Four young Englishmen conquered Japan 50 years ago ¡ª with music. They were, of course, the Beatles ¡ª the biggest pop act in the world at the time.

¡°I have the honour to report that the Beatles, M.B.E., were in Tokyo from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July,¡± wrote Dudley Cheke, charge d¡¯affaires at the British Embassy, to his superiors in London.

Noting that Tokyo had been hit by an exceptionally heavy tropical rainstorm just before the band arrived, Cheke said ¡°the ¡®Beatles typhoon¡¯ ... swept the youth of Japan off their feet.¡±