microstar -- Yuugure Girl（夕暮れガール）

Back in the 1980s, I was getting into all sorts of music whether it be New Wave, AOR and R&B along with the rest of the Billboard pop hits. However, although I wouldn't profess my interest in jazz until many years later during my second stint in Japan, I confess that there had always been some spark that was attracted to the genre that's pretty much a century old now. Part of it was due to growing up to those old records of standards and another reason was hearing those hits from The Manhattan Transfer such as "The Boy From New York City" and "Tuxedo Junction".

And then there was the above song that I used to hear on heavy rotation on both AM and FM radio. It was a one-hit wonder for the group with the memorable name of Elbow Bones and the Racketeers but man, did I like their "A Night in New York" from 1983.

I've got the same vibe with this snazzy number by a unit called microstar, "Yuugure Girl" (Sunset Girl) from September 2011. There's a bit more technology involved here when compared to the Big Band instruments from "A Night in New York", but there's no denying to me that it is one lovely tribute to that age of jazz. Still, I'm having some trouble categorizing it since although there is that obvious jazz edge to it, I'm also wondering if it can also be included in pop or even Shibuya-kei.

Putting on my music sommelier's hat right now, that snazzy description I used in the previous paragraph had me also thinking of "Yuugure Girl" as something reminiscent of EPO's "Doyou no Yoru wa Paradise"（土曜の夜はパラダイス）since EPO can also be said to quite snazzy in her songs and vocals. Plus, for some reason, I also hear "Who Are You?", the duet with Fujimal Yoshino and Haruko Kuwana（芳野藤丸・桑名晴子）. "Yuugure Girl" is a melodic reason to be happy about strutting down the city streets and painting the town red and flashing a lot of green.

Trying to look up what this microstar is all about, I eventually tracked things to the J-Wiki entry for Seiki Sato（佐藤清喜）, a music producer, composer and arranger from Iwate Prefecture who made his major debut for a band called nice music in 1993. In 1996, a bassist and vocalist Yuko Iizumi（飯泉裕子）who participated in nice music's concerts joined up with Sato to form microstar as a duo. They've released 5 singles up to 2016 with "Yuugure Girl" being their 3rd; there are also 4 albums to their name.

For the YouTube comments underneath "Yuugure Girl", I kept seeing references to Kanashii Android Apartment（悲しい ANDROID - APARTMENT...Sad Android Apartment）. Not knowing what this was all about, I found out that it was another unit or individual doing a bit of Japanese Future Funk/Vaporwave (not sure if that latter concept has become too dated) treatment to the song to form "Lonely Highways". Once again, thank you, Artzie Music. And of course, thank you microstar. I now have a theme song to which I can walk on the streets in Ginza and Akasaka to. I may not be able to enter most of the establishments there but I can certainly walk (or swing) proudly around them.

Mioko Yamaguchi -- Tsukihime ~ Moonlight Princess（月姫） (Album)

Happy Hump Day to you and yours. Yesterday, I was happy to get my package from Logic Store fairly quickly and in it was indeed the rare 1983 album "Tsukihime" by singer-songwriter Mioko Yamaguchi（山口美央子）. Buoyed from nikala's original 2014 article on two of the tracks from the album, the title song and "Koi wa Shunkan"（恋は春感）, and then my own discovery of the wonderfully techno-Japanesque "Satemo Appare Yume Zakura"（さても天晴れ 夢桜）, I stated my desire to purchase it and sure enough, Toshi from Logic Store assured me that CDs of her albums could be bought there. So first off, many thanks to him for the tip.

All of the tracks were written and composed by Yamaguchi. I will be referring to some of the liner notes given by the singer herself regarding some of the tracks.

The first track is "Yugao ~ Aware"（夕顔 -あはれ-...Yugao ~ Sorrow）which starts off the album contemplatively and according to Yamaguchi, the song is based on the character of Yugao from the legendary Tale of Genji from Japanese literature. Now, the University of Toronto did offer an entire course to the epic story but I never took it despite my major in Japanese Studies since I frankly wasn't a huge literature fan although I had to read my Mishima and Natsume. So the Tale of Genji is unknown to me but Yugao was one of the ladies that Genji encountered and apparently although her appearance in the story was relatively brief and sad, her consequential appeal to the protagonist was very far-lasting.

Unfortunately the lyrics sheet in the album was too small for me to read (my eyes aren't all that strong) but I enjoyed the song which, now that I have read a little about the character, seems to frame her story. Plus, the overall Japanesque tone for the album starts with the ringing of one of the quintessential summer symbols in the country, the fuurin（風鈴...wind chimes）.

"Yugao" was also the B-side to the single version of "Satemo Appare Yume Zakura".

Track No. 2, "Natsu"（夏...Summer）, mixes in some more of the technopop. It has more of a Chinese influence, I think, in terms of the melody. Speaking of Mishima, Yamaguchi noted that her lyrics were inspired partially from "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea" and from another one of his creations. My favourite part of this tune was how the horn-sounding synths suddenly went on a crescendo as if something rose from that very ocean. "Natsu" was Yamaguchi's 3rd single from 1982.

"Hakuchuumu"（白昼夢...Daydreaming） fulfills its title with a dreamy melody. Usually when it comes to daydreams, I often associate kids in their classrooms after lunch to which annoyed teachers would throw chalk or even a textbook if they're particularly unhappy. This "Hakuchuumu" is more for the adults who may not be in an especially happy point in their lives. The thing here is, though, that the grownups know how to conceal their daydreaming better in their cubicles or offices which may not be a good thing in this case.

(9:57)

"Shizumi Yuku"（沈みゆく...Sinking Down） is a short song with only a piano and a Roland TR-808 as her musical accompaniment, so the nostalgia factor may be imbued right in every note since according to Wikipedia, since the pioneering drum machine was discontinued in 1983. Again, I was unable to read the lyrics but the slowly undulating melody reminded me of waves while someone is right in the middle of them...perhaps trying not to do what the title is saying. For some reason, I think Yamaguchi's voice really comes to the fore here.

As you may have guessed, the "Tsukihime" album is an overall introspective album that I think would be ideal to listen to on a slow summer day or perhaps even a rainy Sunday over some chamomile tea. However, the final track "Koi wa Shunkan" （恋は春感...Love is the Feeling of Spring） is a pretty upbeat, even skippy, way to finish off the album.

Coming out as Yamaguchi's 4th single in 1983, the song has already been featured in nikala's article but I wanted to give my two (non-existent Canadian) cents about the number since it is pretty reminiscent of some of Taeko Ohnuki's（大貫妙子）fun little technopop singles from around the same time. Not surprisingly, it was crafted for a Kose cosmetics commercial.

According to J-Wiki, "Tsukihime" was the only album by Yamaguchi to get onto the Oricon charts, getting as high as No. 64. However for the singer, this would be her final release. Afterwards, she would continue her career as just a songwriter for a number of other singers. All of the arrangements were by Masami Tsuchiya（土屋昌巳）from the New Wave group Ippu-Do（一風堂）. Supposedly her earlier albums were arranged by Akira Inoue（井上鑑）so will be looking forward to hearing those as well.

This does bring me to my disclosure. I did purchase "Tsukihime" from Logic Store thanks to Toshi. He was also very magnanimous in sending me Yamaguchi's first two albums "Yume Hiko"（夢飛行）and "Nirvana" as free samples for which I'm grateful. I will be talking about those releases in future articles in February. If you are interested in any of the albums after reading this or coming across the videos on YouTube, you can check them out here.

Higurashi -- Fuyu no Yoru（冬の夜）

Yup, the Kanto is still digging itself out of the big snowstorm it got hit with back on Sunday night, and things are getting colder again here in Toronto, so winter is nowhere near done with us yet.

Well, allow me to bring back folk group Higurashi（日暮し）with one of their early singles, "Fuyu no Yoru" (Winter Night) from December 1974. Written and composed by Higurashi guitarist, Seiichi Takeda（武田清一）, the song goes down like a comforting cup of cocoa and basically that's what "Fuyu no Yoru" is all about...just a couple enjoying a quiet night in some lodge or even an apartment unit together while the snow is falling outside.

I think the song is not totally folk simply because of those lush strings. They rather add a more kayo feeling to the proceedings. Not that I'm complaining here; it is a restful song. I'm just hoping that all of the folks in Tokyo and environs have managed to get a hold on the weather and kicking back for the night.

Higurashi

Miho Nakayama -- Miho's Select

I've already featured songs by Miho Nakayama（中山美穂）that already got onto this BEST album of hers, but I think it was time to just put this out there. "Miho's Select" is her 4th album of best hits which was released on Xmas Eve 1991 but it's not the usual throw-in of her most successful singles but as the title says, it's a selection of popular tunes that were slightly remixed or given new arrangements. I still think the results kinda varied.

amazon.jp

Back in Toronto for a few months since returning from my JET stint, I picked this one up through the ancient process of "Eye-Ai" mail order and bank draft. There were some songs that I had already recognized but there were also some new ones and I have to admit that seeing the distinctive cover helped in making my decision. Anyways, here is the lineup:

1. Rosa
2. '91 You're My Only Shinin' Star
3. SWITCH ON
4. I Know
5. Toi Machi no Dokoka de（遠い街のどこかで）
6. Kabin（花瓶）
7. COCKATOO
8. Dare ka ga Ai ni...（誰かが愛に…）
9. Long Distance To The Heaven
10. Honki demo（本気でも）

Knowing that it has already been given its own article, "I Know" by Rui Serizawa（芹沢類）and Cindy is still my favourite song from "Miho's Select" and therefore it is the one that I've associated the most with this album.

"Heart no Switch wo Oshite" (ハートのスイッチを押して...Press My Heart Switch) was originally the B-side to Miporin's 8th single "Waku Waku Sasete"（WAKU WAKU させて）from 1986, and the above video has the original splashy version, but under its new guise of "SWITCH ON", it has a more urban contemporary feeling. Still kinda split over which version I like better but you can check the link to the samples for "Miho's Select" at Tower Records at the bottom of the article. Takashi Matsumoto and Kyohei Tsutsumi（松本隆・筒美京平）were responsible for its creation.

As soon as I heard "Kabin" (Flower Vase), I knew this was a Toshiki Kadomatsu（角松敏生）creation. The chorus and strings give it that sweep that I've often connected with a Kadomatsu ballad whether it be with Nakayama or Anri（杏里）. The song deals with the aftermath of a downed relationship as the titular piece of pottery symbolizes that relationship as the flowers start drying up and frittering away. For a song about a doomed romance, it is atypically uplifting especially from the 4:30 point. Perhaps the lass has moved on. "Kabin" was the final track on Miporin's 6th album, "Catch The Nite" from 1988.

(4:30)

To be honest, "Long Distance to the Heaven" is borderline elegiac/creepy with that keyboard intro. Didn't take a deep look at the lyrics by Nakayama under one of her pen names, Mizuho Kitayama（北山瑞穂）, but it sounds almost like a woman's final comments to her former lovers after she had died. Yeah, not one of my favourites. Nakayama also composed the song. I don't think the version in "Miho's Select" has changed.

There was also "COCKATOO" which I couldn't find online outside of the Tower Records excerpt. This was another track that I wasn't too thrilled with since I think it's a little leaden now with too many of those dance music sound effects from that time. Like "Long Distance to the Heaven", I don't think "COCKATOO" underwent much if any change at all from its original album "Dé eaya" (March 1991).

"Miho's Select" did hit No. 1 on Oricon. For me, it was an OK album but rather a mixed bag.

http://tower.jp/item/3951883/MIHO'S-SELECT

Chiyono Yoshino -- Kanashimi no Tapestry（悲しみのタペストリー）

Understanding that there were several years ranging from the late 1980s into the early 1990s during which some female singers dove into this form of sophisticated pop with those champagne synthesizers, I was kinda wondering who jumped off the diving board first.

Well, names like Ruiko Kurahashi（倉橋ルイ子）and Etsuko Sai（彩恵津子）popped up in my head. Then, there is Chiyono Yoshino（吉野千代乃）. I introduced her through "Kayo Kyoku Plus" with the very first song that I got to know her for, "Tsukiyo no Monologue"（月夜のモノローグ）that came out in 1988.

Her debut single, though, had been released a couple of years earlier in March 1986, and that was "Kanashimi no Tapestry" (Tapestry of Sorrow). From the words and music provided by Sanae Ohta（太田早苗）, that urban contemporary feeling was evident from the first bar. The Oricon charts at the time may have been populated with the songs of various aidoru and enka singers, but I appreciated the fact that there was this somewhat "hidden" genre of kayo that didn't seem to care about rankings but could give forth a classier type of Japanese pop.

Of course, City Pop had been around for several years by the time Yoshino made her debut but it seems as if the late 1980s was a time for another form of Japanese urban contemporary music to appear off to the side. In any case, on the same day that "Kanashimi no Tapestry" was released, Yoshino's debut album also came out, "Rain Ballade".

Shinkichi Mitsumine -- Battle of Rose

Yesterday was the first anime-and-food session of the year so of course, there was the anison hour as is customary. Once in a while, my friend has put on an instrumental that has always struck me as being rather cool.

It's kinda too bad though that I never really got into the anime it was part of. My friend once gave me a copy of the most recent incarnation of "Rozen Maiden"（ローゼンメイデン）but beyond the first few episodes, I have never given it another glance since I simply never gained any interest in a group of snarky sentient dolls pushing around a former hikikomori.

However, for the original anime more than a decade ago, I have to admit that composer Shinkichi Mitsumine（光宗信吉）came up with a pretty kakkoii sequence in "Battle of Rose". It sounds like a fleet musical passage by one of the masters of classical music then having someone like James Newton Howard or Hans Zimmer have at it with an electric guitar and some snappy contemporary percussion. Forget dolls...have the Three Musketeers go into battle in the castle to this music!

For those who don't already have the album, the track is on the original soundtrack for "Rozen Maiden" which was released back in January 2005. En garde!

Minori Suzuki -- FEELING AROUND

It's a cold and damp Monday here in Toronto although a lot of the snow has gone and the absolute zero-type of temperatures are not with us for now. Watching NHK's "News at Nine" this morning, Tokyo underwent its first horrifying snowstorm in about 4 years...something that we go through here perhaps around 4 times a year. In either Toronto or Tokyo, perhaps a good chunk of the population wouldn't mind having a steaming bowl of ramen in a warm restaurant. Incidentally, the ramen above is the Tonkotsu Black at the branch of Sansotei up in the northeast suburbs. My favourite soup when it comes to ramen is indeed the pork bone variety. Mind you, though, my heart and circulatory system may get their revenge on me someday if I went for the stuff weekly but once in a while is always welcome.

Now the reason that I'm enticing you with ramen today is because yesterday was the first anime-and-food session of the New Year that is 2018. To let you in on an opinion, I wasn't all that happy with the Fall 2017 season of anime aside from the reboot of "Mahoujin Guru Guru"（魔法陣グルグル）and the gradually heartwarming "Konohana Kitan"（このはな綺譚）. "Two-Car"...? Aaugh. However, it seems like the Winter 2018 season is pretty hopeful; in fact my anime buddy mentioned that for the first time in a long while, we may have to look through about 20 prospective shows since he posits that they all look rather interesting.

One of those shows that my friend showcased yesterday was "Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san"（ラーメン大好き小泉さん）which, as you can guess, is about somebody with the name of Koizumi who greatly loves ramen. She pretty much breathes it, actually. It's almost cruel for us ramen lovers as to how lovingly the animators have shown Koizumi's ardor for her dish of choice and of course the different kinds of ramen.

It was about a year ago that the first 2017-based article for "Kayo Kyoku Plus" dealt with the catchy anison theme for a show titled around another Ms. K. Well, I'm doing the same here with "Koizumi-san" although Minori Suzuki's（鈴木みのり）"FEELING AROUND" isn't quite the classic earworm that fhana's "Aozora no Rhapsody"（青空のラプソディ）has been. I would put that song as my favourite anime theme for 2017, by the way.

Still "FEELING AROUND" has got a nice bounce to it with a bit of an Asian beat as the opening credits provide everything and everyone we need to know about the premise for "Koizumi-san". Suzuki, who was known up to now as a budding seiyuu, has made her debut as a solo singer with this one and it's due to be released in a couple of days. The song was written and composed by Koji Mihara（三原康司）, the bassist for the band Frederic（フレデリック）who came up with the catchy "oddloop" a few years back. (By the way, here is the article on the ending theme)

To be honest, considering the theme of the show, I was wondering whether Akiko Yano's（矢野顕子）ode to plain simple ramen would have been used.

Finally, to completely torture you into racing to the nearest noodle shop or, at least, the nearest supermarket which sells Sapporo Ichiban, you can take a look at this video for the Yokohama Ramen Museum.