23 September 2016: Dancing the Lyrics: Illustrative Hand Gestures over 100 Years of Japanese Popular Music

Guest Speaker:
Matthew Richardson
Associate Lecturer of Ethnomusicology, UW-Madison

The boy and girl groups that are the mainstay of Japan’s contemporary pop music industry, the world’s second largest, place a heavy emphasis on choreography, especially hand gestures that illustrate objects or actions in the lyrics. A mention of autumn leaves may trigger a fluttering hand gesture, or a line about a new haircut may be accompanied by a snipping motion. This paper will explore the styles of four pop acts from different genres spread across the 20th and 21st centuries: pre-war geisha-turned-recording-artist Ichimaru, iconic singer of folk-style ballads Ishikawa Sayuri, queen of the ‘80s Matsuda Seiko, and contemporary technopop trio Perfume. These artists and their dance styles show how both a repertoire of distinct gestures as well as the overall concept of illustrative have persisted in the mainstream genres of Japanese pop, taking on new meanings as media technology and fan culture have evolved. Ultimately, the history of choreography in Japanese pop suggests new ways of thinking about how modern media industries develop within specific national markets and cultural landscapes.