ABSTRACT
The music itself, along with any possibility for meaningful interaction between the Beatles and their Japanese audiences, was mostly lost in the 'hype'. The Beatles' staying power in Japan is reflected in a repeating cycle of anniversaries, events, remembrances and publications. The fortieth anniversary of the Budokan saw the release of a coffee-table book of Robert Whitaker's photographs of the tour, entitled The Beatles in Japan. The Beatles event was preceded and marked by a multitude of media reports, television broadcasts and the sale of commemorative souvenir items, yet this experience was also ephemeral. As part of the build-up to the 1966 tour, from 17 to 22 June Shinjuku's Keio Department Store hosted an exhibition of Beatles photographs to commemorate their historic visit. The Beatles' music connected Japanese fans to a wider international community replete with shared aesthetic and social values, while at the same time these fans saw their idols as embedded in everyday life in Japan.
