Selected by Record City Shop

Through the Japanese spirit of playfulness and bold experimentation, J-pop has undergone its own evolution, despite finding its origin in admiration for music from far across the ocean. Considering that songs released nearly half a century ago continue to be listened to by people of all ages and languages is a testament to J-pop being a musical genre that brims with imagination and continues to elicit new discoveries; and is not just for immersing oneself in nostalgia.
While possessing a universality that functions as a soundtrack for urban life, J-pop’s aspect of crossing diverse cultures with each other in a complex manner seems in a way to embody the city of Tokyo, where order and chaos coexist alongside one another.
Displayed are ten albums that continue to renew this city’s image while remaining contemporary.