As Japan Ages, Pop 'Idols' Aren't as Spry as They Used to Be

Hey! I was quoted in an article that ran in the New York Times:

As Japan Ages, Pop 'Idols' Aren't as Spry as They Used to Be
Japanese culture is renowned for its obsession with the impermanence of beauty, and many a poem has honored the brief but perfect life of the cherry blossom. 

In human terms, the Japanese “Christmas cake” maxim celebrates feminine beauty, but dictates that a woman is past her prime at 25, when she should avoid turning into leftover Christmas cake. In show business this has long meant that female pop “idols” should marry and retire by their early 20s.

But with the number of Japanese older than 65 rising from 7.1 percent of the population in 1970 to a world record 22.7 percent in 2009, the Christmas cake dictum is showing signs of age. The Christmas cake example is the singer Momoe Yamaguchi, whom Japan swooned over in the 1970s. After stealing the nation’s heart, she married in 1980 and disappeared forever into domestic bliss.

Go to original article here. Or here (if NY Times wants you to pay money... Ha!)

Marketing Japan: Like Japanese Rock? Music Japan Plus!

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers


In France, Japan, and all things Japanese are hugely popular and growing in popularity daily! I will get to that in a minute! Read on! 

People who knows me well or read this blog often will know that I am a devout advocate of specialization. It doesn't matter what you do, I believe that you must specialize or die.

The examples of this abound all around us.

Vamps are a new Japanese visual kei unit that is staple on Music Japan Plus

Take my oft sited example of family restaurants; sure Denny's has everything, but nothing is especially delicious. If, in your town, there was a Denny's (and four or five others like Denny's around it) but there was also a delicious sushi shop, Chinese restaurant, French, Italian, great Steak-house, Starbucks, Mexican, etc., etc., would you go to the Denny's?

I don't think most people would.

That's why our economy and the world are changing so very radically today; the Long Tail has been born (all hail the Internet) and specialization is quickly becoming the king!

Japan Expo in Paris Pop from 2009

Now, I'd like to introduce a site to you that is operating in Japan that is definitely niche marketing (but, in my opinion, will have to become more and more focused as time goes on!) I want to do this today because, from my radar, because of things like Hatsune Miku (the singing android) and other hard-to-pinpoint-factors, it seems that Japanese pop music is getting hugely popular in, get this, France!

Yes, yes... I didn't believe it at first, either... But some friends just came back from France and confirmed this for me: In France, Japan and everything Japanese is exploding in popularity! They even have a Japan Expo in Paris every year!

That site is called Music Japan Plus and gets my highest rating for a site totally dedicated to Japanese music. The site is also in Japanese and English and several other languages.

Music Japan Plus has information mostly focused on J-Pop, J-Rock and "visual-kei" artists. It also has an online shopping E-commerce component, articles, and artist database, forums and prizes! They also have their own Youtube, Myspace and Facebook.

So, if you're really into niche music and Japanese Rock (or the Plastic Trees) is your thing, then you need to check out Music Japan Plus. Click here to go directly to Music Japan Plus (English site).

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Keywords:
Music Japan Plus, Mike Rogers, Marketing Japan, Vamps, Plastic Trees, J-Pop, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, J-Rock, Visual-kei, Youtube, Myspace, Facebook

My Latest Article on Lew Rockwell: Junko Mihara Runs For Political Office in Japan...

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Once again, today, just for a moment, I'd like to ask that you good folks take a moment away from the Social Marketing and the advertising, PR and promotion.  Drop the Twitter, blogs, video blogs, Mixi, Facebook, Pick and anything on the Internet in general for just 5 minutes.

Here I always blog about Marketing Japan and how to do intelligent business in this country... But, you need to understand what kind of animal Japan really is if you are to do business here. That's the reason for today's blog.

Former J-Pop Idol singer Junko Mihara is running for political office in Japan

That's why today I'd like to ask you to take a short trip with me to see just how wacky Japan can be.... I love Japan!

Later today, on Lew Rockwell, my latest article about Japan will be published, but here's a chance for you to read it first.

A famous J-Pop Idol, former teenybopper singer and former actress named Junko Mihara is running for political office and this is absolutely hilarious. It is even more hilarious when you consider the fact that these people are dead serious about their business. You just cannot make this stuff up!

I promise that this will have you laughing out loud. It did me.

Check out the article here: http://www.lewrockwell.com/rogers/rogers236.html

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Keywords:  Mixi, Mihara, Twitter, Pick, Junko Mihara, promotion, Marketing Japan, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, advertising, business, Internet, Social Marketing, Japan, PR, Mihara Junko, J-Pop, Facebook, Idol, Lew Rockwell, intelligent business