Cast an eye over those charts that list the top-selling Japanese pop albums of the year and three musical trends come out on top: There were loose-limbed hip-hop party grooves aplenty (Def Tech and Ketsumeishi); American-influenced punk pop (Ellegarden, Ken Yokoyama and scores of others with Orange County-inflected whines); and, like any year, there was R&B-influenced J-pop (Kumi Koda and Namie Amuro). No surprises there, then.
The pop charts of 2005 were not without some beguiling charms. Female singer UA's album "Breathe" put a subversive spanner into the J-pop conveyor belt (more Bjork than BoA), while the supergroup, MC tag team that is Teriyaki Boyz brought a stellar, albeit foreign, cast on board (including DJ Shadow and a Beastie Boy) for their enjoyable blast into old skool bling.
While not top sellers, listed below are 10 standout releases from 2005, which includes home recordings, self-released CD-Rs, a compilation between like-minded souls, the odd major-label release and a lavish box set on an independent label. The list reflects how increasingly diverse the Japanese music industry is becoming, a trend that can only increase in 2006. (D.H.)