Prologue: When did “Showa” become cool?
Text: mmr｜Theme: Showa songs and pop are fused with 21st century internet culture, and how are they being reevaluated overseas?Exploring the “Showa Retro” phenomenon that is spreading as a symbol of YouTube, TikTok, Vaporwave, and Retro Japan
In the 2020s, tags such as Showa Retro,''Showa Kayo,’’ and Japanese 80s Pop'' are spreading explosively on SNS and streaming services around the world.
It was a symbolic event that Miki Matsubara'sMidnight Door~Stay With Me’’ and Tatsuro Yamashita’s ``Ride on Time’’ suddenly appeared on Spotify’s global charts.
However, this ``Showa pop revival’’ is not just a nostalgic hobby.Rather, it is a rediscovery of analog sensations in the digital age and a new cultural phenomenon of global “emotional sharing”.
In this article, we will explore how Showa songs resonate overseas and how they are being received and reconstructed. We will explore it from multiple angles, including 1) historical background, 2) media environment, 3) overseas reception structure, and 4) musical translation perspectives.
Chapter 1: Structure of Showa songs as “memory”
Showa Kayo is a broad category that refers to Japanese popular music from the 1950s to the 1980s. The range is extremely wide, from the enka-like sentiments of Hibari Misora, to the idol songs of Momoe Yamaguchi and Akina Nakamori, and even the pop songs of Eiichi Otaki and Yumi Matsutoya.
However, what they have in common is belief in melody'' andromanticism in the shadow of the times.’’
Showa songs, which grew along with post-war economic growth, established an ``emotional coordinate axis’’ in people’s lives.
For example, Takashi Miki’s melodies have a sense of nostalgia, and Kyohei Tsutsumi’s arrangements have urban dreams.**
This “reverberation of dreams” will later become the driving force that attracts young people from overseas.
Chapter 2: Starting point of rediscovery - YouTube algorithm and “Japanese City Pop”
The starting point for the international reappraisal of Showa songs was YouTube in the late 2010s. Overseas users left comments on songs from the 1980s that were suddenly recommended by the algorithm, added English subtitles, and created remixes.
Miki Matsubara’s ``Midnight Door’’ is a typical example. The surge in playbacks spread to Spotify’s automatic playlists, and spawned a trend on TikTok called “Japanese 80s aesthetic.”
This was driven by the redefined genre of City Pop. Music that was originally called “urban pop” in Japan, Overseas, it has been translated as “retrofuturistic pop” and “aesthetic nostalgia,” and has been reconnected as the source of Vaporwave culture.
Chapter 3: Vaporwave and the illusion of the Showa era
Vaporwave is an art movement that grew out of American internet bulletin board culture in the early 2010s. Old Japanese advertisements, digital graphics from the 1980s, and the distorted sound images of cassettes have been reconstructed as the “reverberations” of consumer society.
It is no coincidence that the melodies and sounds of Showa songs were naturally fused here. Soft reverb, urban mellowness, and excessive romanticism. These perfectly matched the ``artificial nostalgia’’ that Vaporwave was seeking.
The result was a cultural upheaval, with songs by Yumi Matsutoya and Mariya Takeuchi appearing on the “chill playlists” of young people in America and Europe.
Chapter 4: Overseas Reception Structure - Translated “Emotions”
Why do listeners who don’t understand Japanese cry when listening to Showa songs? Many overseas listeners say, ``This music feels like a dream.’’ This is because I sympathize with the acoustic texture and emotional atmosphere rather than the linguistic meaning.
Vocals in Showa songs often seem to be speaking, and the melody lines have a human-like intonation. This ``voice expression’’ creates an emotional delicacy that is not found in English lyrics.
Furthermore, the “temperature” unique to analog recording sounds fresh to the ears of the digital generation. In other words, Showa songs export ``emotion as texture’’.
Chapter 5: The intersection of digital archives and Japanese cultural policy
What is interesting is that this boom was spread by private listeners. It wasn’t that the Japanese government or music industry intentionally exported it; rather, fan activity on YouTube and Spotify took the lead.
However, in the 2020s, “Showa retro” content has rapidly increased at overseas festivals and exhibitions. NHK and record companies have also opened official channels with English subtitles. In the “Cool Japan” strategy, ``archiving Showa music’’ is attracting attention as a cultural export axis second only to anime and games.
Chapter 6: Listener-generated culture - overseas remix and cover phenomenon
In Europe, America, and Asia, tracks that sample Showa songs are appearing one after another. Korean producers Night Tempo and American Macross 82-99 are pioneers. They play Showa songs as “Future Funk” and have recorded millions of views on YouTube.
Furthermore, there is a growing trend for Western bands and artists to produce “City Pop-style” songs. Examples include France’s Vendredi Sur Mer, America’s Eyedress, and Thailand’s Phum Viphurit.
In this way, Showa songs have acquired ``universality as material’’ and are repeatedly reproduced culturally.
Chapter 7: Reimport phenomenon in Japan - Rekindling of the “Showa boom”
What is interesting is that the overseas boom is also flowing back into Japan. Behind the phenomenon that younger generations are attracted to second-hand clothes, pure cafes, and Showa-era interiors, There is an external evaluation that says Showa is attracting attention from overseas.
“Showa Retro Kayo Playlist” has become popular on Spotify Japan, A video of a teenage singer covering Akina Nakamori is going viral on YouTube. In other words, Showa songs have once again regained their brilliance in Japan through an ``external perspective.’’
Chapter 8: The Future of Nostalgia - Virtual Showa and AI Reconstruction
In the late 2020s, imaginary Showa songs'' are being created one after another due to advances in AI voice and generated music.
"Showa-style original song" by Lo-Fi AI singer, video of virtual singer singing Showa-style melody...
It is a cultural experiment that can be calledreconstruction of memory.’’
Showa songs are no longer about the past, but are evolving into a platform for re-experiencing the past in a futuristic way. Nostalgia is no longer about retrospection, but has become an energy for re-creation.
Conclusion: “Music of the heart” called Showa
Showa songs are becoming etched into the world’s emotional map, transcending Japan’s historical context.
This echo is also a return to the individual memory'' that was being lost due to globalization.
The songs of the Showa era have become anemotional refuge’’ not only for the Japanese of the past, but for all lonely young people of the 21st century.
Even though the Showa era has become far away, it continues to be replayed in someone’s mind somewhere in the ocean of the Internet.
Chronology: The internationalization process of Showa songs
| Year | Events | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | Formation of postwar pop songs, appearance of Hibari Misora and Chiemi Eri | Foundation for sharing emotions among the masses |
| 1970s | New music and the golden age of idols | Yumi Matsutoya, Momoe Yamaguchi, Candies |
| 1980s | City pop maturity | Tatsuro Yamashita, Eiichi Otaki, Mariya Takeuchi |
| 2010s | Discover overseas with YouTube and connect with vaporwave culture | Miki Matsubara re-evaluating |
| 2020s | Global boom via TikTok and Spotify | “Showa Retro” rekindled, birth of AI Showa music |
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