Popular in Japan

As I've been searching all things Uke I keep running across pages in Japanese. Additionally, many uke videos on YouTube are from Japan.
Is the uke that popular there? If so, has it always been, a resurgence, or new?

Paul December said:

As I've been searching all things Uke I keep running across pages in Japanese. . . Is the uke that popular there?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Paul December said:

If so, has it always been, a resurgence, or new?

Click to expand...

Dunno about "always" but it has been that way for some time now.

Paul December said:

As I've been searching all things Uke I keep running across pages in Japanese. Additionally, many uke videos on YouTube are from Japan.
Is the uke that popular there? If so, has it always been, a resurgence, or new?

Click to expand...

Yeah it does seem really popular. I know Jake does a lot of tours there. There's a Japanese guy who does some really good uke videos on youtube, he's one of my favourites. Check out his version of sound of silence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=-DsKXqomXi8&feature=channel

In fact I just checked Dominator's website and he has a tab up there for one of his songs, excellent! Let's hope he does one of sound of silence!

My Favorite Band at the Denver Ukefest was from Japan the "Sweet Hollywaiians" they were AWESOME!!!!!!!!
Check out their Myspace and Youtube

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=1000708975

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3A_CAPo5nM

The guy in Colorado Springs that builds Palm Tree Ukes sends most of his stuff to Japan to sell and even has a low end model that is only sold in Japan he was showin me.

Here's what wikipedia says:

Japan: The ukulele came to Japan in 1929 after Hawaiian-born Yukihiko Haida returned to the country upon his father's death and introduced the instrument. Haida and his brother Katsuhiko formed the Moana Glee Club, enjoying rapid success in an environment of growing enthusiasm for Western popular music, particularly Hawaiian music and jazz. During World War II, authorities banned most Western music, but fans and players kept it alive in secret, and it resumed popularity after the war. In 1959, Haida founded the Nihon Ukulele Association. Today, Japan is considered a second home for Hawaiian musicians and ukulele virtuosos.[19]

Japan might arguably be the largest market for ukuleles right now. I've read that G-String ukuleles doesn't even advertise their ukes in the US because they can't even keep up with the demand for their ukes in Japan. I know a large percentage of William King's customers are from Japan as well.

I think it makes sense that the Japanese dig the ukulele. They love Hawaiian culture and most of them have limited living spaces. The ukulele is pretty much the perfect instrument for the Japanese.

Japan has a love affair with Hawaii and Hawaii related things. I have friends that fly to Japan to play Hawaiian music and are treated like royalty. Jake was (dont know if he still is) signed to Sony Music Japan and was on National TV there numerous times. He is a real celebrity there and I think that helped the popularity of the ukulele even more.

Pauru san, Hai so desu!

Just do a search on Petty Booka, Bosco & Honey, Herb Ohta and Ukulele Picnic to name a few. Ric