THE ALFEE -- Brave Love 〜 Galaxy Express 999

 

I only got the news earlier today through the regular NHK News broadcast, but veteran seiyuu and actress Masako Ikeda（池田昌子）passed away on March 3rd from an intracerebral hemorrhage at the age of 87. In her long career, she had a lot of roles of course, but one of her most famous roles was as the beautiful if enigmatic Maetel in "Galaxy Express 999"（銀河鉄道999）. She was certainly one of the first anime characters that I got to remember as a young kid.

What I didn't know was that Ikeda had also been the regular actress for Audrey Hepburn when creating the Japanese dubbed versions of the latter's movies such as "Sabrina".

Now, my first instinct was to see whether I could find anything that Ikeda had sung during her long career but I realized that she had just stuck to her voice roles and work as a narrator. Therefore, I did some searching within the "Galaxy Express 999" franchise for any songs there. Up to this point, I've only seen several episodes of the original TV anime and then the first movie in 1979 featuring Godiego's（ゴダイゴ）big hit.

If I'm not mistaken, there were two other motion pictures featuring anime's most famous train with the second of these being "Galaxy Express 999 ~ Eternal Fantasy" which came out in theatres in March 1998. Ikeda returned as Maetel but the band taking care of the theme song this time wasn't Godiego but rock band The Alfee. Comparing "Brave Love 〜 Galaxy Express 999" with Godiego's "Galaxy Express 999", whereas the latter was all about the excitement and adventure of being on such a special train, the former which was written and composed by Toshihiko Takamizawa（高見沢俊彦）was a very Alfee-esque song with its triumphant anthemic style. It would almost be like yelling out "Galaxy Express 999...ASSEMBLE!".

The single was released in February 1998 as The Alfee's 45th single and it peaked at No. 9 on Oricon. My condolences go to Ms. Ikeda's family, friends and fans.

Ayako Fuji -- Yuki Shin Shin（雪深深）

 

Well, this is something that will make Torontonians groan once more...and just in time for the weekly Hump Day, too. I think I mentioned yesterday or the day before that folks here are about ready to flee winter and embrace spring. I'm also willing to give up on the snow but knowing my Toronto, I figure that we're still due for at least one more blizzard. And one is indeed coming tomorrow with the snow fortified with some ice pellets, to boot.

I thought it would be apropos then that I put up this article surrounding enka singer Ayako Fuji's（藤あや子） 11th single from February 1998, "Yuki Shin Shin". As for the translation of the title, it could be "Silent Snow" or "Frigid Snow" depending on the definitions I found on Jisho.org. The lyrics by Miyuki Ishimoto（石本美由起）tend to support the latter meaning as Fuji sings about the snow relentlessly falling down and blowing all about so the poor person out there is getting pelted with needles of frozen water. Cryo-self-flagellation, so to speak.

Of course, with winter in Japanese music often being depicted as the nadir of romance, Ishimoto's lyrics are also talking about the protagonist going through absolute hell as he/she is on the verge of losing that special someone. Satoshi Hinokibara（桧原さとし）was responsible for the dramatic melody. "Yuki Shin Shin" managed to hit No. 36 on Oricon, and Fuji sang it twice on the Kohaku Utagassen in 1998 and 2006.

Shigeru Suzuki -- Kaiyuu（回遊）

 

I know that musician, songwriter and former member of Happy End, Shigeru Suzuki（鈴木茂）, has been continuing to make his way through the music industry to the present day. However, up to now, I'd usually seen him as a fellow making the good stuff in the 1970s such as the song I noted only a few weeks earlier "Brandy Wine".

Only recently have I discovered some of his music following the decade of disco and early City Pop. One such example is his "Kaiyuu" from his 1998 album "Kujira no Umi"（クジラの海〜Living Whales）. "Kaiyuu" can mean "excursion" but it can also be defined as "seasonal migration" for sea life such as fish. Considering the album title, Suzuki could have been referring to the migration of whales themselves. But whatever is moving around out there in the grand blue, Suzuki means it as a very languid and relaxing fusion number that kinda hovers around jazz and pop...maybe it's more accurate to say New Age. Let us lie down in those deck lounge chairs, shall we?

Atsuko Hiyajo -- Mobius（メビウス）

Saharasav via Wikimedia Commons

I've seen a Mobius strip before on paper and now in solid 3D form as depicted in the above photo. It's a rather endless story so I shall let it be before I lose my fragile little mind.

Luckily, singer-songwriter Atsuko Hiyajo's（比屋定篤子）"Mobius" is a lot more soothing and acceptable to the senses. Coming out as her November 1998 5th single, this was written by Hiyajo and composed by Jiro Kobayashi（小林治郎）, this is another fascinating song that can't be easily categorized since I get bits of a number of genres here and there. There is soul, funk, City Pop and maybe some Shibuya-kei, and the craziest thing is that right from Note One, I think "Mobius" could have been inspired by the 70s works of Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）. At the very least, the Ohnuki of that decade could have covered this song and it would have fit her perfectly. It goes on for over seven minutes, but the last couple of them are devoted to a generous jam by the instruments backing Hiyajo up.

"Mobius" made itself known once more through the 2009 album "Natural Woman", a result of a collaboration between Hiyajo and Ryusenkei（流線形）. The leader of the latter band, Cunimondo Takiguchi（クニモンド瀧口）, took care of the arrangement which gives this somewhat shorter "Mobius" that quintessentially effervescent Ryusenkei urban contemporary touch.

Mari Sono/Shinichi Mori/Hiroshi Itsuki -- Ryoujou（旅情）

 

Back in September, I posted up that All-Points Bulletin for Neff regarding some Chinese covers of songs that he couldn't quite identify. I believe that he was able to resolve most of the mystery songs thankfully. But I also remember while trying to help him out that I came across a few songs that may have been connected to the mystery ones but ended up nothing of the sort. Of course, I was disappointed but in the process, I was able to find some new kayo kyoku with their common denominator being a common title.

"Ryoujou" on Jisho.org talks about "the mood when traveling". And of course, travel is a big theme in kayo kyoku, notably as the action one takes when there's a need to get away from a problem, usually post-romantic in nature. The protagonists take trains and planes (not sure about automobiles, though) to some faraway place in Japan, away from Tokyo or Osaka (Tsugaru Strait is especially popular) or even overseas to mourn and/or reset those feelings.

Through Google, I even discovered some very specific terminology for that particular mood. Wanderlust was one word that I had already known but here are some of the others:

Wanderlust: A strong desire to travel and explore the world.

Eudaimonia: A state of intense happiness and contentment while traveling, when everything feels right.

Resfeber: The restless, anxious excitement that comes before a journey begins.

Strikhedonia: The joy of being able to say, "to hell with it!" and go on an adventure. 

Fernweh: The opposite of homesickness; an ache or longing for places you have never seen before.

Sehnsucht: A wistful yearning for something far-off and indefinable, or for travels past and future.

Where enka and kayo kyoku are concerned, I think perhaps Fernweh and Sehnsucht might be the traveling moods that match the feelings there, although the words themselves sound like alien crewmembers on the Enterprise on "Star Trek".

Anyways, let's begin with the first "Ryoujou" that was recorded by Mari Sono（園まり）for release as a single in June 1972 to commemorate her 10th anniversary in the music business. Quite the poignant kayo kyoku, this was written by Jun Hashimoto（橋本淳）and composed by Kyohei Tsutsumi（筒美京平）as the lyrics describe a woman who has either broken up or is on the verge of breaking up with her beau by flying off to Paris. It's the strings and what sounds like a harpsichord that give me the heavy sense of the melancholy here but I also have to note the deep horns that pop up as if the lady is about to take one major leap of faith.

Less than a couple of years later, enka veteran Shinichi Mori（森進一）released an album "Ryoujou" in March 1974. The title track was written by Kohan Kawauchi（川内康範）and composed by Kosho Inomata（猪俣公章）as a song of longing by a fellow who's looking upon a woman he's had feelings for. She hasn't reciprocated them and maybe she isn't even aware of them especially since she's probably just broken it off with another guy. It's a got a bit more brass and heart-on-a-sleeve emotion so I can put it between kayo kyoku and enka.

Then, we come to Hiroshi Itsuki's（五木ひろし）"Ryoujou" which was released much later in 1998. With lyrics by Reiji Mizuki（水木れいじ）, the singer himself came up with the melody. If there were such a thing as Itsuki Song, then his "Ryoujou" would be the class example with the haunting chorus, the seemingly tear-choked vocals and the wistful arrangement.

Masayo Kawaguchi (as Ayako Katagiri) -- Tomorrow ~ Only You

 

Well, it hasn't exactly been the smoothest entries into this weekend. I've got a package that seems to be lost in the system and I was battling a stuffy nose last night so had to wake up and take a Reactine in the middle of the night. So, I wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders this morning but a good walk and some errand-running in a pleasantly cool morning has helped.

Listening to this song has also helped a bit in lifting spirits. Last month, I featured singer Masayo Kawaguchi（川口雅代） (or was it Mami Kingetsu?) singing "Suki na Mama de Suki de Ii"（好きなままで好きでいい）from the soundtrack of the dating sim game "Tokimeki Memorial"（ときめきメモリアル）back in 1996. 

Once again, under her "Tokimeki Memorial" character of Ayako Katagiri（片桐彩子）, Kawaguchi released a third album of her stuff in February 1998, "Message". From there, I give you the third track "Tomorrow ~ Only You" which is a spritely tune (approaching but not quite reaching 90s City Pop) that was written by Natsu Akiyama（秋山奈津）and composed by Mari Konishi（小西真理）. I realize that it's from a video game but hey, considering the early morning I had, I appreciate anything to cheer me up. 

Nettai Jazz Gakudan/Little Glee Monster -- September

 

It's the 21st of September and for a lot of folks, that means one thing.

Yup, it's "September" by Earth Wind & Fire, one of my favourite go-to cheer-up songs. Dance clubs are probably going to be playing this or have played this around the planet, and the traffic around Area 51 is a lot busier today. 

Now, I already wrote about the EW&F classic back in 2020. Plus, even before that, I had written about Shinichi Osawa's（大沢伸一）remix version from 1999 and even a 2016 anison that was inspired by "September". Therefore, I can provide a couple of more covers in honour.

Nettai Jazz Gakudan（熱帯JAZZ楽団...Tropical Jazz Big Band） is a band specializing in Latin jazz and Big Band which is led by percussionist Carlos Kanno（カルロス菅野）from Orquesta de la Luz. They started out in 1995 as just a bunch of buddies jamming but then it swelled up to an 18-piece group. Their take on "September" was a track on their 2nd album from June 1998 "Nettai Jazz Gakudan II ~ September" and along with what "September" has been all about, Kanno and crew also give a lot on what they themselves are all about in their version.

Nearly 20 years later, the vocal group Little Glee Monster took on Maurice White and company's magnum opus as one of the coupling songs on their May 2017 8th single "Dakara, Hitori janai"（だから、ひとりじゃない...So, I'm Tellin' Ya, You're Not Alone）. The soul is definitely with them! And to think that just some days before release, LGM and EW&F got together to do "September".

Coffee, Tea or Milk?

 

I'm not sure if this is the gastronomic trend in Japan for 2025, but through a couple of Japanese programs including yesterday's final episode of "Asaichi"（あさイチ）before going on summer hiatus, I found out that the drink known as a tea soda may be getting lots of love around the country. Through the other variety show, the tea soda (which is what the name says) originated in one area of Japan and has remained a local favourite but suddenly it's making its way around the country. 

Now, at first impression, the thought of mixing cold Earl Grey tea and soda water doesn't exactly thrill me but then again, I have to remind myself, I once had the same reluctance with Calpis soda since I thoroughly enjoyed the original Calpis syrup mixed with plain cold water. I'm OK with it now although I will still prefer the unfizzy version. But once the heat over there comes back down to something more humane, those who are heading to Japan on vacation might want to see if a café is serving the stuff. I'd be game to try it out.

Seeing tea soda last night did have me thinking about another Author's Picks, and this time, it's revolving around tunes that have something to do with the basic drinks of coffee, tea and milk. It took a bit of doing, but I was able to track down six. Wherever you are, enjoy a cup or glass!🥛

(1991) Miki Imai -- Tea for Two

(1998) UA -- Milk Tea（ミルクティー）

(1990) Yasuyuki Okamura -- Kahlua Milk （カルアミルク）

(1989) Misato Watanabe -- Tsumetai Milk（冷たいミルク）

(1992) Yoko Oginome -- Coffee Rumba （コーヒー・ルンバ）

(1982) Hi-Way -- Black Coffee（ブラック・コーヒー）

Catherine Catherine/Emiko Yamauchi -- Warawaseru janai ka（笑わせるじゃないか）

 

Over here in Toronto, the local news channel CP24 has its four-hour weekday morning show called "CP24 Breakfast" with one of the hosts being the vivacious Jennifer Hsiung. Along with at least a few of the other broadcasters on the channel, Hsiung has had an interesting past in terms of previous occupations. She was once a standup comedian and there's some of that in her patter which has led to some impolitic outbursts occasionally. In a way, she reminds me of a somewhat more toned-down Phyllis Diller or Joan Rivers.

Now, the only reason that I'm even mentioning Ms. Hsiung is that the singer of note here has a glancing resemblance to our CP24 anchor. This is Catherine Catherine（カトリーヌ・カトリーヌ）whose real name is Ayane Miura（三浦綺音）, a model, actress and singer. She's also had some interesting points in her career, one of which is that she portrayed Sadako in the 1995 Japanese TV version of the famous horror franchise "Ringu". I have to say that her hair looks much lovelier and silkier here.

As for her singing career, she, under that stage name of Catherine Catherine, released three singles and two albums, with the last single being "Warawaseru janai ka" (Well, Aren't You Funny?). Released in September 1998, there's something of the indies pop vibe with the guitar and the singer's whispery vocals. 

Now, the song was written and composed by Miyuki Nakajima（中島みゆき）and apparently she did cover it herself as the B-side to her more famous 1981 single "Akujo"（悪女）, but not surprisingly, any actual YouTube videos of Nakajima's version don't exist. However, back a few years in the 1970s, she did offer it to another actress and singer Emiko Yamauchi（山内絵美子）who is also appearing on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" for the first time. The Hokkaido-born Yamauchi released "Warawaseru janai ka" as her fifth single in February 1977 and there is a jaunty Old World feeling to this original version that takes it into the Fashion Music realm.

Speaking of Hokkaido, I've also been monitoring the situation in Japan due to some tsunami warnings that could be affecting the entire Pacific coast. I'm hoping that everyone there, especially one regular commenter who may be living in one affected area, will be fine.

Katsumi Horii Project -- Blue Waters

Wikimedia Commons
 via Simon_sees

 

Now, wouldn't the above be a sight for sore eyes? Have a view like this at your next vacation...hopefully sooner rather than later.

The last time I posted anything by the fusion band Katsumi Horii Project（堀井勝美PROJECT）, it was back in the pre-pandemic days. Well, allow me to rectify that. I couldn't quite believe it when I read that this titular track from his "Blue Waters" album was actually released in July 1998 because from the way it sounds, especially with that Fender Rhodes in there, "Blue Waters" sounds like something from the 1980s, perhaps during Japan's Bubble Era.

I think what has gotten me to think that way is that along with the Fender Rhodes, the main piano sounds perfectly attuned to anything used for the soundtrack of Seizo Watase's（わたせせいぞう）"Heart Cocktail"（ハートカクテル） series of anime vignettes. You may be listening to this from the comfort of your own home, but you might still be existentially pressured to yell out for an Orange Mimosa! In any case, this is one really relaxing number for a Sunday brunch.

J-Canuck's Six Favourite Ringo Shiina Songs（椎名林檎）

Wikimedia Commons
via 高野水理 

Over the past number of years, singer-songwriter and musician Ringo Shiina has broken down some walls that I had once constructed around her. In the approximate quarter-century that I've known about her, I had assumed the following things: 1) she was the scariest punk-pop-rock singer that I have ever seen or heard (that psycho stare and the growling r's), 2) she would never show up on the Kohaku Utagassen and 3) she would never agree to a long-form interview on any show.

Let's start with 3). A few weeks ago, Shiina actually appeared on NHK's "Asaichi"（あさイチ）for over an hour to banter with the hosts about her career. That got a ton of viewers putting eyeballs to screen. She even had a belly laugh on camera about one of her friend's remarks. As for 2), she has shown up on the New Year's Eve special several times either as herself or as the vocalist for her band Tokyo Jihen（東京事変）. And for 1), Shiina has more often than not appeared in a kimono including that "Asaichi" interview and she couldn't have been more down-to-earth and polite and friendly. She looked like the graceful owner of a particularly expensive ryokan somewhere in the countryside.

After that special experience on "Asaichi", I figured that I just had to post up six of my favourite Shiina songs. Not surprisingly, some of them are her early jangly hits and the rest are her jazzier/orchestral fare.

(1998) Kabukicho no Jou（歌舞伎町の女王)

(1998) Koufukuron (幸福論) (try link for "Kabukicho no Jou")

(1999) Honno （本能）

(2001) Mayonaka no Junketsu （真夜中の純潔）

(2001) Sid to Hakuchumu （シドと白昼夢）(jazz version)

(2007) Yokushitsu/La Salle de Bain（浴室）

EPO -- Wonderful Life

 

Happy Monday to all! We have another steamy week ahead of us here in the Greater Toronto area. And on top of that, the air quality is gonna suck for a bit while the smoke from forest fires up north invades our local atmosphere.

But we'll make the best of it. Anyways, it's not everyday that I can talk about an EPO song that's not within the 1980s pop or City Pop milieu, so it's great that I was able to stumble upon this January 1998 31st single of hers called "Wonderful Life". Her style has often been very upbeat and snazzy but this time, her creation is arranged through a swing jazz filter, and I think the genre was having a resurgence around that time.

Not surprisingly, "Wonderful Life" was used to adorn a Suntory beer commercial. Nothing like a beer to raise spirits, especially on hot days like these. The song was also on EPO's 16th album, "Soul Kitchen", which was released in March 1998.

Pizzicato Five feat. Bread & Butter -- Fushigi na Futatsu no Candle（不思議なふたつのキャンドル）

 

(17:23)

I think this particular song would apply as one of the more eclectic examples even within the distinctive discography of Pizzicato Five（ピチカート・ファイヴ）.

"Fushigi na Futatsu no Candle" (Magic Twin Candle Tale) is a track from P5's 11th studio album "Playboy, Playgirl"（プレイボーイ プレイガール）from October 1998. Sounding like a combination of whimsical fairy tale, a typical P5 Shibuya-kei song and some Beatles stuff circa "Sgt. Pepper's" with the help of that cello, I gather that it's a love song represented by a couple of candles burning brightly during a starless night. I've still thrown in the Duet label in there although I had to listen very carefully to pick out the folk/City Pop duo Bread & Butter（ブレッド&バター）since their backing vocals layered so finely with Maki Nomiya's（野宮真貴）voice that they basically sounded like one person...which would probably explain the "...featuring Bread & Butter" tag.

Happy 20th Anniversary, YouTube! 20th Anniversary Kayo Picks

 

It is indeed another Hump Day here so why not perk things up a tad? We often celebrate anniversaries such as birthdays here and we're gonna do so once again with Kayo Grace Kyoku and Mr. Calico.

The news was coming that the 20th anniversary of YouTube was near but I hadn't realized that it was actually today. However indeed, on April 23rd 2005, the first YouTube video was uploaded onto the new site with one of the co-founders Jawed Karim putting up a 19-second presentation of his very calm observation of elephants at the San Diego Zoo. Of course, from such humble beginnings, a video empire evolved including tons of music from over the past century, recipe videos from home, soothing ASMR stuff and vicarious drives all over the world among other imaginative ideas. 

Also because "Kayo Kyoku Plus" could only work with the representation of Japanese songs from now and yesteryear existing on YouTube, I have to extend my gratitude to all those uploaders over the years (although perhaps certain companies and artists may not be thrilled). It was always my feeling that a Japanese music blog wouldn't work with just some prose about the songs that I knew and loved; the actual songs just had to be there for listening.

I had actually considered only putting up the Top 10 list of singles for April 23rd 2005 but seeing that most of the top 10 were unknown to me, I quickly ditched that idea. Instead, what I will do is provide songs by certain artists that were released in the 20th year of their time in show business (checked J-Wiki), whether or not they were put out as official 20th-anniversary songs.

(1959) Haruo Minami -- Otone Mujou (大利根無情)

(1967) Hibari Misora -- Makkana Taiyo （真赤な太陽）

(1992) Yumi Matsutoya -- Fuyu no Owari （冬の終わり）

(1985) Hiroshi Itsuki -- Soshite....Meguri Ai （そして。。。めぐり逢い）

(1998) Southern All Stars -- LOVE AFFAIR ~ Himitsu no Date（秘密のデート）

Anyways, congratulations to YouTube on hitting the big 2-0!

"Soundtrack" from "Otona no Wagamama Tabi"（大人のわがまま旅）

By Alix Lee
at Good Free Photos

by Maibaru Travel

I didn't think that I would write such an article but after having watched NHK's travelogue "Otona no Wagamama Tabi" (An Adult's Selfish Trip) last night, I was rather inspired by the "soundtrack" pushing things along. The city for last night's episode was Taipei, Taiwan, and unfortunately, I couldn't find any sign of anything of the NHK show but I figure that the network had done its usual search-and-destroy mission of any signs of unpermitted NHK coverage on YouTube. However, I've found a fine video by Maibaru Travel as you can see above. I've been to Taipei myself once and all I can say after watching the episodes is that I still have much to discover about the city, especially when it comes to its gastronomy.

Anyways, about that eclectic "soundtrack", and yes, I have put it in quotation marks because I'm fairly sure that NHK is not going to put out an actual soundtrack but I thought it was nice to hear some of the old songs, a few of which were instrumental covers while others were the real McCoy. Here is what I heard as the actor/model on "Otona no Wagamama Tabi" was touring and eating his way through Taipei. 

(1997) Yumi Yoshimura -- V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N.

(1986) Akiko Yano -- David

(1981) Eiichi Ohtaki -- FUN X 4

(1990) Kome Kome Club -- Roman Hiko (浪漫飛行）

(1978) Yellow Magic Orchestra -- Tong Poo（東風）

(1998) Misia -- Tsutsumikomuyouni （つつむ込むように）

Duke Aces/Pizzicato Five -- Atarashii Uta（新しい歌）

 

Just imagine...a veteran vocal group from decades ago collaborating with a songwriter and producer famous for a trendy music genre from a few decades ago. But that's what we get with Yasuharu Konishi（小西康陽）writing and composing a song called "Atarashii Uta" (A New Song) and Duke Aces（デューク・エイセス）tackling it at full throttle. And indeed, it's the familiar voices from yesteryear singing about creating that song for that significant other against a wall of Shibuya-kei sound goodness.

Duke Aces first covered "Atarashii Uta" on the March 2002 Pizzicato Five tribute album "Sensou ni Hantai suru Yuuitsu no Shudan wa. ~ Pizzicato Five no Uta to Kotoba"（戦争に反対する唯一の手段は。-ピチカート・ファイヴのうたとことば-...The Only Way to Oppose War ~ Words and Music by Pizzicato Five）. The project was released on the 1-year anniversary of P5's disbanding. The Duke Aces' cover was once again put out years later in 2017 as a single.

(31:23)

The original "Atarashii Uta" can be found on P5's 11th studio album "Playboy, Playgirl"（プレイボーイ プレイガール）from October 1998 with the Divine Ms. Maki Nomiya（野宮真貴）singing with Hisashi Kato（加藤ひさし）of The Collectors. The arrangement is "slightly more subdued" but still an exciting trip around town. Kato and Nomiya teamed up as well for "Nagame no Ii Heya"（眺めのいい部屋）.

One more version of "Atarashii Uta" can be found as a twee technopop take with Nomiya behind the mike once more through the special album "Haishin Muke no Pizzicato Five ~ Sono San Nomiya no Maki"（配信向けのピチカート・ファイヴ その3 野宮の巻...Pizzicato Five for Streaming Part 3: Nomiya） which came out in November 2021.

tohko -- Fuwafuwa Fururu（ふわふわ ふるる）

 

Cosmetic ads on Japanese television have always had their flair and sensuality as they featured some of the most popular stars of the day. Above is a commercial for Kanebo's Testimo II range of makeup starring actress and model Koyuki（小雪）. Just to remind folks, she was in "The Last Samurai" with Tom Cruise. This is about as glammed-up as I have ever seen her; she usually doesn't have that much makeup on her face.

It's been a good long while since I've posted anything by singer tohko on KKP. I remember her primarily for her debut single "Bad Luck On Love ~ Blues On Life ~" from early 1998. However, this 3rd single "Fuwafuwa Fururu" from July that year also pinged my memory engrams so I figure that I must have seen the Testimo II commercial that it graced a number of times. However, I cannot find that specific ad on YouTube at the moment.

As for the title, I can only guess that it's onomatopoeia to describe how the Kanebo cosmetics come out but maybe those who are well versed in anime and/or manga can set me straight. In any case, Tetsuya Komuro（小室哲哉）was responsible for words and music with Marc Panther, Komuro's bandmate from globe, also helping out on the lyrics. It definitely feels like a Komuro tune and both the arrangement and tohko's vocals lend to the dreaminess out there. "Fuwafuwa Fururu" scored a No. 16 on Oricon.

MOTOCOMPO -- Coming Age

 

It's been a while since I've posted on electro pop unit MOTOCOMPO. Back in 2022, I wrote an article on the title track from the 2004 mini-album "Dream Flows", which is something that I compared to Pet Shop Boys and Tommy february6.

Well, back in 1998, MOTOCOMPO was placed with other bands such as Spoozys and Polysics as this music scene known as Tokyo New Wave of New Wave. From that same year, MOTOCOMPO (Dr. Usui and chiho) had come up with a demo tape called "Comin' After MOTOCOMPO" and on the B-side was "Coming Age". It is certainly a nostalgic age that hits me as I listen to "Coming Age"; one filled with sounds and images of Plastics and maybe even some B-52s. If the duo had put out a music video for this one, I could have imagined them pulling off some angular robotic dance moves.

Takeshi Vocal Studio's Top Karaoke Songs for People in Their 60s

 

It's another national holiday in Japan today. If it's September, that means Respect-for-the-Aged Day（敬老の日）and I found out just last weekend that the holiday had been first formed in the immediate postwar era in Hyogo Prefecture.

As such, I was thinking of putting up a list of favourite karaoke tunes among the more elderly. Admittedly though, sexagenarians don't strike me as being quite that old but at least their choices were easy to track down on the blog, and of course, I'm not too far from that group of people, age-wise. So, I'll be divvying things up between the Top 3 karaoke songs for both men and women in their 60s according to the Nagoya-based Takeshi Vocal Studio, a karaoke training school.

Men

1. Ikuzo Yoshi -- Sake yo （酒よ）

2. Yujiro Ishihara -- Kita no Tabibito （北の旅人）

3. Rimi Natsukawa -- Nada Soso (涙そうそう)

Women

1. Sayuri Ishikawa -- Amagi Goe （天城越え）

2. Yo Hitoto -- Hanamizuki （ハナミズキ）

3. Sayuri Ishikawa -- Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu Geshiki （津軽海峡・冬景色）

Hmmm....not sure whether there has been a bump in visits to the karaoke boxes by the seniors today.

Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Kirinji -- Futago-za Graffiti（双子座グラフィティ）

 

Number: 072

Lyricist: Yasuyuki Horigome

Composer: Yasuyuki Horigome

Arranger: Tomita Lab and Kirinji

From Kirinji's 1998 album: "Paper Driver's Music"

"Futago-za Graffiti" is City Pop's sunnyside progressive form extending the path laid down by Sugar Babe, Original Love and Kenji Ozawa（小沢健二）. It splendidly inherits the genes of "Downtown" via the groovy sound of that clavinet, but at the same time, its lyrical world is clearly in Kirinji's（キリンジ）21st-century court. It's the cool answer to the question "What is progressive City Pop?".

The above comes from "Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised" (2020).