Iwate

Iwate Prefecture claims limited direct significance to city pop's core development, though the region represents the provincial Japan that many city pop listeners were leaving behind during the country's rapid urbanization in the 1970s and 80s. The contrast between rural Tohoku prefectures like Iwate and Tokyo's glittering modernity formed part of city pop's cultural context. The genre's appeal partly derived from its soundtrack to urban aspiration for listeners across Japan, including those from northern regions.

Scenes

Artists from Iwate

• Eiichi Ohtaki

  Eiichi Ohtaki shaped city pop's sonic architecture from behind the console, bringing a perfectionist's ear to his work with Sugar Babe and later Yamashita.