How to classify Japanese Music by styles?

[FutureSpy]

I would like to know if any of you have idea of how to classify japanese music by styles.

It's quite confusing 'cause J-POP isn't just like Western POP...

So I'd like to know what music styles do exist in Japan (like Enka, J-POP, J-ROCK, Okinawa, kodomo songs that u learn at school, J-Punk...), and examples of them.

Thanks in advance,
-Yuji

 

[Illaparatzo-sama]

I had no idea jpop wasn't like Western pop. What is it like, then? Sounds exactly the same to me. Japan, cough cough, has pretty much all the same genres as other countries. Yes, even R&B (which is unfortunately pretty popular there at the moment).

Lydia

 

[FutureSpy]

I mean, it's different 'cause J-POP has a lot of different kinds of sound. It's hard to say what is one style and what's other... So I would like someone could clear it, showing examples of different japanese music styles...

 

[Twisted]

I think the biggest problem lies in classifying artists into genres, since they do a lot of crossing over.

I don't think JPop in it self is different from Western pop. Any Western genre can be applied to JPop.

If there is a difference, then it's in the melody-lines. Western music tends to need either an attitude or a certain dramatic angle. Japanese artists often take the happy go lucky approach, which results in cheery songs. To the Western ear these songs sound dopey and soulless, which is mainly the reason why the whole JPop scene is regarded as "crappy" by outsiders. This is of course a generalizing statement. If one would really explore the richness of the whole Japanese music industry, they would find there is something for everyone.