Editing Japan (band) (section)

===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>