Ayumi Hamasaki

Description:

This website takes us through the life of Ayumi Hamasaki. In detail, it covers all aspects of her childhood, to her career and to how it has affected the Japanese Music industry all together. Ayumi Hamasaki has done several things to change the way music will be viewed forever. Her consistent change of appearance had much to do with the rise of her popularity and her trends have spread throughout Japan. She has a number of top selling records and is viewed as one of the most popular music artists today.

Evaluation:

This website displays a ton of information on Ayumi Hamasaki and if you are looking to know more about her this is a great site to find material. “Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan.” This website may also be for anyone who enjoys the pop music style considering she is well known in that genre.

MLA:

"Ayumi Hamasaki." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 2 Dec. 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2011.

Overview of the Japanese traditional instrument, Koto

Description:

The website, Koto World, presents an in-depth synopsis on the national instrument of Japan (Falconer 1). Elizabeth Falconer’s website gives a thorough explanation on everything about the traditional Japanese instrument, the Koto. It discusses how the Koto is made, the history behind it, basic fundamentals of how it’s played, and what famous artists have performed with this instrument giving the traditional Japanese feel. Many people say the sound of the Koto “brings to mind the simple yet elegant beauty of traditional Japan” (1).

Evaluation:

This website is informative for anyone who would like to be familiar with Japans national instrument. The website offers an organized background on the Koto and will be beneficial to any reader. “The blind composer, innovator and performer Miyagi Michio (1894-1956) was the first Japanese composer to combine…Western and traditional koto music.” Koto World will reveal musical figures such as Miyagi Michio, who was responsible in keeping the Koto unforgotten, and Sawai Tadao who also kept the Koto’s tradition alive today (Falconer 1).

MLA:

Falconer, Elizabeth. "About the Japanese Koto." Koto World. Web. 09 Dec. 2011.

Japanese Rock and Pop summer festivals

Description:

In the news article, Rock and pop: The A, B, C's ofJ-music, Mark Jarnes discusses a number of summer music festivals held throughout several prefectures of Japan. The Peaceful Love Rock Festival starts off the month of July with styles such as indie and old fashioned rock and roll. Throughout the rest of July and August, for the short amount of time summer holds, as many shows as possible were given presenting the Japanese rock style. Rock in Japan is a very interesting festival because of the various musical genres it covers. J-pop, J-rock, and numerous others styles of J-Music were presented in this festival including bands, 9mm Parabellum Bullet, and Auto-Tune sensation Perfume who have completely different styles (Jarnes 1).

Evaluation:

For the Rock in Japan festival Jarnes declares, “…this festival is for those who want to get completely up to date with the local music scene in three days of J-bliss"(Jarnes 1). This may be an article for one who would be interested in attending the festivals, or may just be fascinated in forms of J-music. Jarnes article is very informational due to detailed descriptions containing dates and locations of all the summer festivals. 

Japan Music Week festival focuses on new performers

Description:

In the news article, Music fest spotlights new acts, Monica Tandung discusses one of Japans biggest musical events. It was the third year Japan Music Week has been presented throughout Japan’s capital, Tokyo. This international music event that had occurred on November 4^th through the 13^th opens the opportunity for many diverse  countries’ music styles to be heard. Japan Music Week’s underlying theme is “One Music, One World,” and these 500 performers all displayed this  motto with the various music styles played at 40  performances given.  JNW had its focus on new talent being discovered which in most cases are bands or artists who performed at gigs throughout the city (Tandung 1). This event’s turnout was great this year along with the past two years because of the amount of performers and the enormous audience that crowded the streets of Tokyo.

Evaluation:

This article may not be for someone looking for a large amount of information on Japanese music itself, but for those who would like a short description on Japan Music Week. This article is brief, but to the point. For anyone who would consider attending next year this article may be useful. “To attend the event, music fans can either purchase a JMW wristband from their website or buy tickets directly from vendors" (Tandung 1).It further discusses the details including the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing tickets or wristbands. 

MLA:

Tandung, Monica. "Music Fest Spotlights New Acts | The Japan Times Online." The Japan Times Online: News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More. The Japan Times Online, 04 Nov. 2011. Web. 06 Dec. 2011.

New Years in Japan brings back the traditional music. It is usually ignored all year but during this time interest increases from the spirit of the holiday.

Description:

In the article, Japanese Music gets support from theNew Year’s tradition,  Christopher  Y. Blasdel  refers to Japans traditional music and how it plays a great deal of importance to their culture.  During the holidays Japans traditional music suddenly seems to reappear and is constantly being listened to at that time. The New Year brings the traditional music to TV, radio, and stage. Several performances are given some of by Japans top artists including Oedo Sukeroku Taiko and Takeharu Kunimoto. Blasdel states, “…New Year holidays might remain somewhat formal, media in Japan has become an important aspect of the traditional performing arts” (1).  This means that this Japanese traditional music being performed through TV, Radio, commercials, and concerts are important to the media.

Evaluation:

This article might be an interesting one for someone who is currently living Japan, someone who is Japanese, or ones who enjoy educating themselves about the Japanese traditional music culture. It would be greatly appreciated by one who does not know about the tradition Japan conveys about music. You don’t have to enjoy the music itself but becoming knowledgeable about the tradition itself and the performances given is very interesting.

MLA:

Blasdel, Christopher. "Japanese Music Gets Support from New Year’s Tradition." The Japan Times 6 Jan. 2001. Print.

Although the appearance of metamorphose is bringing more choice to this upcoming Japan music festival, this new music arrival is not over taking earlier Japanese acts.

Description:

In the article, Rave faves Dub Squad to reunite for festival written by Jeff Hammond, Metamorphose is being welcomed into the music industry with open arms. It’s been just ten short years that this new music style has come about. Events like the Japan music festival, taking place this 2011 summer are willingly presenting this style for a wider variety of music for this outdoor concert. This group “Dub Squad” is reuniting for this festival, joining older Japanese acts with no intention of becoming any bigger then original artists.

Evaluation:

People who love music and new styles would highly enjoy this articles insight. As music tastes are very opinionated, it would be just as easy for them to lose interest with the mention of one music style that is personally disliked by the reader. Articles as this one written by Jeff Hammond keeps readers up to date with new styles and information that leaves them coming back for more. The music industry is much like high school apparel. Clothing styles change every day and people love knowing what’s hot in fashion as they do with the music business.

MLA:

Hammond, Jeff. "Rave Faves Dub Squad to Reunite for Festival." The Japan Times Online: News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More. 01 Sept. 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2011.

In Japan, not only do they worship "human" pop stars, apparently they love "animated" pop stars too, even if they weren't aware of it.

Description:

 In the article The not-so-perfect pop princess: How Japanese music producers fooled thousands of fans with computerised singer by RICK DEWSBURY, Aimi Eguchi, one of Japan's beloved and perfect pop stars, wasn't as she appeared. Music producers created her on the computer and fooled the Japanese public. The best features of six members of the band AKB48 were used to dream up the perfect 16 year old female pop star and an actor's voice was used with the magic auto-tuning to turn her into a singing sensation. They created a false background including her likes and hobbies and where she was from. No one knows how long this hoax would have gone on for had it not been for the fan's suspicions.

Evaluation:

 People who would enjoy this article may be ones that live in Japan and love pop music. On the other hand, it may really make them upset if they were fans of the fake pop princess. Articles like this one sheds light on how an entire public can be duped into thinking and believing what is being put out there to them. It can create distrust in people of power in the music industry and other industries as well.

MLA:

 Dewsbury, Rick. "The Not-so-perfect Pop Princess: How Japanese Music Producers Fooled Thousands of Fans with Computerized Singer." Home | Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 24 June 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2011.