I'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.
Credits
I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.
Over two years ago, I posted up an Author's Picks dealing with time travel...as exotic as that may sound on a Japanese music blog. But still, I did it and I could find a fair share of songs having to do with the premise. I gather that the Doctor isn't the only one interested in walking in eternity.
A few days ago, a lot of us in Eastern Canada had to do what we have been doing for decades on end. We put our clocks back by one hour from Daylight Saving Time to regular Eastern Standard Time. Meanwhile, a good chunk of Western Canada didn't even bother anymore. Their DST is now permanent time for them. For us here in the province of Ontario, the debate on springing forward and falling back one hour twice a year will continue to rage on until various governments finally come to sort of accommodation.
As such, I've decided to devote this space...and time...to songs whose titles include some aspect of time on the clock.
Happy first Monday in November 2026! We're kinda back into that post-Halloween/pre-Christmas (at least outside of the shopping malls) gray neutral zone for a few weeks so things might feel relaxing or a little out of sorts depending on attitudes towards the Holidays. I can easily imagine that parts of Roppongi are now covered in Yuletide-friendly LED lights already.
I recall that there was an 80s aidoru song titled "Taboo"（タブー） by Hiromi Koide（小出広美）that I first heard on an episode of "Sounds of Japan" on CHIN-FM decades ago. I would figure that a title like "Taboo" would be pretty popular within music since it deals with topics and situations that shouldn't be broached easily, and I think the arts anywhere have had a tendency to enjoy a bit of sin now and then.
Well, the pop band Ryokuoushoku Shakai（緑黄色社会）appeared on "Uta Con"（うたコン）not too long ago to perform their latest which is a track from their September 2026 6th album"Atamago"（あたまご）. Their "TABOO" is a fun and upbeat pop tune with a touch of funk which takes aim at so-called data-based ways to measure compatibility between potential mates in an AI-controlled world (personally speaking, there's still something to be said about having a meaningful conversation over good coffee in a stylish cafe). Created through contributions by the entire band, bassist Shingo Anami（穴見真吾）had initially gone for something more laidback and melancholy but in the end, it just became this knock-one's-socks-off number.
You may have noticed that I didn't automatically provide a translation for the album title "Atamago". Indeed, I was left scratching my head, too. However, when I read through the J-Wiki article on Ryokuoushoku Shakai's latest creation, I found out that vocalist Haruko Nagaya（長屋晴子）had opted for a Japanese portmanteau of "atama" (head) and "tamago" (egg) since she saw her songs in the same way as beloved children on the verge of coming out into the world. Still, I couldn't glean what the significance of "atama" was, but Nagaya also remarked that she had wanted a four-character title written in hiragana; noting that she hadn't desired to use an existing word, but rather to create an original name.
From what I could witness briefly through the Shibuya live cameras this morning on YouTube, things have become somewhat more regulated at Shibuya Crossing during Halloween to stem the risk of overcrowding and chaos compared to what you can see above in this photo of the 2017 celebrations there (Dick Thomas Johnson). Still, looking at the masses there this time around, it's awfully hard to feel free although seeing the dedicated cosplayers and Halloween costume wearers must have been fun.
Speaking of being free, let's go with "Jiyu ni Narimasho"(Let's Become Free), a track from singer-songwriter Yuko Shibuya's（渋谷祐子）March 1979 sophomore album"Pop Lady II". Written by Michio Yamagami（山上路夫）, composed by the singer and arranged by Ichizo Seo（瀬尾一三）, it's a grand funky horn-happy number featuring a generous dollop of Latin percussion here and some disco there. At the time, it probably did feel that the sky was the limit for folks in Japan to push the envelope and have a happier and perhaps more well-off station in life.
It's been a tough 24 hours for all those into pop culture worldwide. I was remarking in the past that 2026 has been another year of a lot of famous folks leaving this mortal coil, and just yesterday, I got word that another three people passed away.
First came the news that Scarborough-born (right in the Toronto area) voice actor Eric Bauza had passed away a couple of days ago at the age of 46 from heart disease. I didn't know his work very much but heard that he had been voicing a lot of beloved Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd, characters that I had known as a child when they were being voiced by the legendary Mel Blanc.
Then this morning as I was watching NHK News, I found out that manga illustrator Tetsuya Chiba（ちばてつや） had died on the 22nd due to myelodysplastic syndrome at the age of 87. My anime buddy and I had been coincidentally talking about him and his tempestuous friendship with Leiji Matsumoto（松本零士）, the manga artist behind "Uchuu Senkan Yamaoto"（宇宙戦艦ヤマト） just last night. Chiba was responsible for a number of manga, especially "Ashita no Joe"（あしたのジョー）.
But the one obituary that hit me harder than the others was the one given for Walter Koenig who played Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original "Star Trek". He passed away from old age at 90 on the 25th. I was whistling or humming the famous theme by Alexander Courage from time to time yesterday on hearing the death of everyone's favorite Russian Starfleet officer.
When I first got into the original series as an elementary school student in the early 1970s, some years after it had been cancelled by NBC, some of the kids in my apartment building set up a "Star Trek" club. Joining it for a short while, I kept hearing the character's name of Ensign Chekov who I hadn't been aware of. I knew the captain, the pointy-eared science officer and the grouchy doctor nicknamed "Bones" but who was this Chekov?
Well, I would eventually realize that Chekov was the fresh-faced junior officer brought onto the USS Enterprise to man the Navigation station from the second season onwards after several other navigators had their time there in the first season. Whether Koenig was brought on the series as a response to USSR complaints that there was no proper representation of a Russian on "Star Trek" or he was the new guy to attract the young female audience (Chekov kinda looked like a Beatle or a Monkee although Koenig was already in his thirties when he was hired), he as the newest and most adorable cast member made an impact as an officer who loved his Russian heritage to a fault and as a crew member who could scream his head off.
Following the original series, I remember seeing him guest star on the Canadian TV sci-fi series "The Starlost" and then he would show up in the "Star Trek" movies starring the original cast. I remember when Koenig, James ("Scotty") Doohan, George ("Sulu") Takei and Nichelle ("Uhura") Nichols were due to appear at a special 25th anniversary celebration in 1991 at Toronto's City Hall (the same year that the old cast's final movie together "The Undiscovered Country" was released). It seemed that thousands of Trekkies showed up at Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall but due to some airplane scheduling problem, the four "Star Trek" actors didn't show up on stage until several hours beyond their scheduled time of late afternoon. At one point, I was worried that the fans would erupt like many Vulcans during the worst of Pon Farr.
But they finally did show up at around sunset, much to everyone's joy and relief. I think one reason that I'm writing this heartfelt message about Koenig today is that out of the four who showed up at City Hall, Koenig was the one who struck me as being the most grounded and relatable. Not that there was anything wrong with the other three...it just seemed that they were a little flighty in the Hollywood way (maybe it was the plane problem and some extra alcohol). Doohan created quite a buzz when he gave out his old address in the Toronto neighbourhood of Don Mills to thousands of fans; all I could imagine was the current residents of the house looking horrified seeing Starfleet officers and Klingons all kneeling in front of their domicile.
When it was Koenig's turn to speak, he spoke in his own voice (it was the first time that I realized that he didn't speak in a Russian accent), and it was like listening to an old buddy at the bar. His imitation of William Shatner's gestures brought the house down and I just said to myself "Yeah, Koenig's my choice of Trek Cast Member of the Day."
I never got to meet Koenig in person although I was able to get that photo-op with Takei over ten years ago at the annual Fan Expo here. However, it was great to hear his voice one more time a couple of years ago on the final episode of "Picard" as he portrayed Chekov's son, United Federation of Planets President Anton Chekov. This he did in his real voice although he brought a little of the ol' Pav when quoting his father.
"Star Trek"-related YouTube channels are providing tribute to Koenig and I'm sure that folks in the Los Angeles area have been placing wreaths on his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For me, I can only give my personal regards through this blog. My condolences go to Koenig's family, friends and many fans along with the two surviving cast members, Shatner and Takei.
With this special elegiac Reminiscings of Youth, I think I'll go with Japanese singers who shared the same birthday with Koenig: September 14th.
Last night, "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新BS日本の歌）was on, so we got to see the usual semi-regulars such as Junretsu（純烈）and a few new faces. One was Maajuu, the new stage name for Maju Arai（荒井麻珠）. I'd never heard of her before...at least, all by herself. However, up to 2017, she had belonged to the vocal group Little Glee Monster since it first formed in the early 2010s, so she can be seen in music videos for songs such as "Seishun Photograph"（青春フォトグラフ）.
Her first song under the new name is "Karma" and she performed it on the show last night. Well, it definitely stood out from the usual kayo since it struck me as being very similar to Ringo Shiina's（椎名林檎） booming and buzzy rock from the early days along with some soul. In fact, the melody seemed to wrap around an echo of the traditional "Sakura, Sakura"（さくらさくら）. Speaking of echoes, Maajuu's own voice still had me thinking of her time with Little Glee Monster.
As for the accompanying 「歪青」, it didn't bring in any meaning or pronunciation when I punched it into the usual engines. So I could use some help there. Maybe it's originally Mandarin?
There's a comment by Robert B. underneath my first article for a Satellite Lovers song, "Best Friend" (posted in July 2024) which said that the YouTube algorithm was pushing really hard. Yeah, I would agree with that assessment and I'm grateful that we've been able to encounter wonderful new discoveries like this supposedly Shibuya-kei soul unit that went into more hip-hop stuff.
"Best Friend" belonged to a 1996 mini-album by Satellite Lovers,"Sons of 1973". For my sophomore post on the band, here is its track mate, "Home Much I Love You, Baby", and it's another example of what sounds like a number of different genres collaborating like a bunch of Avengers. We've got vocalist Mika Ikeuchi's（池内美加）rap overlaying some City Pop groove and indies pop/rock jangliness. Maybe the Shibuya-kei part involves the horns but that's more into the background. Maybe this is the type of tune that would be great during a stroll somewhere summery...like how the band is doing on the front cover of the album.
Listening to the intro for this track from Mai Yamane's（山根麻以）1981 album"Sorry" (most Canadian-sounding City Pop album title), I got some mighty David Foster vibes. I mean, it starts out rather hazily as if we were coming out of sleep, but when the keyboards start up...
Anyways, I'm posting about "Out of the Night" which is a snazzy mid-tempo City Pop tune that was written by Funky Chick (would this be Yamane herself?) and composed by Minoru Mukaiya（向谷実）from the band Casiopea. (chef's kiss to him). Yes, this is a fine accompaniment to any evening drive into, through and out of the metropolis. Love the guitar solo as well; according to Discogs, it was handled by either Makoto Matsushita（松下誠）or Shigeru Suzuki（鈴木茂）. I'm betting that it's the former. Also on "Sorry", give "In Love" a try as well.
I'll be honest and state that it was because of this song that I had even heard of the Pamir Mountains located in Central and South Asia. Geography and City Pop...what a combination!
Strangely enough, this might be my first example of a hybrid between Exotic kayo and City Pop via "Journey to the Mind ~ Pamir no Yoake"(Dawn Over the Pamirs), the first track on Junko Ohashi & Minowa Central Station's（大橋純子＆美乃家セントラル・ステイション）June 1978 album"Shalom"（沙浪夢）. As written, composed and arranged by Masami Tsuchiya（土屋昌巳）with Ohashi helping out on lyrics and Kenjiro Oda（小田健二郎）assisting on the music, it's certainly got the funkiness of Ohashi's brand of City Pop, but at the same time, there is also something indeed rather exotic about it, as if all this was playing out on some sort of Cessna hundreds of metres above the titular Pamirs themselves. It's also got some rock in there and a weirdly filtered boozy saxophone that pops up at times. It contrasts quite nicely with the second track "Kisetsufuu Tayori"（季節風便り）.
I'm always happy to start off Urban Contemporary Fridays on KKP, but today is especially auspicious since I'm going to begin with an album of the genre that I'd been searching for years. Yup, it was the odyssey of tracking down Junko Yagami's（八神純子）"Lonely Girl" from February 1983. For the longest time, it seems, the album had been discontinued although many of the singer-songwriter's other releases were available. But then, several days ago, out of a sense of whimsy, I tried out Amazon.jp and lo and behold, there were a few copies of "Lonely Girl" on sale. Well, I wasn't a lonely boy anymore. The air crackled over my keyboard as I whipped out my credit card and fingers and had that sucker sailing over the Pacific and much of Canada to my home.
It arrived, I listened to it and I'm a happy man. Mind you, out of the ten tracks, I've already covered half the album through individual articles on the title track itself, the theme for the anime feature "Final Yamato" "Love Supreme", "Yozora no Earring"（夜空のイヤリング）, "Touch you, tonight" and my favourite track on "Lonely Girl", the bouncy City Pop classic "Jealous". I found out through the liner notes that Ichizo Seo（瀬尾一三）had arranged the entire album and that Makoto Matsushita（松下誠）along with Etsuko Yamakawa（山川恵津子）helped out on the chorus including "Jealous". Also note that unless mentioned otherwise, the songs which all revolve around some aspect of love were written and composed by Yagami.
The folded booklet containing the lyrics is made out as a particularly expensive letter (well, those are a lot of stamps there). It isn't everyday that you get to see a smiling Junko so please enjoy one of the stamps. Anyways, without further ado:
Track 3 is "Kodou no Lullaby"（鼓動のララバイ...Heartbeat Lullaby） is a cool and sultry City Pop number about welcoming home a tired loved one, and without any sort of artifice such as a candlelit dinner or petals floating in a bathtub, the two happily engage in a cuddle in bed (how much clothing they're wearing, I'll leave to your imagination). The Joe Group strings and Masahiro Kobayashi's（小林正弘）fluegelhorn do wonders to take a very intimate experience and have it soaring into the night sky.
The final track on Side A of the original LP is "Moetsukiru made"（燃えつきるまで...Until It Burns Out） shows off why I'm often so in awe of Yagami with those incredible vocals of hers. They were what got me interested in her in the first place and I was given a good reminder of that here. Nice beefy bass by Kenji Takamizu（高水健司）and keyboard work by Maki Yajima（矢嶋マキ）. It's another night sky ballad.
Side A may have finished with a whisper but Side B explodes with cheerful thoughts via a good battery of horns including those manned by Shin Kazuhara（数原晋）and Jake H. Concepcion. There's something rather happily Stevie Wonder about this funk and strut"And I Love You". Just enjoy the stride down Shinjuku as you listen to this one. Keisuke Yamakawa（山川啓介）provided the lyrics.
The penultimate track is "You & I", another huggable love ballad which is arguably the most straight-ahead pop song of "Lonely Girl".Yamakawa and Matsushita provide a bit more in the chorus and Yagami sounds downright adorable whispering the last few syllables every other line at the end. It's quite short but it feels the right length.
The final track is "Falling For You" which has Yagami showing off those soaring vocals and has more of a feeling of Boz Scaggs or Bobby Caldwell. Tsuyoshi Kon（今剛）, who shows up in many of the tracks, has another epic solo and those electric guitar solos have often popped up in those 80s Japanese love songs. I can't also ignore the piano which starts and ends the ballad along with the Joe Group strings once more.
Unfortunately, I didn't get this song with my copy of "Lonely Girl" but apparently for the 2003 re-release of the album, there was a bonus track included as mentioned on J-Wiki. "Sono Mune ni Mou Ichido"（その胸にもう一度...Once More Into These Arms）. Written by Yagami and composed/arranged by the late Hiroshi Narumi（鳴海寛）of Tohoku Shinkansen（東北新幹線）, this is some pleasant Latin-infused sunset City Pop with a hint of disco and maybe even Herb Alpert. If you have the 2003 version of "Lonely Girl", consider yourself lucky...apparently "Sono Mune ni Mou Ichido" hasn't shown up anywhere else unless someone tells me otherwise.
Although I never watched an episode of "Takeshi's Castle", the infamous TBS game show where folks had to go through a lot of arduous, painful and hilarious obstacle courses for fame and glory, I've seen enough variety shows in Japan where similar things would happen although the contestants consisted of the huge numbers of tarento that were part and parcel of Japanese entertainment on TV. One American tarento, Thane Camus, once noted in an interview that if one wasn't willing to make an entire fool out of oneself on camera, then Japanese television wasn't the place for that person. Yup, I can believe that.
This song, the latest rambunctious single by the City Soul band Penthouse from last month, "Doukeshi" (Play the Fool) struck me as being the perfect music description for the whole thing of risking body and soul on a Japanese game show. And what a cool song to accompany a tarento on his/her journey through a crazy career. Band bassist Takuma Ohara（大原拓真）and vocalist Shintaro Namioka（浪岡真太郎）took care of the lyrics while the latter composed "Doukeshi", a tour de force of swing jazz and funk that trumpets the entertainers that take all the pies and bottles thrown at them and yet refuse to crumple and skitter away. They keep coming back for more.
It was a few months ago that I posted "J-Canuck's Four Favourite Songs by Original Love" after seeing singer and songwriter Takao Tajima（田島貴男）perform live on "Asaichi"（あさイチ）one Friday morning. His amazing performance was such that I just had to put up something by the band.
Well, one of the songs that Tajima performed that day was "Deep French Kiss" which I realized was Original Love's debut single from June 1991. I hadn't heard it before and found it really cool. Of course, the "Asaichi" performance was a veteran Tajima with that characteristic growl in his voice and so I wanted to hear it way back when more than three decades ago.
Indeed, Tajima's voice sounded downright angelic and soulful in the original 1991 recording, although the lyrics hinted at some raunchy stuff happening starting with the titular act (hope the couple brushed beforehand). The music is jazzy and funky and it feels as if I were having the pleasure of hearing it at a small live house where the entire venue is suffused with good vibes. There's the hearty sax and organ along with some punchy percussion all over. Good times were about to be had by Original Love.
Earlier in the summer, I posted an article regarding the latest in Tokimeki Records' brand of Neo-City Pop featuring Mai Zaitsu（財津マイ）titled "Tsuki wa Mirror Ball"（月はミラーボール）. Since then, I've received information from an anonymous commenter that Zaitsu is actually the music video-animated persona of KiBi, a vocalist and songwriter for the pop duo sucola, so I'll have to take a look at that group sometime, too. Obviously, she isn't a relative of Kazuo Zaitsu（財津和夫）of Tulip as I'd wondered aloud in the article.
In any case, tonight I'm covering the latest collaboration between Tokimeki and Zaitsu from about a month ago, "Namida no Carat: Rumor Girl" (A Carat of Tears) which starts off with some toe-dancing piano and then some fast-paced brassy soul and Latin jazz go for a dance as Zaitsu sings about the hollowness of a certain love affair. The pair also worked on the songwriting here as well. Too bad about the lass' situation but it's a fun song to listen to.
I'd like to introduce the above character Peanuts-kun（ピーナッツくん）. He's a virtual YouTuber who's been around for about a decade and although he looks a little constipated, he seems like a nice sort. Peanuts-kun also has a flair for rapping well.
A couple of months ago, he and the band Suiyoubi no Campanella（水曜日のカンパネラ）collaborated to release their own single "Ichigo Got it"(Strawberry Got it). It's a techno dance beat-heavy duet with Peanuts-kun and Utaha（詩羽）rapping at about Warp 1 about the wonders of strawberries. I've got no complaints about that at all since I love Japanese strawberries which are so sweet that they don't need the condensed milk that accompanies them whenever folks go strawberry picking in Japan. The sugar spike those two ingredients create could have customers racing all over the countryside.
The above is apparently the very first appearance of Peanuts-kun back in 2017. A little warning though that it gets a little scatological.
I've got a couple of friends heading out to Japan for vacation in the next few days so I hope that they have a safe flight considering some of the meteorological turmoil that's been wracking parts of the country over the past week or so.
How about some nice contemporary groove to start off Friday's edition of "Kayo Kyoku Plus"? Haruno（春野）is a trackmaker and a singer-songwriter who may have started in 2020, and he first began his career through showing his wares via streaming services and YouTube. According to musician and former actress Chiaki Sato's（佐藤千亜妃）website, Haruno's sound is characterized by smooth, groovy tracks that blend genres ranging from Lo-Fi hip-hop and jazz to contemporary pop.
As for Sato herself, the Iwate Prefecture-born singer is into alternative rock and began her career in 2007. She was once the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Kinoko Teikoku（きのこ帝国...Mushroom Empire） which lasted between 2007 and 2019. In February 2023, Haruno and Sato collaborated and put out a digital single called "Venus Flytrap", a groovy Neo-City Pop number that can accompany a nice stroll through some of the byways of Tokyo in the early evening just before the action really gets going.
OK, first off, the First Day of Autumn 2026 isn't today; it actually arrives in Toronto at 8:04 pm September 22nd, so more than 24 hours from now (although it feels a whole lot cooler today). For another thing, there is no national holiday happening here in Canada anytime this week but there are three consecutive holidays over the 21st to the 23rd in Japan: Respect-for-the-Aged Day on Monday, the First Day of Autumn on Wednesday and a government-sanctioned day off on Tuesday to act as a generous bridge. Mind you, there is a powerful typhoon wracking the nation right now, so I'm hoping that everyone there is safe and sound.
And yet, I'm putting on a special holiday edition of Reminiscings of Youth today. Why? Because it is the 21st of September and I love "September" by Earth Wind & Fire so much. I already made one ROY about it back in 2020 but I just felt that it deserved another article because it is so upbeat, happy and joyful. It's pretty much impossible to stay still when listening to it. Furthermore, when I did write the first post for "September", I was reminded by my own words that it was during the COVID lockdowns when no one was out dancing. Well, they should be dancing now whether it be in Area 51 or any dance hall near you.
They were dancing to it back then in 1978 when it was first released and they're dancing to it now.
It was a nice way to finish "Night at the Museum".
And of course, the remix crowd had a field day with "September". This is the one by Phats & Small, by the way.
If you were one of the lucky ones to have seen EW&F in concert live, consider yourself truly blessed. The dancing must have been amazing!
Back in my original post in 2020, I mentioned that I couldn't find any monthly Oricon charts before 1980. Well, that was then and this is now. I can give you what was up at Nos. 1, 3 and 5 for September 25th 1978 (although I know that "September" was actually released in mid-November that year).
Yesterday, my Twitter feed showed me something which led me to a page on InterFM, a radio station in Japan, and I gather that the staffers there had a chance to interview fellow Torontonian and far more charismatic and talented singer and musician The Weeknd. The Weeknd apparently has his own love of Japanese pop music and he offered a playlist he has enjoyed which includes Hiromi Go's（郷ひろみ）"Kimi no Na wa Psycho"（君の名はサイコ）from 1983. That shouldn't be too surprising considering that a few years ago, he was more than happy to sample a piece of Tomoko Aran's（亜蘭知子） "Midnight Pretenders".
Another song from that year of 1983 that was also on his playlist: fusion band Casiopea's（カシオペア）"Dazzling" from their 9th studio album"Photographs". He loves to listen to his playlist whenever he's in Tokyo (wonder how many times he's been there) and "Dazzling" is a nice fit. Composed by Casiopea guitarist Issei Noro（野呂一生）, it's got that fun-loving atmosphere of a night out on the town; if it's Tokyo, then let's head out to Shinjuku, Roppongi or Ginza (Odaiba was yet to be created). Noro has his time to show how he fiddles on his guitar but the rest of the band (including vocalists) also have their turn to wang chung the night away via their instruments. A truly dazzling time can be had by all.
Last night's "Uta Con"（うたコン）was a pretty entertaining episode, all told. We had new popular group Monaki（モナキ）with their senpai group Junretsu（純烈）, an old favourite in the form of an Anzen Chitai（安全地帯）and Yosui Inoue（井上陽水）duet that my friend and I used to sing at karaoke in the late 1980s, and quite a bit of soulful stuff. As well, there was a brief announcement of the passing of enka singer Nobue Matsubara（松原のぶえ）.
As for the soulful stuff, Crazy Ken Band（クレイジーケンバンド）appeared with their leader Ken Yokoyama（横山剣）to sing their latest digital single from July 2026,"Shinpai Muyo Bushi" (The No Worries Song). Usually when I add the Labels for this group, it's pretty simple: the music is always gonna be J-R&B. Ahhh...but this time, I have to add an extra genre...that of enka. Crazily enough for Crazy Ken Band, "Shinpai Muyo Bushi" may have the usual funk and soul in there, but even my mother could distinctly hear the traditional undercurrent of enka popping in and out of Yokoyama's melody. I had been thinking of whether to apply the hybrid New Adult Music tag, too; however, the enka and funk n' soul were in there but separate rather than blended so I just kept it as enka and J-R&B.
Lyrically, it's all about brushing off any of the problems since after all, they really don't even amount to a hill of beans in the grand scheme of things. With good ol' Ken by your side at the bar, the song is the reassurance that everything will be A-OK!
I know that there are many examples of such kanji in Japanese, but I often marvel at how much information a couple of characters can provide. For example, 「夕立」or "yuudachi" means a sudden cloudburst on a summer afternoon. It's kinda like suddenly yanking out eight people from an old Toyota Corolla. It also means that one has to be careful when using the expression since you may get some quizzical looks using "yuudachi" if a snow squall happens on New Year's Eve.
And we bring ourselves to this "Yuudachi", namely singer-songwriter Shikao Suga's（スガシカオ） track from his September 1999 3rd album"Sweet". I believe I heard this when the man was doing his medley on a recent episode of "Asaichi"（あさイチ）some weeks ago, and I found it rather cool and summery as we approached the final weeks of the hot season. It also strikes me as being rather old-school funky and laidback and it's reminiscent of some of the stuff that Original Love has been doing all these years. Imagine the lad doing this on his guitar at an early September BBQ party at your house. As for the album, "Sweet" hit No. 3 on Oricon.
I'm coming at this from an unusual angle, and at the very least, you can watch an entire episode of "Space:1999", to boot. I remember "The Last Sunset" as the one where Moonbase Alpha and its residents actually enjoy a brief respite of terraformed paradise thanks to some seemingly benevolent aliens. However, thanks to some hallucinogenic food sources, one of the more dependable crewmen goes a little bonkers. One of the lines that still come to mind is when Paul Morrow ravenously spits out "...land of milk and honey".
Yup, that's a reference to the Bible and yep, I take it as paradise. Honey is good, by the way, and from what I've read and heard, it might be getting rarer and more expensive to get from the hives due to declining bee populations, unfortunately. I don't have honey a whole lot but I do remember making one delicious drink called Honey Hot Chocolate. Give it a shot.
It's been a couple of years since I've posted anything by the duo Milk Talk so I'm happy to hear that they've got a new 2026 single out called "Milk and Honey". Written and composed by the band, it's some intoxicating spacy funk in both melody and lyrics. Honey is quite the ingredient but the way Hair Kid and Q.i. put their sexy ways onto it instrumentally and vocally respectively, it can also be very dangerous and seductive.
Welcome to another Urban Contemporary Friday on "Kayo Kyoku Plus". I'm starting things a little differently today with an Author's Picks. I was inspired to do this one this way from actually viewing a segment on Wednesday's edition of NHK's "Asaichi"（あさイチ）morning infotainment program which focused on the Kawasaki Industrial Site.
I not only remember seeing this glittering otherworldly complex of lights and metal but for one night, I was actually within it! That night, due to a teacher falling ill, I was assigned to teach a lesson for a couple of the employees working within the complex and yep, it was pretty stunning especially when seeing it from the train. Entering the area felt like boarding the mother ship.
The Japanese tourism industry certainly didn't let the opportunity go. There are now tours on foot, bus and boat to take a look at the Kawasaki Industrial Site through selected spots. If you're interested, you can take a look at the relevant page at Japan Experience. Also, the above video is by YouTuber Hachimantai Outdoors.
The reason that I wanted to do this "Night Drive" is because seeing the Kawasaki Industrial Site from the air had me thinking of Kazumasa Oda's（小田和正）lovely ballad "Oh Yeah!". The official music video for Oda's 1991 song had couples enjoying each other's company but there were a couple of scenes in there showing some glorious eagle-view night shots of Tokyo which stayed with me.
Now, to be honest, this Author's Picks isn't something unprecedented. I've already noted "Oh Yeah!" in a 2014 article "J-Canuck's Nighttime Playlist". Plus in 2022, I whipped up "Driving to City Pop" with its cool songs. So, consider "Night Drive" to be the love child of the two articles and I will be choosing different tunes that still reflect in my opinion, the nighttime drive experience in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, etc. (although of course, you may have your own choices). Furthermore, another inspiration for this one is the old "Night Ride"1980s late-night Toronto show that appeared almost every night in the wee hours on Global Television to relax those night owls.
_(38848549505).jpg)
