Keichan's Doki-Doki J-Town

Taking a closer look at the artists that originated J-Pop. Artists who were influental in making J-Pop what it is today. Artists who you love and music that has done wonders.

SMAP- Smap was the group that first appeared in September 1991 and paved the way for artists like Kinki Kids, V6, and the female idols Speed. The group started out having 6 original members. It was lowered to 5 when member Mori Katsuyuki left the group to persue a racing career.

Amuro Namie- J-Pop's diva debuted in September of 1992 with the group Super Monkeys. She opted to leave the group and entertain as a solo artist. Amuro is perhaps the most popular female artist, her album Sweet 19 Blues selling more than 3.7 million copies.

Chage & Aska- Two of the first artists on the J-Pop scene, this duo debuted in Mid 1979. After attending high school together and winning numerous singing contests, they became known as one of J-Pop's hottest groups. In 1991 they were still kicking as thier single 'Say Yes' sold well over 3 million copies.

Seiko Matsuda- Seiko has to be the most well known j-pop artist. Having released over 20 albums and what seems to be millions of singles, Seiko is the essence of J-Pop. She has become so well known that she has even released albums and acted in movies in the US, including a duet with then popular Donnie Wahlberg. Since the start of her career in 1980, Seiko has never left the world of J-Pop.

Toshinobu Kubota- Toshi debuted in 1986 with the hit single 'Shitsuino Downtown'. He, like Seiko, also took his music worldwide and has appeared across America and the UK. He is probably best known for his song 'La La La Love Song' which has appeared in countless commercials and dramas.

Glay- Glay has been extremely instrumental in bringing J-Rock to the world. Members, Hisashi, Jiro, Takuro,and Teru display a once unique style now being immitated throughout the J-Rock community.

Judy and Mary- Judy and Mary debuted in 1993, and member Yuki is the driving force behind the band. She has persued countless solo projects and made JAM a household name throughout Japan.

Chara- Chara a native of the Kawaguchi Saitama prefecture was born January 13, 1968. She has been a pioneer for the risky froms of J-pop music. Her singles include such titles as 'Baby Bay XXX' and 'No Toy'. This X Yen Town Band member has always been at the forefront of breaking J-Pop styles.

Shinohara Tomoe- Nicknamed Shinoer, this 19 year old girl is the queen of funk. She debuted in the summer of '95 with a style all her own. Her clothes and accesories really bright and outrageous. This style became so popular in July 1995, that Amuro Namie and Puffy both tried it for a short while. Her music also reflects this funky style with the majority of her songs featuring her trademark phrase 'KURU-KURU'.

Komuro Tetsuya- The producer of artists such as Amuro Namie, Kahara Tomomi, Hitomi and DOS. He came to prominence spectacularly as a producer with a simple concept - real artists could double their sales if they presented themselves like idols. His idea met with great success. Unlike most producers, he doesn't stay behind the scenes, but often appears on stage with his artists.

Shazna- Started as an ameteur band in 1993, Shazna has expierienced success since thier debut as J-Rock idols in 1997. They were awarded the prestige Yusen Taisho award for the best new band of 1997. Look for great things to come from this band.

Dreams Come True- Debuted in 1989, Dreams Come True has been the J-Pop band known for thier huge following of fans throughout Japan. Thier 1993 Album 'Magic' was one of the best selling albums of that time.