Global

Iconic Japanese singer and actor Tomoyo Harada spoke with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series celebrating female players in the country’s entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan began last year to honor artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work.
Harada debuted as a teenager in 1982 and quickly became a household name as the star of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (1983). She has since established herself as both a prolific actor and singer, with her most recent music release being her fourth cover album of love songs called Ren-ai Shousetsu 4 ~ Ongaku Hikou (“Love Story 4: Music Flight”) that dropped Oct. 25.

While the award-winning superstar’s ephemeral presence and soothing vocals seem unchanged since her debut, she has long been an adult in the entertainment industry and has experienced her share of difficulties along the way. Harada sat down with Billboard Japan to chat about her new album and look back on the turning points in her lauded career, while also sharing the music that has recently been inspiring her.

Congratulations on the release of your new album. What do you like about it?

Unlike an original album, the songs in this set are all numbers that have been loved by many. And, they’ve been sung by many before. When I listen to the different versions of these songs, there are lots of hints hidden in them. There are ways of singing that I would never have thought of, and nuances unique to English that can’t be expressed in Japanese, so I learn a lot about expression. These kinds of discoveries are pleasures that only a cover album can offer.

You mainly selected classics from the ‘60s and ‘70s that have been loved for generations for this collection.

We wanted to present music that would gently accompany people’s daily lives, so I decided on the songs together with producer Goro Ito and my team, taking into consideration the overall balance. Mr. Ito always comes up with lovely, playful arrangements, so I enjoyed that as well during the production.

Some of the songs are deeply personal to me. For example, Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” is a song that my brother, who is ten years older than me, used to sing in our childhood home in Nagasaki. When my sister, two years older than me, and I were playing, we’d hear him practicing hard in his room, playing the guitar he’d just learned. Hearing this song brings back warm memories of listening to it with my sister.

The songs on the track list will probably evoke various memories for each listener. Did you have any female role models you looked up to back then?

I don’t really remember… Now, I think women with inner fortitude are beautiful. If you have an inner strength, you can stay flexible, you know? I also want to be that kind of person and hope to express that in my music as well.

Did you begin to think that way recently?

No, I think it’s something that gradually grew within me. When you’re young, you sometimes have a tendency to be really serious and stubborn. Like being straightforward is the only way. As you get older, you gain more perspective, and develop a kind of inner strength. I think that kind of strength allows you flexibility that won’t snap easily. Not visible strength, but a mellower kind. I find myself being drawn to that kind of strength now.

Is there anything that you try to be aware of to get closer to that ideal?

Yes, I think it’s important not to obsess about something or think too much about things. If you’re obsessed, you lose perspective, and you might end up limiting your possibilities. I want to listen to what others have to say and not be narrow-minded about things. Once you face what’s in front of you with sincerity and put your energy into it, I think the right balance is to relax and let it take its natural course. 

Has being a woman ever affected your career or life in general?

I can’t really think of any examples. I guess I’m fortunate in that I’ve never been treated any differently because I’m a woman.

It’s best not to have experienced such things, of course. Then, regardless of gender, when you experienced difficulties or obstacles, how did you overcome them?

I’m sure I’ve experienced some difficulties, but I don’t think any of them were insurmountable. So this might not answer your question, but here’s something I do remember. Ever since I made my debut in my teens, I worked as both an actor and singer. When Keiichi Suzuki agreed to produce my music in my twenties, I decided to put my previous public image aside for the time being and return to basics in terms of music as if I were making my debut anew. And in doing so, the project turned out really great.

But the radio and TV programs at the time were rigidly divided into genres, and there were some programs that were hard for me to appear in because I was also an actor. I never thought my acting career that I’d worked so hard on would hinder me. But I was confident that we were making good music, so I figured the only thing I could do was just keep at it. Eventually, the song “Romance” that I created in collaboration with the Swedish producer Tore Johansson became widely accepted. From that point on, my music was treated equally as if some door had opened and I felt that I’d won the support of people in the music industry.

When you felt that the music industry was closed off to you, what motivated you to keep going?

Well, I knew that the music I was making with Mr. Suzuki was good. I kept going with a genuine desire to make good music rather than wanting to produce hits. The fact that I kept going without giving up along the way turned out to be significant. I had the pleasure of meeting new fans, and I think it was a major turning point in my career as a singer. I had some experiences in my twenties where my life changed through such encounters with people. You never know where you’ll come across such encounters, so I want to keep my eyes open and cherish the people I meet.

One of the reasons that led to the launch of this interview series is the gender gap on the Billboard Japan charts: in 2022, out of the 100 most popular groups on the year-end tally, the gender breakdown of artists and acts was 58 male, 27 female, and 15 mixed. This ratio hasn’t changed greatly over the years. Are there any female artists that encourage you whenever you hear their songs?

I didn’t know there was a gender imbalance on the chart. I often learn about new music from my niece, who is a college student, and recently I’ve been watching videos by (rappers) Awich and Chanmina with her. I was thrilled when I saw them for the first time. They appear on stage in front of huge audiences so regally, bursting with energy and look spontaneous and free. Their lyrics are also really honest and strong, and it makes you wonder how deep and intense their lives must have been because they both must still be young.

Hearing you mention those two artists is unexpected! It must be reassuring to have someone close by who can teach you new things.

When I found out (Awich) was going to perform “Bad Bitch Bigaku” live on a music program, I stood by in front of the TV to watch. It’s encouraging to know that my niece and other young women are growing up watching artists who express their feelings honestly and verbally like that.

—This interview by Rio Hiral (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan

On Wednesday (Oct. 25), Vicke Blanka released his Worldfly EP. Since the spring of 2023, he has been playing numerous live shows and events around the world. The songs on Worldfly were inspired by these experiences. Billboard Japan spoke with him about the songs on his new EP and his impressions from his time abroad.
You’ve said before that the songs on this EP were inspired by your time overseas. Specifically, what kind of inspiration are you talking about?

The mindsets I encountered. I’m not saying I was inspired by the types of instruments that people were using or anything like that. It’s the way people live. How they think. For example, people in Sicily have a very “take it easy” approach. The people of Saudi Arabia can’t keep up with how the country has evolved, but they don’t see their inability to keep up as a bad thing. In France, people still feel a sense of pride in being French, and that sense of pride is separate from the country’s morals. But because the country has kept apace with people’s pride as Frenchmen and Frenchwomen, it seems to function as a noble and majestic country. I was inspired by those trends and the humanity of the people in these countries.

When did you sense these things?

I often felt them when communicating with event staff or fans. These experiences didn’t just affect my music, they also had a huge impact on my own values. For example, I think Japanese overthink things.

What made a particularly big impact on you?

The people of Sicily, I guess. They seemed to live really happy lives. It was wonderful. Sicily has this image of luxury, and of time flowing slowly, right? And that’s really how it is. The people are really kind, and there’s this feeling of “always being homies with people from your hometown (laughs).” You don’t really see that in Japan much. It’s amazing that you have those kinds of values right in the heart of Europe. There’s just so much room to breathe.

I’m sure the live shows are different, too. You’ve played a lot of shows in Japan. What big differences have you found?

It’s totally different. Everybody’s doing different things. In Japan, everyone in the audience does the same thing. But with overseas crowds, people aren’t swayed by what other people are doing. Even if other people are grooving along with the music, when there’s a part that someone likes, they’ll jump in, like “Yes! I love this part!!” People are true to themselves — to their own happiness and joy.

Are there any countries where performing live is especially easy?

Based off my recent experiences, I’d say Italy. Playing shows is fun, whether it’s overseas or in Japan. Sometimes I felt extraordinarily welcome. France was unbelievable. The French soccer powerhouse, Paris Saint-Germain, has a fight song, and if people sing it, it means they’re giving you the ultimate praise. I was overjoyed when they sang that at one of my shows. Italy is more upfront, though. I had one audience about half the size of my Parisian audience — a little under 2,000 people. But the crowd had just as much power as the Parisian audience. When I finished the show, I went into the audience to sign autographs. When I did, this woman in the audience started hitting on me, using local slang. At the time, I didn’t know what she was saying, but later I looked it up and understood. I felt like I’d unwittingly gone fishing and let a big one get away (laughs).

I’m sure you’d already had some overseas experience in the past, but this year’s experiences made an even bigger impact, right?

Yes. Playing live shows really made a big impression on me. I’d say that was the biggest change — connecting with people through music. It reinforced my belief that music has no barriers. It even crosses language barriers. Everybody wants to hear Japanese. When I played in China, too, the local show staff told me, “everybody wants to hear Japanese, so speak in Japanese.” I’d heard that, overseas, people are more moved when they see people being as they truly are.

You can see people’s national character come out in that respect. You’re really popular with overseas audiences. Have you ever analyzed what it is about you that resonates with audiences?

The first thing is, of course, the music. But given just how much praise there was for my shows, I guess personality also plays a bit of a part. I happen to be able to speak English, so my shows aren’t recitals, but real live shows. When I say “recital,” I mean, for example, going to France, giving a little greeting to the audience in French, saying the lines in the show script, performing, and then ending with “Au revoir, Paris!” My shows aren’t like that. I can actually engage in conversation up on stage. Like I can say “You’ve got some songs you want to hear, right? Shout the titles out to me!” So it’s a truly live show. I think that’s what led to the Paris Saint-Germain song tribute.

So your language ability makes a really big difference.

Yes, the ability to speak English is an advantage. That said, Italians don’t really care about what language you’re speaking. I don’t speak Italian, so I’d speak in English, but there aren’t that many English-speakers in Italy. But that didn’t make a difference. People would chat up a storm anyway —      so did I. It’s just part of the national character, I guess.

As we mentioned earlier, your music is heavily inspired by your overseas experiences. How do you reflect that inspiration in your actual music?

I put the essential human nature of the people into the music. Take “Luca,” for example. The theme of the song is Sicily, and the only instruments are drum, bass, and piano. If you look at the lyrics, it’s about how life is essentially meaningless, so it’s okay to just go with the flow. The reason the song is like that is because that’s really how Sicilians live. They don’t search for meaning in life, they’re good with enjoying the individual moments of their lives and being surrounded by friends. People like that aren’t going to be making really involved music, which is why the song only has three instruments.

I see!

“Sad In Saudi Arabia” reflects a Saudi Arabian mindset. It’s quiet, but there’s a deep-seated passion, the powerful energy of Saudi Arabia. That’s why the theme is “the flame that smolders beneath.” The same is true of the people of Saudi Arabia. When I put on a show, no matter how excited people got, they all remained seated. It was like they were watching a play. But when I finished, there was this huge standing ovation. That’s just considered proper manners there. They’re very calm, or I guess self-disciplined. To reflect that, I used a very regular rhythm. The air is really dry, too, which I expressed through the use of reverb.

You were able to express things like this through the skills you’ve built up through the years.

That’s probably true. I know a lot of different musical approaches, so I’d pick the ones that were the best fits and build up the songs that way.

How do you expand your repertoire of musical approaches?

By listening to music, I guess. Yesterday, I had ramen, even though I knew it would leave me bloated. The music that was playing in the ramen restaurant was great. In situations like that, I kind of take mental note that the melody is interesting. When I was taking a taxi in Italy, there was an Italian song playing on the radio. I asked the driver if this kind of music was popular in Italy now. He said “It’s an old song, but everyone still loves it. Young people love it, too.” That’s how I learned that in Italy, simply being old doesn’t make a song uncool. So I build up experience like that. The longer I live, the more experience I accrue.

So you’ve always got your eyes and ears peeled. Were there any songs you struggled with?

“Snake” was hard. When I was writing the song, I was really busy, plus I was jetlagged and sleep deprived. But I think that’s what enabled me to make a song with that kind of frantic feel.

So you reflect everything in your music. You don’t let anything go to waste.

I let myself go with the flow. There are songs that I can only create when I’m in a bad mood. On the other hand, the last song, “Worldfly,” went really smoothly. I wrote it in two hours. Or, more accurately, I had three days to work on the song, but for the first two days I just slept and did other things while kind of thinking about the song (laughs).

Do you use that kind of approach a lot?

Yeah. I tend to slack off until the last minute. I’ve had a lot of successes with that approach, so going forward, I’m sure I’ll still be writing songs at the last minute. My staff is always saying “Hurry up and turn in the song (laughs).”

—This interview by Azusa Takahashi first appeared on Billboard Japan