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.
Long time, no see Takako Okamura（岡村孝子）. Nice to have you back on KKP.
Back in 2019, I posted an article on the singer-songwriter's March 1986 3rd single"Haguresou na Tenshi"（はぐれそうな天使）, one of her most famous tunes and a song that had quite the mysterious and even thrilling arrangement about a woman who was about to fall in love. Well, I have the B-side here and that is "Hitoribocchi no Kokoro wo Dakishimete"(Embrace a Lonely Heart) which could have been the thematic sequel to the A-side since it deals with a woman who has just fallen out of love but still hasn't quite gotten over it yet in a "Awww...you need a hug" sort of way. It's a straight-ahead lush piano ballad that likely has had listeners reaching for the 2-ply Kleenex.
The main lyricist was Toshie Nakaniwa or Nakaba（中庭とし江）with Okamura providing some assistance on the words while the latter took care of the melody. I had never heard of the lyricist before and that is probably because the song itself was concocted on one of Okamura's radio programs perhaps through a contest involving a listener trying her hand on songwriting.
When I think of singer-songwriter Takako Okamura（岡村孝子）, soft and fluffy and tenderhearted love songs come to mind. The following is no exception.
Mind you, this particular ballad is of the crying variety. Her "Shio no Kaori no Naka de" (In the Fragrance of the Tides) is not a celebration of love but the mourning of it. Specifically, her lyrics talk of a lost opportunity as she has to say goodbye to a good friend who's going away for some reason without ever knowing her feelings for him since, gosh darn it, she just couldn't pucker up the courage to say them. Her melody is also very poignant, too.
The above version comes from her November 1986 album of self-covers "Andantino". But the original as shown below was performed under her time with partner Haruko Kato（加藤晴子）in the duo Aming（あみん）. "Shio no Kaori no Naka de" was a track in their April 1983 debut album"P.S. Anata e..."（P.S. あなたへ…P.S. To You）, and it was actually a solo performance by Okamura. There isn't much of a difference in the arrangements for the 1983 and 1986 versions but the original was arranged by Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）, the same person who took care of Aming's most famous hit, "Matsu wa"（待つわ）. "P.S. Anata e..." managed to peak at No. 2 on Oricon and eventually become the 42nd-ranked album of the year.
Yesterday, I was listening to one of the albums in the "Good Times Diva" series of CDs featuring Japanese female singers that had been released around the turn of the century, and I heard this song for the first time in a long time.
And it was really nice to hear it once more since I really felt the truly dramatic arrangement (thank you, Motoki Funayama/船山基紀) again after so long. I mean, Takako Okamura's（岡村孝子）3rd single"Haguresou na Tenshi" (Fragile Angels) from March 1986 has an intro so mysterious yet propulsive for a pop song that I could visualize some sort of palace intrigue in Europe somewhere with a heroine running swiftly in a huge billowing dress. Plus, there is that soaring connection between the verse and the refrain that Okamura handles with aplomb which probably would have karaoke singers panting by the end.
Knowing Okamura as a singer-songwriter and just how well "Haguresou na Tenshi" fits her style as a performer of light and breezy songs, I had assumed that this was totally her own creation. However, that isn't the case since it was actually written by Etsuko Kisugi（来生えつこ）and composed by her brother Takao Kisugi（来生たかお）.
In fact, "Haguresou na Tenshi" was covered by Okamura with the original being released by Takao himself as his 18th single in September 1985. His original isn't quite as dramatic as Okamura's cover and shows a calmer arrangement as if the setting was brought over to mid-1980s Tokyo into a cafe. The story in Etsuko's lyrics involves a woman who may be falling in love but has a lot of worries attached to her burgeoning emotions. To be honest, if I had to choose between the two, I would go with Okamura's version, although I recognize the Kisugi original from a BEST compilation of his through those plinking keys in its intro.
The original by Kisugi went as high as No. 42 on the Oricon weeklies and was also a track on his 11th studio album "Only Yesterday" released in November 1985. That release went up to No. 20. Meanwhile, Okamura's cover peaked at No. 34, and became a part of her 2nd album"Watashi no Naka no Nobifuu"（私の中の微風...The Gentle Breeze In Me）from July 1986 which ranked in ultimately at No. 18.
Interestingly enough, both versions were used as campaign songs for the Honda Today. That name for a car reminded me about some of the weirdness that went into automobile nomenclature in Japan. I can only imagine the jokes I can make up for that one. Still, the commercials featured Miki Imai（今井美樹）, perhaps just before her singing career began.
There was a sad but happily not tragic announcement on NHK's news broadcast this morning. Singer-songwriter Takako Okamura（岡村孝子）announced on her website that she has been diagnosed with acute leukemia which will require immediate and long-term treatment. All of her professional activities have therefore come to a stop.
I can speculate that this must be hard news for all of her fans since for decades, Okamura has been providing her brand of comforting music. That's how I've always seen her. Through her works, I've felt that she was that ever-dependable friend coming over for tea weekly who would lend an ear to any troubles. Hopefully, her listeners will now lend their ears and support to her.
Following the breakup of the duo Aming（あみん）in 1983 which consisted of Okamura and Haruko Kato（加藤晴子）, the former made her way back up to Tokyo to begin her solo career. Her first single as a solo artist was "Kaze wa Umi kara" (The Wind is from the Ocean) which was released in October 1985. Apparently, the song was used as the campaign tune for an FM Yokohama radio program with the same title.
"Kaze wa Umi kara" didn't make the Oricon charts but it is what I've expected from Okamura. It's a relaxing and tenderhearted remembrance of an old flame who has gone forward in his life with a new partner. Okamura wrote and composed the song while Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）arranged it. Her first album"Yume no Ki"（夢の樹...Dream Tree）which came out on the same day as the single includes "Kaze wa Umi kara" as a track. It peaked at No. 37 on the charts.
Of course, there isn't much that I can do for Okamura but I can only hope that she will get a handle on this disease so that she can return and entertain her fans once more.
Fireminer asked me whether I would put up a Takako Okamura（岡村孝子）song in the near future, and to be honest, it has been quite a while. My memories of her music have been sweet and dreamy, and my images would be of working in the garden of some quiet chalet deep in the forest.
I was surprised to find out that although four of the singer-songwriter's albums went all the way to No. 1 on Oricon, there has only been one single of hers that even broke the Top 10. That would be her 14th single, "Good-Day ~ Omoide ni Kawarunaraba"(Good Day ~ Turning Into Memories) from May 1991 which peaked at No. 9.
Those memories of her music are further reinforced through "Good-Day", thanks to Okamura's writing and her sweet reassuring vocals. That "chan-chan-chan" keyboard riff starting from the intro sure sounds familiar and Okamura sounds like the type of friend who would offer a shoulder to that person who is recovering from a lost romance. Her lyrics talk of picking oneself up and stepping forward after that breakup.
"Good-Day" was also placed as a track on "Chou-fleur", Okamura's 7th original album from July 1991."Chou-fleur" was one of Okamura's No. 1 albums. The single was also used as the theme song for a special drama on NTV titled "Go-gatsu no Kaze ~ Hitori Hitori no Futari"（5月の風 〜ひとりひとりの2人〜...The Winds of May ~ One by One a Couple） which starred the It Girl of Japanese dramas at the time, Honami Suzuki.
Well, I just saw the penultimate episode of this season of "Doctor Who" (yes, I am a well-rounded geek, literally and figuratively), and though, I've found some of Steven Moffatt's episodes lacking, "World Enough and Time" definitely ramped up the suspense and horror and reminders of the old days. Those annoying trailers negated any delightful surprises but knowing Moffatt, he will sneak in some more wham shots and lines before the Twelfth Doctor takes his final bow this Xmas.
Anyways, I should finish off Saturday night with my other geeky love...Japanese popular music. Furthermore, it should be something light and peaceful to counteract all that sci-fi doom and gloom. And I've got just the singer and song.
The wonderful thing about singer-songwriter Takako Okamura（岡村孝子）is that I can never ever imagine her going into death metal or neo-punk. She will always provide material that is as light and puffy and happy as a PreCure fairy. I actually saw her for the first time in a very long time on last week's "Uta Kon"（うたコン）as she performed the song of this article in a hall in Aichi Prefecture, her home province. The lass looked downright nervous when she sang "Yume wo Akiramenaide" (Don't Give Up Your Dreams) but I found that quite adorable, actually.
This was Okamura's 5th single from February 1987. I haven't gone too deep into her works but I just knew that "Yume wo Akiramenaide" would be quite the tonic for a rainy day. Her high quivery vocals and those often-angelic keyboards certainly speak truth to power for the title as she sounds like a girlfriend gently encouraging her boyfriend to go farther. However her lyrics actually have the now ex-girlfriend wishing her former beau well and to continue going for his dreams as the two go off on their separate paths. So, it's definitely a pretty song but methinks that it probably wouldn't be played at a wedding reception in Tokyo.
"Yume wo Akiramenaide" only reached as high as No. 50 on Oricon but in the years since, it has become one of Okamura's signature songs. It was also placed on her 3rd album"liberté" released in July 1987 which peaked at No. 5.
Come to think of it, perhaps this song would be quite appropriate for the remaining episodes of this season of "Doctor Who" and Peter Capaldi's Doctor.
Just as much as the electric guitar and strings became an identifying trope for me when it came to Japanese popular music of the 1970s, some of Japan's 80s pop was represented by a combination of synths, an introspective piano and some soaring strings.
For that reason, Aming's（あみん） "Lover My Love" hit me right in the heart as soon as I heard it. This wasn't even the A-side but the B-side to the duo's 3rd single"Kokoro Komete Ai wo Komete"（心こめて 愛をこめて...With My Heart, With Love） from April 1983. Just from listening to this ballad, I realized that Aming's discography may be a microcosm of my exploration of Japanese pop music in general: all of the Oricon hits at the very top of the iceberg with a good number of hidden gems deep below the surface of the ocean.
Takako Okamura（岡村孝子）, one-half of Aming at the time, wrote and composed and sang this song about the reminiscences and regrets of a past romance before the decision to move on with life. But it's Okamura's melody beginning with that piano and then the entry of those soaring strings and percussion that made it all worthwhile for me. Perhaps I might grab the BEST compilation that it was finally placed on, "P.P.S. Anata e..."（P.P.S. あなたへ…To You） which was released in December 2007. As for the single "Kokoro Komete Ai wo Komete", it got up as high as No. 18.
Came across Takako Okamura's（岡村孝子） 10th single via a compilation J-Xmas CD several years ago. "Christmas no Yoru" (Christmas Night) came out in December 1988 as her 10th single, and has that rather light ethereal feeling that I've often associated with an Okamura tune. To her half-joking lament, she commented that although she had written the song with the intent of it being a happy little tune with the effect of a toy box falling open with the goodies, it kinda ended up as a broken-heart song. I'd probably say she needn't feel alone in that respect. There's plenty of sad J-Xmas songs out there.
Although I remember hearing and seeing the adorably earnest duo of Aming（あみん） on the 1982 Kohaku performing their major hit, "Matsu wa"（待つわ）, I never found out the names of the two singers, and since "Matsu wa" was basically their only notable hit, I thought that was pretty much it for my connection with them.
But then I came across this huggably soft music video on either "MTV Japan" or the video clip show on Gunma TV at the beginning of the 90s. I didn't know it at the time, but it turned out that singer-songwriter Takako Okamura（岡村孝子） was one half of Aming....the one who decided to continue her career as a solo singer after Aming quickly broke up in the early 80s. "Kokoro no Sogen" (Meadow of the Heart) was just this cute little song that probably appealed to everyone from 8 to 88 and had me unconsciously shifting my head from side-to-side like an inverted pendulum with a goofy grin on my mug. The video itself had the young Okamura setting up roots in her new pad; she looked like every toddler's favourite nursery teacher, although I was kinda wondering about that shirt with all of the card suit patterns.
Interestingly enough, according to J-Wiki, Okamura was inspired to come up with the song after listening to Janet Jackson's"Escapade"(1989). "Kokoro no Sogen" was released in June 1990 as her 13th single. It got as high as No. 35 on the Oricon weeklies. However, it was also a track on her 6th album, "Kiss - a cote de la mer -", released on the same day as the single, which hit the top spot on the album charts and was the 10th-ranked album for 1990, selling over half a million copies.
And if anyone needs a reminder about Ms. Nasty, here is "Escapade". Feel free to make comparisons.
Takako Okamura -- Kiss
(no relation to the Prince song)
I was watching the 1982 Kohaku Utagassen when this pair of women appeared and harmoniously sang this adorable tune. Little did I know at the time that this was the top song of the year according to Oricon. Takako Okamura（岡村孝子） and Haruko Kato（加藤晴子）were classmates at Sugiyama Joshien University（椙山女子園大学）in Nagoya when they decided to form a singing pair.
Aming has quite the trivia attached to it right down to the origin of the name. Until the duo's return in 2007, Aming would have ended up as the act with the shortest life that sang the No. 1 Song of the Year. Releasing their debut song, "Matsu wa"(I'll Wait for You) in July 1982, the pair announced their breakup at the end of 1983. The origin of the name came from the name of a cafe, Amin（安民）, used in the lyrics of a song, "Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Tea" sung by folk singer Masashi Sada（さだまさし）in 1979. Sada himself derived that cafe's name from Ugandan dictator Idi Amin! Consider my jaw thoroughly dropped!
"Matsu wa" was written and composed by Okamura and was first sung at the 1982 Yamaha Popular Song Contest in the Spring where it won the grand prize. It was released as a single in July of that year and reached No. 1 on the Oricon weeklies where it stayed for 6 weeks from late August to early October. And of course, they got onto the Kohaku in December. It has also become a popular song in the karaoke boxes.
The notable thing about their performance of the song, which covered the evergreen theme of unrequited love, was their minimalist approach. The ladies stood side by side and sang the song without any facial expressions and just shifted their feet. Quite the counter-intuitive maneuver when considering the frenetic bopping about by the various aidoru. Of course, another hit female duo, Wink, would pick up a similar choreographic theme about half a decade later.
As for the reason behind the brief duration of the duo, according to an NHK program in 2005, Haruko Kato said that she had come to the realization that she didn't really have any talent and felt that she didn't belong in the music world. Kato left Aming and returned to a regular life, while Okamura proceeded with a solo career that has thrived over the years. However, the friends maintained contact, and in 2002, Kato joined her former partner in a song commemorating the 20th anniversary of Aming. Then in 2007, the pair officially revived the act, even appearing once more in the Kohaku of that year.
