Niwango, the company that operates the internet video sharing website Nico Nico Douga, has announced that Nico Nico Honsha, a multi-purpose facility featuring music studios and shops, is due to open in Harajuku in December 2010. A familiar looking sloped path can be seen on the photo in the press release. Isn’t this the very spot owned by a certain special purpose company?
Research on the site revealed that it is indeed the spot where the live music venue Harajuku Ruido, which was central to the band boom in the 1980s, had been located. Harajuku was once a Mecca for amateur rock bands. Many performed on the streets for the weekend pedestrian-only zone as well as at the live venues.
Among these venues, Harajuku Ruido served as a gateway to success for many musicians as they worked their way up to stardom. For example, the R&B singer Ken Hirai, who is renowned in Japan, performed his first show at this venue in January 1995, and it is also said that the rock band Sharam Q had also used it as a base for their activities. However, Harajuku Ruido closed in March 2007.
Nico Nico Douga is also becoming a type of gateway to success for young artists with its music posting corner “Utattemita.” For example, one popular singer on Nico Nico Douga, Piko, made his debut on Kioon Records of the major record label Sony Music Group in August 2010. Niwango says that Nico Nico Honsha will help to promote artists who are popular on Nico Nico Douga and will serve as a place to publish their works. Music has returned to Harajuku.
(Yoshimaro Tamura)
