Society

Boom Music From 1980s Japan Goes Viral Around The Globe

Feb 23 (ndtv.com) - From its origins in niche online music circles, the revival was amplified by YouTube's algorithm, which detects when a song is being liked and shared and recommends it worldwide.

Tel Liyanto wasn't alive during Japan's 1980s boom, but she loves the "timeless" City Pop hits of the era, now going viral thanks to a new generation of young, international fans.

The glamorous soundtrack that accompanied the country's economic miracle is exploding in popularity decades after its upbeat synths, influenced by soft rock, boogie and soul, first hit the airwaves.

The retro genre is so hot that Canadian star The Weeknd sampled the 1983 track "Midnight Pretenders" on his latest release, and record companies are racing to reissue long-forgotten City Pop vinyl.

"It's like disco: a nostalgic sound, but also modern," said Liyanto, a 27-year-old from Indonesia who works for a creative agency, as she danced to City Pop in a Tokyo bar.

"I listen to it when I'm dancing, I listen to it when I'm chilling," she told AFP.

From its origins in niche online music circles, the revival was amplified by YouTube's algorithm, which detects when a song is being liked and shared and recommends it worldwide.

The most popular tracks, like Mariya Takeuchi's "Plastic Love", have tens of millions of views on YouTube. ...continue reading

New Shinkansen Reservation Service Lets Users Book in One Minute

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

Father Claimed Son Was Missing Before Disappearance

A 37-year-old father arrested over the alleged abandonment of his son's body in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture may have contacted associates to say the child had gone missing before the boy's school informed the family, investigators said.

Bear Found in Bushes in Central Sendai Finally Culled

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

Father Admits Killing and Body Abandonment in Kyoto

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

Strong Typhoon Raises High Surf Risk for Pacific Areas of Japan This Weekend

A large and powerful Typhoon No. 4, internationally named Sinlaku, was located near the Mariana Islands and moving north-northeast as of the latest update. The storm is expected to gradually shift its course eastward and pass southeast of the Ogasawara Islands around April 18, before making its closest approach around April 19.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

One Dead in Yakuza Office Fire in Okinawa

A fire broke out at a four-story apartment building in Okinawa City in the early hours of April 19th, leaving one person dead, with authorities suspecting the victim may be a man in his 70s who served as chairman of a local crime group.

Osaka University Student Arrested for Recruitng 'Dark' Workers

A 20-year-old university student has been arrested on suspicion of breaking into an apartment in Osaka and stealing cash, with police believing he played a key role in recruiting minors for illegal work schemes.

Spring Garden Party Highlights Shrinking Imperial Family

The annual spring garden party, held at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, has once again drawn attention to a pressing issue facing Japan's Imperial Household: how to maintain the number of family members as it continues to decline whenever female royals marry.

Why Japan Has Such a Unique Sexual Culture

Japan is often viewed abroad as a country with an unusually visible sexual culture, shaped by adult videos, erotic manga and a wide range of related subcultures. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Father Who Maintained Innocence Dies in Prison

The family of a man granted a retrial over a robbery-murder case in Shiga Prefecture has called for revisions to Japan's retrial system, saying he was wrongfully arrested despite having an alibi.

Voyeurism Ringleader Sentenced to 2.5 Years Prison

A former elementary school teacher who managed an online group of educators involved in covert filming and image sharing has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison, in a case that has also raised concerns at universities training future teachers.

Illegal Poppy Found in Fukuoka Flower Park

A species of poppy containing narcotic compounds was found earlier this week standing alone among about one million nemophila flowers in full bloom at Uminonakamichi Seaside Park in Fukuoka City.

13 Japanese Men Arrested Over Fake Police Scam

Thirteen Japanese men detained last month at a fraud base near Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, were transferred to Japan on Thursday and arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of fraud. It marks the first time Japanese nationals have been apprehended in a special fraud case operating out of Indonesia.

< 2 3 4 5 >