City Pop & Neon Lights: My Memories of Performing in the 80s Tokyo Music Scene
If you spend any time on music YouTube or TikTok, you have probably stumbled across "City Pop."
It’s that vibrant, funky, neon-soaked Japanese pop music from the 1980s. Songs like Mariya Takeuchi’s "Plastic Love" or tracks by Tatsuro Yamashita are suddenly everywhere, racking up millions of views from young fans who weren't even born when they were recorded.
Watching this revival brings a huge smile to my face. Why? Because I was lucky enough to experience that energy firsthand.
In the 80s, I traveled to Japan to perform at the Tokyo Music Festival. It was a career-defining moment, and watching the internet fall in love with the sound of that era brings back a flood of memories.
The "Bubble Era" Energy
To understand the music, you have to understand the vibe of Tokyo in the 1980s. They call it the "Bubble Era." The economy was booming, technology was exploding (Walkmans! Synthesizers!), and the optimism was infectious.
When I landed in Tokyo, it felt like landing in the future. The neon lights of Shinjuku and Roppongi were brighter than anything I had seen. The city didn't sleep.
That energy bled directly into the music. "City Pop" was the soundtrack to a cosmopolitan lifestyle—driving fast cars, living in high-rise apartments, and falling in love under city lights.
Why The Music Was So Good
As a musician, what struck me most about the Japanese music scene was the precision.
The backing bands were impeccable. They took the best elements of American Funk, Disco, and "Yacht Rock," and they played it with a level of technical perfection that was staggering.
The Gear: Japan was making the best synthesizers in the world (like the Yamaha DX7). The studios had the newest toys, giving the music a crisp, "sparkling" sound.
The Chords: Just like the West Coast sound I loved, City Pop used complex jazz chords. It was sophisticated pop music for adults, not just bubblegum for kids.
(I talked about this same commitment to quality in my post about the West Coast sound: Wait, Is It "Yacht Rock"?)
The Hawaii-Tokyo Connection
There has always been a strong musical bridge between Hawaii and Japan. We share a love for melody and groove.
When I was performing my songs in Tokyo, I realized that my "Island Sound"—which was influenced by American R&B and Pop—fit right in with what was happening there. We were all chasing the same thing: a groove that made you feel good, and a melody that stuck in your head.
Bringing That Energy Home
That experience in Tokyo shaped how I approach live performance and arrangement. It taught me that pop music could be sophisticated. It didn't have to be simple to be catchy.
When I record today, I still try to capture that "City Vibe"—that feeling of motion, excitement, and neon lights.
Experience the Groove
If you are loving the City Pop revival—if you like that mix of funk bass, bright keyboards, and urban romance—I think you’ll find a lot to love in my upbeat tracks.
My song "Shine" was written with that same spirit of optimism and groove. It’s my nod to the era when the music was bright and the future looked endless.
Listen to "Shine" on Spotify: