‍Series starts Friday, August 16 on 288 U.S. radio stations

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PHILADELPHIA (AUGUST 14, 2024): An exploration of the music of modern Japan will be heard on 288 U.S. radio stations when World Cafe, the daily music and interview program distributed by NPR, launches its seven-part “Sense of Place: Japan” series on Friday, August 16. The series can also be heard online at World Cafe at NPR Music.

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The “Sense of Place: Japan” series will highlight some of the country’s current artists and music scene through exclusive interviews and studio sessions gathered in Tokyo and Kyoto during late May and early June by World Cafe Host Raina Douris and Senior Producer Kimberly Junod. Japan is the most recent area featured in World Cafe’s long-running “Sense of Place” series, which visits musical hotspots around the world to capture each location’s unique music scene for listeners.

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Douris said, “From rising J-pop stars to bands who painstakingly recreate the energy of American ‘50s and ‘60s garage rock – from Shonen Knife to an iconic video game composer, and from an artist inspired by his ancestors and the nature of Japan to an obsessive record collector - the cross section of stories and sounds in this new series take listeners on a musical journey through a fascinating country and culture.”

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The seven episodes of “Sense of Place: Japan” are:

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Friday, August 16
Born in Kyoto and now based in Tokyo, luvis brings together jazz, soul, and pop influences to craft heartfelt, personal songs. Hear some of those songs recorded live at Moon Romantic in Tokyo, and an interview where luvis shares what it has been like building his career in Japan. Tune in for that and a visit to Little Soul Cafe, one of Tokyo’s many vinyl bars.

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Monday, August 19
Shonen Knife celebrated their 40th anniversary last year and released a new album, Our Best Place. Band leader Naoko Yamano talks about the band’s history – being inspired by the Ramones and Buzzcocks, the group’s first trip to the USA, and touring with Nirvana – as well as what keeps her writing after four decades. We’ll also hear a live Shonen Knife performance from UrBANGUILD in Kyoto.

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Wednesday, August 21
Orange-haired Chi is the dynamic leader of the hip-hop inspired group Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie. In this episode, Chi looks back on her early days performing on the streets of Tokyo, and how she came together with her two costumed collaborators. Don’t miss the group’s live performance from WALL & WALL in Tokyo that will make you want to getup and dance.

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Friday, August 23
‍Soyo Oka wrote the music for Super Mario Kart, part of Nintendo’s enduring Super Marioworld of video games. She talks about reluctantly transitioning from her university’scomposition school to writing video game music, and how the impact of her musicaround the world came as a surprise to her. And Chiaki Horan, presenter of Songs ofTokyo on Japanese public broadcaster NHK, gives us an overview spanning thevastness of current J-pop.

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Monday, August 26
The Bawdies draw on the sound of ‘50s and ‘60s American and UK rock. In this editionof “Sense of Place: Japan,” they talk about why they were so drawn to that sound whenthey started writing music two decades ago. Plus, a live performance from Tokyo’s TopBeat Club that includes music from their latest album, Popcorn.

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Wednesday, August 28
Davina Robinson was born and raised in the U.S. near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and then launched a career as a blues musician after moving to Osaka, Japan. She looks back on why she came to Japan and what it was like for her to relocate there, and gives a live performance from UrBANGUILD in Kyoto that includes her song that won “Best Blues Song” in the 2020 UK Songwriting Contest.

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Friday, August 30
ATARASHII GAKKO! are a four-woman J-pop band that have given jaw-dropping performances this year at festivals including Coachella and Primavera. In this edition, they give us a performance recorded here in the U.S. in Philadelphia, and an intimate interview in which the band talks about playing with people’s expectations of what aJ-pop group can do.

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“Sense of Place: Japan” can be heard on the 288 U.S. radio stations that carry World Cafe and online at World Cafe on NPR Music. Produced by public radio stationWXPN/Philadelphia, World Cafe recently garnered international recognition by receiving the New York Festivals® Radio Awards Gold Award, for Host Raina Douris’ interview with “Weird Al” Yankovic, and the Bronze Award for a piece in its “Sense of Place: Provo, Utah” series.

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More about World Cafe is also at https://xpn.org/program/world-cafe.

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Interviews with World Cafe hosts and producers, and additional images, are available.

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About World Cafe
Launched in 1991, World Cafe is produced by WXPN/Philadelphia and distributed by NPR to 288US radio stations, where it is heard by nearly 600,000 listeners each week. Known by artists, appreciative audiences, and the radio and music industries as an influential source for music discovery, the two-hour daily program features a mix of artist interviews and in-studio performances by established and emerging artists, with a music selection that encompasses singer-songwriters, classic rock, indie rock, Americana, alt-country, blues, world music, R&B and soul. As the nation’s most listened-to public radio music program, the award-winning program’s impact on the careers and audience awareness of thousands of artists is immeasurable. Both the daily World Cafe program and the weekly Conversations from the World Cafe are hosted by Raina Douris along with contributing host Stephen Kallao.‍