An Introduction
Starting a Substack (and what utatune has meant to me)
At the end of 2023, I started utatune.com, an English-based website for discovering artists in the Japanese music scene.
The idea had been simmering in the back of my mind for years. I grew up listening to J-pop, and thanks to so many wonderful music writers online, I’ve come to love learning more about the artists whose music has inspired me.
Then, as J-pop was gaining global momentum, I wanted to be part of the excitement.
On utatune, I wanted to carve out a small corner of the internet to share resource-style articles, from artist FAQs to anime song collections.
It became a way for me to learn more about these artists and their music, while providing English-based content to help others discover them as well.
It was a surprise to see so many people stop by the site. Each article has been a labor of love, with hours of research, translations, writing, and editing. And along the way, I’ve had so much fun.
utatune got me through a tough time. I had an unexpected health issue, which led to a long recovery. Writing became my way of coping with the physical and mental pain.
During this time, I discovered so many incredible artists, their stories, and the love they pour into their music. Their words breathed life into me, in a powerful way that is difficult to put into words.
One of my goals this year has been to try out different social/online platforms and find ways to slowly build community along the way.
That curiosity led to the launch of this Substack. I’m excited to continue spotlighting more artists + music, and try some ideas that have been swirling around in my head.
The goal of utatune, whether here or on any other platform, remains the same: to shine a spotlight on the talented artists who are shaping the Japanese music scene.
In doing so, I hope to contribute to the growing global movement that’s helping Japanese music and J-pop reach new audiences around the world.
I’ll be figuring things out as I go. But, whether you’re also a longtime J-pop fan or just starting to explore, I hope you’ll join me for the ride. :)