Host Melody with pianist Satoru Shionoya

Dan Grunebaum

Sitting in the offices of NHK’s overseas news service where I work part time, I noticed a year or two ago that the public broadcaster had launched an English-language Japanese music show. Part of efforts to build the English programming of its overseas flagship channel NHK World, J-Melo was the diametric opposite of what you see on MTV: slow-moving shots, plain graphics, serious interviews and, of course, no advertising.

Hosted by Japanese-American J-pop star Melody (spelt “melody.”), the program tends to present internationalized acts, like M-flo, who have the ability to converse fluently in English. But you’re still likely to be exposed to a far broader range of musicians on J-Melo than the chart-topping acts of MTV or Space Shower. “Until I started hosting the show I hardly listened
to jazz or other genres besides my own specialty of J-pop,” said Melody behind the set at a recent taping. “It made me more open to and less critical of different types of music.”

J-Melo’s format usually consists of a live performance by a musician, followed by a sit-down chat. Guests have ranged from J-pop stars like Crystal Kay to visual kei bands such as Dir en Grey, and further afield to little-known acts like Okinawan electronica unit Ryukyu Underground and experimental percussion unit Chris & Shoko. On the day I visit the set, I’m treated to an emotive performance by pianist Satoru Shionoya. Sometimes Melody also goes on location to report on regional music scenes and festivals.

J-Melo’s interviews can be halting when the subject isn’t fluent in English and has to answer questions from a script. But as Melody notes, many of the viewers aren’t themselves native English speakers. “I have to remember to talk slowly, articulate everything and make sure not to use American slang,” she says, “which is a big challenge, because if an artist from an international school comes on, then it tends to get casual. There are people watching in 200 different countries, so we have to speak proper English that everyone will understand.”

While it’s unclear how many viewers the program has, emails arrive from countries as far away as Iraq, but predominantly from North America, Asia and, because of their large ethnic Japanese populations, Brazil and Peru. The most commonly requested artists are J-pop icons like Kumi Koda and Dir en Grey. “One thing we noticed in the emails is that a lot of people come into J-pop through anime,” Melody explains. “When I was in Hawaii, I noticed a lot of people form their image of Japan from anime. For example, the Harajuku girls that dance behind Gwen Stefani—Japanese girls don’t really dress that way—but that’s their image of Japan. We want to show them that while anime is a huge market even here, that’s not all there is.”

The program has also provided some clues into the question of why J-pop is huge in Asia, whereas in the West alternative acts like the Boredoms are preferred. “Take Ayumi Hamasaki for example,” says Melody. “We Asians can relate to the way she looks. Aside from whether her music is good or not, she’s really cute, and a lot of Asians will be fans of her just for that.

“Similarly, a lot of the emails from girls in the Philippines or Thailand request acts like Johnny’s Katun. They like the aidoru—the cute guys. These guys make a lot of the fashion trends, and maybe the other countries in Asia follow what’s hot in Japan. But for Westerners, it’s hard to relate to the style of J-pop music; they like artistic types like Cornelius who don’t fit into any pop genre better.”
What does the future hold for J-Melo? “First we have to find a budget,” says producer Shigeki Fukuda with a laugh. “All the Western music comes to Japan, but we need to explain our own music. The music scene here is very diverse, so we’ll try to introduce the whole range, as well as what’s cool now—anything from classical to rock.”

J-Melo is broadcast in Japan on NHK’s Digital Educational TV channel, Thu 10:15-10:45pm, and abroad on NHK World TV.

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