This book serves as a comprehensive and rigorous introduction to the history, sociology and musicology of 20th century Japanese popular music. The volume consists of essays by leading scholars of Japanese music and covers the major figures, styles and social contexts of pop music in Japanese. Although the vast majority of the contributors are Japanese, the essays are expressly written for an international English-speaking audience. Each essay provides adequate context so readers understand why the figure or genre under discussion is of lasting significance to Japanese popular music.