U.S. country artists try to build their base abroad

Lack of venues in Japan.

japan is jazz country

bcbrownboy,

guess you havent been to Jpn there are tons & tons of venues in Jpn

there are a few huge country music festivals here in Japan... love to see the locals in cowboy boots and hats.

I like country music ... where do these festivals occur in Japan?

I can picture it now...the little white Hi-Jet trucks being traded for F-150's, the farmers wearing white Wrangler jeans and t-shirts with American flags that read "These colors don't run". Maybe they can trade their traditional style houses & neighborhoods for a trailer park full of rusting trailers built in the early '70's. I couldn't stand country music & the culture associated with it in the states, and tweaking it for Japanese tastes (as every bit of foreign food/music/language is) would make it downright abominable.

This is an interesting topic and I applaud that there are some artists taking this heads on. I wish more country artists would as I think it has a lot of potential. Not only that but you really haven't made it as an artist until you perform on an international stage. Well as far as I am concerned anyways. Japan I feel strangely has more potential then most as for not having much exposure here it has certainly managed to gain a respectable following. Hereandthere is correct in regards to the music festivals. In fact Japan has it's own country legend of sort with Charlie Nagatani and the Cannonballs which has played at the grand Ole Opry even.

Mount Aso near Kumamoto, Japan has a festival every year which keeps growing and it a hell a good time. I can't remember when I had so much fun and the Japanese are fast learners. Country is also a great representative ambassador in and of itself in the types of people it attracts. It's how many were raised and being more respectful of others and hard work. It's the cowboy way of thinking and would go over well here. Not saying we don't have our rednecks but certainly better then some of the stupid tourists that Japan so unfortunately has the misfortune of dealing with usually lol. I wish Yoakam and all the other Country Artists the best in this venture.

if you can handle Japanese, some fun stuff here...

http://www.geocities.jp/a11country/

hereandthere - Thanks for the very relevant link! Great stuff!

I think I might actually move to Afghanistan to avoid country music. I know there are a lot of fans but I can't stand it. Except for that great song "I Spent My Last Ten Dollars" by Two Nice Girls you can have it.

"I think I might actually move to Afghanistan to avoid country music"

See ya! ( actually, since music, any kind of music, including country nusic, is now legal in Afghanistan, you might not be able to avoid it even there, ha ha ha! Nah, you'll come back after a few weeks and you'll be so grateful that you're back, you'll be a country music fan, ha ha ha! )

ca1ic0cat: I have a better idea. Let's send the country music artists and fans to Afghanistan instead.

I grew up in a state where country music was everywhere. It went well with the cowboys, truckers, hicks, rednecks and conservative Mormons. When I escaped to Seattle I didn't hear twangy soul disolving country music for a long time. And in Japan I have only been assaulted by it once.

I hope they don't come infect Japan with their massive belt buckles, bad gigantic hats, chewing tobacco and s**t kickers. It is enough that we have to endure the likes of SMAP. Country music would just make the aural world here nearly unbearable.

I can picture it now...the little white Hi-Jet trucks being traded for F-150's, the farmers wearing white Wrangler jeans and t-shirts with American flags that read "These colors don't run". Maybe they can trade their traditional style houses & neighborhoods for a trailer park full of rusting trailers built in the early '70's. I couldn't stand country music & the culture associated with it in the states, and tweaking it for Japanese tastes (as every bit of foreign food/music/language is) would make it downright abominable.

Stereotype much?

Let's send the country music artists and fans to Afghanistan instead.

You're one of those "tolerant" liberals, ain't ya?