Performing in Japan: The KMC Guide to the World's Largest Music Market

By Duane Levi

Musicians who are interested in performing in Japan may encounter many challenges trying to set up shows due to differences in language and culture. This book provides vital information about the Japanese music scene and how musicians from overseas can navigate it successfully.
Compiled specifically for working musicians, all of the advice, hints, and testimonials in this book are either from veteran musicians and members of the industry living in Japan or from musicians who have performed there as part of the Kansai Music Conference. It also includes useful Japanese phrases that can go a long way to making the difference between having a “good” tour and having a “productive” tour.
Many people think that Japan is a place where foreign musicians can “make it big” like they did in the late 20th century, but those days are gone.
This book is here to explain why things have changed and how to adjust your strategy to establish a foothold and make the most of your experience in Japan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781326053017

Book preview

978-1-326-04171-7

Foreword

by Beth Patterson

Congratulations! You've gotten a gig in Japan...yes, Japan! A country best known to the Western world for its exotic architecture, martial arts, raw fish, geisha girls, manga, anime, eccentric popular culture and impossibly beautiful young women. You're the envy of your friends and musical peers. You've finally made it big, right?

Chotto matte!

Slow down and stop to smell the cherry blossoms for a minute. And shed your ego at the door, like you would a pair of shoes before entering someone's house (yeah, you're supposed to do that too in Japan).

You are about to set foot in a country unlike any other in the world, where everything operates according to manners, subtlety, and tradition that dates back so far, you can't even fathom it. You are now like a barbarian coming to the civilized world for the first time. This is not the same as just getting by, like you did on those gigs in Germany, Costa Rica, or wherever else you played and thought to yourself, I've got this foreign touring thing down to a science, baby!

Japan currently has the largest music market in the world, but venues tend not to pay much money, if any, when you're trying to break into the scene for the first time. (Unless, of course, you are already a major star elsewhere, and if so, and you are content to just play the gig, you should probably hand this book to your agent or manager.)

So how does one break into the scene? Keep reading... because we now live in a world full of instant fixes, but like learning how to execute the perfect kanji brushstroke, some things take time and patience, especially when the journey can be more fulfilling than the destination.

There is playing internationally...and then there is playing in Japan. Japanese people are extremely polite, but if you’ve made a faux pas, there’s a good chance that no one is going to take you aside and explain stage etiquette, cultural etiquette, or proper business manners to you. Likewise, there’s lots of stuff that you would do well to know in advance; how to book a gig on your own, which music festivals are good and when they happen, how to promote effectively, etc. (Some things are fine to learn about as you go, but you will get the most bang for your buck if you are prepared.)

Still up for the challenge? I hope so. Because the connections you can potentially make will open new paths, the people that you meet can potentially be friends for life, and the impression that you make can affect the reception of other foreign musicians who follow your example.

There will be many moments when you’ll see some breathtaking scenery, create your own memoirs to tell the grandkids (or your friends’ grand-rugrats, anyway), and you’ll want to pinch yourself and say,

Holy shiitake...I’m in Japan! And I’m playing!!!

So sit down, have some green tea, open your mind, and use this book to prepare yourself for what can potentially be the most amazing and life-changing musical odyssey of your life. What you get out of it is all up to you, ongakuka. Get out there and live it!

Introduction

by Eric Wiegmann

For many musicians, getting their name, music and message to the Japanese public is probably the main purpose of touring here. But given that they don't speak the language, don't have any contacts and don't know any radio stations or record companies, visiting musicians might wonder, How can I accomplish this?

Here are some steps that should be followed:

1) A collection of high quality performance videos should be posted to YouTube and other media sites.

These videos should represent your highest possible appearance, sound and message.

2) Effort should be made to get a high number of views for these videos with a lot of obvious interaction (many likes, positive comments)

3) Music download collections should be uploaded to well-known sites like Reverbnation or SoundCloud.

4) Come to Japan humble; ready to play your greatest, most musical shows ever, but at the same time, not expecting instant success.

5) Get booked performing with other popular acts.

6) Find musicians active in the local Japanese community that can help you bring in the audience.

7) Have the basic information of your website translated into Japanese. If you don’t have a site, get one made. Also, make a one-sheet in Japanese to email to key people or to pass out to audience members.

8) Hire a language translator to assist you in your PR duties

I’ve been performing with visiting artists in Japan for twelve years, which has given me direct insight into the pros & cons, the do’s & don’ts of self-promoted Japan tours. The points listed above as well as the many others contained in this book will give you a good idea as to what the scene is like here in Japan and how to prepare yourself for it.

Section 1 - Musical Genres

In general, Japanese like all kinds of music. There is no style of music that that doesn’t have some type of following, both mainstream and underground, and no matter the scene or style, there are people in Japan who are well versed in it. Here is a simple breakdown of the current state of the various live music genres for foreign musicians in Japan.

*Gospel – Very well received and popular in most areas of the country due to the appeal that Japanese people have for the meaning of the words and the power of the music. Churches often have gospel choirs and/or lessons and many foreigners come to Japan to teach gospel music through workshops or private lessons. Also, authentic gospel choirs from the US that regularly tour Japan, do very well financially.

*R&B – For the mainstream R&B/soul acts from the US (Cheryl Lynn, The Temptations, Vanessa Williams, Boys II Men, Chaka Khan, The Three Degrees, etc.), Japanese fans will pay over 10,000 yen to go to a show. Many people are diehard fans of the music and go to expensive clubs to see their favorite acts. However, the reception for R&B musicians that are not well known in Japan is quite different. They will have to do at least 3 consecutive annual tours, develop good contacts and get their name established in order to see any results even slightly resembling their more mainstream counterparts.

*Classical – Many fans of classical music in Japan are older and are used to going to classical concerts and orchestral performances. A classical musician from overseas would have difficulty doing gigs like these unless they are part of an orchestra. However, if foreign classical musicians do get the opportunity to perform in front of a Japanese audience, they are usually well received and often invited back for future performances.

*Jazz – Jazz continues to enjoy high popularity throughout Japan, and the cities are full of jazz clubs, jazz bars, and jazz festivals. Jazz fans will regularly pay to go see their favorite musicians, and talented musicians continue to be produced domestically.

Being a jazz musician from the U.S., I came to realize why so many of our great jazz heroes toured and many times found themselves expats (in Japan). After my first tour, I was astounded at the support and popularity of jazz music and musicians. So much so, that I decided to move there. I had never experienced that level of comfort being a jazz musician. And, there are no shortages of jazz clubs all through Japan.