ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the state of Japanese rock from the mid-1960s through its various periods of development. In the course of this investigation, I introduce an analytical device from sociology. This is a method that employs a triangular model of culture and analyses artistic culture by dividing it along three axes. In a dichotomy one can only come up with rigid and exclusive choices of “this or that” type. When evaluating the styles and tastes of musicians, for example, there is the submissive to/rebellious against the commercialism axis. There can also be another axis: musicians from Tokyo versus those from regions. However, the dual oppositional schema of “commercialism/anti-commercialism” or “Tokyo/regions” can hardly present a full picture. As I shall attempt to show, it is a trichotomy that can shed light on dynamic three-way interactive relations and highlight contradictions inherent in culture, where musical styles pull against each other and compete.
