[Column] Ostracism and 1970s Japan: Deviant sounds, rejecting society
Column en 70s Culture Rock Underground![[Column] Ostracism and 1970s Japan: Deviant sounds, rejecting society](/../assets/images/column-murahachibu.webp)
What was ostracism?
Text: mmr｜Theme: Thoroughly deciphering the deviant music that was born behind the scenes of high economic growth and its social background.
Thought of rejection indicated by the name
In the early 1970s, ostracism emerged as an extremely unique group in Japanese rock history. The name is taken from a word that means punishment in traditional Japanese communities, and it was an extremely provocative statement of intent, calling itself ““exclusion from the community.’’
At the center of this band was vocalist Kazushi Shibata, commonly known as Charbo. He was more than just a singer, he was a challenge to society at the time. Rather than well-rounded singing or technique, the singer’s rough and unstable voice reflected the distortions of the times.
Although Murahachibun”s music was influenced by blues and rock”n’roll, it was not a Japanese interpretation of them. Rather, the process of destroying and reconstructing that format itself became the sound. Rather than musical perfection, value was placed on the uncertainty of ““what will happen on the spot’’.
Mura Hachibun was not a group of people playing music, but an embodiment of deviance from society.
Historical background of 1970s Japan
The end of high economic growth and the transformation of society
In the 1970s, Japan was nearing the end of its period of rapid economic growth that had continued since the war. Cities were developing rapidly, living standards were improving, and many people were beginning to feel affluence. However, on the other hand, society as a whole is becoming more homogenized, and individual values and freedoms are gradually being suppressed.
The student movement, which reached its peak in the late 1960s, rapidly subsided in the 1970s. The political enthusiasm that had temporarily increased due to security struggles and university disputes stalled due to setbacks, leaving many young people with nowhere to go.
Furthermore, the 1970 Osaka Expo was a symbolic event that established Japan as an economic power in the international community, but it also signaled the arrival of an era in which ““future” and ““progress” were talked about under the leadership of the state.
In such a society, young people who don’t feel like they belong go underground. Music and the live space were the sources of that energy.
Behind the surface of their prosperity, the feeling of having lost their place was amplified underground.
Formation of underground culture
Live house and improvisation
In the early 1970s, Japan’s music scene was not yet developed, and the live house culture was still in its infancy. Rather than large-scale concerts, the focus was on performances in small spaces, and the experience there determined the essence of the music.
Murakami had an overwhelming presence in such places. Their performances rejected predetermined harmony and developed differently each time. Even the disruption of a song’s structure was accepted as part of expression.
The distance between them and the audience was extremely close, and sometimes collisions occurred. Music was not something to be listened to, but something to be involved in.
While Happy End, who were active at the same time, presented a sophisticated form of Japanese rock, Murahachibun were at the opposite end of the spectrum. Rather than the beauty of the words or melodies, they focused on the impulse itself.
The underground was not a place, it was a matter of attitude.
Live performance and physicality of ostracism
Extreme performance
Chabo’s staging left a strong impression on the audience. Rather than “singing” the lyrics, he expressed them using his entire body. Their appearance completely deviated from the conventional framework of popular songs and folk music.
The band’s performance as a whole was also extremely unstable, creating a unique sense of tension. Tempo fluctuations, pitch instability, sudden stops—all were part of the live performance.
Although this type of expression was considered immature by the mainstream music of the time, it also had a strong sense of reality. It was not complete music, but a sound that only existed ““in this moment.’’
The ostracized live performance was an experience that blurred the line between music and reality.
Disconnect from the media
Unvisible existence
Ostracism rarely appeared in mass media such as television or radio. This was not simply due to a lack of opportunity, but rather because their expressions did not fit within the media framework.
The music industry at the time consisted mainly of folk and popular songs, with an emphasis on message quality and friendliness. The music of ostracism did not fit into either of these categories.
As a result, there were very few opportunities for their work to be recorded, and their lives were passed down primarily through live experiences. This “lack of records” would greatly contribute to the mythization of the story in later years.
Precisely because they are invisible, their existence is amplified by imagination.
Dissolution and afterward
Meaning of short-lived
Mura Hachibun ceased its activities around 1973. It is said that there was not just one reason for this, but multiple factors were intertwined, such as problems between members and changes in the environment.
However, their short lifespan was what kept them strong. It remained etched into history in its most radical state, without undergoing any transformation or commercialization through long-term activities.
Later, in the 1980s, as Japan’s indie and punk scenes developed, ostracism began to be reevaluated. Their attitude became a reference point for new generations.
The moment they disappeared, they became not the past, but a myth.
Chronology: Ostracism and 1970s Japan
Structural diagram: interaction between society and music
Position in 1970s Japanese rock
Distance from the mainstream
Japanese rock in the 1970s was exploring a variety of directions. As folk, popular songs, and rock intersect, each has evolved in its own way.
Among them, the ostracized people did not completely belong to any of these trends. They refused to fit within the existing context and positioned themselves ““outside.’’
This attitude would become important in later genres such as punk and noise.
Ostracism existed not within genres, but at the boundaries themselves.
Continuity to modern times
Invisible effects
In contemporary Japan’s underground music and DIY culture, the influence of ostracism is rarely talked about directly. However, that spirit has definitely been passed down.
A production method that does not rely on existing frameworks, an attitude that emphasizes the live space, and a way of thinking that prioritizes freedom of expression - these are still shared by many artists today.
Their music continues to be re-evaluated in new contexts through the development of re-recorded sources and archives.
Ostracism does not exist in the past, but has an ongoing influence.
Conclusion: What the sound of rejection leaves behind
In the 1970s, ostracism had a strong presence from outside society. Although their music was by no means popular, their attitude sharply reflected the distortions of the times.
The sense of alienation that arose on the backside of high economic growth, the opposition to homogenization, and the search for individual expression. All of these are condensed into the existence of ostracism.
They were not at the center of history. However, the sound that was coming from somewhere off center spoke of another reality of the times.
The sound of ostracism is a record of those who did not fit into society, and that non-conformity was what gave them value.
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