Text & Photo: Akiko Inoue
There are many words to describe Japan's 1970s, such as the era of politics and hippie culture, and it was a time when events that shook society unfolded at a dizzying pace, such as the Yodo hijacking incident and the Asama Sanso Incident. ``70's Vibration! YOKOHAMA'', which focuses on the music and pop culture of Japan in the 70's, is currently being held at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse No. 1, with a variety of events such as exhibitions and live performances.
The 1970s in Japan brought about rapid changes in various fields against the backdrop of high economic growth, but especially in pop culture, including music, it was a treasure trove of sources that continue into the present day. After the tumultuous 1960s, Japanese pop music moved from the GS era to the era of singer-songwriters. This music, called new music or city pop, formed the prototype of AOR, and was later loved by many DJs as Japanese classical music, which continues to this day.
This time, we will be reporting on the ``70's Vibration!'' exhibition, which introduces the 70's, which was a major turning point in the flow from the 60's to the 80's, from various angles along with valuable content.
Recreate the legendary record store “Pied Piper House” in Minami Aoyama!
The Pied Piper House, named after the Pied Piper of Hameln, was opened in 1975 by Masatoshi Iwanaga and others on Minami-Aoyama Antique Street. The store was then taken over by the second generation, Yoshiro Nagato, and for about 14 years until 1989, the record store earned the trust of many musicians and music fans. Famous musicians such as Tatsuro Yamashita, Taeko Onuki, Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, Eiichi Otaki, etc. visited as customers, and this store was featured in the 1980s masterpiece ``Somehow, Crystal'' (written by Yasuo Tanaka). Pizzicato Five was formed by young pop fanatics who gathered together at the Pied Piper House, and many other stories have made Pied Piper House a legendary record store.
This time, the "Pied Piper House" has been recreated at the exhibition venue for a limited time.
The inside of the store. The original signboard is still in use.
You can actually purchase CDs, and it seems to be a huge success every day. There are also goods made especially for this time, so be sure to check them out.
“YMO Musical Instrument Exhibition” and Eiichi Otaki’s personal items on display!
This is the ``YMO Musical Instruments Exhibition,'' where instruments used on YMO's world tour from 1979 to 1980, as well as a variety of valuable materials including documentary photographs, are on display.
The instruments on display include the Arp Odyssey used by Haruomi Hosono, the bass Music Man Stingray, Ryuichi Sakamoto's main instrument at the time, the Moog Poly Moog Synthesizer Model 203A, and Yukihiro Takahashi. A set of live drums that was loved by
A Yamaha YD-9000 drum kit, a huge modular synthesizer Moog IIIC (commonly known as ``Tance'') by Hideki Matsutake, who is said to be the fourth member of YMO, etc. All of these instruments have been recreated in a state where they can produce sound, and along with the costumes and documentary photographs, the atmosphere of the time has been vividly brought back to life.
Also on display are Eiichi Otaki's personal belongings, including his favorite jukebox, the back jackets of past "Niagara Moon" albums, the shirt he always wears on the back jackets, and the "Long Vacation" in a glass case. Pamphlets and tickets were on display. Jukeboxes are rarely seen these days, but if they are Otaki's personal belongings, the selection of music on them is something to be curious about. What particularly caught my eye was Mr. Ueki's ``Sudara Bushi.'' By the way, although it has nothing to do with the exhibition, the song ``Niagara Moon'' sung by Mr. Ueki is included in the ``Ueki-san's Music'' produced by Mr. Otaki.
Exhibition of passionate “rock photos” from the 1970s – Masayoshi Sukita, Joji Ide, Shoichi Sakomizu, Masashi Kuwamoto
Next up is an exhibition by four photographers who captured the 1970s with their cameras.
The photos of Joji Ide, who recorded the Nakatsugawa Folk Jamboree, Jindaiji Rock Festival, and Hakone Aphrodite, give us a glimpse of the hippies of the time. Outdoor rock festivals have sprung up in Japan one after another, a little after Woodstock in the United States in 1969. It seemed like the heat was coming through.
In addition, there are Shoichi Sakomizu's realistic live photos taken from on stage, Masashi Kuwamoto's photos of the original scenery of the city at the time and off-shots of artists, and David Bowie's You can feel the 1970s, including artist portraits by Masayoshi Sukita, a pioneer who pioneered the genre of "rock photography" and is also known for his portraits, vacuum-packed into four people.
As a side note, Masayoshi Sukita's solo exhibition is being held at the Hakone Open Air Museum. If you are interested, please check it out as well.
Masayoshi Sukita Photo Exhibition “Flashback”
70-80 years revealed through artwork
In the space where record jackets and various other artworks that symbolize that year are exhibited for each year from 1970 to 1980, you can follow the images of each year as a digest and see how they have changed. . Focusing on music, the exhibition crosses genres such as theater, movies, and manga, and the monitors set up at the back of the central aisle display images that will give you a quick overview of the social background of the 1970s. All the fragmented images I've had up until now are connected one by one.
A monitor at the back of the central aisle. 1970 was also the year that the pedestrian paradise began!
In addition, there are plenty of corners focusing on the 1970s in Yokohama, the venue for this event.
``70's Vibration! YOKOHAMA'', where you can see, hear, and experience the 70's vibe, is open until September 13th (Sunday).
During the period, there will be a live performance by Tadashi Kosaka, Yoshitaka Minami, Shigeru Suzuki, Rei Obara, Gota Yashiki, Yuta Saito and others from "Peg Project Band" (@3rd floor hall of Red Brick Warehouse Building 1), as well as performances by Ryoko Moriyama, Taeko Onuki, and Michiko Shimizu. There will also be a variety of events, including the live performance "70's Vibration! YOKOHAMA Special Project ~Welcome to Time Travel~" (@KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater Large Hall). For details, please check the related events below or the official website.
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