Kayo Kyoku Plus

Maiko Okamoto -- Romance Shitai（ロマンスしたい）

2026-08-25T11:53:47.212-04:00

I gather that "Kayo Kyoku Plus" representative Kayo Grace Kyoku is getting a little swoony again. Well, at least, she still has several more weeks of that before autumn finally arrives, and of course as anyone who knows kayo kyoku realizes, autumn is the season for romance to wither away like dried leaves.

Not to say that early 80s aidoru songs had bare-bones arrangements (and I'm saying this as someone who loves those early Seiko, Akina and other aidoru tunes from that part of the decade), but I've often found arrangements for similar tunes in the latter half of the 80s to be especially lush and almost downright cinematically fantastical when it comes to how they may affect the imagination of listeners. Not sure what it was, but arrangers seemed to enjoy weaving a lot of strings, choruses and synthesizers into this huge string ball of appealing whimsy and wistfulness that a kitten could adorably play with.

Case in point: I bookmarked this song by aidoru Maiko Okamoto（岡本舞子）. "Romance Shitai" (I Want to Have a Romance) was one of the tracks in Okamoto's debut album from October 1985, "Heart no Tobira"（ハートの扉...The Gateway to Your Heart）, and having a listen to it a few times, I swear that the song itself could sprout a black hair bob, a frilly dress and a supremely cheerful attitude as it skips on the yellow brick road. Written by Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康）and composed/arranged by Etsuko Yamakawa（山川恵津子）, it's late 80s aidoru-dom personified as Okamoto sings about trying to empty her heart of all romantic notions but helplessly getting dragged back into the mushy stuff. Kinda reminds me of a certain scene in "The Godfather, Part III" with Al Pacino (although let's not imagine Don Corleone in a cute dress, shall we?).

Yamakawa may have been one-half of the amazing City Pop and jazzy duo Tohoku Shinkansen（東北新幹線）in 1982, but she also had a great touch with aidoru tunes forty-odd years ago.

One Way or The Other by Fifth Avenue Band (1969)

2026-08-24T20:16:11.434-04:00

You've probably heard this story before, but back in 1975, a small band called Sugar Babe (シュガー・ベイブ) released their first and only album, SONGS. The record developed a cult following but didn't perform particularly well financially, and the band itself would break up the following year.

Its core members—Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎), Taeko Ohnuki (大貫妙子), and Kunio Muramatsu (村松邦男)—would go on to pursue successful solo careers, while SONGS became increasingly influential within the Japanese music scene and was eventually recognized as a classic many years later.

Ironically, much of Sugar Babe's sound owes a debt to another short-lived group from the late 1960s: The 5th Avenue Band.

It turns out that Yamashita and Ohnuki were huge fans of the band's mellow arrangements and vocal harmonies, and you can hear that influence all over Sugar Babe's music, particularly on songs like "Sutekina Melody"(すてきなメロディー) and, of course, "Downtown."

Obviously, Sugar Babe drew inspiration from plenty of other American groups, including The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers, and The Lovin' Spoonful. But one listen to The 5th Avenue Band's "One Way or the Other" suddenly puts everything into perspective.\

I understand it now.

Written by Kenny Altman, "One Way or the Other" is a groovy little bubblegum-pop track that honestly wouldn't sound out of place in The 5th Dimension's discography. Its acoustic-driven arrangement gives the song this wonderfully relaxed, weekend-drive kind of vibe—the same sort of breezy atmosphere that would later become such an important part of the City Pop sound.

Listening to the rest of The 5th Avenue Band's album, I wouldn't be surprised if other Japanese musicians like Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂) or Sentimental City Romance (センチメンタル・シティ・ロマンス) were influenced by this kind of music as well. There's something about its mixture of folk-rock, soul, vocal harmony, and laid-back instrumentation that feels remarkably compatible with the direction Japanese pop music would begin taking during the mid-70s.

Thankfully, "One Way or the Other" has continued finding new listeners over the years, helped in no small part by Tatsuro Yamashita, who has frequently played the song on his radio program.

microstar -- Koi wa Isoide（恋は急いで）

2026-08-24T15:18:22.928-04:00

I haven't written about the longtime duo microstar in quite a while. With the group consisting of composer and arranger Seiki Sato（佐藤清喜）and vocalist and bassist Yuko Iizumi（飯泉裕子）having been around since 1996, I only joined the party quite late. However, it was still a fun time to be had as I listened to their jazzy "Yuugure Girl"（夕暮れガール）and the disco "Tiny Spark" from the 2010s.

So, this is a first. I not only hear one of their earliest songs but I actually get to see a music video which shows Sato and Iizumi in the flesh. "Koi wa Isoide" (Love in a Hurry) comes from microstar's August 1997 2nd mini-album "micro freaks" and it was written by Iizumi and composed by Sato. This particular song is something that is rather deliciously difficult to categorize since there seems to be a few influences coming in here. I get some technopop in the instrumentation along with some jangly indies guitar pop. At the same time, thanks to Iizumi's somewhat breathy and almost adolescent take on the Divine Miss Maki Nomiya（野宮真貴）from Pizzicato Five and the swingy/breezy arrangement, I also feel there is some Shibuya-kei in there, too. With my adjectives of breathy, swingy and breezy, it's no surprise that Iizumi's lyrics describe a woman running away from someone in the big city...perhaps because she has just confessed her love to him and couldn't take the emotions swirling everywhere around and within her.

All in all, "Koi wa Isoide" sounds like the 90s indies pop that it was made out to be. It's also interesting to compare this one with the later microstar entries that I mentioned off the top.

Higurashi -- Odayakana Gogo（おだやかな午後）

2026-08-24T14:25:41.574-04:00

Ah, it's a Monday once more. Incomplete recovery from the weekend, deadlines to fulfill, another buildup of stress. You wonder when Friday is coming.

Well, sorry, I'm not an in-company counselor or a masseur. However, perhaps I can provide some aural solace through one of folk group Higurashi's（日暮し）songs. The trio has had their City Pop tunes but this is a folksier and very relaxing tune called "Odayakana Gogo" (Peaceful Afternoon), and boy, is there truth in advertising here. Right from Note One, Naomi Sugimura（杉村尚美）immediately lulls you into an existential nap with her vocals while your eyesight becomes less strained by looking into the calm blue sky. The acoustic guitar, the strings and electric piano become additional melodic massage therapists as "Odayakana Gogo" goes at a very leisurely tempo. The background chorus is just barely heard as it acts like a summer breeze.

Written and composed by Higurashi guitarists Seiichi Takeda（武田清一）and Yukiyo Nakamura（中村幸雄）, the track belonged to the band's fourth original album "Arifureta Dekigoto"（ありふれた出来事...Ordinary Events） from 1977. Chamomile tea, coming up!

Toshimi Tagawa -- Onna...HItori Tabi（女...ひとり旅）

2026-08-23T14:23:35.202-04:00

Ah, yes. The post-relationship trip to someplace unknown...a classic enka lyrical theme. I've come across it a number of times since first posting Sayuri Ishikawa's（石川さゆり）1977 hit "Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu Geshiki"（津軽海峡・冬景色）all the way back in 2012. I still wonder if there are melancholy folks who flee to that strait up north.

Well, not too long ago, I encountered this enka for the first time during an episode of NHK's "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新BS日本の歌）. Titled "Onna---Hitori Tabi" (Woman...A Journey Alone), this was enka singer Toshimi Tagawa's（田川寿美）debut song from April 1992, and the song even faintly hints at Ishikawa's trademark tune melodically speaking. However, instead of Takashi Miki（三木たかし）handling the composition, it was Jun Suzuki（鈴木淳）who created the sad melody. The lyrics of a woman going to this unknown place up north all by her lonesome without her erstwhile paramour as had originally been scheduled were provided by Keiko Yuuki（悠木圭子）, who recently passed away in March of this year at the age of 90.

Reaching No. 45 on Oricon, Tagawa made her debut on NHK's Kohaku Utagassen at the end of 1994 with "Onna...Hitori Tabi". She would make three more appearances thus far on the New Year's Eve special in 1995, 1998 and 2002.

Jazztronik feat. Taeko Ohnuki -- Ameoto（雨音）

2026-08-23T11:11:54.116-04:00

Tony Webster via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Sunday to you all! Although we had some dire warnings about heavy rain throughout yesterday, things have settled down in the Toronto area. It's still overcast but it looks like the worst-case scenario luckily hasn't come to pass.

Over the past several weeks, we here at KKP found the collaboration between Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）and STUTS so nice that Rocket Brown and I wrote about it twice. When I was digging a bit more into "Ohayou"（おはよう）, I found a few more collaborations that Ohnuki had done with other artists in the past.

Jazztronik, aka Tokyo DJ/pianist/producer Ryota Nozaki（野崎良太）, is also one for working with other singers such as Miki Imai（今井美樹）. In 2007, when he released his album "Grand Blue", he included his own collaboration with Ohnuki for the track "Ameoto" (The Sound of Rain) which is this exquisitely contemplative song sung by Taeko in this lovely jazz waltz style. This is the type of song that can be heard in a sparsely populated and stylish Tokyo cafe whose windows and walls are holding back the raindrops while a customer is slowly savoring her cuppa. The rhythm does quicken toward the end (caffeine kicking in?) but then it abruptly goes back to its simmering tempo before ending with a sloshing of water.

Nozaki was responsible for the composition while the lyricists were BEBE and Shoko Fujibayashi（藤林聖子）.

Toshiyuki Nishida -- Ii Yume Miro yo（いい夢見ろよ）

2026-08-22T15:31:22.572-04:00

By Toshiyuki Imai via Wikimedia Commons

It's been close to about a couple of years since the passing of actor and singer Toshiyuki Nishida（西田敏行）. I will always remember him for his biggest hit "Moshimo Piano ga Hiketanara"（もしもピアノが弾けたなら）from April 1981 , and it'll probably be difficult for his fans to prevent anything flowing from the eyes whenever the telly shows him singing this one.

Well, out of curiosity, I had been wondering what was on the B-side of Nishida's famed single. I've said it only recently but it's often been the case that a quiet A-side would beget a more upbeat B-side and vice versa. As it turns out, "Ii Yume Mire yo" (Sweet Dreams) is just as adorable and perhaps a bit more tenderhearted. Not surprisingly for a song with that title, it has a kayo lullaby-type melody and rhythm as if Nishida himself were singing softly to his own little children back in the day. The same songwriters for the A-side were behind the B-side: lyricist Yu Aku（阿久悠）and composer/arranger Koichi Sakata（坂田晃一）.

Kirinji feat. Tomomi Oda/Chiaki Takahashi & Azumi Asakura -- LEMONADE

2026-08-22T14:58:01.992-04:00

From E4024 via Wikimedia Commons

How does that saying go? When life throws lemons at you, make lemonade!

Apparently, that is the premise for this track from Kirinji's（キリンジ）January 2026 album "Town Beat". The appropriately titled "LEMONADE" is the melodic elixir for all that ails you as prepared by Takaki Horigome（堀込高樹）and served by both him and singer-songwriter Tomomi Oda（小田朋美）in a nice tall glass with plenty of ice. The album also has another collaboration between the two, "Room Dancer"（ルームダンサー）, but unlike the Motown vibe of that one, "LEMONADE" has more of a fleet-footed Neo-City Pop/technopop feeling. At the same time, the harmonies and maybe some of the chords also have me thinking some Steely Dan as well.

When I looked at the J-Wiki article for "Town Beat", I also realized that "LEMONADE" was a cover of a song that Horigome had provided the Idolmaster album "THE IDOLM@STER MASTER PRIMAL POPPIN' YELLOW" from December 2017. This was a duet between seiyuu Chiaki Takahashi（たかはし智秋）and Azumi Asakura（浅倉杏美）as their characters of Azusa Miura（三浦あずさ）and Yukiho Hagiwara（萩原雪歩）respectively. The original here goes a bit more for the technopop but also has a funkier groove. If I had heard this one before the Kirinji and Oda cover and then found out who was behind the songwriting, I most likely would have exclaimed "Oh yeah! That's Kirinji to a T!"

Rainy Street by Tchabows (1976)

2026-08-21T21:31:22.057-04:00

I don't remember exactly when or where I first heard this song, but I do remember discovering it sometime last year. I was already familiar with Masami Yoshida thanks to his 1980 solo album My Tune, My Turn, but I had no idea he had been making music before that.

What initially caught my attention was the band's unusual name: Tchabows. Written in Japanese as 茶坊主 (Chabōzu), the term traditionally refers to a Buddhist temple attendant or, historically, someone who served tea to a feudal lord.

To be fair, the mellow sound of their 1976 album Tree of Life actually feels pretty appropriate for sitting indoors with a warm cup of tea while the rain comes pouring outside your window.

"Rainy Street" quickly became my favorite song on the album. It has this wonderful pseudo-bossa nova groove, a folksy, down-to-earth acoustic guitar, and a quirky yet strangely endearing synthesizer floating around in the background.

To top it off, vocalist Mami Kikuchi could honestly give Taeko Ohnuki a run for her money. Her voice has that same wonderfully soft, warm, and inviting quality—the kind of vocal performance that doesn't need to overpower the music to grab your attention.

While a few other songs on the record venture into more Progressive Rock territory, everything about "Rainy Street" feels gentle and unassuming.

Hidari Tonpei's Hey You Blues

2026-08-21T21:16:29.660-04:00

Some songs just sound TOUGH.

And when I say tough, I mean you can envision someone who demands respect—or maybe even a little reverence—having that song as their personal theme, whether they're just walking down the street or kicking some serious ass.

50 Cent has "Many Men (Wish Death)." Warren G and Nate Dogg have "Regulate." Curtis Mayfield has "Pusherman." Hell, even Boz Scaggs' "Lowdown" comes to mind.

There are very few Japanese songs that I would personally classify as "tough." But if there's one that makes the cut, it's "Tonpei's Hey You Blues."

Damn, that bassline stanks!

Somebody come get their Uncle!

Look at this guy! Look at his fit! Look at him gangster-leaning against that pipe. Look at him pointing at me like a JoJo character. Whoever this man is, he means business.

Obviously, that's the titular Tonpei Hidari (左とん平), a Japanese actor and singer known for his comedic touch and appearances in productions such as Monkey (1978), The Ballad of Narayama (1983), and Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder (1972).

Hidari often portrayed a sort of "regular working man" character—someone who could be funny, irritable, streetwise, and unexpectedly sympathetic. That archetype definitely shines through in "Tonpei's Hey You Blues."

Produced by Mickey Curtis and arranged by jazz-fusion keyboardist Jun, the song feels like somebody accidentally recorded something years ahead of its time.

Although it isn't "rap" in the modern sense, Hidari's forceful spoken-word cadence sounds remarkably similar to the work of Gil Scott-Heron, who is often regarded as one of the important precursors to conscious rap and hip-hop. Songs such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", or "Whitey on the Moon" immediately come to mind when listening to the way Hidari talks like he's standing on a street corner telling you exactly what's on his mind. Reminiscing about how life had worn him down like a lonely pestle.

Funny enough, the record would later be rediscovered by Japan's hip-hop community thanks in part to a sample featured in Scha Dara Parr's 1990 track "Scha Dara Parr no Theme Pt. 2." That track also samples a few other Shōwa-era classics, including Godiego's "Monkey Magic."

Fridays and Saturdays

2026-08-21T21:16:28.975-04:00

As I've mentioned in the past, I've sometimes used the 5th and final slot for my articles on Urban Contemporary Fridays to place something a little out of the ordinary. This time, I'm going with an Author's Picks devoted to songs that have some form of Friday or Saturday in the titles since we're going to transition from Friday into Saturday in a few hours, and not surprisingly, a lot of these songs are City Pop in nature. Friday night is the time in Japan to whip off the tie and go crazy at an izakaya or karaoke box while Saturday could be more of the same or maybe friends can meet up for brunch or coffee in the morning. One song actually doesn't haven't a Friday or Saturday in its title but I figure that "Pay Day" by EPO is close enough to a celebratory Friday to get an honorary nod. Anyways, have a good weekend everyone!

(1977) Tetsuji Hayashi -- Rainy Saturday & Coffee Break（レイニー・サタディ&コーヒー・ブレイク）

(1982) EPO -- Doyou no Yoru wa Paradise (土曜の夜はパラダイス）

(1983) EPO -- Pay Day

(1983) M. TOSIKAZ -- Friday Night

(1992) Dreams Come True -- Kessen wa Kin'youbi (決戦は金曜日）

(2015) Lucky Tapes -- Friday Night

Junko Yagami -- Sotto Ato kara（そっと後から）

2026-08-21T16:31:43.455-04:00

Well, more than a dozen years following my article on Junko Yagami's（八神純子）seminal sophomore April 1979 album, "Sugao no Watashi"（素顔の私）, I'm giving myself a Gibbs slap upside the back of my head once more. At this rate, I may have to be mindful of concussion protocols.

Now, the reason for once more going into self-flagellation mode is that even though I had provided quite a few tracks in the article for "Sugao no Watashi", I had also neglected one particular track, "Sotto Ato kara" (Quietly, Afterwards) which is quite the City Pop tune as well. Written and composed by the singer and arranged by bassist Tsugutoshi Goto（後藤次利）. Escorted by a phalanx of disco strings and boppy bass, the dreamy and sultry vocals of Yagami lead the way through streets and highways of late 1970s Tokyo in all their splendor...and pollution probably as well. But let's not dwell on the photochemical and instead focus on the romantic aspects of what life could have been like in Shinjuku, Roppongi or Akasaka around half a century ago.

Masami Yoshida -- Smoke Rings

2026-08-21T16:08:14.663-04:00

I guess it's approaching about a year since I last posted an article regarding singer-songwriter Masami Yoshida（吉田政美）. The former half of the folk duo Grape（グレープ）apparently had quite a time exploring the urbane and Latin sides of music since the professional breakup with Masashi Sada（さだまさし）in the mid-1970s.

My last article on Yoshida's music was for his "Orange City no Asa"（オレンジ・シティの朝）, a track from his 1980 album "My tune My turn masami". That was quite the laidback samba for hammock-loving listeners. Well, I have something even more relaxing here from the same album and that would be "Smoke Rings". I was having quite the ping-pong battle online on whether the title was "Smoke Rings" or "Smoke Ring". Then I saw the image of the actual record with the printing of the titles. It's indeed "Smoke Rings". Composed by Yoshida and written by Mami Kikuchi（菊池まみ）, Brazil is still the name of the nation for the melodic inspiration and not surprisingly, for something more relaxing, bossa nova is the genre of choice. Enjoy your caipirinha!

Daisuke Mori -- Itsuka Moshi mo（いつかもしも）

2026-08-21T15:44:04.256-04:00

I figured that I would still be able to find something new somewhere among my collection of "Light Mellow", and it was within the "Breeze" CD that I encountered this one that I hadn't yet covered.

Even though singer-songwriter Daisuke Mori（森大輔）has an entry on J-Wiki, he doesn't have a particularly long or detailed account of himself there. Hailing from Metropolitan Osaka, Mori is also a producer and arranger who graduated from Kobe University with a degree from the Faculty of Global Human Sciences. Having learned classical piano from the age of three and then music theory, he was signed to Atlantic Records with the title of First Brand New Artist of the 21st Century with his first single, "Trust Me", coming out in November 2004.

The track that I have of him on "Breeze" is his 8th single "Itsuka Moshi mo" (If, Someday...) from October 2008. The song fits hand-in-glove on a CD titled "Breeze". It's indeed a breezy pop song with some elegant piano and lovely harmonization. Plus, the chorus sounds like something sung from the 1970s. Not quite hammock-worthy but it makes for a nice accompaniment while on a drive down the coast.

Platinum 900 -- Mabushii Photograph（眩しいフォトグラフ）

2026-08-21T15:10:58.428-04:00

It's a lovely afternoon out there. The sun's reflecting off the houses on the other side of the street and the temperature is not too hot although I still have the old-fashioned fan going in my room.

This song seems to fit the atmosphere quite nicely. I'm writing about "Mabushii Photograph" (Dazzling Photograph), the second track from Platinum 900's third and final album "Free (At Last)" from 1999. KKP contributor HRLE92 provided the first article on this 90s City Pop collective by giving a nice summary on the albums the band recorded and that includes "Free (At Last)".

HRLE92 gave a quick comment on "Mabushii Photograph" as follows: Track 2 is a slower song. This song is highly rated by many Japanese music blogs. I feel that the best part of the song is the string section, which feels like that it is breathing and alive.

Yep, I have to say that I'm a sucker for tenderhearted strings. I wouldn't say that they were disco strings here but they do provide some glowing warmth in "Mabushii Photograph" with the sun positioned at that particular attractive angle. It seems to be the ideal song straddling the present and the past while your plane is landing at your desired destination on a good-weather day sometime in the afternoon. And you can count on this blog to be one of those that also rates "Mabushii Photograph" highly.

Shiori Tanimura -- Kimi no Tonari de（きみのとなりで）

2026-08-20T20:49:39.781-04:00

Looks like I have my second insert song for a Japanese TV show today following "Aventure wa Gorgeous ni"（アバンチュールはゴージャスに）...just by coincidence, I assure you.

I was doing my usual maintenance rounds yesterday when I came across the tribute article for Shinji Tanimura（谷村新司）after his passing on October 8th 2023. At the bottom of the article, I mentioned about the great balladeer's eldest daughter, Shiori Tanimura（谷村詩織）, who has also become a singer-songwriter like her father.

Not having posted anything about her thus far, I decided to search for some of her discography and happily, it didn't take me long to find a pleasant creation of hers. Back in 2011, there was a Fuji-TV comedy-drama called "Marumo no Okite"（マルモのおきて...Marumo's Rule） whose kiddie-friendly main theme song "Maru Maru Mori Mori!"（マル・マル・モリ・モリ!）became one of the catchiest tunes released that year. Well, an insert song for the program had been written and composed by Shiori called "Kimi no Tonari de" (By Your Side) . It's a laidback and more mature love song that has a hint of an old-fashioned pop arrangement, maybe even with a touch of country in there, to boot. I'm not sure if it had been ever released as an official single but perhaps it was included on any official soundtrack of the show.

ZZ Top -- Legs

2026-08-20T16:08:42.900-04:00

Starting off this week's Reminiscings of Youth on a sad note, I saw the news scroll yesterday state that Frank Beard, the drummer and founding member of the rock group ZZ Top, had passed away at the age of 77 on August 17th. My condolences to his family, friends and fans.

I wasn't a huge ZZ Top fan but there were a few songs that I remember during my youth in the 1980s. One especially was "Legs" which came out in 1984 and had one memorable video. Beard and his two main mates, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill in their iconic hats, sunglasses, long coats...and beards as they carried their furry guitars, acted as the scruffiest guardian archangels while their leggy and beautiful angels helped out a mousy young lady (and her admirer by association) somewhere in an American suburb to succeed over a lot of resistance. It was basically a contemporary rehashing of Cinderella and the classic tale of the bullied getting some revenge on the bullies. I saw the music video for the first time last night and remarked "Yep, that was some fashion back then!"

"Legs" was a song and video that held onto the charts and television screens for a very long time as I recall. I thought it was just a propulsive rock song but according to its Wikipedia article, it's got a lot of genre labels: blues rock, electronic rock, synth-pop, boogie rock, pop rock and new wave. But I'll stick with the rock label. The video itself won the 1984 MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video and the song managed to hit No. 9 on the Canadian charts while in America, it peaked at No. 8.

Since Wikipedia only gives the release year for "Legs", let's find out which two acts won Best New Artist honours in that year's Japan Record Awards.

Issei Fuubi Sepia -- Zenryaku, Michi no Ue Yori （前略、道の上より）

Koji Kikkawa -- Monica（モニカ）

Ritsuko Kazami -- Aventure wa Gorgeous ni（アバンチュールはゴージャスに）

2026-08-20T14:59:32.950-04:00

The above is a video put up by YouTuber atsu M which introduces a shot from the 1985 hardboiled series "Hokori no Houshuu"（誇りの報酬...The Reward of Pride） with Masatoshi Nakamura（中村雅俊） and Jinpachi Nezu（根津甚八）as two veteran detective sergeants. The music is what I assume to be the opening theme composed Yukihide Takekawa（タケカワユキヒデ）of the band Godiego（ゴダイゴ）.

A song that was neither used as an opening or closing theme but was played within one of the episodes of "Hokori no Houshuu" was Ritsuko Kazami's（風見りつ子）2nd single "Aventure wa Gorgeous ni" (A Gorgeous Adventure) which was released in December 1985. Considering Kazami's presence on this blog as a singer, it might be easy to forget that she was also an actress, but as it turns out, she never appeared on this particular series.

One thing about "Aventure wa Gorgeous ni" was that it has nothing to do with Kazami's 3rd single "Aventurier" (アヴァンチュリエ) which came out in the summer of the following year. And "Aventure wa Gorgeous ni" also stands out in that compared to at least some of the discography that has been noted on KKP thus far, it has more of a conventional pop feeling although it still retains Kazami's high and floaty vocals and that vibe of sophistication. Takekawa was also responsible for the melody while Ako Kunikida（国木田あこ）was the lyricist. I guess in a way, this particular song was typical of breezy yet introspective songs that became ending themes for Japanese cop shows in the 1980s.

Teresa Noda -- Yellow Moon（イエロームーン）

2026-08-19T15:38:06.270-04:00

About a month ago, I brought aboard Teresa Noda（テレサ野田）and her third and final single from 1979, "Tropical Love". She may not have had a long career under her stage name (her real name is Tamaki Saionji（西園寺環）) but she did bring an interesting mix of reggae and disco into this particular single.

The same folks behind "Tropical Love": lyricist Kazumi Yasui（安井かずみ）, composer Kazuhiko Kato（加藤和彦）and arranger Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）, were also responsible for the B-side, "Yellow Moon". This one still keeps things within that relaxing mixture of reggae and disco but the pacing is even more laidback and Noda's voicing is more intimate as if the setting were an intentionally isolated table in some breezy bar in Falsworth. However, from Yasui's lyrics, the relationship has gone kaput and those vocals, though remaining soft and pliable, throw out a rather solid message of rejection.

Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata -- Yoru to Asa no Aida ni（夜と朝のあいだに）

2026-08-19T14:26:22.948-04:00

During my years in Japan, I got to know most of the comedians and TV personalities who became familiar presences on the tube. They can be those who have that year of fame due to some particular quirk or turn-of-phrase before largely disappearing from show business or they can be ones who seem to be part of a permanent televised tapestry. Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata（池畑慎之介）is one that belongs to the latter category

The real name is something that I've only known about since I got back to Canada over a decade ago; back when I was still living in Ichikawa, I only knew them as Peter（ピーター）because that's how they were introduced each time. I only found out recently via the J-Wiki article on the entertainer that Ikehata got that nickname while they were working at a go-go dance club in Roppongi as a teenager. Their gender-ambiguous beauty had them compared to Peter Pan, and Ikehata adopted the first name as a stage name. However, I also found out that they repealed the name in 2019 and now usually goes by either their real name or Pii（ピー）.

My impression of Ikehata has basically been just through their appearances on television where they have always come across as so elegant and vivacious that I had wondered whether they had actually attended the Takarazuka Academy. To me, Ikehata strikes me as that wealthy good buddy who just loves to regale everybody with stories and shower them with presents. A fine friend, indeed.

As for their acting career, I gather that Ikehata was up for pretty much anything. They not only appeared on Akira Kurosawa's（黒澤明）"Ran"（乱）in 1985 but in 1986, they also portrayed the host and drag queen physician/torturer in the fourth entry of the notorious "Guinea Pig" series. Yes, that "Guinea Pig" series of absolute stomach-turning horror from the early 1980s that had Charlie Sheen call the FBI after seeing one of the grueling earlier entries. Evidently, the fourth entry, "Devil Woman Doctor", could be compared to "Jason X" in the "Friday the 13th" franchise in that both movies were approaching self-parodic comedy. I'm squeamish about horror but even the excerpt above from "Devil Woman Doctor" had me going just "Oh...OK, well then...".

Now, as for their singing career, I probably have heard Ikehata singing on television but those appearances were too far and few between for me to remember. But I was able to track down their debut single from October 1969 titled "Yoru to Asa no Aida ni" (Between The Night and The Morning). I figured from listening to them speak, they would have a great smoky voice for singing and indeed they do. With lyrics by the great Rei Nakanishi（なかにし礼）, the song was composed by Kunihiko Murai（村井邦彦）and arranged by Shunichi Makaino（馬飼野俊一）as something classy and jazzy that reminds me of Henry Mancini's works. It just seems to be the right song for Ikehata to begin their career with.

A couple of tidbits of trivia were gleaned from the article for "Yoru to Asa no Aida ni". One was that their catchphrase at the time of their debut was "The boy brought from the moon by Apollo". No pressure there. The second was that at the 1969 Japan Record Awards, Ikehata won Best New Artist for the song.

Masamichi Sugi -- Terra

2026-08-18T13:54:24.235-04:00

Not sure what's gotten singer-songwriter Masamichi Sugi（杉真理）so shocked on the cover of his May 1984 album "Mistone". Maybe he just saw the latest trailer for "Avengers Doomsday".

Anyways, I have here one of the tracks from "Mistone", "Terra". Y'know...I don't think I had ever heard a New Wave pop tune from Sugi (usually he tended toward the old-fashioned pop of the 1950s or 1960s) but here is one song that sounds just as if it really does belong to 1984. It's got that nice bouncy little synthpop rhythm to add to the singer's high-falutin' vocals. And there are also those certain nostalgic guitar chords of that decade.

m-flo loves RIP SLYME -- ARIGATTO

2026-08-18T11:23:22.435-04:00

Hard to believe but "Reservoir Dogs" is over 34 years old now. That iconic power walk with the robbers has probably been emulated all over the place, especially during Halloween. I should know...since some of my friends and I actually dressed up in black suits and strutted down one of the main streets of Toronto one October 31st. I should've exercised more.

Anyways, it wasn't just me and my buddies who got all "Reservoir Dogs" fashion-crazy. The two hip-hop groups m-flo and RIP SLYME got together (maybe for the first time?) in 2025 to record "ARIGATTO" and make a video where they all looked like snazzy-looking heist folks just dying to be recruited by Quentin Tarentino himself.

Released in September 2025 as a digital download single and as the most recent entry in the 2020s slate of the "m-flo loves" series, "ARIGATTO" is basically a rapping volley among the members of the two groups including Lisa, Verbal and Ilmari. The back-and-forth starts things off before a fun and funky 70s melody joins the heist and heck the guys even have a grand old time singing away over the supposed victim in the trunk.

I remember the "m-flo loves" series which came out in the early-mid-2000s with Verbal and the gang collaborating with singers such as melody. & Ryohei, so it was nice to hear that m-flo came back with the concept during the early 2020s. This single managed to reach No. 17 on Oricon.

Katsuko Kanai -- Noche de Tokyo（ノーチェデ・東京）

2026-08-17T15:09:13.290-04:00

I was scrolling through the J-Wiki article showing the music of 1965, the year of my birth, and I encountered a familiar name: Katsuko Kanai（金井克子）. I've known her mostly for her 31st single and a 1973 hit titled "Tanin no Kankei"（他人の関係）, a snazzy Mood Kayo with some distinct choreography.

However, getting back to 1965, Kanai released her 10th single back in May of that year. "Noche de Tokyo" (A Night in Tokyo) is also plenty classy as this Latin kayo which brings old-fashioned images of Ginza or Akasaka nightclubs and bartenders shaking cocktails. And right in the middle of one particular club is Kanai herself lovingly delivering this old-time song. Yasuteru Miura（三浦康照）was the lyricist here while Kanae Wada（和田香苗）took care of the melody. The song won the Best Arrangement prize at the Japan Record Awards at the end of 1965 when they were handed out on Christmas Day.

Gamu -- Kanashikute/Yume de Aitai kara（悲しくて・夢で逢いたいから）

2026-08-17T14:43:42.843-04:00

When it comes to the folk duo Gamu（雅夢）, most listeners of Japanese pop music of the past will quickly recollect their debut single and biggest hit, the wistful "Ai wa Kagero"（愛はかげろう）from September 1980.

Well, vocalist and songwriter Kazuto Miura（三浦和人）went really dramatic with his group's 2nd single "Kanashikute" (I'm Sad/I Miss You) from February 1981. Man, starting with that epic pipe organ, it almost sounded like a particularly mournful take on Albinoni's "Adagio in G Minor". What has just been wrought here, I initially thought. Mind you, the folk ballad quickly simmers down to a melancholy piece about being alone after a breakup with the home that used to be for two now an emptier space for one. Nope, I really don't think this will be played at any wedding receptions.

I figured that for an A-side so almost overwhelmingly sad, the B-side has just got to be a whole lot more optimistic for balance's sake. And sure enough, although there is some of that romantic ache in "Yume de Aitai kara" (Because I Want to See You in My Dreams), there is also more hope in this tenderhearted tune. Miura and songwriter Haruaki Kato（夏冬春秋）co-wrote the lyrics while Miura took care of the languid melody.

Those Sad and Lonely Tunes

2026-08-16T14:42:43.574-04:00

It was just this morning when I saw commenter Brian Mitchell noticing that there were indeed a lot of songs in Japan with the word kanashii（悲しい）or kanashimi（悲しみ）or some variant. They refer to sadness or loneliness and it would fit in with the kayo kyoku tendency to bring up a lot of sad stories within the lyrics albeit the music supporting them has often been quite cheerful. Well, I've opted to show off an Author's Picks (not complete by any means) of these songs which are mostly upbeat except for one. I refused though to post a thumbnail of a sad face...I went with something more symbolic, namely a Wikimedia Commons photo by User Kenlin of someone pouring some sake for someone having the blues.

(1966) Hibari Misora -- Kanashii Sake （悲しい酒）

(1983) Anri -- Kanashimi ga Tomaranai (悲しみがとまらない）

(1984) Checkers -- Kanashikute Jealousy （哀しくてジェラシー）

(1985) Anzen Chitai -- Kanashimi ni Sayonara（悲しみにさよなら)

(1987) Keisuke Kuwata -- Kanashii Kimochi （悲しい気持ち）