Relationship between Broadcasting and Music in Post-War Japanese Popular Culture: Focusing on the images of "Home"

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25770064
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Art at large
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Wajima Yusuke 大阪大学, 文学研究科, 准教授 (50609500)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 大衆音楽 / 放送 / アイドル歌謡 / 対抗文化 / ホームソング / 民謡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project aimed to examine the constitutive role broadcasting played in formation of post-war Japanese popular culture. The main results are summarized as follows: Since its beginning, broadcasting has tried to create and disseminate homely and wholesome cultural expressions different from ones produced by the record and film industry. These homely and wholesome ideals were embodied in so-called “home songs”, and broadly popularized by several musical variety programs in the early era of television. Moreover, after broadcasting came to play a definitive role in the general culture industry in the late 1960s, a new cultural form called “idol” emerged, which intentionally emphasized immature and amateurish characters to gain sympathy and support from domestic audiences watching television in their living rooms.

Free Research Field

ポピュラー音楽研究、大衆文化史、民族音楽学