ABSTRACT
The concept of ‘popular music’ is notoriously difficult to define. A satisfactory definition surely requires reference not only to measurable ‘popularity’ (record sales, concert attendance), but also to factors such as mode of consumption, social position of performers and audience, prestige of performance space, musical structure, technological intervention, highbrow/lowbrow distinction, and nature of sound. These parameters are constantly shifting according to historical, geographical and individual circumstances. The intention of this chapter is not to discuss the amorphous nature of popular music itself, nor to provide a comprehensive history of Japanese popular music. Rather, we highlight several genres, instruments, periods and media to suggest a partial yet culturally embedded portrait of the musics that have captured the hearts of so many people in modern Japan.
