Aside
from the USA's incomparable music industry, Japan's market
is the largest in the world.
With an impressively diverse range of musical styles from
folk to pop to enka, there is more than
enough to keep any audiophile busy.
J-Pop
- In terms of style, sound and shelf life Japanese pop
is not dissimlar to that of the West. And
as such the importance of the image often outweighs
that of the songs.
That is not to say that all J-Pop is unlistenable. In
fact in recent years a 'renaissance' in the industry
has seen young, talented artists produce some interesting
music in genres such as hip hop and rap; genres that
previously held little interest in mainstream Japan.
Enka
- A traditional style of music thats main theme is of
melancholy and nostalgia. While it's popularity is
far from what it was in its heyday, it still holds a significant
place in the music industry, especially with the older
generation. In fact, if one should find onself in the
smokey atmosphere of a local snack bar, one should expect
to hear the drunken slurs of a middle-aged salaryman singing
this genre of music through the karaoke
system!
Shamisen
- Derived from the Okinawan instrument Sanshin, this
is one of Japan's traditional musical instruments. Constructed
in a similar way to a guitar, it's muted twang is often
used to portray a sense of the orient.
Koto
- An instrument similar to a zither; it usually has
13 strings, each with its own bridge thats position is
moved in order to change the pitch of the string.
Due to its size and weight it is usually laid on the floor
and played.
