Japan Music
Japan used to have good music in the past. Yazawa Eikichi 矢沢永吉 is the last real Japanese music icon. He is like James Brown mixed with Elvis in Japan. I’ve been to several of his concerts and I enjoyed myself each time.
Unfortunately besides Ei-chan, Japanese music sucks. Jpop is horrible trash for silly (not sexy) Japanese girls and Japanophiles. Japanese rap is pretty bad but at least some of the girls who listen to it are hot. Some really, really underground Japanese rap is tolerable. Japanese reggae used to be decent but now it’s all cheap dancehall imitation crap. Enka is like Japanese country folk music. I’m not into it, but the other Black Japan Man, Jero, is very popular. I have my own theories about why Jero is so popular and of course I won’t share them.
Besides Yazawa Eikichi and enka, Japanese music is too cutesy, outdated, and childish. Almost every Jpop song sounds like some shit from the 80s. I thought Japanese rap would have matured by now but since American hip hop sucks maybe Japanese rappers ran out of material to play with. Many Japanese people are really into Jpop idols like Koda Kumi, Namie Amuro, and Crystal Kay because they either look cute or are cultural taboos (Crystal Kay is black and Korean…the ultimate taboo in Japan) Utada Hikaru is ultra talented and quite possibly the only Japanese girl I would be satisfied with besides Nonami Takizawa. She’s not taboo or cutesy so Japanese people are forced to recognize her talent.
Japanese music has a few gems here and there. I am biased because I love 80s-90s New York hip hop music. jazz, some reggae, and a few old rock songs. I like the oldies but I think I know good music. What do you think about Japanese music? Does it suck or does it rock and why?
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I know what you’re saying, but I think you have to take Japanese music on its own merit without comparing it to the West. There is a definite J-pop sound, which Japan has created itself. You may not like it, but you have to give it props.
As for Jero, as another gaijin who sings enka, (I know Jero is one-quarter Japanese, though), I can appreciate his singing talent and his feeling for enka. His persona is a brilliant marketing strategy. More power to him. He sings with passion, which is what all enka singers must do. 
—Wendy
http://www.WendyNelsonTokunaga.com
I thought I covered the few Japanese muscians who deserved my approval. What is wrong with comparing Japanese music to Western music? Without comparison there is no way we can examine the similarities and differences. At least Japanese music is somewhat worthy of comparison or I wouldn’t have mentioned it.
Most japanese sucks, but thats just most. I haven’t heard that many bands but Maximum hormone and The Pillows are nice and sound pretty good.
japanese music does have its ownsound to it, but in the end they’re just trying to copy american music. The japanese (musicians) should go back to the music in thier culter and go from there. ^_^
Go Black Japan Man!!
I’ve heard about the The Pillows as well. They are one of the few Japanese bands that are too good for even Japanese people to ignore.
I agree that they need to focus on their own culture and start experimenting with enka (the other Black Japan Man is on that)or Japanese instruments. It’s ok for them to copy foreign musical themes, but if they don’t understand why something works, they will never get it right.