Jrock, Ink.: A Concise Report on 40 of the Biggest Rock Acts in Japan

By Josephine Yun

jrock, ink. is an executive report on the energized Japanese rock scene today. It showcases 40 of the hottest names in jrock history with histories, reviews, and discographies, all in a stunning... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1880656957
• ISBN13: 9781880656952
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.1" x 0.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

For those who are new or want to learn more about JROCK...

jrock, inc. is without a doubt the best book that I could recommend to someone who is new to JRock and even to those who want to learn more about the genre. While I feel like some better artists could have been featured in the book, I can see why Josephine Yun selected them. The intro at the beginning of the book is worth the books price alone -- Her choice of words throughout the pages glued me to the book... It's not your typical biography styled writing (which is hard enough to write as it is when you are on the subject of music). The artwork in the book is absolutely gorgeous and very unique. At the New York Anime Festival (2007) I had the pleasure of meeting and getting my book signed by Josephine -- She said that she was in the works of a second book. I hope it includes Plastic Tree! This book is definitely something you want in your JROCK collection!

Excellent buy and a quick read!

I absolutely loved this book! While I'm familiar with most of the bands in it, it's a nice collector's item as well as a great buy for those of us across the ocean. Fantastic job! Not to mention the fact that we overseas fans finally get a more precise and detailed description.

A 'must' for any alternative or indie world music fan who would better understand modern Japanese mu

Imagine a geisha playing electric guitar, or a koto performer flipping the bird. Imagine a 3-piece high school band called Mr. Children whose long-term success allowed it to evolve from a school band to number 1 on the Japanese record charts. Imagine Japanese indie rock performer who mix punk elements with Japanese. Add a healthy dose of fun drawings throughout and you have a survey of Japanese pop rock culture not to be missed: a 'must' for any alternative or indie world music fan who would better understand modern Japanese musicians. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

A Wonderful Start

As the first book of it's kind, JRock, Ink. is appealing to both long time fans and the casual shopper. Though filled with facts, it isn't overwhelming in it's content. The layout and gorgeous illustrations turn the book into a photo album of Japanese rock history and it's popularity in the United States. As a long time fan, I highly recommend picking up this book even if you know everything about all the bands. Some of what you read may pleasantly surprise you.

A valuable resource for casual and die-hard J-rock fans...

Jrock, Ink. is a fantastic resource for fans of Japanese rock. The layout is perfect for a concise report: The 40 artists featured in the book are listed alphabetically, from Nanase Aikawa to X Japan, and each artist gets a one page biography with an accompanying artistic rendition of the band on the opposite page (the Mr. Children picture was my favorite). Thus you can easily skip directly to your favorite artists and save the others for later. The book also reads right-to-left, which should please all of the hardcore Japanophiles out there. The information itself is abbreviated and accurate. Within the one page biographies, Yun is able to not only give detailed yet entertaining histories of the bands, but also precise descriptions of their sounds. This is invaluable to the budding J-rock enthusiast who must pick and choose the artists that will make up their collection. A detailed discography for every artist is included at the book's end that notates their indie and major releases as well as their official websites. This alone is invaluable information that would take hours of online research to uncover. Any project such as this one will of course have its naysayers. Genre fans, whether they be music, movie, or book fans, often feel bitterness towards the mainstream promotion of their passions of choice, I've been there myself. There is no denying however that this is an entertaining read and the most valuable English-language resource for Japanese rock. At least half of the artists in this book lacked any biographical information in English until its publication, which is truly a triumph towards the promotion of J-rock in the United States. Also of note is the fantastic introduction to the book that discusses the arrival of rock and roll in Japan as well as its evolution up to the present. I can't think of any other resource where this has been discussed. So as a Japanese music fan/DJ for over ten years now, I highly recommend this book to people with even the slightest interest in the world of J-rock. And if you'd like to expand your knowledge of Japanese music beyond the rock genre then give Nippon Pop by Steve McClure a try. Researching the world of Japanese music may be difficult for us here in the U.S., but its highly rewarding and is getting easier with each passing year.