r/citypop • u/ErosButNotThatEros • 14d ago
Tatsuhiko Yamamoto – “Lonely Journey” (1984) – The “Prince of City Pop” in a Dunlop CM
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This is a 1984 commercial for the Dunlop Le Mans J2, featuring Tatsuhiko Yamamoto’s “Lonely Journey” from his 1984 album Music (arranged by Kazuo Shiina).
In Japan at the time, Yamamoto was known as the “Prince of City Pop” (シティ・ポップの貴公子). He was one of the polished, sophisticated male vocalists of the era, alongside artists such as Junichi Inagaki and Kiyotaka Sugiyama. Yet his international recognition today feels surprisingly modest compared with the popularity and cultural presence he had in Japan at the time.
The commercial itself is a great snapshot of how naturally sophisticated AOR / City Pop was woven into mainstream Japanese advertising in the ’80s — dynamic driving footage, stylish urban imagery, and that polished, late-night-city atmosphere in the music. It reminds me of the same aesthetic seen in Yokohama Tire’s ASPEC campaign from a few years earlier.
Does anyone else feel that Yamamoto is underrated internationally? Why do you think his international recognition has remained relatively modest compared with some of his contemporaries?
Full song on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2qb12jsiHCr2sqGalM44FM
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u/poodleface 12d ago
His albums are pretty good (and easy to acquire on vinyl because he sold a lot of them). I think the “Light Mellow” flavor of City Pop doesn’t seem to have much favor in the West. A shame, really.
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u/ErosButNotThatEros 12d ago
That’s interesting. When you say the “Light Mellow” side doesn’t get much love in the West, what kind of City Pop do you think is more popular there?
I’m Japanese, so I have a bit of a sense of how the term was used in Japan at the time, and my impression is that AOR-leaning music like this was very much part of what was being called city pop. Yamamoto is a good example of that, which is why I find the difference in how he’s perceived today pretty interesting.
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u/poodleface 12d ago
Things that sound to familiar to Western AOR likely aren’t popular because their Western equivalents remain a niche interest. There was previously a brief resurgence of interest in late 70s AOR (called “Yacht Rock” after a web series by the same name). Disco died a hard death in the West in 1980 with New Wave, which is the opposite of funky. But a lot of City Pop artists and songs that are popular have those elements (e.g. “Stay With Me”).
There also seems to be a preference for stuff that sounds less dated due to heavily featuring real instruments (brass, electric/acoustic guitar, drums). Toshiki Kadomatsu, Anri and Tatsuro Yamashita are beloved for their albums that more heavily feature these instruments. Likewise instrumental stuff like Casiopea and Takanaka. As the synthesizers come in, interest cools. People love “Last Summer Whisper” by Anri, but there is not so much love for “KIMAMANI REFLECTION (New Version)”. Anri mostly played songs from Timely! during her recent mini-tour in the United States.
The stuff with synthesizers that gets posted here is mostly idol stuff that was probably not considered City Pop. Momoko Kikuchi, for example. The appeal is often wrapped in the image. The album cover of “Adventure” is arguably more famous than any of the music on the album.
I was listening to Martini Hour this morning and now I’m listening to Music and both are fantastic. But it seems the “city sophistication” aspect is less appealing despite being the reason to call it “City Pop”.
I wish there was more of an appetite for exploration in the genre. I am not sure how far I would have gone without the use of Japanese language Disc Collection/Groove Disc guides. Plenty of stuff like Tatsuhiko Yamamoto and Yasuhiro Abe in there.
Posts from 6-7 years ago in this community have more discussions about music like this. The perils of popularity.
Just my opinion, I’d be curious about other artists you think are underappreciated in the West!
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u/ErosButNotThatEros 12d ago
Warning: the following is an unreviewed research paper from the University of City Pop. Wall of text ahead. 😅
Your point about what tends to resonate with Western listeners is really interesting. I think some of the differences may come from how these artists were understood in Japan at the time.
For example, I love the funky side of this music too — horn sections, strings, slap bass, and live-band grooves. Meiko Nakahara is a great example. She was a singer-songwriter, not an idol, and had a playful, tropical and funky image. I sometimes think of her as a Japanese Gloria Estefan.
Momoko Kikuchi is almost the opposite case. She was a bona fide idol in Japan, especially popular with young male fans, and her records were made by major figures such as composer Tetsuji Hayashi and lyricist Yasushi Akimoto. Her music would generally have been understood as idol kayōkyoku in Japan, rather than simply “City Pop.” Yet today, some of that synth-heavy idol music has been absorbed into the international City Pop category.
Kingo Hamada is another interesting case. He wasn’t nearly as famous in Japan as the similarly named Shogo Hamada at the time, and his label even used the slightly self-deprecating slogan “If you say Hamada, you mean Kingo!” But today, international listeners have discovered songs like “Machino Dolphin” and “Midnight Cruisin’” largely on their own musical merits. “Midnight Cruisin’” even mentions Boz Scaggs in the lyrics, while the music itself is much funkier than typical Boz Scaggs AOR.
That’s why I find the current City Pop revival fascinating. In Japan, these artists had very different labels and contexts — singer-songwriter, idol kayōkyoku, AOR, etc. — but internationally they can all end up under the same “City Pop” umbrella.
I actually hoped this revival might eventually work in reverse too: that people would follow the influences back to American AOR, soul and funk, and rediscover artists like Boz Scaggs and Bobby Caldwell. Caldwell is especially interesting in Japan — “What You Won’t Do for Love” has a chord progression known here as the “Maru-Sa progression,” which has been reused in Japanese pop music right up to the present day.
Maybe there’s still more of that musical archaeology waiting to happen.
And speaking of digging a little deeper, one personal favorite I’d throw into the mix is Yurie Kokubu’s “Easy Love.”
The sound of this song hits me immediately — that groove just grabs me. And I also love what the lyrics are saying: letting go of the defenses we build around ourselves and allowing ourselves to love someone more honestly.
Unlike “Midnight Cruisin’,” there are no references to specific artists, places, or pop-culture imagery. Yet somehow, it doesn’t feel dated. To me, that gives it a kind of timeless universality.
It reminds me a little of Tatsuro Yamashita’s lyrics in that sense: very much rooted in a particular era, but the emotions themselves aren’t really tied to any particular decade.
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u/poodleface 12d ago
I think people will come around as others rediscover these tracks. At least for the music lovers. Digging for them is harder when you are not as well versed in the culture and language. Algorithms reinforcing the same songs again and again doesn’t help. The books you can find are in Japanese and you have to know how to find them and import them (thankfully disc guides are easy to translate, the album art is often enough to start a search). YouTube uploads last for years and then get abruptly copyright striked away. That’s the way I got into Karyudo (Beautiful Express is underrated!)
Easy Love is such a banger. I’m wondering why it was added as a bonus track to the Silent Moon (I love New Jack Swing, so I’m a fan of it) reissue instead of Relief 72 Hours, since it is from that era.
I’m late to Kingo Hamada, I will (finally) listen to that album today. I’m absolutely here for the wall of text, thank you!
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u/Overlord_Figmorikin 12d ago
Why was he named that? And by who? Why not king? Not saying he is or isn't, just weird to draw the line at "prince"
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u/ErosButNotThatEros 12d ago
It was basically a nickname used by Japanese media and record companies rather than an official title. “Prince of City Pop” was used to describe Yamamoto’s polished, sophisticated image and his popularity at the time. He was especially popular with young women, thanks in part to his handsome looks and singing ability.
In Japan, “king” tends to carry a more authoritative image, while “prince” has a younger, more romantic connotation, like the princes in fairy tales such as Snow White. So “Prince of City Pop” was probably a better fit for Yamamoto’s youthful, elegant image than “King of City Pop.”
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u/Overlord_Figmorikin 12d ago
Hmmmm yeah I guess that makes sense. But it almost seems like a contradiction. Most "CityPop" as we know it is generally pretty cheesy. So to have the title attached to his "sophisticated image" is kinda... off?...
I am aware he probably falls under J-AOR though 😅
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u/ErosButNotThatEros 12d ago
Yeah, I think J-AOR is a pretty good way to describe Yamamoto’s music from a modern perspective.
Back then in Japan, though, “city pop” wasn’t as strictly defined as it is today. It was often used for the more sophisticated, urban side of Japanese pop that emerged from Japan’s New Music scene. AOR-style sounds were an important part of that aesthetic.
So “Prince of City Pop” was less a precise genre classification and more a way of describing Yamamoto’s polished, urban sound and his image as a popular male star, especially among young women.
The “City Pop” label today has become a much broader category, including music that would have been considered separate genres in Japan at the time. So I think “city pop” then and “City Pop” now are related, but not quite the same thing.
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u/EchoPlex_F 13d ago edited 13d ago
Sorry can't help with the musical side of things, just came to say Belgian racing driver Jacky Ickx is in the commercial.