1. Tokyo, Alias Tokio

In languages such as German, Finnish, and Spanish, Tokyo is sometimes transliterated as “Tokio.” One of the most famous songs with “Tokio” in the title is ‘TOKIO’, by Kenji Sawada. Included on the album of the same name released on November 25, 1979, a single edit of the song was released on January 1, 1980. Often appearing in outfits decorated with electric lights or wearing an open parachute, Sawada also caused a stir with his flamboyant costumes, as if presaging the ostentatious excess of Japan’s 1980s economic bubble.

2. Tokyo in Songs by Artists from Other Regions

“Tokyo” also has many faces in the songs sung by artists who had come to the metropolis from other regions. For example, Shigeru Kishida (Quruli) from Kyoto, Kazunobu Mineta (Ging Nang BOYZ) from Yamagata, and Maguro Taniguchi (KANA-BOON) from Osaka have all written/composed songs called ‘Tokyo’ with their bands. These have mainly been popular with young people. On the other hand, songs about going to Tokyo from the provinces are also highly evocative, such as ‘Ora Tokyo Sa Iguda [I’m Off to Tokyo],’ which was written and composed by Ikuzo Yoshi, who hails from Aomori. Tokyo is the epitome of glamor, a place where dreams come true. At the same time, it’s a dramatic place, where people also feel lonely and think of their hometown every day.

3. ‘Tokyo Ondo’: the Soundtrack to Tokyo’s Bon Odori Dances

‘Tokyo Ondo’ appeared 46 times among the songs in the data! A staple of the Bon Odori summer festival dances, it’s based on a Bon Odori song with the title ‘Marunouchi Ondo.’ At the beginning of the 1930s, the proprietors of restaurants in the Marunouchi district asked the music company Victor to produce it, to help them to revitalize the local economy. It was performed for the first time in 1932, at the “Marunouchi Ondo Odori” dance in Hibiya Park. The following year, with a change of title and lyrics, it was released as ‘Tokyo Ondo.’ While times have changed, this one song has remained close to people’s hearts ever since. For instance, in 2015, Yasuyuki Okamura teamed up with the folk singer Shigeri Kitsu to release Tokyo Ondo-Tokyo Rhythm.

4. 269 of the 4,827 are Western Songs

Of all 4,827 songs, 269 are classified as Western music. They include ‘Woman from Tokyo’, from British rock band Deep Purple’s album Who Do We Think We Are, and Bon Jovi’s ‘Tokyo Road.’ Japan has actively tapped into foreign culture and made it its own for centuries. Perhaps, as its capital city, Tokyo symbolizes distant lands and cultures for people in other countries. It might be interesting to take a more in-depth look at the reasons why, from among all the innumerable cities across the globe, these artists chose Tokyo as their theme.