Make Believe Mailer Vol. 48: The Akimoto Vortex
For a split second there, J-pop robber baron Yasushi Akimoto almost had his lyrics appear on a BTS song. He penned the words to an upcoming Japanese-language number called "Bird," with the CEO of the K-pop group's agency Big Hit Entertainment revealing he always respected Akimoto's world view. This didn't go down well with Korean netizens or international BTS fans. The digital masses rose up and declared "this man's a right winger! This guy's a misogynist! Keep him away from our precious boys!" And so, the number has been replaced.
There's a lot of fascinating layers to this story — the on-going geopolitical tension between Japan and Korea, the ability of a fanbase to basically play the role of PR consultant for a group, wondering what the hell he wrote for BTS — but I can't get over the person at the center of it. Though that's hardly new, because Yasushi Akimoto finds himself in the middle of these kinds of controversies all the time, domestically and (especially) abroad. What's been on my mind following this recent kerfluffle is how one person can be a stand-in for an entire country's pop music industry, even though he really only makes up a small corner. And how outsized attention given to said individual might be contributing to the market's greater failings internationally.
J-pop is stuck in the Akimoto Vortex.
The Akimoto Vortex is the fact that AKB48's peak in Japan is over, but if you were to read English-language writing about J-pop there is a high likelihood Akimoto or AKB48 will be in the spotlight. The Akimoto Vortex blocks out almost every other artist, group or even interesting story related to Japanese music in favor of...focusing on Akimoto and his works. The Akimoto Vortex is so strong it even affects Yasushi Akimoto. He's producing Nogizaka46 and Keyakizaka46, projects that have taken AKB's spot in the cultural zeitgeist, but AKB48 dominates attention. Unless one of the aforementioned groups dress as Nazis...than they become another element of the Akimoto Vortex.
Until the last few months, I would have said the main place the Akimoto Vortex plays out is in the media. The novelty of AKB48 in the early 2010s gained plenty of attention from English-language news reporters, and they've been a favorite subject of general-interest journalists this decade. Not to say stories centered around that biggie-sized group aren't always newsworthy — plenty are — but English media focuses on them zooms in on AKB as representative of all Japanese music (hell, all Japanese pop culture) a ridiculous amount at a time when their mainstream sway is quite low.
But the domestic side does the same thing, albeit in an even more negative way. The general public hates Akimoto. Simple rumors — unfounded ones! – about a potential AKB-like group performing at the 2020 Olympic spurred a general repulsion to Akimoto's creation. Negative news related to him or what he works on always gets attention, especially online. And here the Akimoto Vortex becomes clear again. Bagging on Akimoto ultimately gets more attention than highlighting lesser known performers, while bemoaning how he ruined J-pop draws attention away from, well, anyone who could maybe change that perception.
The more AKB48 and similar Akimoto groups get presented as the representatives of Japanese pop music in non-Japanese media, the less likely it is people will have a positive view of Japanese pop music, whether because the scandals around the groups and producer are off-putting or because the music itself feels lackluster. And the more domestic media highlights the bad side of Akimoto's world, the more negativity about J-pop in general takes the center. Not to say it is the main reason J-pop flounders abroad (it isn't) or that a cynical view of J-pop is wrong (it's complicated, though bring it to all music industries while you are at it). But the Akimoto Vortex distorts views of what Japanese pop music – especially the popular stuff – actually is. This year highlights it best of all.
If you told me the Korean music industry is giving so much attention to Akimoto and AKB48 in 2018 as a way of secretly submarining the image of Japanese pop, I'd buy it. Japanese music has made modest inroads into Korea — J-pop acts play decent-sized venues and have fans. But which group and producer ends up appearing on a K-pop-centric awards show and then being the focus of a survival show? The end result again is that AKB and Akimoto appear as the most vital J-pop outfit in the eyes of observers (total win for AKB48 though). Which maybe explains why Akimoto got brought on to write for BTS (that or his check cleared)...again, a distortion.
The Akimoto Vortex also attracts a disproportionate about of negativity. Not to say it isn't earned — Akimoto's lyrics do get misogynistic and creepy, the fact BTS fans didn't zone in on Onyanko Club seemed like a missed opportunity. The right-wing part is far more complicated and digging in too deep derails everything, but it's not off. Yet Akimoto looms large, and his presence distracts from all kinds of other issues that should be brought up. That stink carries over to J-pop as a whole. K-pop boasts plenty of the same problems tagged to AKB, but nobody really gets worked up over all those school uniforms in videos (though the whole no-dating thing is really coming to a head now). BTS fans weren't happy with that Chainsmokers collab... but they also didn't react nearly as strongly to that as they did with this Akimoto thing. And K-pop and nationalism...well, that's a sticky one.
But when Akimoto is involved, all other factors – good, bad or neutral – get pushed to the side. And his work becomes the image of J-pop for many. That's more true than ever in Asia, where the AKB48 franchise has rapidly expanded across Asia, with branches in Vietnam and Mumbai to come soon. It's big for Akimoto and AKB48 (hot take to be expanded on in the near future...AKB48 might be one of the clearest examples of Cool Japan actually working in 2018), but only further presents them as the face of J-pop, rather than a face.
News And Views
Nakanao Sun Plaza will be torn down in the future to make way for...a new hotel complete with music venue. It's a historic venue and a pretty cool one, but I'm at least glad they won't push a music space out of this new building entirely. Still, if you can, see a show there!
Hikaru Utada is working with...Skrillex? Sure, why not, makes sense for a video game where Final Fantasy characters team up with Buzz Lightyear.
Someone tell Kyary Pamyu Pamyu that Fuji Rock happens in July, that's when you break out the Native American looks.
Another minor controversy surrounding AKB48 this week came in Thailand, when several members of the group performed songs for the country's Prime Minister. The footage is WILD, especially if you like seeing Junta leaders wave glow sticks. Anyway, this inspired some angry responses! And we enter the Vortex again...AKB (and by proxy, all of Japan!) get judged, when plenty of Western pop stars have performed for dictators and, well, this happened earlier in the year and kind of became a meme. But again...Akimoto provides a big and easy target. He is a punching bag for pop righteousness and it again reflects poorly on J-pop.
Great article in The Japan Times looking at how Japan and China's underground electronic scene are growing closer. Given all the stupid and divisive news about pop music, it's great to see independent communities actually buck those trends.
A Japanese billionaire is going to fly to the moon with a bunch of artists because the mega-rich are lunatics. Excited to see what summer bangers DJ Khaled comes up with when he sees the Earth from space.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of September 10, 2018 To September 16, 2018
A nice and boring week over at the charts, with NEWS getting number one on the single side and TWICE going to the top with their latest Japanese release. Worth noting that after her retirement, Namie Amuro's final best-of set rocketed back into the top ten, even sneaking ahead of BTS.
Perfume's GAME (33 1/3)
My entry in the 33 1/3 Japan series is out now! Get a copy at Bloomsbury or Amazon. Or at Kinokuniya bookstores in the US. Perfume released a new video for the song "Future Pop," which is really nifty.
Look At Me!
Tune in to the final four minutes of Monocle 24's The Globalist podcast from last Monday to hear me babble briefly about Amuro's retirement.
Wrote about the Japanese online reaction to Naomi Osaka for The Japan Time's Pulse this week. In all honesty, the online discourse in English around her over the past two weeks really bummed me out. It was...actually refreshing digging into the Japanese side and seeing something far more nuanced taking place.
Blog highlights: Toyomu, AR30, Maison Book Girl. Also the new Foodman album is out and it slaps, go listen to that.
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
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