Music Studio Owned By Japanese City Promotes Local Singers

The one and only municipal music studio in Japan has launched a music label in a bid to raise local artists' profiles worldwide, Shin Sato reported for Mainichi Japan.

Photo Insert: A local artist is signed under the label in a formal ceremony

Tago Studio Takasaki, operated by the city of Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, launched the Tago Studio Records Takasaki label this month. This is an epic initiative to discover talented amateur musicians performing in the prefecture and help them become top-class performers on the world stage through the "music city Takasaki" initiative.

A song by the first musician to belong to the label has already been released, and those involved in the project are eager for success.

"I'm dreaming of the age when Takasaki reminds people of the 'Takasaki sound,' like Memphis does of (Elvis) Presley," said Mayor Kenji Tomioka, referring to the world-class big names, during the label's launch event held at Takasaki City Theatre on Oct. 4.

The one-of-a-kind municipal music studio was founded in March 2014. The cost to establish the studio -- 125 million yen (about $1.1 million) -- was covered by a 250 million yen (roughly $2.2 million) donation to the municipal government by a philanthropist who said they wanted the city to use the money for youth culture.

Takasaki-native composer and music producer Kunio Tago, 48, known for writing "Home" for singer Yusaku Kiyama and other songs for J-pop groups AKB48 and Every Little Thing, was invited to become the operation director of the studio.

More than 250 songs produced by major labels have been recorded at the studio. It held auditions in 2016 and 2019 to discover talented musicians, and more than 1,000 groups applied each time.

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