EjZNF-MzABk39KqxnsptTLKb48KEXj588CSTLZGayx8PUFEspB1TJqx-jae3f2643c5_4SJcXROxJ1zTcwrFbAj1g2BBZsOae8_SE_8IH55KxuGeMPbXTpUYV4z87UO0HsIQ-r2zM41FE/s270/OIG4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPou54LLIyLw2uykh-LIRCP9U-dgL__1ExDMR8qena0DE38EjZNF-MzABk39KqxnsptTLKb48KEXj588CSTLZGayx8PUFEspB1TJqx-jae3f2643c5_4SJcXROxJ1zTcwrFbAj1g2BBZsOae8_SE_8IH55KxuGeMPbXTpUYV4z87UO0HsIQ-r2zM41FE/s1600/OIG4.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>Well, since we are celebrating <b>Seiko Matsuda's(松田聖子)</b>birthday today, I figured another song associated with her (to join the previous <a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2024/03/seiko-matsuda-hana-hito-iro-nogiku-no.html">article</a>) wouldn't be a bad thing at all. And it's rather seasonal, to say the least.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uXK2RH0DbKw" width="320" youtube-src-id="uXK2RH0DbKw"></iframe></div><p>Coincidentally (or not), I heard this particular song for the first time on <b>Japan's Weathernews'</b> <i>"Weather Music" </i>segment a few days ago and I thought it was the most adorable thing. I've known actress <b>Mone Kamishiraishi(上白石萌音)</b>for her appearances on TV although I've heard that she was also a very capable singer. Interestingly enough, back in <b>June 2021</b>, she released a couple of albums side-by-side titled <i>"Ano Uta 1"</i><b>(あの歌-1-...Those Songs)</b> and <i>"Ano Uta 2"</i><b>(あの歌-2-)</b>showing her love for the old <i>kayo kyoku</i>. <b>"Ano Uta 1"</b> covers her covers of <b>1970s pop songs </b>while <b>"Ano Uta 2"</b> spotlights her versions of songs from <b>the 1980s and 1990s.</b></p><p>From <i>"Ano Uta 2"</i> then is <b>Kamishiraishi's </b>cover of <b>Seiko-chan's </b><i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2017/10/seiko-matsuda-seifuku.html">"Seifuku"</a></i> <b>(School Uniform)</b>, <b>the B-side </b>to her signature song and single, <i>"Akai Sweet Pea"</i><b> (赤いスイートピー)</b>from <b>January 1982.</b> Created by lyricist<b> Takashi Matsumoto(松本隆)</b>and composer <b>Yumi Matsutoya(松任谷由実)</b>under her stage name of <b>Karuho Kureta(呉田軽穂)</b>, the arrangement by <b>Shin Kouno(河野伸)</b>basically keeps to <b>Masataka Matsutoya's(松任谷正隆)</b>original style with perhaps a bit more embellishment in the classical strings. What's even neater is that Kamishiraishi's singing is very pure and outside of the <i>aidoru </i>realm...not to put <b>Seiko-chan's </b>vocals down any.</p><p>Just to reiterate from the original article for <b>Seiko's </b><i>"Seifuku"</i>, <b>Matsumoto's </b>lyrics describe a turning point in a high school couple's lives as the young man graduates from his small town alma mater so that his girlfriend realizes that he will no longer be sporting the uniform as he heads off to school in the big city. That would explain the photo of <b>Kayo Grace</b> and her beau at the top under the cherry blossoms. It is after all the graduation season now in <b>Japan</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBlfU9-vBmpRX5iDAqNyjg0xWvA9TUvsOg-Cqrfv0UizlznZPsUcRPafPl_Ij-b1NQ8Id_lG3Un0VzmVeeqN7CUIcIUWO4v5JIpRxjw8s-SWekfKdQa_IJieE40DE2JrNKuS8oZUQdAmmutSQTLyD5GHo2mYz1M2BjRlxiurz4mV3xpCLhE9wNubwUg0/s270/Kayo%20graduating%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBlfU9-vBmpRX5iDAqNyjg0xWvA9TUvsOg-Cqrfv0UizlznZPsUcRPafPl_Ij-b1NQ8Id_lG3Un0VzmVeeqN7CUIcIUWO4v5JIpRxjw8s-SWekfKdQa_IJieE40DE2JrNKuS8oZUQdAmmutSQTLyD5GHo2mYz1M2BjRlxiurz4mV3xpCLhE9wNubwUg0/s1600/Kayo%20graduating%201.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501670448657416824.post-45414664577180461992024-03-10T11:59:00.002-04:002024-03-10T11:59:21.136-04:00Seiko Matsuda -- Hana Hito Iro ~ Nogiku no Sasayaki(花一色~野菊のささやき)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNLcPohc0slW48cPZswiwDgI9-6eS2umnrZbJICjAl7aw1Xtal42TqkEeGs-f1EASXRVCZ2XhXlDgtRiSbp4lrG1xmiON_BDiPI3IXSvJX3N2gHeLcUD3FRhY-udKe-ntHHOLb6I78OBok9S9wWyBj_mjLWW1iODaq0AHViQGBDi24KRADhu_lNUCPn0/s1600/Seiko%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNLcPohc0slW48cPZswiwDgI9-6eS2umnrZbJICjAl7aw1Xtal42TqkEeGs-f1EASXRVCZ2XhXlDgtRiSbp4lrG1xmiON_BDiPI3IXSvJX3N2gHeLcUD3FRhY-udKe-ntHHOLb6I78OBok9S9wWyBj_mjLWW1iODaq0AHViQGBDi24KRADhu_lNUCPn0/s320/Seiko%20(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>All hail the Eternal Aidoru!</b> Today just happens to be <b>Seiko Matsuda's(松田聖子)</b>birthday and a number of Seiko-related accounts on <b>Twitter </b>have made that very crystal clear to me. Well, how can I resist? She's one of the reasons that I got into all this Japanese music in the first place. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t8kwkiaP6p8" width="320" youtube-src-id="t8kwkiaP6p8"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Initially, I'd been thinking about posting <i>"Hoho ni Shiokaze"</i><b>(頬に潮風)</b>, one of her <b>B-sides</b> from <b>1981</b>, but I not only wrote about that one in <b><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2021/03/seiko-matsuda-hoho-ni-shiokaze.html">2021 </a></b>but I'd actually also written about it in <b><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2017/08/seiko-matsuda-hoho-ni-shiokaze.html">2017</a></b>! Such is the state of my sieve-like mind nowadays and frankly it's not the only song that's gotten the double-look treatment. It's simply gonna be an occupational hazard on this blog.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But all is not lost. I did find another <b>B-side </b>that I'd never heard before, this time for <b>her July 1981 6th single</b> <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2013/07/seiko-matsuda-shiroi-parasol.html">"Shiroi Parasol"</a></i><b>(白いパラソル)</b>. Now of course, when we look at <b>Seiko-chan's</b> very large discography, the singer has had her share of ballads and slower-tempo songs. However this particular B-side, <i>"Hana Hito Iro ~ Nogiku no Sasayaki"</i><b> (Flowers of One Colour ~ The Whispers of Wild Chrysanthemums)</b>, has been noted on the<b><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%99%BD%E3%81%84%E3%83%91%E3%83%A9%E3%82%BD%E3%83%AB" target="_blank"> J-Wiki</a></b> article for <b>"Shiroi Parasol"</b> (the original source being a <b>2014 </b>book by editor and critic<b> Yuusuke Nakagawa</b>) as perhaps the first slow song that Seiko had ever recorded compared to all of the breezy and summery songs that she had been releasing in the early part of her career. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>"Hana Hito Iro"</i> was written by <b>Takashi Matsumoto(松本隆)</b>and composed by <b>Kazuo Zaitsu(財津和夫)</b>, the same duo behind the typically happy <i>"Shiroi Parasol"</i> but this time, the arrangement was handled by <b>Ichizo Seo(瀬尾一三).</b> And also this time, this <b>B-side</b> does sound much more wistful and melancholy as the theme song for the <b>August 1981</b> movie <i>"Nogiku no Haka"</i><b>(野菊の墓...Grave of Wild Chrysanthemums)</b> which featured <b>Matsuda's </b>first starring role in a film about a tragic love story in the <b>Meiji </b>era. Apparently, it was the second remake of an original <b>1955 </b>film.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4JZf8uenaMY" width="320" youtube-src-id="4JZf8uenaMY"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JKtAXopFvoM" width="320" youtube-src-id="JKtAXopFvoM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Getting back to <i>"Hana Hito Iro"</i>, although <i>"Shiroi Parasol"</i> was included on one of <b>Seiko-chan's</b> seminal albums <i><a href="https://kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/2013/11/seiko-matsuda-kaze-tachinu.html">"Kaze Tachinu"</a></i><b>(風立ちぬ)</b>in that same year, the <b>B-side</b> wasn't included there, probably because it didn't quite fit compared to any of the other tracks. However, it didn't have to wait too long to get onto an album as it was included on the singer's first <b>BEST </b>compilation <i>"Seiko - Fragrance"</i><b>(聖子・fragrance)</b>which came out in <b>November</b>. It reached <b>No. 3 on Oricon.</b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In any case, I wish <b>Seiko </b>all the best on her birthday!</div><p></p>J-Canuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551828383307840403noreply@blogger.com2