City Pop Waves Proves Japan’s Retro Sound Is Still Making New Fans in London

Palace Bowl Presents, an open-air festival spanning 12 days across July and August, kicked off this summer in South London’s leafy Crystal Palace Park.

Its major draw is a genre-spanning lineup of live performances including rock, soul, gospel, Afrobeats, electronic, and even Japanese city pop.

The three Japanese artists who graced the stage for City Pop Waves, the U.K.’s first-ever city pop concert, were Masayoshi Takanaka, Junko Yagami and Himiko Kikuchi.

Under the blazing sun, Kikuchi appeared in round-lensed sunglasses and took her seat at the Hammond organ, opening the show with “Ducky Ducky.” As she pounded out the keys, a sound as rich and full as a big band washed over Crystal Palace Bowl.

“Today we’re playing songs from FLYING BEAGLE ,” Kikuchi announced, turning around to show the crowd the back of her T-shirt, printed with the album’s memorable beagle artwork.

Jamie MacMillan Rather than leaning on dramatic narrative or a grand concept, FLYING BEAGLE draws its appeal from refined ensemble work, with piano, keyboards, guitar and horns echoing one another to build an easy, satisfying groove.

Yet witnessing this album, originally released in 1977, take on new life here in a country so far from home — twenty-somethings in the crowd shouting “Fluffy!,” the venue erupting into chants of “Himiko! Himiko!” — was a powerful reminder of how effortlessly music can cross eras, borders, and generations.

“We’re out of time, so this will be the last number,” Kikuchi announced, prompting an immediate cry of “One more song!” from the crowd.

She answered the call with “Look Your Back!” A performance rich with Rhodes piano and a sweeping, breakneck horn section conjured the feel of a dramatic chase scene, closing the set on a fierce note that fully captured the playfulness and boldness of Himiko Kikuchi’s music.

Next to take the stage was Junko Yagami.

“Hello, London!” she called out to the audience, beaming.

Her voice clearly transcended the language barrier, reaching fans from every corner of the world gathered there.

Proof came during “Tasogare no Bay City,” when the white man standing next to this writer sang along to every word.

He’d made the trip from the Netherlands especially for this show, he explained, having stumbled upon the song roughly six months earlier and thrown himself into memorizing its Japanese lyrics ever since.