What Does the Development of Independent Female Artists Mean for the Japanese Music Industry?

Abstract: The recent emergence of strongly independent female singers necessitated an analysis specifically into the treatment of women in music and the representation of these women to the public. Based on a review of current literature and a series of interviews with women living in the Tokyo area and working in various parts of the industry, this paper seeks to capture the real life experiences of women in the Japanese music industry in order to ascertain the reality of feminist issues in Japanese music. A wide variety of themes are addressed and explored, including the historical trends in Japanese music, the rise of independent labels, the issue of media influence and the consumer perspective to these issues. This multidisciplinary research summarises the experiences of women in a society that traditionally limits them according to the Confucian tradition and then looks into the future to discover further opportunities for equality. Finally, several barriers to freedom that female musicians still face are identified and discussed and this discussion forms the basis for the conclusions that present the industry with ideas for how to better deal with the issue.