Arashi ¡°Japonism¡± (J Storm)

Arashi is set to take the title of highest-selling album of the year with ¡°Japonism,¡± a feat they¡¯ve managed by releasing three editions instead of the usual two. The accomplishment originally looked set to go to Sandaime J Soul Brothers, who have a more Western sound and look, but Arashi has countered by looking inward and playing into patriotism ¡ª a good move in the runup to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

¡°Japonism¡± tries to incorporate traditional Japanese music into more modern song structures. The group achieves this best on the track ¡°Kokoro no Sora¡± (loosely translated as ¡°The Sky in your Heart¡°), a collaboration with rocker Tomoyasu Hotei. Now a Londoner, Hotei has said the track has the image of ¡°Japan as seen from the outside.¡± This plays perfectly into the album¡¯s title, which refers to a 19th-century concept of Westerners looking at Japan and appropriating its culture. It also plays perfectly into Arashi¡¯s role as a spokesgroup for Japan tourism, the song blends Arashi¡¯s chanting with shamisen, taiko drumming and Hotei¡¯s own pop-rock riffs. On ¡°miyabi-night,¡± traditional instruments mix with 1980s funk to put a different twist on the (not entirely new) traditional-meets-modern trope.

Despite the Japan focus, a lot of ¡°Japonism¡± doesn¡¯t live up to the name. That¡¯s not a bad thing, an edgy blend of straightforward pop and rock makes ¡°Sakura¡± a highlight and shows the group¡¯s maturity. Arashi seems to be cutting down on genki (bubbly) output (which may be why the perky ¡°Ai o Sakebe¡± was left off the album), a better direction for a ¡°boy¡± band whose members are now all in their 30s.