An Examination of the Characteristics of 1980s Japanese City Pop

Abstract

This research examines the characteristics of Japanese City pop music from the 1980s, which encapsulates the urban sensibility of the era. In essence, it aims to elucidate the significance and implications of 1980s City pop as a popular music genre. The 1970s, which is closely associated with the emergence of City pop, marked a turning point from counterculture to commercial culture, representing a period where the existing musical identity evolved into a new form of music. This transformation can be observed in the music of ‘Happy end’, which captured the fading image of old Tokyo due to Japan's economic development, and it further evolved into Japanese AOR, New music, and eventually City pop. Notably, 1980s City pop can be seen as music that is rooted in the sensibilities of the city and reflects the image of Tokyo during the economic bubble era. This study holds significant importance in examining the birth of City pop influenced by western urbanization in 1980s Japan and its distinctive characteristics as popular music.