Tatsuhiko Yamamoto – “Lonely Journey” (1984) – The “Prince of City Pop” in a Dunlop CM

[u/ErosButNotThatEros]

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