Fuyumi Sakamoto/Ikuzo Yoshi -- Kumanoji e（熊野路へ）

From Nekosuki via Wikimedia Commons

 

Although I have visited Wakayama Prefecture which is the home of my ancestors, I have yet to visit its World Heritage Sites including roads and shrines associated with the Kumano Kodo（熊野古道）series of pilgrimage routes that are located in Wakayama, Mie and Nara Prefectures.

Enka singer Fuyumi Sakamoto（坂本冬美）is another star from Wakayama Prefecture, and as her September 2018 single, she released "Kumanoji e" (To the Kumano Road). Written and composed by fellow enka singer Ikuzo Yoshi（吉幾三）with Kei Wakakusa（若草恵）as the arranger, "Kumanoji e" launches with an epic intro that doesn't really sound like one for a conventional enka song. It sounds more like something for a pop/rock tune although it quickly settles down into an introspective set of verses before the dramatic chorus chimes in. Still, the instrumental bridge is just as epic as the intro and there's even some added oomph at the end of that bridge with what sounds like a thrumming synthesizer. Yoshi and Wakakusa really wanted to fortify this one. "Kumanoji e" reached No. 54 on Oricon.

Yoshi provided his own slightly quieter cover of the song in the same year.

Hiroaki Igarashi -- Hatsukoi no Machi（初恋の街）

 

Man, I hope he was able to steer that boat safely. Yes, I am talking about singer-songwriter Hiroaki Igarashi（五十嵐浩晃）. I have no doubts about his day job but I'm not sure how he did with the craft there.

But all that could have been just for the cameras when Igarashi and the powers-that-be were taking shots for the cover of his August 1981 3rd album "Sailing Dream". I'm assuming that the release was all about the City Pop and AOR. For example, one track "Hatsukoi no Machi" (The Town of My First Love) seems to be doing a split between jaunty pop and AOR. Written by Tetsuya Chiaki（ちあき哲也）and composed by the singer himself, it's quite the happy-go-lucky musical accompaniment of a man returning to his hometown after a while away (which apparently includes a synthesized version of an ocarina...maybe?) to see old buddies, and maybe that first girlfriend. He's being pretty coy about his intentions and putting on the strong front that he has no desperate need to see her but if this were a Japanese rom-com, I just know that he'll strain himself into all sorts of predicaments to see his old flame...without looking like he's trying to see his old flame. The song has that feeling.

JOE by JAYWALK

I’m currently writing a story set in Shōwa-era Japan, to get into the proper headspace, I’ve been immersing myself in everything Shōwa. Television shows, radio programs, movies, news—you name it. Most of my weekends now consist of watching reruns of Tantei Monogatari (Detective Story), reading about the Narita Airport protests, and eventually falling asleep to old broadcasts of All Night Nippon.

Naturally, all this research has also introduced me to plenty of new music.

One of my favorite feelings is discovering a new summer band to rock out to. This time, it’s J-WALK, the rock band fronted by Koichi Nakamura (中村耕一). J-Canuck previously wrote about their hit song “Nanimo Ienakute... Natsu” (何も言えなくて…夏), and it’s easy to understand why the song became so popular. I can already see it joining my summer playlist alongside TUBE, Omega Tribe, and, of course, Southern All Stars.

After hearing it, I decided to check out J-WALK’s self-titled debut album. I enjoyed the record overall. Nothing immediately blew me away, but it was consistently good from beginning to end. My favorite track was definitely the opening song, simply titled “JOE.”

“JOE” is the kind of piano-led rock ’n’ roll throwback that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Elton John album. It's about what you'd expect from a tune of this era polished ’80s sound that proudly wears its Western influences on its sleeve.

I have no idea who Joe is, but judging by the song, he sounds like a leather-jacketed greaser who rides a Harley-Davidson and thinks Saturday night’s all right for fighting. 

I should also mention how much I enjoy Nakamura’s gritty vocals. Like George Yanagi(柳ジョージ), he has a natural raspiness that gives the song an extra layer of bluesy swagger. A perfect match for the song’s rough-and-ready protagonist.

If you happen to spot J-WALK’s eponymous debut album sitting in the bargain bin at your nearest record shop, definitely grab it.

Milk Talk -- Milk and Honey

 

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.

Yuji Ohno -- Inubue no Tehma（犬笛のテーマ）

From Amazon.jp

Back in late July, I posted an article regarding the late Yuji Ohno's（大野雄二）"Wavelet"（ウエイブリット）, which was the B-side to "Inubue no Tehma" (The Theme for "Inubue"). "Inubue" (Dog Whistle) was the 1978 TV adaptation of a suspense novel by Jugou Nishimura（西村寿行）about a man and his faithful dog who track down the kidnappers who grabbed his kid. Considering that most of the show took place in the woods, I was surprised that something so jazzy and City Poppy could be applied to something like this.

I did mention in that article that I would have a posting about the A-side in August. Well once again, I broke that promise which means you folks shouldn't trust what I write in terms of dates and I will never make such guarantees again. So, I ought to say something rather generic like "soon".

Anyways, "Inubue no Tehma" is another classy and refined instrumental by Ohno but I think there's also that hint of suspense in the arrangement as well (although there is also a hopeful-sounding "middle eight" section). Hearing it a few times now and perhaps adding a sharp horn section, this could have made for a fine opening for those Quinn Martin detective shows in the States back in the 1970s.

Mayumi Asaka -- My Heart Belongs To You

 

With my previous article being "Night Drive" for all those City Pop fans who want to take it out on the road in the evening, I guess this article can be about the nocturnal jazz while enjoying time at some intimate alley bar downtown. And it's from a source that I hadn't expected.

All this time, the Mayumi Asaka（朝加真由美）file on KKP was one that really consisted of tracks from one album; namely "Yasashii Kankei ~ Mayumi I"（優しい関係...A Gentle Relationship） from October 1981. It was indeed a City Pop release and Asaka was good for it. And J-Wiki only lists that album as her only album output in her discography. Well, strangely enough, the discography was lacking by at least one more album. In 1984, Asaka released her purely jazz album titled "Loving For...". Right from the start, we get "My Heart Belongs To You" with the singer and band providing a smoky version which deserves its own tumbler of scotch. Finally glad to add a totally new angle to the Asaka file.

Night Drive

By Yudai_photography via Wikimedia Commons

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.

(1976) Yuming -- Chuo Freeway（中央フリーウェイ） 

(1982) Yasuhiro Abe -- We Got It!

(1982) Tohoku Shinkansen -- Up and Down

(1984) Anzen Chitai -- Mayonaka Sugi no Koi （真夜中すぎの恋）

(1985) Akina Nakamori -- Lonely Journey （ロンリー・ジャーニー）

(1987) Kahoru Kohiruimaki -- City Hunter: Ai yo Kienai de （愛よ消えないで）

Strangely enough, I'm already getting entries in my head for "Night Drive 2". Maybe next month. In the meantime, you can also enjoy "Night Walk".