In a
July 1997 article, the New York Times hailed Japan as the next big thing in the world of
pop music, suggesting that its music scene, like England of the early ' was ripe for
the taking. Domestically, the waning popularity of imported music compared to the
consistent rise of Japanese pop would seem to reinforce this notion. It comes as no
surprise that Chara is often mentioned in the same breath as Japan's imminent new wave.
Working under the influence of funk mingled with traces of modern rock, Chara pens tunes
that are catchy without being veneered. Granted, she is not working from genius or
sometimes even originality, but there is a quality of naked sincerity so appealing in her
writing that it makes up for any other deficits. The freshness of her sound gives the
impression that she is not seeking to be the newest trend, but simply creates because that
is what she knows how to do.
More than a few have characterized her voice as having child-like qualities. This is a
precarious distinction as it immediately places her into the cult of kawaii with
all of its post-pubescent J-pop idols who are trying so affectedly to stay lodged in
childhood. Chara is in a different camp because there is rarely an indication that she is
trying to be anything other than, well, Chara. Her singing shifts from pouty whispers to
exhilarated shrieks that often capitulate with her voice characteristically cracking.
It may just be this serendipitous fact that led her to be discovered in the first place.
Though she had been banging away at the piano since she was old enough to stand, when it
came time to get the music out of her head and into the world, she was faced with the
problem: Who would sing what she was writing? She didn't want to do it. However, unable to
find a vocalist whose voice suited the melodies of her tunes, Chara resigned herself to
singing them herself, an act which has in all likelihood made her the name she is today.
She released her first album, Heaven, in 1991. Since then, the undercurrent of
her writing has matured, but changed little.
Her English crossover album, Montage with Yen Town Band in 1996 is probably her
best work, not because she proves that language is really no barrier for her writing and
singing solid tunes, but because she adds a new dimension to her style, vacillating easily
between more somber numbers and in-your-face rockers. The highlight is her masterful
reinterpretation of "My Way," in which she makes you think that "my
way" may not be the best way after all. Despite the artistic success of the album,
nothing was done with it overseas, which was an opportunity missed for both listeners and
Sony/Epic.
Her most recent album Junior Sweet was a further musical step forward with
songwriting that was powerful in its simplicity and rawness. Two of its tracks were
written for her husband, Tadanobu Asano, and according to Chara are about the joy that the
depth of understanding and love can bring.
Since getting married and giving birth to a baby girl, Chara's world of music has come to
blend with that of her family, something her fans have embraced. When she opened her show
last March with three-year-old Sumide in her arms, the crowd erupted in squeals of
delight. Chara has said that making music along with having her own family has long been
one of her dreams, and this is the tone of Junior Sweet. Never mind that this is
unusual for a celebrity, especially a rock musician. Chara definitely does things her way.
In a
July 1997 article, the New York Times hailed Japan as the next big thing in the world of
pop music, suggesting that its music scene, like England of the early ' was ripe for
the taking. Domestically, the waning popularity of imported music compared to the
consistent rise of Japanese pop would seem to reinforce this notion. It comes as no
surprise that Chara is often mentioned in the same breath as Japan's imminent new wave. 
BIG IN JAPAN: