Fumika Hideshima: Top 5 songs

Fumika Hideshima

秀島史香
Radio DJ and voice actor
Tokyoites will know her well. Perhaps you've heard her on FM Radio J-WAVE81.3’s 'Circus Circus' (Fridays, 4.30pm-8.00pm), or fronting programs such as TV Tokyo’s 'Showbiz Countdown' and Nippon Television Network’s 'Majotachi No 22 Ji'. She's also involved in movie making, TV commercials, albums, column writing, voice guidance for museums, and as a voice actor for the cartoon series FREEDOM. Surprisingly, she had time to talk to Time Out Tokyo, too.

Mika Nakashima: Yuki no Hana
中島美嘉『雪の華』
'A love song that includes lyrics like "exuding happiness", regardless of its melancholic air, this is an extremely sentimental take on how it feels to see the first snow falling down with a loved one. I think the song underlines something uniquely Japanese; some foreigners may have difficulty understanding why you have to be sentimental rather than being simply happy being with your loved one.'

AKB48: Seifuku Ga Jama Wo Suru
AKB48『制服が邪魔をする』　 'The video clip includes the three major components of Japanese "kawaii": Shibuya, uniforms, and high school girls. This nationally known pop group can't be overlooked in defining the current features of Japanese pop culture.'

Hikaru Genji: Paradise Ginga
光GENJI『パラダイス銀河』
'The song really sums up the '80s in Japan for me. Hit songs of the decade reveal a Japanese culture obsessed with "Peter Pan syndrome", or an aspiration toward being "Forever 16". I liked the way the group wore their short-pants - totally different from Freddy Mercury.'

Sayuri Ishikawa: Amagi Goe
石川さゆり『天城越え』
'A song that starts with a calm melody, then builds up dramatically. The lyrics ask “Can I kill you?” showing how much a person can really love someone. It's a dramatic story about the pathos of women and their beauty.'

Saburo Kitajima: Matsuri
北島三郎『まつり』
'Many foreigners may think of Japanese men as geeks, but this song is about their masculine side; about their strength and determination. I also highly value the sense of animism and humility Japanese have, with lyrics such as these expressing their appreciation to the gods of mountains and seas.'