In Japan, the domestic music industry is fairly strong and there are a lot of different artists and types of music to choose from, who sing (mostly) in Japanese, a language almost the entire population has as their native language and understands best. Looking at it this way, the music needs of Japan can mostly be satisfied by the domestic market. However, that does not mean that foreign artists, from the United States or other countries are not popular in Japan.
If you go to any music store in Japan, you will usually find the music separated into two major categories: 邦楽 hougaku (Japanese music) and 洋楽 yougaku (Western music).
The Japanese music section of one store.
(Image source: http://www.kirakuza.co.jp/toriatsukai/index.html)
Part of the Western music section of another store.
(Image source: http://nttbj.itp.ne.jp/0523321662/index.html)
Western music is generally kept fairly separate from Japanese music in many ways. Western artists rarely appear on Japanese music programs, like Music Station or Kouhaku, and do not have as many commercial campaigns in Japan. However, certain artists, like Lady Gaga and Avril Lavigne have enjoyed great record sales and popularity in Japan and do occasionally appear on Japanese television programs to promote their music.
There is another type of foreign music that has recently enjoyed great success in Japan, which is South Korean music, or K-POP. If you look around the music stores in Japan, there is really no consistency in the way K-POP is classified. Some have it in a separate K-POP section, some have it with the Japanese music and some have it with the Western music. Official rankings and music sites are the same. Sometimes it seems that they are even classified as both. For the 2011 Japan Gold Disc Award, the Best New Artist - Japanese and Best New Artist - Western awards both went to K-POP bands, Girls' Generation and KARA respectively.
I think part of the confusion is because K-POP is so much more integrated into the Japanese music industry than Western music. These artists generally speak some Japanese, appear on Japanese music shows, TV commercials and national ad campaigns, and sing in Japanese as well. They are almost as heavily promoted and spread throughout Japanese entertainment as the idols. Yet, at the same time, they are obviously not Japanese.
Either way, one can safely say that K-POP has secured a place in the Japanese music industry that no other foreign music has been able to before. It is hard to say whether or not it will keep this position or fade in popularity over time, but for the moment, K-POP is still sticking around near the top of the charts.
It is possible that perhaps K-POP has started a movement that will blur the boundaries between foreign and Japanese music and categories like yougaku and hougaku might disappear in the future, but the strength of the domestic music industry and the tendency Japan has to separate Japanese things from foreign things might not allow this. We'll just have to watch and find out.
There is another type of foreign music that has recently enjoyed great success in Japan, which is South Korean music, or K-POP. If you look around the music stores in Japan, there is really no consistency in the way K-POP is classified. Some have it in a separate K-POP section, some have it with the Japanese music and some have it with the Western music. Official rankings and music sites are the same. Sometimes it seems that they are even classified as both. For the 2011 Japan Gold Disc Award, the Best New Artist - Japanese and Best New Artist - Western awards both went to K-POP bands, Girls' Generation and KARA respectively.
I think part of the confusion is because K-POP is so much more integrated into the Japanese music industry than Western music. These artists generally speak some Japanese, appear on Japanese music shows, TV commercials and national ad campaigns, and sing in Japanese as well. They are almost as heavily promoted and spread throughout Japanese entertainment as the idols. Yet, at the same time, they are obviously not Japanese.
KARA appearing in a commercial for the Japanese cellphone company Docomo.
Either way, one can safely say that K-POP has secured a place in the Japanese music industry that no other foreign music has been able to before. It is hard to say whether or not it will keep this position or fade in popularity over time, but for the moment, K-POP is still sticking around near the top of the charts.
It is possible that perhaps K-POP has started a movement that will blur the boundaries between foreign and Japanese music and categories like yougaku and hougaku might disappear in the future, but the strength of the domestic music industry and the tendency Japan has to separate Japanese things from foreign things might not allow this. We'll just have to watch and find out.
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For further reading:
A summary of K-POP sales in Japan: http://www.6theory.com/forum/index.php/topic/32763-kpop-on-japans-official-music-charts-oricon-singles-chart-oricon-album-chart/
An article theorizing about the reasons for K-POP's popularity in Japan:
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