Japanese Rock Music - New American Rock Music?
[ ☆: | here and now and with kami ]
[ ♥: |
working ]
[ ♬: | melotron ~ maschinen aus stahl ]
Japanese Rock Music - New American Rock Music
Why the Japanese Revolution does not work in the USA
& Cultural Aspects gone wrong
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. JRock developement
III. Close to Culture, Far Away from Conforms - JRock in Japan
Styles
Lyrics and Music
Fandom
IV. Far away From Home, Close to Commerce - JRock Overseas
Styles
Lyrics and Music
Fandom
V. Conclusion
VI. Works Cited
FOOTNOTES
I. Introduction
Recently, Japanese rock music, short JRock, is, as, a result of the globalisation and the internet, not only available out of Asia, but it has achieved a fixed place in the subcultures of (North)America and Europe. Besides the gothic- and the punkscene JRock has appeared with its visual kei style and has even made way for new, different subscenes/cultures, especially the Emo-scene. Along with the music and the styles not only melodies and clothing are imported into other countries but also views and images of the other, the Japanese culture. And those views differ often very much from what is reality in Japan itself. Judged subjectively by people who claim Japan as the land of games, cool freaks and neon signs JRock loses many of the eminent aspects which make this kind of music and style so very important for Japan's youth - most fundamental, the aspect of revolution - although they pretend not to do so. But it becomes obvious under a closer investigation.
Japanese culture, as a culture of visualities, of signs, becomes not background of but backdrop for a commercial campaign. A way to transport Western ideas. To be hip, trendy and cool with Eastern fashion in the West. To quote Gwen Stefani's song Harajuku Girls:
Harajuku Girls you got the wicked style
I like the way that you are, I am your biggest fan
The real ideas of Jrock lose themselves on the way from Harajuku, Tokyo to the other places in the world. This is not only a disturbing fact and gives a view on how Western marketing strategies have learned to make profit even from (“revolting“) subcultures by turning them into a (“tamed“) mass product but it becomes dangerous if cultural facts are completely interpreted wrong and spread from consumer to consumer, creating wrong stereotypes of Japan and Japanese people, in this case especially the Japanese youth.
In the following I will have a closer look of the influences of both, Japanese and Amercian Jrock culture, and show the influences and misinterpretations on each other. It will become obvious what has been changed and for what reasons - and why a Japanese teenager revolution can not work in the Western world. Therefore I will start with an explanation of JRock, visual kei and its history, followed by a closer look on the Japanese/American JRock conception and afterwards re-read those information under the aspects of Orientalism, globalisation and cultural (mis)interpretation.
II. JRock and its history
Thinking about Japan, contrasts come to the minds of most people. Huge cities and the sight of the beautiful, almost holy, Fuji-san. High technology and old religion. A strict way of living in a land which invents, and plays, the most video games in the world. All this contrasts, I say, are so deeply connected that one thing won't work without another, like the success of the industry not without the pattern of discipline from the time of the samurai. And so it is no wonder, that JRock, too, is based in those kind of conflicts, and, even more, makes use of them.
The first rock group to play in Japan on the June 30 1966 were the Beatles. They played in the sold out Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, a martial art hall built to honor Japan's war dead. That way, the Beatles had as many fans as people who protested against a
[...] group of shaggy-haired British hippies [...]
(j-inc, p.1)
who violated so impertinently (and most likely unknowingly) reverend Japanese traditions. That the Beatles played in front of 30,000 auditors showed that Japans population, after the imperialist dictatorship, was now willing to absorb more of “the West“ while the protesters showed how much old values were still appreciated. While the Japanese population permitted with its unquestioning submission its involvements in World War II, the time of recovery brought a renewal of popular interest in Western (pop)culture. The Beatles with their appearance, their loudness and their style impressed the Japanese as much as they scared them. But, most important now, it brought changes to Japanese music both, in business and consuming.
The audience loved rock and it didn't take too long until the first Japanese rock bands appeared. Group Sounds'1 image-friendly bands were followed by the '70s rock. Those, like THE ALFEE or Sheena & The Rokkets, who, like popstars controlled by a strict management, covered not only songs but also style of Western bands, laid the foundation for JRock. In the early '80s the first underground bands took hold in music business. Boowy, Shonen Knife or Buck Tick managed themselves and were that way able to make their own decisions. Thus there were no conformity limits of make-up, clothing or hairstyle anymore. And they succeeded. Boowy sold out 95,000 tickets in ten minutes in 1988, while Buck Tick went major. So when X Japan appeared on stage in 1989 they could expect that there was a marked for them. Most successful2 they were, though visually influenced by glamrock, able not only to create but to transport a new, an own style to the masses of fans. From this point on people started not only to consume anymore but to create and live rock. Here lie the roots of visual kei3 which, with its heavily costumed protagonists, could not been outdated till now, although western bands were/are already into sounds and styles like grunge and new metal. On the contrary: visual kei started to develop itself.4 This shows that from this point on Japan was not in need to copy anymore.
Japanese mainstream media such as TV and the game industry was (and still is) connected to JRock. After X Japan many bands got popular by making the opening themes for anime series, computer games or even by being the pattern for the game's heros5. Twenty-five years after the Beatles Japanese rock had an own image to spread and could now absorb again what the West offered without losing the own identity.
With the year 2000 JRock crossed the boarders to the West again but this time not to adapt but to perform. Shonen Knife has toured with Nirvana, other bands got reviews in the UK or did mini-tours in the USA, helped by the great interest of the West in Japanese (pop)culture, which was spread by the booming anime and manga culture, its soundtracks and mostly the internet. The style, visual kei, helped to make way for the fans of the series who liked to listen to music from artists optically resembling their TV heroes. Conventions like the Otacon in Baltimore offered the opportunity to buy those foreign records and listen to Japanese rock live. Todays globalisation has speed up the process. Downloadable PV6s and interviews are translated by fans for fans as it was already done with the anime fansubs7 and many bands tour all over the world, including countries like Poland or Russia. Still this cosmopolitanism does not mean a loss of a pure Japanese identity. JRock has never been so independent and self confident as nowadays. Songwriters as Gackt show the possibilities and the beauty of the Japanese language and writing8. Bands like Onmyouza or Kaggra, show their close connection to ancient Japan with their clothing and their use of traditional instruments like koto or taiko drums. Rock in Japan has developed. It has been adapted, and then, changed to Japanese needs. And now it, as a completely (re)new(ed) product is resold to the world. Japan was catalyst, not for others, and this seems to be a formula for success.
The need to be different in Japan is great and such the need for innovation and differences is always around. Especially in case of rock, who rebells against conventions and repressive social systems it is important not to become part of the system. This, regarding what is commonly known about Japan and its culture, auch extreme rock concepts like JRock and visual kei should not work. But, as said in the beginning, Japan is a land of contrasts which are not possible without each other. JRock is in need of traditions and social structures to work as it works in Japan. The rest of the world, and the adaption of JRock there, are different. We are going to have a closer look at both to see two completely different mentalities of one and the same thing.
III. Close to culture, far away from conforms - JRock in Japan
Visual kei style is, as implicated in the term itself, very important for Japanese rock music. Different from e.g. the gothic scene visual kei does not seem to follow any fixed dress-or color code or brand but combines many different elements from different sources, alienates them, with the aim to outstand from the masses. That way gothic lolitas9 (which are men, despite of the mistakable appellation) are as well visual kei as decoras10 or eroguro keis11. The countless existing, and mostly even undistinguishable, substyles are never fixed. They can change or split up in even more sub-assembly groups depending on mood and caprice of the bands. That way artists like Gackt Camui started as hard core gothic aristocrat and finally changed over eroguro kei to a popidol. This might arouse the question what makes visual kei (and therefore JRock) a fixable group and label?
Having a closer look it becomes obvious that all styles share certain similarities which are based in one and the same historical background: the kabuki theatre and tradition. Looking at every JRock band we will find that at least one member of the band looks very feminin or crossdresses on stage and in interviews. This is, in Western countries, in most cases associated with homosexuality or transsexuality, aroused from a lack of knowledge in Japanese culture. Visual kei serves itself from the rich palette of Japanese tradition. Androgyny or femininity, as an ideal of beauty, is also found in kabuki, were men play the roles of women. Furthermore many bands dress as oni or wear traditional clothing on stage. Even the very European looking eroguro kei often uses make-up styles to represent the traditional devil type from old theatre plays. Of cause visual kei does not make use of those elements to be social conform - on the contrary: they exaggerate them to provoke and show that individuality is possible even on a Japanese traditional background..
Very free in style and music, which can differ from power metal to poprock the lyrics cover vaste range of themes which, interestingly share great similarities in the way they are written and in what they transport to the audience. No matter if its in a funny, macabre or poetic way, JRock is direct in regard to its topics, speaking in most cases openly about suicide, sex and social problems, and provokes to make the listeners show their feelings very open, whether those are love, hate or worry. In Japan, where it is still important to keep face and [...] showing feelings in public is neither common nor desired. Furthermore most artists embed terms from other languages into their songs, may it be English, French, German or Russian. Again we can find a connection between traditional Japanese culture - here poetry, in the way of writing, choice of words or schemes like those of haiku - and the ambition to open to the world and therefore to others. It is both, keeping up traditions and accepting and living a new and less strict way of live.
Thus the fans of JRock, mostly girls, are not rare, but special. By this variety of styles in both, clothing and music there does not seem to be a fixed ideology but this is wrong. It just clarifies that JRock must have a different appeal than belonging to a homogeneous of like-minded people sharing the same musical interests like it is in other scenes. On the background of strict regimentations in school, apprenticeship and business individuality individuality is limited to the spare time of the people. Where school uniforms and dresscodes constrict the visual kei style breaks all limits and is that way, used for cosplay12 or, by the huge amount of varieties and possibilities, even asks the fans to design own costumes and dresses. The more exceeding the ideas, the better. But the most important aspect in this respect is that the majority of Japanese JRock fans, who rebel against the mass-society, lives two lives. For success in society they are in need to change from outstanding paradise birds back to the social conform schoolboy or girl from next door every day - back to a part of the mass. This clarifies the need for a kind of revolution for individuality especially among the teenagers who are in need to use the short time they have before they are definitely forced into a form wich has to function all day long. Of cause the Japanese industry has already reacted and that way fashion labels offer accessoires and clothing but it is still limited to certain parts of live, time and space: leisure, teenagehood and places like Harajuku, Tokyo.
IV. Far away from home, close to commerce - JRock overseas
As well as in Japan JRock and visual kei gained success among young people in America and Europe. Transported by Anime and Manga the popularity of music and style grew during the last seven years enormously but different to its Japanese pendant. Of cause all different varieties of visual kei have found their way overseas. Its possible to find Gothic Lolitas in the streets of New York as well as in Tokyo, or to meet a decora in a German subway but different to Japan the ideology differentiates from visual kei type to visual kei type. So it seems that here visual kei, from a heterogeneous group has split up into different, homogeneous scenes as it can be found in gothic and punk. Furthermore is the way of clothing directly connected to a certain band and music, again, distancing internally from each other in what should normally be one and the same scene as discussed before. Interestingly, elements of visual kei style have found their way into other scenes connected to independent music. The emo scene serves itself from the huge variety of clothing style and absorbs parts of visual kei elements without alienating them, denying a connection to JRock and Japan13.
Something near that can be found in the consumption of the music and especially the lyrics. Depending on the fact that most of the songs are written entirely in Japanese it is obvious that the average American listener is not able to understand the lyrics or, even with a quite proper translation from the internet, gets all the possible interpretations which lie in the rhyme sceme or the choice of special kanji. Thus, artistic aspects get lost and the song is reduced to its melody, sound and exotic language. This is the same as it happened to Japanese horror movies like The Grudge. Here the shocking effects which are based on Japanese tradition disappear for the American audience because they can, without a certain background knowledge, not be understood.
Now one might argue that fans of Japanese rock music would inform themselves about the country and the background of at least their favourite band but regarding the JRock scene overseas the contrary seems to become obvious. For many fans Japan is, as maybe transmitted in manga and anime, a land of never ending games and party. Based on what Japan exports in media they create their own picture of the country without asking for the details (e.g. the hard work) behind it. Because of the limited knowledge about the country the everyday life is completely disregarded. This does not only include the fact that to study and later work in Japan can be very hard but also the whole mentality. Japanese culture is different to ours not only in religion, theatre or language. So it is still a common value that you are in need to endure a hard time before you are ale to satisfy on what you have achieved. This enduring is what almost every Japanese teenager suffers from - and what he fights against. Something American teenagers are almost free of.
But still there seems to be the thought of a revolution against society. Even here the fans show with their extravagant clothing and style that they are different. But, and that is the operative point, they do so every day and every time they want. Much less limited by prescriptions in school and having the luck of a much less traditional and more tolerant society JRock fans overseas do not share the same aims of revolution by revolting against their parents and teachers, simply because they do not need the freedom to dress as they want - they already have it. The thought to rebel wears off against the fact that there are no things to rebel against like in Japan. But instead of searching for grievances which are really worth to fight against the concept of revolting against a strict system, which does not even exist like that here, the problem, as is simply copied to the own society. What seems missing is a collective goal as it can be seen in Japan. The urge is not the one for individuality and does not arouse out of pressure from society. Here we find a competition to be recognized in a mass in which almost everything is already tolerated. To be recognized were almost everything is allowed you need to be very special and very new. Of cause this could also be called a rebellion for individuality but with the difference that this rebellion is a rebellion for an already existing individual - like what Japanese teenagers are still fighting for.
But this is not the only problem to occur. Coined by the Western view of feminin men wich is in most cases connected to homosexuality and supported by anime and manga and the very androgyn look of the characters especially in yaoi it has become common for fans to see the JRockers as at least bisexuals. On the internet fanfictions14 can be found in which sexual relationships between the different members of bands is described in a very explicit way or theories who is allied with whom now. Of cause JRockers provoke even on stage by sharing kisses and hugs but this, called fanservice, is nothing more than part of the show as it is in kabuki theatres, and not, as seen by fans, reality. That way homo- or bisexuality has become some kind of fashion item for overseas JRock fans, an accessoire like that can come out of fashion as fast as the music can. Here again it is obvious to see that the Japanese background is completely disregarded, yet, completely unknown.
V. Conclusion
Finally I would like to conclude all the collected facts regarding theories of difference, orientalism, globalisation and cultural (mis)interpretation. Regarding JRock, many aspects have been changed on the way it took to overseas. The reason for this changes lies not in the ignorance against other cultures but is embedded deeper in our Western society. Transporting clichés like femininity and homosexuality on every feminine man is a result of our deep rooted urge to orientalise everything non Western. To create a JRock orient out from our omniscient Western world view brings us many vantages in understanding and ordering our Western world. But, and that is what is often forgotten, it is just our small limited Western view on the things we simply do not understand with our limited knowledge of everything beyond our Western borders. Everything outside is the different other. But even the West is suffering from an ambivalence of difference. Thus, positive aspects - as the constitution of meaning by difference and its necessity for the formation of language and culture and identity out of difference - are evoked by tis term as well as negative ones. Difference can be threatening and scaring, arousing hostility and aggression towards the other by misunderstanding. So it is just to expect that we try to make others acceptable by neutralizing differences. This is what happens to the Japanese ideal of feminine beauty in kabuki and therefore in JRock. Unable to understand the difference between show and reality which is obvious to almost every Japanese auditor, overseas fans try to make understandable what they see on stage and interpret it, wrong, as homosexuality. Combined with the image of the exotic boy in a girls dress who, on Japanese rock stages, is there to provoke with exaggerated stage traditions to show a kind of rebellion against old values this depiction supports certain stereotypes discussed in the discourse of Orientalism. It is a matter of Western interpretation what we see in those Eastern musicians.
Basically JRock in Japan and JRock overseas share similarities and patterns. There is the need to stand out of society because of a social pressure. On the one hand it is the pressure against denying an own identity. On the other the pressure to be noticed as special in a society were every one is already individual. Both movements take its base in the Japanese rock movement and therefore share a similar background but the ways of both differs very much from one another. Certain aspects needed to change not only to be understood as mentioned above but to fit the needs of the overseas audience (as Japan did it with rock years ago). This does not affect the music itself but more the industry around it. Where JRock is still a large independent scene in Japan it has become mainstream suitable overseas. Not only that other scenes and band adapt elements of JRock, it is now possible to buy fitting clothing and accessoires at almost every fashion store.
This leads me directly to the depiction of Japan and Japanese people via the overseas JRock scene. Representing Japan as a land of musical and stylistic glory and the visual kei look as what is hip and trendy. Others, who start to see the difference between American rock and Japanese rock, interpret this styling as freaky, crazy, strange and, with a special look on the kawaii culture, as childish, transferring it to the whole Japanese culture, again, disregarding even those cultural facts which should be known. This misinterpretation of Japan through what fans of Japanese rock have already interpreted wrong creates more and more dangerous stereotypes judging wrongly about country and culture. Japan, as seen from one observing the overseas JRock scene, is suddenly orientalised and claimed by the Western culture to give the West a new platform to perform again as predominantly Western, as it was done in early oriental tales, too. Complex issues as poetry and history are disregarded. Again, the main focus shifts towards the American needs of style, fashion and party. And even here the fans seem to forget (or maybe they never really knew) that the styles of the musicians have meaning beyond simply being flamboyant, as Yoshiki, the drummer and pianist of X-Japan did with his half blonde, half black and spiked hairstyle - who represented the duality of human nature15 (j-inc.3).
So the concluding question might be why there was need for Japanese rock and its elements, why was an American band or music style not able to have the same effect? The Japanese backdrop, as we have seen in the very beginning, is very profitable for many different, mainly commercial, reasons. An unknown, foreign cultural setting to differ from "ordered" American life offers the possibility to include the factor of difference and distance to others very explicit. The aim of the overseas JRock scene is to show this distance through alienation of the known and even a change of the alien and unknown. Truth is, as in old tales like Jungle Book or stories from the times of colonialism, not important. What counts are the effects and the outcome, making the music, despite of its original intention, perfectly suitable for an American audience. And it goes even one step further. By adapting aspects of Japanese rock elements for reasons of style or commerce JRock becomes a mass product more and more. The, for the overseas community visible, differences are reduced to the language the songs are composed in. Which is, regarding the broad variety of JRock, a huge difference from its real intention.
What in Western societies is more or less unknowingly done is that we tend to see through a scanner darkly. Blurred by what has been created at Orientalism interpretations are still influenced by the prejudices that were created out of the necessity to make something unknown understandable on the basis of our limited world view which was thought to be the crown of human knowledge. Were this leads to can be seen in a perfect example by Gwen Stefani16 in her song Harajuku Girls which was already quoted in the beginning.
You're looking so distinctive like D.N.A., like nothing I've ever seen in the U.S.A.
Your underground culture, visual grammar
The language of your clothing is something to encounter
A Ping-Pong match between eastern and western
Did you see your inspiration in my latest collection?
Just wait 'til you get your little hands on L.A.M.B.,
'Cause it's (super kawaii), that means (super cute in Japanese)
The streets of Harajuku are your catwalk (bishoujo you're so vogue)
Not only that Miss Stefani sees the Harajuku teenagers as objects of commerce, she even mentions that she seems not able to encounter the language of their clothing. On the other hand she judges from their appearance that they might be the victims of her new commercial campaign. The most important fact is not the rebellion but the money and visual presence. The real ideas lose themselves on the way from Harajuku, Tokyo to the other places in the world Of cause the
cat walk got its claws (meow)
there for those JRockers celebrate a revolution. But the Western interpretation of the other is wrong. Japanese cats don't do meow, as Gwen Stafani assumes in her song, they do nyan nyan.
VI. Works Cited
Yun, Joesephine. jrock, inc. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, 2005.
FOOTNOTES
1: GS - Group Sounds: a Japanese label of bands covering songs of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and so on
2: Consecutive No.1 hits, broadcasted nationwide, three consecutive days sold out Tokyo Dome
3: ヴィジュアル系 - meaning Visual Style. Here not only the music counts but also the appearance.
4: Nowadays there are many styles of visual kei: oshare kei, gothic, decora, . . .
5: Gackt (of Malice Mizer) was model for Squaresoft's most popular Final Fantasy characters till now five times - a picture is added in the very end
6: Promotional Videos
7: Anime series subbed by fans for fans - downloadable from the internet
8: The Japanese language, as a language of signs instead of letters, offers many possibilities to add and include meaning into words
9: The “devil inside“ type - inspired by European porcelain dolls or old horror movies like Dracula
10: The very girlish and overloaded cute type
11: The “evil guy“ inspired by movies like Clockwork Orange or films of Takashi Miike
12: Mix of the words costume and play - dressing as a anime character or JRock person
13: As it ca be seen in bands like Tokyo Hotel
14: Stories written by fans about their idols whether from anime, movie or JRock
15: A picture was to be found as an addition at the very end of this paper
16: http://www.harajukulovers.com/
This paper was written as final assignment for Japanese-American Relationships.
As ever: every mistake you can find is for you to keep. =D
As I listen to JRock as well ~ don't feel attackt by any of my analysis. It's the way it goes. If I'm wrong don't hesistate to show it to me. I'll write a paper about it then.
If you want to use this paper in any way, credit me and link back to this page!
It's written by me ~ and therefore mine. It was much to read and based on cultural theories I had to work out. Don't dare to try a copy and paste. This page can be easily found via google.
I'd be glad to know were you used it (especially because asian-American literature and culture isn't that much discussed yet) but it's not necessary ~ but a comment if you take it would be much appreciated. =D
Facts:
4762 words
13pages in MLA style
graded 1.7
[ ♥: |
working ]
[ ♬: | melotron ~ maschinen aus stahl ]
Japanese Rock Music - New American Rock Music
Why the Japanese Revolution does not work in the USA
& Cultural Aspects gone wrong
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. JRock developement
III. Close to Culture, Far Away from Conforms - JRock in Japan
Styles
Lyrics and Music
Fandom
IV. Far away From Home, Close to Commerce - JRock Overseas
Styles
Lyrics and Music
Fandom
V. Conclusion
VI. Works Cited
FOOTNOTES
I. Introduction
Recently, Japanese rock music, short JRock, is, as, a result of the globalisation and the internet, not only available out of Asia, but it has achieved a fixed place in the subcultures of (North)America and Europe. Besides the gothic- and the punkscene JRock has appeared with its visual kei style and has even made way for new, different subscenes/cultures, especially the Emo-scene. Along with the music and the styles not only melodies and clothing are imported into other countries but also views and images of the other, the Japanese culture. And those views differ often very much from what is reality in Japan itself. Judged subjectively by people who claim Japan as the land of games, cool freaks and neon signs JRock loses many of the eminent aspects which make this kind of music and style so very important for Japan's youth - most fundamental, the aspect of revolution - although they pretend not to do so. But it becomes obvious under a closer investigation.
Japanese culture, as a culture of visualities, of signs, becomes not background of but backdrop for a commercial campaign. A way to transport Western ideas. To be hip, trendy and cool with Eastern fashion in the West. To quote Gwen Stefani's song Harajuku Girls:
Harajuku Girls you got the wicked style
I like the way that you are, I am your biggest fan
The real ideas of Jrock lose themselves on the way from Harajuku, Tokyo to the other places in the world. This is not only a disturbing fact and gives a view on how Western marketing strategies have learned to make profit even from (“revolting“) subcultures by turning them into a (“tamed“) mass product but it becomes dangerous if cultural facts are completely interpreted wrong and spread from consumer to consumer, creating wrong stereotypes of Japan and Japanese people, in this case especially the Japanese youth.
In the following I will have a closer look of the influences of both, Japanese and Amercian Jrock culture, and show the influences and misinterpretations on each other. It will become obvious what has been changed and for what reasons - and why a Japanese teenager revolution can not work in the Western world. Therefore I will start with an explanation of JRock, visual kei and its history, followed by a closer look on the Japanese/American JRock conception and afterwards re-read those information under the aspects of Orientalism, globalisation and cultural (mis)interpretation.
II. JRock and its history
Thinking about Japan, contrasts come to the minds of most people. Huge cities and the sight of the beautiful, almost holy, Fuji-san. High technology and old religion. A strict way of living in a land which invents, and plays, the most video games in the world. All this contrasts, I say, are so deeply connected that one thing won't work without another, like the success of the industry not without the pattern of discipline from the time of the samurai. And so it is no wonder, that JRock, too, is based in those kind of conflicts, and, even more, makes use of them.
The first rock group to play in Japan on the June 30 1966 were the Beatles. They played in the sold out Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, a martial art hall built to honor Japan's war dead. That way, the Beatles had as many fans as people who protested against a
[...] group of shaggy-haired British hippies [...]
(j-inc, p.1)
who violated so impertinently (and most likely unknowingly) reverend Japanese traditions. That the Beatles played in front of 30,000 auditors showed that Japans population, after the imperialist dictatorship, was now willing to absorb more of “the West“ while the protesters showed how much old values were still appreciated. While the Japanese population permitted with its unquestioning submission its involvements in World War II, the time of recovery brought a renewal of popular interest in Western (pop)culture. The Beatles with their appearance, their loudness and their style impressed the Japanese as much as they scared them. But, most important now, it brought changes to Japanese music both, in business and consuming.
The audience loved rock and it didn't take too long until the first Japanese rock bands appeared. Group Sounds'1 image-friendly bands were followed by the '70s rock. Those, like THE ALFEE or Sheena & The Rokkets, who, like popstars controlled by a strict management, covered not only songs but also style of Western bands, laid the foundation for JRock. In the early '80s the first underground bands took hold in music business. Boowy, Shonen Knife or Buck Tick managed themselves and were that way able to make their own decisions. Thus there were no conformity limits of make-up, clothing or hairstyle anymore. And they succeeded. Boowy sold out 95,000 tickets in ten minutes in 1988, while Buck Tick went major. So when X Japan appeared on stage in 1989 they could expect that there was a marked for them. Most successful2 they were, though visually influenced by glamrock, able not only to create but to transport a new, an own style to the masses of fans. From this point on people started not only to consume anymore but to create and live rock. Here lie the roots of visual kei3 which, with its heavily costumed protagonists, could not been outdated till now, although western bands were/are already into sounds and styles like grunge and new metal. On the contrary: visual kei started to develop itself.4 This shows that from this point on Japan was not in need to copy anymore.
Japanese mainstream media such as TV and the game industry was (and still is) connected to JRock. After X Japan many bands got popular by making the opening themes for anime series, computer games or even by being the pattern for the game's heros5. Twenty-five years after the Beatles Japanese rock had an own image to spread and could now absorb again what the West offered without losing the own identity.
With the year 2000 JRock crossed the boarders to the West again but this time not to adapt but to perform. Shonen Knife has toured with Nirvana, other bands got reviews in the UK or did mini-tours in the USA, helped by the great interest of the West in Japanese (pop)culture, which was spread by the booming anime and manga culture, its soundtracks and mostly the internet. The style, visual kei, helped to make way for the fans of the series who liked to listen to music from artists optically resembling their TV heroes. Conventions like the Otacon in Baltimore offered the opportunity to buy those foreign records and listen to Japanese rock live. Todays globalisation has speed up the process. Downloadable PV6s and interviews are translated by fans for fans as it was already done with the anime fansubs7 and many bands tour all over the world, including countries like Poland or Russia. Still this cosmopolitanism does not mean a loss of a pure Japanese identity. JRock has never been so independent and self confident as nowadays. Songwriters as Gackt show the possibilities and the beauty of the Japanese language and writing8. Bands like Onmyouza or Kaggra, show their close connection to ancient Japan with their clothing and their use of traditional instruments like koto or taiko drums. Rock in Japan has developed. It has been adapted, and then, changed to Japanese needs. And now it, as a completely (re)new(ed) product is resold to the world. Japan was catalyst, not for others, and this seems to be a formula for success.
The need to be different in Japan is great and such the need for innovation and differences is always around. Especially in case of rock, who rebells against conventions and repressive social systems it is important not to become part of the system. This, regarding what is commonly known about Japan and its culture, auch extreme rock concepts like JRock and visual kei should not work. But, as said in the beginning, Japan is a land of contrasts which are not possible without each other. JRock is in need of traditions and social structures to work as it works in Japan. The rest of the world, and the adaption of JRock there, are different. We are going to have a closer look at both to see two completely different mentalities of one and the same thing.
III. Close to culture, far away from conforms - JRock in Japan
Visual kei style is, as implicated in the term itself, very important for Japanese rock music. Different from e.g. the gothic scene visual kei does not seem to follow any fixed dress-or color code or brand but combines many different elements from different sources, alienates them, with the aim to outstand from the masses. That way gothic lolitas9 (which are men, despite of the mistakable appellation) are as well visual kei as decoras10 or eroguro keis11. The countless existing, and mostly even undistinguishable, substyles are never fixed. They can change or split up in even more sub-assembly groups depending on mood and caprice of the bands. That way artists like Gackt Camui started as hard core gothic aristocrat and finally changed over eroguro kei to a popidol. This might arouse the question what makes visual kei (and therefore JRock) a fixable group and label?
Having a closer look it becomes obvious that all styles share certain similarities which are based in one and the same historical background: the kabuki theatre and tradition. Looking at every JRock band we will find that at least one member of the band looks very feminin or crossdresses on stage and in interviews. This is, in Western countries, in most cases associated with homosexuality or transsexuality, aroused from a lack of knowledge in Japanese culture. Visual kei serves itself from the rich palette of Japanese tradition. Androgyny or femininity, as an ideal of beauty, is also found in kabuki, were men play the roles of women. Furthermore many bands dress as oni or wear traditional clothing on stage. Even the very European looking eroguro kei often uses make-up styles to represent the traditional devil type from old theatre plays. Of cause visual kei does not make use of those elements to be social conform - on the contrary: they exaggerate them to provoke and show that individuality is possible even on a Japanese traditional background..
Very free in style and music, which can differ from power metal to poprock the lyrics cover vaste range of themes which, interestingly share great similarities in the way they are written and in what they transport to the audience. No matter if its in a funny, macabre or poetic way, JRock is direct in regard to its topics, speaking in most cases openly about suicide, sex and social problems, and provokes to make the listeners show their feelings very open, whether those are love, hate or worry. In Japan, where it is still important to keep face and [...] showing feelings in public is neither common nor desired. Furthermore most artists embed terms from other languages into their songs, may it be English, French, German or Russian. Again we can find a connection between traditional Japanese culture - here poetry, in the way of writing, choice of words or schemes like those of haiku - and the ambition to open to the world and therefore to others. It is both, keeping up traditions and accepting and living a new and less strict way of live.
Thus the fans of JRock, mostly girls, are not rare, but special. By this variety of styles in both, clothing and music there does not seem to be a fixed ideology but this is wrong. It just clarifies that JRock must have a different appeal than belonging to a homogeneous of like-minded people sharing the same musical interests like it is in other scenes. On the background of strict regimentations in school, apprenticeship and business individuality individuality is limited to the spare time of the people. Where school uniforms and dresscodes constrict the visual kei style breaks all limits and is that way, used for cosplay12 or, by the huge amount of varieties and possibilities, even asks the fans to design own costumes and dresses. The more exceeding the ideas, the better. But the most important aspect in this respect is that the majority of Japanese JRock fans, who rebel against the mass-society, lives two lives. For success in society they are in need to change from outstanding paradise birds back to the social conform schoolboy or girl from next door every day - back to a part of the mass. This clarifies the need for a kind of revolution for individuality especially among the teenagers who are in need to use the short time they have before they are definitely forced into a form wich has to function all day long. Of cause the Japanese industry has already reacted and that way fashion labels offer accessoires and clothing but it is still limited to certain parts of live, time and space: leisure, teenagehood and places like Harajuku, Tokyo.
IV. Far away from home, close to commerce - JRock overseas
As well as in Japan JRock and visual kei gained success among young people in America and Europe. Transported by Anime and Manga the popularity of music and style grew during the last seven years enormously but different to its Japanese pendant. Of cause all different varieties of visual kei have found their way overseas. Its possible to find Gothic Lolitas in the streets of New York as well as in Tokyo, or to meet a decora in a German subway but different to Japan the ideology differentiates from visual kei type to visual kei type. So it seems that here visual kei, from a heterogeneous group has split up into different, homogeneous scenes as it can be found in gothic and punk. Furthermore is the way of clothing directly connected to a certain band and music, again, distancing internally from each other in what should normally be one and the same scene as discussed before. Interestingly, elements of visual kei style have found their way into other scenes connected to independent music. The emo scene serves itself from the huge variety of clothing style and absorbs parts of visual kei elements without alienating them, denying a connection to JRock and Japan13.
Something near that can be found in the consumption of the music and especially the lyrics. Depending on the fact that most of the songs are written entirely in Japanese it is obvious that the average American listener is not able to understand the lyrics or, even with a quite proper translation from the internet, gets all the possible interpretations which lie in the rhyme sceme or the choice of special kanji. Thus, artistic aspects get lost and the song is reduced to its melody, sound and exotic language. This is the same as it happened to Japanese horror movies like The Grudge. Here the shocking effects which are based on Japanese tradition disappear for the American audience because they can, without a certain background knowledge, not be understood.
Now one might argue that fans of Japanese rock music would inform themselves about the country and the background of at least their favourite band but regarding the JRock scene overseas the contrary seems to become obvious. For many fans Japan is, as maybe transmitted in manga and anime, a land of never ending games and party. Based on what Japan exports in media they create their own picture of the country without asking for the details (e.g. the hard work) behind it. Because of the limited knowledge about the country the everyday life is completely disregarded. This does not only include the fact that to study and later work in Japan can be very hard but also the whole mentality. Japanese culture is different to ours not only in religion, theatre or language. So it is still a common value that you are in need to endure a hard time before you are ale to satisfy on what you have achieved. This enduring is what almost every Japanese teenager suffers from - and what he fights against. Something American teenagers are almost free of.
But still there seems to be the thought of a revolution against society. Even here the fans show with their extravagant clothing and style that they are different. But, and that is the operative point, they do so every day and every time they want. Much less limited by prescriptions in school and having the luck of a much less traditional and more tolerant society JRock fans overseas do not share the same aims of revolution by revolting against their parents and teachers, simply because they do not need the freedom to dress as they want - they already have it. The thought to rebel wears off against the fact that there are no things to rebel against like in Japan. But instead of searching for grievances which are really worth to fight against the concept of revolting against a strict system, which does not even exist like that here, the problem, as is simply copied to the own society. What seems missing is a collective goal as it can be seen in Japan. The urge is not the one for individuality and does not arouse out of pressure from society. Here we find a competition to be recognized in a mass in which almost everything is already tolerated. To be recognized were almost everything is allowed you need to be very special and very new. Of cause this could also be called a rebellion for individuality but with the difference that this rebellion is a rebellion for an already existing individual - like what Japanese teenagers are still fighting for.
But this is not the only problem to occur. Coined by the Western view of feminin men wich is in most cases connected to homosexuality and supported by anime and manga and the very androgyn look of the characters especially in yaoi it has become common for fans to see the JRockers as at least bisexuals. On the internet fanfictions14 can be found in which sexual relationships between the different members of bands is described in a very explicit way or theories who is allied with whom now. Of cause JRockers provoke even on stage by sharing kisses and hugs but this, called fanservice, is nothing more than part of the show as it is in kabuki theatres, and not, as seen by fans, reality. That way homo- or bisexuality has become some kind of fashion item for overseas JRock fans, an accessoire like that can come out of fashion as fast as the music can. Here again it is obvious to see that the Japanese background is completely disregarded, yet, completely unknown.
V. Conclusion
Finally I would like to conclude all the collected facts regarding theories of difference, orientalism, globalisation and cultural (mis)interpretation. Regarding JRock, many aspects have been changed on the way it took to overseas. The reason for this changes lies not in the ignorance against other cultures but is embedded deeper in our Western society. Transporting clichés like femininity and homosexuality on every feminine man is a result of our deep rooted urge to orientalise everything non Western. To create a JRock orient out from our omniscient Western world view brings us many vantages in understanding and ordering our Western world. But, and that is what is often forgotten, it is just our small limited Western view on the things we simply do not understand with our limited knowledge of everything beyond our Western borders. Everything outside is the different other. But even the West is suffering from an ambivalence of difference. Thus, positive aspects - as the constitution of meaning by difference and its necessity for the formation of language and culture and identity out of difference - are evoked by tis term as well as negative ones. Difference can be threatening and scaring, arousing hostility and aggression towards the other by misunderstanding. So it is just to expect that we try to make others acceptable by neutralizing differences. This is what happens to the Japanese ideal of feminine beauty in kabuki and therefore in JRock. Unable to understand the difference between show and reality which is obvious to almost every Japanese auditor, overseas fans try to make understandable what they see on stage and interpret it, wrong, as homosexuality. Combined with the image of the exotic boy in a girls dress who, on Japanese rock stages, is there to provoke with exaggerated stage traditions to show a kind of rebellion against old values this depiction supports certain stereotypes discussed in the discourse of Orientalism. It is a matter of Western interpretation what we see in those Eastern musicians.
Basically JRock in Japan and JRock overseas share similarities and patterns. There is the need to stand out of society because of a social pressure. On the one hand it is the pressure against denying an own identity. On the other the pressure to be noticed as special in a society were every one is already individual. Both movements take its base in the Japanese rock movement and therefore share a similar background but the ways of both differs very much from one another. Certain aspects needed to change not only to be understood as mentioned above but to fit the needs of the overseas audience (as Japan did it with rock years ago). This does not affect the music itself but more the industry around it. Where JRock is still a large independent scene in Japan it has become mainstream suitable overseas. Not only that other scenes and band adapt elements of JRock, it is now possible to buy fitting clothing and accessoires at almost every fashion store.
This leads me directly to the depiction of Japan and Japanese people via the overseas JRock scene. Representing Japan as a land of musical and stylistic glory and the visual kei look as what is hip and trendy. Others, who start to see the difference between American rock and Japanese rock, interpret this styling as freaky, crazy, strange and, with a special look on the kawaii culture, as childish, transferring it to the whole Japanese culture, again, disregarding even those cultural facts which should be known. This misinterpretation of Japan through what fans of Japanese rock have already interpreted wrong creates more and more dangerous stereotypes judging wrongly about country and culture. Japan, as seen from one observing the overseas JRock scene, is suddenly orientalised and claimed by the Western culture to give the West a new platform to perform again as predominantly Western, as it was done in early oriental tales, too. Complex issues as poetry and history are disregarded. Again, the main focus shifts towards the American needs of style, fashion and party. And even here the fans seem to forget (or maybe they never really knew) that the styles of the musicians have meaning beyond simply being flamboyant, as Yoshiki, the drummer and pianist of X-Japan did with his half blonde, half black and spiked hairstyle - who represented the duality of human nature15 (j-inc.3).
So the concluding question might be why there was need for Japanese rock and its elements, why was an American band or music style not able to have the same effect? The Japanese backdrop, as we have seen in the very beginning, is very profitable for many different, mainly commercial, reasons. An unknown, foreign cultural setting to differ from "ordered" American life offers the possibility to include the factor of difference and distance to others very explicit. The aim of the overseas JRock scene is to show this distance through alienation of the known and even a change of the alien and unknown. Truth is, as in old tales like Jungle Book or stories from the times of colonialism, not important. What counts are the effects and the outcome, making the music, despite of its original intention, perfectly suitable for an American audience. And it goes even one step further. By adapting aspects of Japanese rock elements for reasons of style or commerce JRock becomes a mass product more and more. The, for the overseas community visible, differences are reduced to the language the songs are composed in. Which is, regarding the broad variety of JRock, a huge difference from its real intention.
What in Western societies is more or less unknowingly done is that we tend to see through a scanner darkly. Blurred by what has been created at Orientalism interpretations are still influenced by the prejudices that were created out of the necessity to make something unknown understandable on the basis of our limited world view which was thought to be the crown of human knowledge. Were this leads to can be seen in a perfect example by Gwen Stefani16 in her song Harajuku Girls which was already quoted in the beginning.
You're looking so distinctive like D.N.A., like nothing I've ever seen in the U.S.A.
Your underground culture, visual grammar
The language of your clothing is something to encounter
A Ping-Pong match between eastern and western
Did you see your inspiration in my latest collection?
Just wait 'til you get your little hands on L.A.M.B.,
'Cause it's (super kawaii), that means (super cute in Japanese)
The streets of Harajuku are your catwalk (bishoujo you're so vogue)
Not only that Miss Stefani sees the Harajuku teenagers as objects of commerce, she even mentions that she seems not able to encounter the language of their clothing. On the other hand she judges from their appearance that they might be the victims of her new commercial campaign. The most important fact is not the rebellion but the money and visual presence. The real ideas lose themselves on the way from Harajuku, Tokyo to the other places in the world Of cause the
cat walk got its claws (meow)
there for those JRockers celebrate a revolution. But the Western interpretation of the other is wrong. Japanese cats don't do meow, as Gwen Stafani assumes in her song, they do nyan nyan.
VI. Works Cited
Yun, Joesephine. jrock, inc. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, 2005.
FOOTNOTES
1: GS - Group Sounds: a Japanese label of bands covering songs of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and so on
2: Consecutive No.1 hits, broadcasted nationwide, three consecutive days sold out Tokyo Dome
3: ヴィジュアル系 - meaning Visual Style. Here not only the music counts but also the appearance.
4: Nowadays there are many styles of visual kei: oshare kei, gothic, decora, . . .
5: Gackt (of Malice Mizer) was model for Squaresoft's most popular Final Fantasy characters till now five times - a picture is added in the very end
6: Promotional Videos
7: Anime series subbed by fans for fans - downloadable from the internet
8: The Japanese language, as a language of signs instead of letters, offers many possibilities to add and include meaning into words
9: The “devil inside“ type - inspired by European porcelain dolls or old horror movies like Dracula
10: The very girlish and overloaded cute type
11: The “evil guy“ inspired by movies like Clockwork Orange or films of Takashi Miike
12: Mix of the words costume and play - dressing as a anime character or JRock person
13: As it ca be seen in bands like Tokyo Hotel
14: Stories written by fans about their idols whether from anime, movie or JRock
15: A picture was to be found as an addition at the very end of this paper
16: http://www.harajukulovers.com/
This paper was written as final assignment for Japanese-American Relationships.
As ever: every mistake you can find is for you to keep. =D
As I listen to JRock as well ~ don't feel attackt by any of my analysis. It's the way it goes. If I'm wrong don't hesistate to show it to me. I'll write a paper about it then.
If you want to use this paper in any way, credit me and link back to this page!
It's written by me ~ and therefore mine. It was much to read and based on cultural theories I had to work out. Don't dare to try a copy and paste. This page can be easily found via google.
I'd be glad to know were you used it (especially because asian-American literature and culture isn't that much discussed yet) but it's not necessary ~ but a comment if you take it would be much appreciated. =D
Facts:
4762 words
13pages in MLA style
graded 1.7