As discussed in my previous post, the history of female idols in Japan can be split into five main eras. The first of these five periods started immediately following World War II, when European and American culture had a heavy influence on how Japan developed its post-imperial economy, as well as its post-imperial entertainment.

The original basis of the concept of an idol, especially how one is seen in Japan, can be attributed to the 1964 French film Cherchez l’idole (French for ‘Find the idol’; known as アイドルを探せ; Idol wo Sagase in Japan). The film, a comedy, features French songstress Sylvie Vartan as herself, performing the song La plus belle pour aller danser (The prettiest girl at the dance). The song itself reached #1 on the billboard charts in Japan, as well as charting in several other countries, including France, Italy and Spain. (1)

The term for idol was originally used to refer to pop stars, most specifically those from outside of Japan. Musicians like Elvis Presley and The Beatles were among the first to be considered ‘Idols’ in Japan, and soon enough the term became used for any young singer or actor.

Idol wo Sagase, however, set the tone for what would become an idol as we know it today, and cemented the word ‘Idol’ into the Japanese language. Singer Ashita Matsuko (明日待子), who debuted in as a stage actress in the Japanese theater troupe Moulin Rouge Shinjukuza at the age of 13 in 1933, is considered the first celebrity to truly encapsulate the term ‘idol’ (2; Japanese). She is considered the first idol due to her overall influence on media in Japan, appearing in some of Japan’s first commercials and standing on stage for over a decade before disappearing at the age of 25.

As the lines blurred between what Idol was originally representative of to what it means to Japanese speakers today, more and more singers took to stage as Japan’s post-war economy started to pick up. Real life twins and duet act The Peanuts debuted in 1959, but truly reached stardom in 1961 by starring as the Small Beauties, the twin fairies who spoke for Mothra in the early Mothra films.

Even today, popular idol groups such as Candies and Pink Lady from the early idol period inspire today’s groups and media. For example, the three guardian egg characters for the heroine of 2007 Magical Girl manga Shugo Chara! are named after the three members of the 1970s idol trio Candies (Sue, Miki and Ran). Songs from Candies and Pink Lady, such as Toshishita no Otoko no Ko and UFO are still recognizable to many people in Japan today, and are still used in commericals and on TV.

During the 1970s, audition TV shows like Star Tanjou! and other mass audition programs like Seventeen’s Miss Seventeen Contest and Horipro’s HoriPro Talent Scout Caravan became a system that birthed idols like Sakurada Junko. Despite the almost constant influx of new talent that very closely resembles what we consider the idol of today, the term idol was still not used to refer to these acts: Most, if not all of the acts listed here were considered “New (新人) singer/model/actress,” rather than being given the western title that is so commonly used to refer to these talents today.

The ultimate idol of the 1970s, however, was Yamaguchi Momoe. She debuted in 1973 at the age of 14 after initially intending to become a lyricist. Her career trajectory can only be described as astronomical after her 5th single, Hitonatsu no Keiken (ひと夏の経験; An Experience One Summer) peaked at 3 on the Oricon charts. Through the promotion of this single, her career set off like a rocket and she was given increasing control over who she collaborated with to release tracks, such as choosing the lyricists and composers to write her songs.

One of the most famous parts of Yamaguchi’s career, however, is her retirement. In 1980, after her blazing career reached its peak, she announced that she would be married to frequent costar in dramas, Miura Tomokazu. She released her final album and single, which included lyrics penned by Yamaguchi herself (albeit under the pen name Yokosuka Kei) and performed her final concert at the Nippon Budoukan on October 5, 1980. Her final performance is well known because of her iconic exit, in which she left her microphone on the stage before disappearing, never to be seen in the public eye again. To this day, Yamaguchi Momoe is never seen in new appearances on TV.

At the time, the popular music in Japan wasn’t referred to as J-Pop like we know it today. Instead, the groove-pop music that we associate with the seventies, very obviously drawing inspiration from the western pop of the time period was referred to as Kayoukyoku (歌謡曲). Kayoukyoku, which is a compound of 3 characters, 歌, meaning ‘sing’, 謡, meaning ‘chanting,’ and 曲, meaning ‘tune.’ This Japanese word for pop music differentiates itself from modern J-Pop songs by forgoing the modern use of English for added flavor and sticking to a mostly Japanese vocabulary to convey its lyrics. (3; Japanese) The specifically Japanese roots of the pop music of the time may be why the term Idol had not yet been used to refer to the singers themselves.

On the production side, easily the most prolific lyricist of this generation was Aku Yuu. Best known for producing many of the tracks that became hits for groups like Pink Lady, as well as solo artists like Go Hiromi, Saijo Hideki and Sakurada Junko. To this day, the only lyricist to gross higher than Aku Yuu is Akimoto Yasushi.

Aku Yuu passed away in 2007, and the album COVER YOU by Morning Musume, as well as their 37th single were released in tribute to him, featuring only songs released penned by Aku.

Overall, this first chapter of Idol History in Japan was very clearly the start of something big. While emulating the culture of the west and celebrating artists that were popular internationally, Japan created its very own genre of music in Kayoukyoku, as well as expanded upon the Enka genre, by using a western influence in sound with Japanese themes and lyrics. At the time, solo artists ruled the charts, with the most prolific being Yamaguchi Momoe. While girl groups, even popular ones such as Candies and Pink Lady did exist, they featured a set cast and very rarely changed their forumla, featuring simple choreography and set formations.

As the genre expanded and Japan became more affluent, the influence of pop culture became more apparent well into the eighties, starting what will be known as the Golden Age of Idols.