The Sad, Strange History of Japanese 80s Funk

The 1980s were a strange and wonderful time for music, and nowhere was that more true than in Japan. Japanese funk bands were cranking out some of the weirdest, most infectious grooves of the decade, and they continue to be hugely popular to this day.

The Birth of Japanese Funk

In the late 1970s, a new form of music was born in the bars and clubs of Tokyo. This new music, which came to be known as “Japanese funk,” was a fusion of Western funk and disco with traditional Japanese music. The Japanese funk movement would go on to influence the sound of Japanese pop music for the next decade.

The influence of American Funk

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, American funk and disco music were very popular in Japan. At the time, there was a trend in Japan for East Asian countries to adopt American fads and trends, which led to a growing interest in funk music. American funk bands such as Parliament-Funkadelic and Earth, Wind & Fire were extremely popular in Japan, and their albums were often played on Japanese radio stations. Japanese people also became interested in James Brown’s brand of funk after watching him perform on television.

While Japanese people were exposed to American funk music, they did not have much knowledge about the genre’s origins. Funk began as a African-American musical style that emerged in the late 1960s. It was a departure from the polished sound of soul music and incorporated elements of jazz, rock, and R&B. Funk songs often had a hypnotic groove that was created by the interplay between the rhythm section instruments. The most famous funk band of all time is probably Parliament-Funkadelic, who blended elements of psychedelia with funk to create a unique and innovative sound.

Despite not knowing much about the origins of funk music, Japanese musicians were inspired by the sound of American funk bands and began creating their own version of the genre. In the early 1980s, Japanese city pop musicians began incorporating elements of funk into their songs. City pop is a genre of popular music that was developed in Japan during the 1970s and 1980s. It is similar to Western pop music but often incorporates elements of traditional Japanese music as well.

Some of the first Japanese city pop songs with funky elements were “Koi wa Hot edged Day” by Yasuhiro Kido and “Ai Suru Hito ga Iru” by Tatsuro Yamashita. These songs were both released in 1981 and became hits in Japan. Funky city pop continued to be popular throughout the 1980s, with many more city pop artists incorporating elements of funk into their songs.

The rise of Japanese Funk bands

In the early 1980s, a group of young musicians in Japan began experimenting with a new sound. Blending elements of American funk and soul with traditional Japanese instruments and sensibilities, they created a uniquely Japanese take on a genre that was already popular in the West. These bands found success both at home and abroad, and their music continues to be popular among fans of 80s funk today.

The first Japanese funk band to find widespread success was Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Formed in 1978, the group was originally intended as a studio project for producer/composer/arranger Ryuichi Sakamoto. Sakamoto recruited two other accomplished musicians, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, to round out the trio, and YMO quickly became one of the most innovative and influential bands of the early 80s.

While YMO is largely credited with popularizing Japanese funk internationally, they were far from the only band making this kind of music at the time. In fact, the whole Japanese funk scene was incredibly vibrant and diverse, with dozens of different groups experimenting with the sound in their own unique ways. Some bands, like Sugar Babe, focused on writing catchy pop tunes with a funky edge; others, like T-Square, incorporated jazz elements into their music; still others, like Osaka Monaurail, took a more hard-hitting approach reminiscent of American James Brown-style funk.

whatever style they favored, all of these bands shared a passion for creating something new and exciting. And while the scene may have been short-lived (fading away by the end of the decade), its impact is still being felt today. Thanks to the inventive work of these early pioneers, Japanese funk remains an essential part of the country’s musical heritage.

The Golden Age of Japanese Funk

The 1980s was a golden age for Japanese music, with the birth of a new genre of music known as “Japanese Funk”. This new genre was a mix of traditional Japanese music and Western funk, and it quickly gained popularity both in Japan and abroad. However, the golden age of Japanese funk came to an end in the early 1990s, and the genre has since faded into obscurity.

The popularity of Japanese Funk

Japanese Funk was a style of music that emerged in the early 1980s, blending elements of American Funk and Disco with traditional Japanese instrumentation and sensibilities. The style was short-lived but enjoyed a surprisingly passionate following, both in Japan and abroad.

Despite its popularity, Japanese Funk remains largely unknown outside of Japan. Part of this is due to the fact that most of the music was never officially released outside of Japan. In addition, the style fell out of fashion quickly in Japan, leading to its eventual obscurity.

Today, Japanese Funk is enjoying something of a renaissance, thanks in part to the efforts of dedicated fans who have kept the music alive through bootlegs and online sharing. While it may never regain the prominence it once had, Japanese Funk remains an intriguing and unique chapter in the history of popular music.

The success of Japanese Funk bands

In the 1980s, a new breed of Japanese musicians began to experiment with a style of music that would come to be known as “funk.” These bands blended elements of American funk, soul, and disco with traditional Japanese instruments and sensibilities, creating a unique and infectious sound.

Funk became extremely popular in Japan, with bands like T-Square, Soul Flower Union, and Flipper’s Guitar enjoying massive success. Unfortunately, the golden age of Japanese funk was short-lived, and by the early 1990s the genre had all but disappeared.

What happened? Why did Japanese funk fall out of favor so quickly? There are a number of possible explanations:

1) The death of disco: In the West, disco was already on the decline by the early 1980s, and as the popularity of disco waned, so too did interest in funk.

2) The rise of techno: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, techno became the dominant dance music genre worldwide, leaving little room for other styles like funk.

3) Changing tastes in Japan: By the 1990s, Japanese pop music was beginning to move away from Western influences and embrace a more “Japanese” sound. This shift in taste may have contributed to the decline of Japanese funk.

4) The economic downturn: The early 1990s were marked by an economic recession in Japan (and much of the world), which may have led to reduced spending on music and fewer opportunities for funk bands to perform.

Whatever the reasons for its decline, Japanese funk remains an intriguing footnote in musical history. These days, a new generation of Japanese musicians is rediscovering the genre and keeping it alive for future generations to enjoy.

The Decline of Japanese Funk

In the 1980s, Japanese musicians were on the cutting edge of funk. They blended traditional Japanese instrumentation with American R&B to create a unique and popular sound. But by the early 1990s, Japanese funk had all but disappeared. What happened?

The fall of Japanese Funk bands

In the late 70s and early 80s, a strange and wonderful thing happened in Japan: a group of young musicians, inspired by American funk and disco, took those sounds and made them their own. For a few brief years, Japanese funk was everywhere, from TV commercials to nightclubs to roller rinks. But by the mid-80s, the scene had all but disappeared. What happened?

In the late 70s, Japanese record companies were trying to cash in on the disco craze sweeping America. They started signing Japanese bands that sounded like Western acts, and some of these bands managed to find success both at home and abroad. One of the most successful was Yellow Magic Orchestra, whose 1978 debut album included a cover of Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman” that became a surprise hit in Japan.

Around the same time, a group of young Japanese musicians started experimenting with funk and disco sounds. These artists were influenced by American acts like Parliament-Funkadelic and Chic, but they also drew upon traditional Japanese music for inspiration. The result was a uniquely Japanese take on funk that was infectious and irresistible.

The early 80s were the golden era of Japanese funk bands. Groups like Osaka Monaurail and Matsuri Bayashi Band had hits with their funky reinterpretations of traditional Japanese folk songs. Nightclubs across the country were filled with people dancing to this new sound.

But by the mid-80s, Japanese funk was already starting to lose its momentum. Western acts like Madonna and Michael Jackson were proving more popular than ever, while at home YMO’s popularity was waning. The scene finally imploded in 1986 when Matsuri Bayashi Band broke up after just two albums.

While there have been sporadic attempts to revive Japanese funk in recent years, it has never recaptured its former glory. Today, it exists mostly as a footnote in pop music history—a reminder of a time when Japan briefly produced some of the funkiest grooves on earth.

The end of Japanese Funk

In the early 80s, Japanese funk was on top of the world. The style – a mix of American soul, R&B, and disco – was everywhere in Japan, from TV commercials to movie soundtracks. Artists like Sharam Q, Sugar Babe, and P-Model were household names.

But by the end of the decade, Japanese funk had all but disappeared. What happened?

There are a few explanations. One is that the Japanese economy began to tank in the late 80s, and people simply didn’t have as much money to spend on music. Another is that the rise of digital music made it easier for people to pirate songs rather than buy them.

But the most likely explanation is that the taste of the Japanese public simply changed. In the 90s, J-pop (Japanese pop music) took off in a big way, and artists like Hikaru Utada and Namie Amuro became superstars. Funk just couldn’t compete with catchy pop tunes and flashy music videos.

Today, there are still a few diehard fans of Japanese funk fighting to keep the style alive. But it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see another golden age of Japanese funk like we did in the 80s.