Hosono House

Pastoral folk-rock debut recorded in American Village (an idealized slice of 1950s America built for air base families north of Tokyo), showing Hosono's range before he helped define city pop's more urban sound. Cramming his small Western-style house with Japanese musicians and equipment, he created something that demonstrated his ability to absorb and reinterpret Western influences while maintaining a distinctly Japanese sensibility. The album's pastoral quality contrasted with the urban sophistication he would later explore, showing the breadth of his musical interests and establishing him as an artist willing to follow his curiosity rather than commercial trends.

Where to start with Japanese City Pop