Top 5 Japanese Pop Songs (Notes from Under the Tatami Mats–65 … My Adventures in Japan)

This music is way out there. It’s unique, weird, surrealistic, transcendent, and sublime. Ultimately, it’s "dreampop."

“Ue o Mite Aruko” 

This song is a classic that became popular even in the West in the early 1960s. Even though the lyrics express the frustration of protesting the presence in Japan of the US armed forces, the song reached the top of the US Billboard charts.

Interesting note – Because nobody in the West would understand the Japanese song title, it was changed to The Sukiyaki Song when it was released in the US. The song has nothing whatsoever to do with sukiyaki.    _{(Image source)}

     
Kyu Sakamoto – "Ue o Mite Aruko"  _{(Right-click on title to hear song on YouTube)}

“17-sai” 

This is a simple, catchy, and very lively pop song (albeit a rather brainless one).

It was so catchy that it became an oft-sung favorite in karaoke rooms from Sapporo to Osaka and beyond. (Singer unidentified, to protect the guilty. But whenever this vid plays, you can recognize him by the smile on his face.)     _{(Image source)}

     
Chisato Moritaka – "17 Sai"  _{(Right-click on title to hear song on YouTube)}

“Rinda, Rinda” 

This is a fast, loud, energetic punk-pop song that is pure fun. Nothing more needed.     _{(Image source)}

     
The Blue Hearts – "Rinda, Rinda"  _{(Right-click on title to hear song on YouTube)}

“Walking in the Rhythm”

The dub version of the Fishmans' classic song “Walking in the Rhythm”  is truly unorthodox. It’s rhythmic, hypnotic, and ultra funky, with weird organ and violin backing.

Eminently listenable, and even danceable.    _{(Image source)}

     
Fishmans – "Walking in the Rhythm"  _{(Right-click on title to hear song on YouTube)}

“Long Season”

Before I’d ever heard any Fishmans music, I read a review of “Long Season” in an Osaka mag that said this album was “way out there.” It seemed intriguing, so I picked up the album.    

It truly is way, way, way out there. It’s unique, weird, surrealistic, transcendent, and sublime. It’s not exactly pop, I guess, but it’s otherwise uncategorizable. Maybe the best categorization I've ever heard of Fishmans music, particularly the 2 tracks listed here, is "dreampop."  

Fishmans – "Long Season"  _{(Right-click on title to hear song on YouTube)}

   Introduction to – “Notes from Under the Tatami Mats”  _{(right-click on title)}

Top 4 Over-Sung, Over-Rated, and Over-Rotated (in Japan) '70s Pop Songs

Top 3 Enka Songs (Japanese Blues)

Top 4 Alternative, Trad-Rad Music

... and more

Links to my Other Series …

      Introduction – "Intro to Vocab-ability"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Guide – "Guide to Entries"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Index– "Index" to all Chapters and Sections   _{(right-click on title)}

      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"   _{(right-click on title)
Images sourced from Google Images, unless otherwise indicated or unless my own.}