Since its launch last year, Billboard Japan has interviewed a range of established women in the Japanese music industry for its Women in Music initiative. In the same spirit as Billboard’s annual Woman in Music event, which began in 2007, Billboard Japan is breaking new ground in the country’s music business through a variety of content, including interviews, live performances, and panel discussions of her. We aim to honor women who continue to do so.
Mai Sasaki, head of artist relations in Japan at video-sharing giant YouTube, is the next guest in our interview series. By providing platform and operational support, Sasaki launched the official Fuji Rock Festival YouTube channel in 2018, featuring livestreams and archives of Japan’s pioneering summer music festival. We help artists expand the scope of their musical activities. How does Ms. Sasaki, who has been involved in the music business in her home country and overseas and is now in her current position, seeing the current Japanese music scene?
You currently work for YouTube’s Artist Relations. What exactly does this section do?
Our job is to provide various proposals and operational support for artists to use YouTube as a platform. The number of things that the music team can propose to clients is increasing day by day, such as actively managing official channels and hosting live streaming.
Well, it’s not just about opening up the platform. It feels like more and more artists are turning to YouTube as the pandemic has changed the way music is made available online.
It goes without saying that the shock of the pandemic has had an immeasurable impact on the music industry, with in-person events such as live shows and music festivals not being able to be held, and releases being postponed due to difficulties in recording and promotion. . Meanwhile, YouTube is hosting his online seminars for music-related people such as artists and record companies to get the most out of the platform. This initiative was less about trying to market our services and more about wanting to work together towards a common goal. As a result, our platform is being used as a place for artists and fans to connect, even now that travel restrictions have been lifted, through live streaming shows without direct audiences and streaming performances from the artists’ private spaces. development is taking place. We continue to expand on our platform.
Could you tell us about your background before you took up your current position?
Ever since I can remember, I have loved music, and after graduating from university, I got a job at a Japanese record company. Then I moved to San Francisco. I had no connection. I did my own research, connected to companies I wanted to work for, booked interviews, and landed a job at a digital music distribution startup.
Having worked in the music industry in both Japan and the US, do you feel any difference?
After returning to Japan, I noticed that there is a high proportion of men in the industry as a whole. At the San Francisco company where I worked, there were many women in important positions such as those in charge of the production and marketing departments, and it is clear that such important positions in Japan are often filled by men wearing dark suits. I understand. after coming back.
What do you think are some of the reasons that led to this current situation?
This is not limited to the music industry, but I feel that there is still a strong sense of gender roles in Japan, where women should take care of childcare and housework. Of course, there are regional differences in other countries, but San Francisco is a very liberal city, so I think the difference I felt after returning to Japan was huge.
What is the current state of Google?
Google’s corporate philosophy emphasizes diversity, fairness, and inclusion. In fact, there are as many women as there are men. Although it is subjective, I have the impression that the right person is placed in the right place, placing more emphasis on individual careers and work styles than on gender. Remote work is possible even before COVID-19, and we support women to continue their careers while giving birth and raising children. In addition, in order to promote women’s leadership, we are implementing a training program called the “Woman Will Leadership Program” for executives and individuals who aspire to become leaders, which is extremely effective.
It is encouraging that a global company like Google is leading the advancement of women in society with a wide range of support systems. Moving on to artists, only two female artists (Aimer and Ado) made it into the top 10 of Billboard Japan’s 2022 Japan Hot 100. The overall list resulted in 58 male artists, 27 female artists and 15 mixed acts. Japan has many great female artists, but the number of men consistently outnumbers the number of women. What are your thoughts on this result?
I’m not an artist, so I can’t speak for them, but I sometimes feel that Japanese society is not ready to accept the opinions of female artists, even if they try to send out strong messages. Many of the world’s record-breaking female artists, including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Lizzo, send strong messages to society. The fact that these women have a devoted following is proof that their message is moving people’s hearts. In Japan, that aspect still seems like a hurdle to overcome.
In Japan, there was debate about whether or not to bring politics into music, and I got the impression that there are a certain number of people who cannot allow women to raise their voices.
This may not be the only reason, but the feedback from the global team was that they couldn’t think of any artists in Japan who stand out from the rest of the world for their individuality and self-assertion. They said that J-pop artists do not stand out given the global music market as a whole.
However, in reality, there are some outstanding artists, such as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, who has performed at major events such as Coachella and has spread Japan’s unique culture to the world, and Harusumi, who is more highly regarded overseas than in Japan. One of the challenges for global platforms like YouTube is to push these and other great domestic talent to a global audience.
That’s pretty shocking to hear.what kind of artist you were you in the past
Madonna has had a huge impact on me, not just because I am a woman. When she was in junior high school, she was shocked when she first heard her “Erotica” on local radio station J-WAVE. Her fashion and make-up are inspiring, not just in music, and she made me feel that I don’t have to worry too much about what other people think of her, and that influences my current way of thinking. She was also captivating in her speech at the 2016 Billboard Women in Music event.
More than 40 years have passed since Madonna’s sensational debut in 1982, and the environment surrounding women has changed. Have you personally felt these changes?
When I started It was only natural that we (women) had to work harder than men if we wanted to be successful in the music industry. is outdated, and it’s not a virtue to beat yourself up by ignoring gender differences. In addition, regardless of gender, we must be aware of the potential for harassment arising from the authority gained through career progression. We believe that being able to take a break, both mentally and physically, leads to better performance for ourselves and our team members.
Check out our exclusive playlist curated by Mai Sasaki below.
—An interview with Rio Hirai (SOW SOWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
