Editing Japan (band) (section)

==History==
The band began as a group of friends in the early 1970s. Brothers (birth surname Batt)  [[David Sylvian]] (guitar and vocals) and [[Steve Jansen]] (drums), and bassist [[Mick Karn]] studied at the same school, Catford Boys', Brownhill Road, South London. As youngsters they played Sylvian's two-chord numbers mainly as a means of escape; initially with Karn on lead vocals and Sylvian on guitar and backing vocals, Sylvian became lead vocalist in 1974. In June 1974, they made their first public performance at Karn's brother's wedding reception.<ref name="history">[http://www.nightporter.co.uk/pages/historyo.htm History of Japan] Nightporter.co.uk</ref>

The band was initially nameless until the members opted to call themselves Japan. This name was intended by Sylvian to be temporary until they could think of something else, but ultimately became permanent.<ref name="Smash">{{cite magazine |last1= Rimmer|first1= Dave|title= Japanese Boys (an interview with David Sylvian and Mick Karn)|magazine= Smash Hits|volume= 3|issue= 22|pages=42–43|publisher= EMAP Metro|date=October 1981}}</ref> The following year they were joined by another school friend [[Richard Barbieri]] on keyboards and later by lead guitarist [[Rob Dean]], and signed a management deal with [[Simon Napier-Bell]] (who also managed [[the Yardbirds]], [[Marc Bolan]], [[London (punk band)|London]] and [[Wham!]]) in 1976. After coming runner up to [[the Cure]] in a talent contest staged by Hansa Records<ref>{{cite web | url=https://killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/japan-ariola-hansa-records-1978/ | title=Japan – Ariola Hansa Records – 1978 – KILL YOUR PET PUPPY | date=4 January 2011 }}</ref> the band signed a recording contract with  [[Hansa Records|Hansa-Ariola]] in 1977, becoming an alternative glam rock outfit in the mould of [[Lou Reed]], [[David Bowie]], [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]], [[Roxy Music]], and [[New York Dolls]], although their initial material was guitar-based [[funk]].<ref name="Robert Dean">[https://archive.org/details/OlasKoolKitchen223WithRobertDeanFromJapan Ola's Kool Kitchen with interview of Robert Dean from Japan], from the [[Internet Archive]]</ref>

Shortly after signing the record deal Sylvian, Jansen and Karn adopted their [[stage name]]s. Initially, the record company was horrified by the apparent similarity of Sylvian's and Jansen's names to the names of band members of the New York Dolls, but eventually accepted the name changes. In 1977, the band embarked on their first recording session for the record company with producer [[Ray Singer (record producer)|Ray Singer]]<ref>Martin Power ''David Sylvian: The Last Romantic'' Omnibus Press 2012, chapter 1</ref> and performed as support band for [[Jim Capaldi|Jim Capaldi and the Contenders]] on a UK tour.<ref name="Japan Live Shows">{{cite web |url=http://www.nightporter.co.uk/pages/japlive.htm |title=Japan Live Shows |publisher=nightporter.co.uk }}</ref>

===Early years===
In March 1978, the band released their first single, a cover version of "[[Don't Rain on My Parade]]" followed a month later by their debut album ''[[Adolescent Sex]]''. Advertising campaigns that focused on the band's androgynous glam rock image failed to attract much interest for the band in the UK but was more successful in Japan where the band attracted a considerable fan following before a record had been released.<ref name="mp">Martin Power ''David Sylvian: The Last Romantic'' Omnibus Press 2012, chapter 2</ref>

The debut album was followed by a UK tour supporting [[Blue Öyster Cult]], intended to promote their album. The album itself sold poorly, and Japan faced negative criticism and hostile audiences.  In August 1978 their second single, "The Unconventional," failed to chart. In November the band made a short US tour, but although they were better accepted by American audiences it proved to be their last and only US tour. The follow-up album ''[[Obscure Alternatives]]'' showed musical progress and particularly the last track "The Tenant" – which has been described as a fusion of ''[[Low (David Bowie album)|Low]]''-era [[David Bowie]] and the piano works of [[Erik Satie]] – was a hint of the band's future, but again the album was a commercial and critical flop.<ref name="mp" />

Though influenced by artists such as Lou Reed, T. Rex, New York Dolls, Roxy Music and David Bowie,<ref name="Robert Dean"/> both albums were widely dismissed by the UK music press as being distinctly outmoded at a time when punk and [[New wave music|new wave]] bands were in ascendance. However, both albums, produced by [[Ray Singer (record producer)|Ray Singer]], sold well in Japan and the Netherlands, where the single version of "[[Adolescent Sex (song)|Adolescent Sex]]" was a top 30 hit. They also gained some popularity in Canada. But in their native UK, those albums failed to garner public attention and did not chart.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin C.
| last= Strong
| year= 2000
| title= The Great Rock Discography
| edition= 5th
| publisher= Mojo Books
| location= Edinburgh
| pages= 496–498
| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref>

While unsuccessful in their home country, the band [[Big in Japan (phrase)|gained a huge popularity in Japan]]. They were voted the second most popular group in Japan in 1978, and was on top of the list the following year.<ref name="sh" /> In March 1979, they made their first visit to the country and sold out the 11,000 seat capacity [[Budokan Theatre]] three days in a row.<ref name="Martin Power 2012">Martin Power ''David Sylvian: The Last Romantic'' Omnibus Press 2012, chapter 3</ref>

===Mid-career===
[[File:Japan band.jpg|thumb|right|Japan perform in 1979 (Karn, left, and Sylvian).]]

In 1979, the band briefly worked with the successful [[Euro disco]] producer [[Giorgio Moroder]], who co-wrote and produced a one-off single, "[[Life in Tokyo]]". The track was unsuccessful as a single but a significant change in musical style from their earlier guitar-laden recordings, moving them away from their glam rock roots and into electronic new wave.

The electronic style continued on their third album, ''[[Quiet Life]]'' (1979), which was produced by the band with [[John Punter]] and Simon Napier-Bell. In a retrospective review of the band's work, ''[[The Quietus]]'' described ''Quiet Life'' as defining "a very European form of detached, sexually-ambiguous and thoughtful [[art-pop]], one not too dissimilar to what the ever-prescient David Bowie had delivered two years earlier with ''[[Low (David Bowie album)|Low]]''".<ref name="quietusjapan">{{cite web|last1=Burnett|first1=Joseph|title=Thirty Years On: Japan's Oil On Canvas Revisited|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/12875-japan-oil-on-canvas|website=[[The Quietus]]|date=19 July 2013 |access-date=14 March 2016}}</ref> It showcased Barbieri's synthesizers, Sylvian's now [[baritone]] style of singing, Karn's distinctive fretless bass sound and Jansen's odd-timbred and intricate percussion work, with Dean's guitar playing becoming somewhat sparser and atmospheric.<ref name="Robert Dean"/> While largely ignored in their home country, ''Quiet Life'' was a success in Japan, where it had the distinction of becoming the first foreign rock record to enter the national chart, and went straight in at number 8 in Canada, and also had some success in continental Europe.<ref name="sh">{{cite magazine|title=Turning Japanese |author=Taylor, Steven |magazine=Smash Hits volume 50, 30 October 1980 |page=7 }}</ref>

In the UK, ''Quiet Life'' was the first Japan album to reach the [[UK Albums Chart]], but it wasn't a success on its initial release. It peaked at a lowly 72 in February 1980 and dropped out of the chart the following week. The band had for long been a financial strain on their record company and management, and after a final attempt to score a hit single that would boost the sales of the album with a cover version of "[[I Second That Emotion]]" was unsuccessful, Japan was dropped by Hansa Records.<ref name="Martin Power 2012"/>

Hansa-Ariola would later issue a [[compilation album]] (''[[Assemblage (album)|Assemblage]]'') featuring highlights from the band's tenure on the label, followed by a series of remixed and re-released singles.

===Final years===
After leaving Hansa-Ariola, the band signed with [[Virgin Records]] who released their last studio albums, ''[[Gentlemen Take Polaroids]]'' (1980) and ''[[Tin Drum (album)|Tin Drum]]'' (1981). The albums continued to expand their audience as the band refined its new sound, although the combination of their newer sound and the band's stylised visual appearance led to them unintentionally becoming associated with the early-1980s [[New Romantic]] scene. The band had always worn make-up since their inception in the mid-1970s at the tail end of the [[glam rock]] era, several years before the New Romantic movement had begun. In an October 1981 interview, Sylvian commented "There's a period going past at the moment that may make us look as though we're in fashion."<ref name="Smash"/> In another interview, he stated "I don't like to be associated with them [New Romantics]. The attitudes are so very different." Of Japan's fashion sense, Sylvian said "For them [New Romantics], fancy dress is a costume. But ours is a way of life. We look and dress this way every day."<ref>{{Citation| title=Rolling Stone Random Notes| newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News| location=Tuscaloosa, AL| date=17 July 1981| page=6| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ricdAAAAIBAJ&pg=3175,3968351&dq=japan+sylvian&hl=en}}</ref> Regardless, it had a positive effect on the band's record sales in the UK and they slowly began to gain chart success.

After a couple of lower charting singles, their first [[UK Singles Chart|UK top 40]] hit was a re-release of the "Quiet Life" single, which peaked at No.&nbsp;19 in October 1981. Three of the singles from the ''Tin Drum'' album also peaked in the UK top 40, with its unconventional single "Ghosts" reaching No.&nbsp;5, becoming Japan's biggest domestic hit.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> The ''Tin Drum'' album itself peaked just outside the UK top 10,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|last=Roberts|first=David|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|year=2006|isbn=1-904994-10-5|edition=19th|location=London|page=279}}</ref> and was the band's first record to be certified by the [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]], being awarded a silver disc within a month of release, and reaching gold status within four months. The album, produced by [[Steve Nye]], is often regarded as one of the most innovative of the 1980s, with its fusion of occidental and oriental sounds. In 2011, thirty years after its release, ''Tin Drum'' was awarded [[BBC Radio 6 Music]]'s 'Goldie Award' posthumously for the Best Album of 1981.

With personality conflicts leading to rising tensions within the band, ''Tin Drum'' was to be the band's final studio album. Long-simmering differences among the band members came to a head when Karn's girlfriend, photographer Yuka Fujii, moved in with Sylvian and the individual members proceeded with their own projects. Rob Dean had already departed (in May 1981) after the release of the ''Gentlemen Take Polaroids'' album, as his electric guitar work became superfluous for the band's sound on ''Tin Drum''. Dean subsequently formed the band [[Illustrated Man (band)|Illustrated Man]]. Karn released his first solo album, ''[[Titles (album)|Titles]]'', at the same time the band announced their split in late 1982.

The final "Sons of Pioneers" tour in late 1982 included dates in Europe, UK and the Far East. On this tour, guitarist and keyboardist [[Masami Tsuchiya (musician)|Masami Tsuchiya]] performed with the band on stage.<ref name="Tour 82">{{cite web |url=http://www.nightporter.co.uk/pages/japlive_82.html |title=Japan Live in 1982 |publisher=nightporter.co.uk }}</ref>

[[File:Japan Nov82-curtain.JPG|thumb|220px|right|Japan in November 1982]]
The group's final UK performances included a final TV appearance playing together on ''[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]]'' in October and culminating in a six-night sell-out stint at London's Hammersmith Odeon in November (which would be recorded and filmed to produce ''Oil on Canvas'', a live album and [[music video|video]] released in June 1983). Japan's last performance was on 16 December 1982 in Nagoya, Japan.<ref name="Tour 82" />

The band decided to split just as they were beginning to achieve major commercial success both in the UK and internationally, with ''Oil on Canvas'' becoming their highest charting UK album, reaching No.&nbsp;5 on the [[UK Albums Chart]],<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> a rare feat for a live album. By this time, the band's back catalogue had begun to sell steadily and both Hansa-Ariola and Virgin Records continued to release Japan singles into 1983,<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> ultimately earning the band a total of nine top 40 hits in the UK. In summer 1982, a Hansa re-release of "[[I Second That Emotion]]" became Japan's second top 10 hit, reaching number 9. A remixed version of "[[Life in Tokyo]]" and a Virgin Records release of "[[Nightporter]]" were subsequently both top 30 hits on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref>[https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/18675/japan/ Japan Official Chart History] Official charts</ref>

=== Collaborations ===
During the early 1980s, Japanese multi-instrumentalist and experimental keyboardist [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], of [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] (YMO), briefly collaborated with the band, and worked directly alongside Sylvian on tracks such as "Taking Islands in Africa". He would continue to work with Sylvian both before and after the band split, and the pair would achieve the hit singles "[[Bamboo Houses]]" (1982) and "[[Forbidden Colours]]" (1983). Similarly, Steve Jansen was influenced by YMO's drummer [[Yukihiro Takahashi]],<ref name="japan_lifeintokyo">{{cite web|title=The Japanese Connection|date=July 1982|publisher=Japan: Life in Tokyo|url=http://www.lifeintokyo.net/articles_fl_japaneseconnection.html|access-date=1 April 2011}}</ref> subsequently joining him on several of Takahashi's solo projects and tours of Japan, along with additional full collaborative works between the two.

===Post break-up===
All of the band members went on to work on other projects, with varying degrees of success. After his collaborations with Sakamoto, Sylvian's first solo album ''[[Brilliant Trees]]'' reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart in 1984, spawning the UK top 20 single "Red Guitar". Meanwhile, Karn had already become a sought-after session musician and worked with artists such as [[Gary Numan]], [[Kate Bush]], and [[Joan Armatrading]]. He also had a top 40 hit ("After a Fashion") with [[Midge Ure]] in 1983, and collaborated with [[Peter Murphy (musician)|Peter Murphy]] of [[Bauhaus (band)|Bauhaus]] as the duo [[Dalis Car]], releasing an album in 1984. Jansen and Barbieri worked together as [[the Dolphin Brothers]] and simply as Jansen & Barbieri ("Stories Across Borders", 1991, Virgin), and Rob Dean went on to work with Gary Numan and [[Sinéad O'Connor]] and also later played guitars in Australian band [[Geisha (band)|Geisha]] from late 1987 to April 1988.

====Rain Tree Crow====
In September 1989, Sylvian, Karn, Jansen and Barbieri reunited under the moniker 'Rain Tree Crow'. They released an [[Rain Tree Crow|eponymously titled album]] in April 1991, which was well received by music critics and reached the UK top 25. However, once again, the band dissolved following creative frictions between Sylvian and the other members.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>

====Other projects====
'''Medium Productions''' was a [[record label]] created in 1993 primarily to publish the music of Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, and Mick Karn. Medium was a means to release their own music with other collaborating artists, without 'major record label' compromise. Fifteen CDs of largely instrumental music were produced over a ten-year period. Medium Productions folded in 2004 as the founders became more involved in other projects (such as [[Porcupine Tree]], [[Nine Horses]]). The entire MP catalog has been re-released on the Voiceprint Music label beginning in 2001.

Richard Barbieri moved on to become the keyboardist for progressive rock band [[Porcupine Tree]], a role he has filled since 1995's ''[[The Sky Moves Sideways]]''. Although band members would work with each other again on various individual projects (including Sylvian and Jansen's Nine Horses project), no further full Japan reunions were planned in any form.

Throughout the 1990s Karn, Jansen and Barbieri reunited in instrumental projects with different guitarists such as [[David Torn]] and [[Steven Wilson]].

Mick Karn died from cancer in January 2011, twenty years after the band’s reunion as Rain Tree Crow.<ref>{{cite news|author=Meikle, James |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/05/japan-mick-karn-dies-cancer |title=Former Japan bass player Mick Karn loses battle with cancer |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date= 5 January 2011 |access-date=31 March 2012}}</ref>