I am equally happy to sing Japanese or English songs at karaoke. My karaoke “Juhachiban-ban” (number 18 = best song or ‘party piece’) is Anri’s “Olivia o Kikinagara”. This is the song that got me on the “Nodo Jiman” show a few years back, singing live on NHK national TV:
Other personal karaoke faves from over the years are:
“Glass no Judai” (Hikaru Genji)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a64z7vt-v-A
“Akai Sweet Pea” (Matsuda Seiko)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pPt85_Sq5s
“Baby, Baby” (Okamura Takako)
“Kagayakinagara…” (Tokunaga Hideaki)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPObavJ1yWQ
“Honki” (Tamura Eriko)
“Nani mo Ienakate…Natsu” (J-Walk)
and “Suna no Kajitsu” (Nakatani Miki).
OK, I also have to admit I like to do “Gee” by Korean pop girl
group Shojou Jidai--it is just so darn cute. I can’t quite get all the words
yet, since it is so fast, but my girls are happy to sing along with me:
Another newish band I like is Ikimono Gakari--their songs are a little too hard to learn quickly, but I am trying:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zupb7xXgX8&ob=av2e
The first J-band I ever got into was Carlos Toshiki and Omega Tribe. They were popular right around the time I came here on a working holiday at 18. Lead singer Carlos was from Brazil and I loved the fact that he was another gaijin in Japan like me. Two years later, I came to Japan again after college to work in Hiroshima. I went all the way to Osaka after work—alone--to catch Omega Tribe in concert. My workmates thought I was nuts but it was wonderful. The band broke up soon than that. Watching old videos of Carlos still makes me go gooey inside. Such a sweetheart. My favorite song is the first one I ever heard, “Stay Girl, Stay Pure”, from late 1987.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWiusHe_-MU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list\=PLC2ABB5E13FD45D20
The following songs seem to be ones that most Japanese women around my age really get into. Whenever I go out with girlfriends, these get everyone singing:
“Sabishii Netaigyou” (Wink)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qazEhYX5Qkk
“Ureshii, Tanoshii, Daisuki!” (Dreams Come True)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSkINtwtOvo&feature=related
“Love Revolution” (Morning Musume)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyKQ-b0P_bQ&feature=fvst
“Diamonds” (Princess Princess)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G56N1S2zREg
“Aoi Sangoshou” (Matsuda Seiko)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppDd8_5mxwY&feature=related
“Choo Choo Train” (Zoo did the original—Exile covered it more recently)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD9hLnLg8W0&feature=related
“Resort Lovers” (Bakufu Slump)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy7G-CyXbno
