This Side of Japan's Best of 2021: The Friends List

We wrap up the best of 2021 coverage with selections picked by friends of the newsletter

Dec 22, 2021

Hi! Welcome to the Best of 2021 edition of This Side of Japan, a newsletter about Japanese music, new and old. You can check out previous issues of the newsletter here. You can check out our other year-end lists here: Top 100 Idol Songs of 2021 / Top 100 Songs of 2021

For a good example of how 100 songs is nowhere near sufficient to properly survey a year in Japanese music, take a look at the wonderful selection of top 10s below, chosen by our dear friends of This Side of Japan. While you can spot some recurring titles, there are a whole series of additional songs that my lists didn’t touch on. The tastes and curiosities of these folks are one of the many reasons I love having them around, and it’s also why it’s been a joy to have many of them collaborate with me for the newsletter throughout the year.

Here are the series of lists of top 10 Japanese songs by our friends of This Side of Japan. You can also check out all of their selections collected in this Spotify playlist.

Monthly Listening will go out at the end of the month as usual, but other than that, I’ll see you next year! Happy holidays, and happy listening!

Jack

iri - “doyu”
kiki vivi lily ft. Sweet William - “New Day”
Aimyon - “Till I Know What Love Is (I’m Never Gonna Die)”
Ayano Kaneko - “Hoshiuranai No Asa”
Nao Kawamura - “error”
Tokyo Jihen - “Whiteout”
Haru Nemuri - “Old Fashioned”
Mamiko Suzuki ft. iri - “jam”
AAAMYYY - “Fushigi”
SIRUP - “Overnight”

Jack is a journalism student from Toronto, Canada. He writes about sports, tech and music, among other topics. You can find him on Twitter.

Papermaiden

Zenbu Kimi No Seida - “Heavenlyheaven”
Den’ei To Shonen CQ - “Tranquilizers No Koibito”
Nerun Poku Poku - “Anata No Katana”
akugi ft. yamakomaro - “r u serious?”
Kanano Senritsu - “Baby UFO”
KAQRIYOTERROR - “Decadence”
LiNG LiNG x Kyoro-chan - “Distant Que”
Dopechan - “Verbal Bullet”
Craveit - “Tap tap tap!”
Omaru Polka - “Po”

Papermaiden is usually not writing and has a Master's degree in Communications. These two facts may or may not be related. She is part of Team Homicidols, and when she does write, you can find it there. When not thinking about idol, you can find Papermaiden ponding about fashion or manga, her one true love. She also contributed for Idol Watch’s Flipped Issue #9: July/August.

Cal

RilisReverse - “Reversal”
BiS - “Tsuyogarisan”
Kinoko Hotel - “Aishiteagenai”
PIGGS - “LINK EMOTION”
NELN - “Irony”
Kanano Senritsu - “soda”
meme tokyo. - “THE STRUGGLE IS REAL”
Migma Shelter - “BANG ON”
Yufu Terashima - “Best Honey”
Dempagumi.inc - “Shoudouteki S/K/S/D”

Cal is the ex-admin of the Jun Togawa fan site turned idol fan who now writes for Homicidols. They can typically be found screaming about bad cinema and music on Twitter. Cal also contributed to Idol Watch’s Flipped Issue #9: July/August.

Madi

Masayoshi Oishi - “Entertainer”
96Neko - “Give It Up?”
BRADIO - “Shiawase No Shanana”
AIMI - “ReSTARTING!!”
Haruka Kudo - “Under the Sun”
Roselia - “Blessing Chord”
YOASOBI - “Kaibutsu”
KANKAN - “Bloody Mary”
Mamana - “mid seventeen”
Takeharu Ishimoto ft. Cameron Strother - “OWARI-HAJIMARI (NEO Mix)”

Madi is a writer and musician based on Philly who has been been a fan of Japanese music ever since she heard her first Megumi Hayashibara and Masami Okui duet. In addition to writing for The Singles Jukebox, she also translates song lyrics, and can be found at Twitter. She also contributed to This Side of Japan: Issue #35.

You can also listen to Madi’s selections on her Spotify and YouTube playlists.

Bacci

TENDRE - “PARADISE”
Dempagumi.inc - “Princess Dempa Power! Shine On!”
Lucky Kilimanjaro - “Ame Ga Furunara Odoreba Iijanai”
YUKKYUN - “DIVA ME”
Tokyo Jihen - “Whiteout”
Risa Aizawa - “Unmeiron Idoling”
KOTO - “BACK TO THE UNIVERSE”
ONIGAWARA - “Kutsuzure”
Yufu Terashima - “Best Honey”
Megumi Nakajima & May’n - “Labyrinth of Time”

Bacci is a hobby writer mainly focused on music reviews and analyzing visual narratives. They also shared much less streamlined thoughts on Twitter. They also contributed to This Side of Japan: Issue #37, Idol Watch’s Flipped Issue #9: July/August, and Idol Watch Presents Verzuz: Dempagumi.inc vs. Momoiro Clover Z.

Ady

Ado - “Odo”
Age Factory - “Feel like shit today”
BiSH - “ZENSHiN ZENREi”
DAOKO - “fighting pose”
Ken Hirai - “1995”
KM ft. Dengaryu - “Distortion”
Lucky Kilimanjaro - “Odori No Aizu”
NTsKi - “Kung-Fu”
TOWA TEI ft. Taprikk Sweezee - “FABULOUS”
Yuko Ando - “ReadyReady”

Ady currently writes for KQED Arts. He has previously written for Tone Glow, Polygon, Bandcamp Daily and more. He also has the Substack newsletter Asian Glow covering Asian music.

You can also check out Adesh’s selections on his Spotify playlist.

Juju

femme fatale - “Club Moon”
Liella! - “Tokonatsu☆Sunshine”
Yuki Saito - “Sotsugyou (2021 Version)”
Night Tempo ft. Sayumi Michishige - “Night Light”
RYUTist - “Party Wo Tsuzukeyou!”
Philosophy No Dance - “Telephonism (Night Tempo Melting Groove Mix)”
NELN - “SUMMERY”
Task Have Fun - “BABYLONIA”
fhána - “Ai No Supreme!”
STU48 - “Hitorigoto De Katarukurainara”

Juju is a long-time enthusiast of Japanese pop culture both vintage and new. She can be found on Twitter sharing mostly Japanese idol content, and as a collaborator in the music blog Kayo Kyoku Plus. She also contributed to Idol Watch’s Flipped Issue #9: July/August.

Crests

Amefurasshi - “MICHI”
Enfladia - “Singlove Purelove”
Niji No Conquistador - “Umai Mono Fan Club”
.BPM - “Bakuretsuken”
Sumire Uesaka - “Seikatsu Konkyuu Dame Dinero”
Summer Rocket - “Hachigatsu No Meteor”
CHERRY GIRLS PROJECT - “Genjitsu”
Dempagumi.inc - “Princess Dempa Power! Shine On!”
MeseMoa. - “Sesshoseki Session”
Utakata Parties - “CHUPA☆CHUWA Shichaitai!”

Crests is an idol enthusiast of 9 years (chika, major, female, male, you name it) and also a Hyadain enthusiast with a collection of over 900 of his works. They can be found on Twitter talking about these things. They also contributed to This Side of Japan’s Hyadain Week as well as Idol Watch Presents Verzuz: Dempagumi.inc vs. Momoiro Clover Z.

Michael

Rinne ft. ANatsume - “raspberry”
Hikaru Utada - “One Last Kiss”
For Tracy Hyde - “Interdependence Day (Part I)”
Taichi Mukai - “Bravest”
HallKariMaako - “TERMINAL”
My Lucky Day - “Sunny day Highway”
JO1 - “ICARUS”
Nogizaka46 - “Kimi Ni Shikarareta”
JJJ ft. Benjazzy - “Cyberpunk”
iri - “Hajimari No Hi”

Michael has a Substack newsletter about Mandopop called Mando Gap. He also writes for the Singles Jukebox. He previously collaborated with me for the newsletter on Not So Foreign: A Conversation on Writing About Non-Western Music.

Lena

Haru Nemuri - “Old Fashioned”
Hikaru Utada - “One Last Kiss”
Hitsujibungaku - “Shirakawa Yufune”
Cocco - “Hanasaka Jinji”
YUKI - “Baby, it’s you”
Ayano Kaneko - “Houyou”
Hockrockb - “Endless Roll”
Kayoko Yoshizawa - “Shishu”
Sakurazaka46 - “Naze Koi Wo Shitekonakattandarou?”
Miyuna - “Kamisama”

Lena posts her music thoughts on Twitter sometimes.

Dorian

Kumi Takahara - “Kai-kou”
mekakushe - “Watashi, Fiction”
Aimer - “STAND-ALONE”
Wednesday Campanella - “Buckingham”
Hachioji P x AIMI - “Twinkle Starry Night”
Kayoko Yoshizawa - “New Hong Kong”
The Danish Radio Big Band ft. Miho Hazama - “Green”
Roselia - “Blessing Chord”
Morfonica - “Sonorous”
Maika Loubte - “Zenbu Dreaming”

Dorian is a two-spirit Métis millennial, currently living in Ottawa, Canada. His music tastes are eclectic, but loosely documented through his Spotify profile. He also has a Substack newsletter about music called Doric Column. He previously contributed to This Side of Japan Issue #35.

You can also check out Dorian’s selections on his Spotify and YouTube playlists.

Brian

N.FENI - “FUNNY TATTOO SEAL”
re:lapse - “f”
HALLCA - “Paradise Gate”
Kaede - “Youth”
Fabulous Johnk Wray - “Let’s Get Weird”
STOMP TALK MODSTONE - “Sunday”
You’ll Melt More! - “47 Cities in the Far East”
CHILDISH TONES - “COUNTRY GIRL”
Den’ei To Shonen CQ - “Tranquilizers No Koibito”
RYUTist - “Party Wo Tsuzukeyou!”

Brian (supreme nothing) is a pop-culture archivist who requires a constant infusion of incoming information in order to feel alive. Aside from making artwork, taking photos, and mentally cataloging everything he takes in, he’s also a contributor to Homicidols. He also loves dogs a whole bunch. He previously contributed to Idol Watch’s Flipped Issue #9: July/August.

Ed

Gen Hoshino - “FUSHIGI”
Perfume - “Polygon Wave”
Night Tempo ft. Sayaka Yamamoto - “I Don’t Wanna”
Lucky Kilimanjaro - “KIDS”
Fujii Kaze - “Seishun Kick”
JO1 - “Bokura No Kisetsu”
Hikaru Utada - “Kimi Ni Muchuu”
Hinatazaka46 - “Tteka”
Taichi Mukai - “Love Is Life”
millennium parade & Belle - “U”

Ed is part-time law student, full-time Snoopy fan who you can find in Twitter usually commenting about music, BL, the Real Housewives or movies. He also contributed to Idol Watch’s Flipped Issue #9: July/August.

Timo

Natsuko Nisshoku - “An Encouragement of Music”
Yuta Orisaka - “The Needle’s Eye”
Nariaki Obukuro - “Work”
May J. - “Love & Hate”
BE:FIRST - “Shining One”
RIRI - “WHEEL OF FORTUNE ~Unmei No Wa~”
Hooful & Mia Nascimento - “Jasmine No Kaori”
ATARASHII GAKKO! - “NAINAINAI”
JO1 - “Born to Be Wild”
ZOMBIE-CHANG - “PaRappa the Gabber”

Despite his best efforts, Timo’s most listened to genre this year was, once again, J-Pop. His picks are available to listen via Spotify. You can find him and his latest hyperfixation on Twitter, where he semi-frequently translates idol-related content.

Hannah

Yu Serizawa with DJ KOO & MOTSU - “EVERYBODY! EVERYBODY!”
fishbowl - “Shinkai”
millennium parade & Belle - “U”
mzsrz - “Noise Cancelling”
Omaru Polka - “Everblue”
meme tokyo - “THE STRUGGLE IS REAL”
Ken Hirai - “1995”
TAKU INOUE & Suisei Hoshimachi - “Sanji Juunihun”
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - “Dodonpa”
CHANMINA - “BIJIN”

Hannah/Angry is a hobby writer and likes sharing her very vocal opinion on everything entertainment on her Twitter, Selective Hearing and Arama! Japan. Aside from listening to way too much K-pop and J-pop/rock music, she frequently reads trashy light novels, manga, webtoons and web novels. She also contributed to The Anime Issue: This Side of Japan’s Favorite Anime Songs of 2021 (So Far).

You can also check out Hannah’s selections on her Spotify playlist.

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Next issue of This Side of Japan is out in January. You can check out previous issues of the newsletter here. You can also check out the other lists in the Best of 2021 edition: Top 100 Idol Songs of 2021 / Top 100 Songs of 2021

Need to contact? You can find me on Twitter or reach me at thissideofjapan@gmail.com

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