kayoukyoku
what it is
Kayōkyoku (歌謡曲, literally "Pop Tune") is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. The Japan Times describes kayōkyoku as "standard Japanese pop" or "Shōwa era pop". Kayōkyoku is Western-style-inspired music of Japan.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make kayoukyoku a playlist
turn these 13 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is kayoukyoku?
Kayōkyoku (歌謡曲, literally "Pop Tune") is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. The Japan Times describes kayōkyoku as "standard Japanese pop" or "Shōwa era pop". Kayōkyoku is Western-style-inspired music of Japan.
What are good kayoukyoku albums to start with?
Try 灯ともし頃 by 浅川マキ, 赤色梅艷芳 by Anita Mui, ロッキン・ロール・ベイビー＋２ by Ann Lewis, and 春子の部屋 -あまちゃん 80's HITS- ビクター編 by Various Artists.
Who are some women making kayoukyoku?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/kayoukyoku/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making kayoukyoku, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20