Oricon - Weekly International Album Chart (14/2)

Weekly International Album Chart (Japan) - 14 February 2010

1. Nick Carter / I'm Taking Off
2. V.A. / Grammy Nominees 2011
3. Rihanna / Loud
4. Charice / Charice
5. PiNK / Greatest Hits
6. OST / Burlesque OST
7. Bruno Mars / Doo-Wops ＆ Hooligans
8. Mogwai / Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
9. Taylor Swift /Speak NowKeri Hilson / No Boys Around
10. Tokio Hotel / Darkside Of The Sun

Source: http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/wa/w/

Tokio Hotel is this week's pick up artist!! They I thought was not popular in Japan compared to in Germany and Europe. Their first stay in Japan and showcase scheduled in 2007 were even cancelled at the last minute. However, I understand their Japanese label Universal Japan has done a big promotion campaign for their new album "Darkside of the Sun". It I believe led the band to a #10 spot in this album chart.

Although I'm not a fan of them, I've been interested in what the band and Universal Japan have been doing in Japan for promo for two reasons. Firstly, they set up a Japanese fan group on Facebook. I think few international artists have their own Japanese fan group page as the SNS is seen it's not big enough in Japan to run a fan group in Japanese for Japanese fans. However, I guess Universal Japan understands many of their target audience members are on Facebook so that can make use of the website as a place of communicating with them. Now the fan group has 12,229 members. I don't think all of them are Japanese but the figure is still quite impressive.


Another reason why the campaign caught my attention was it was a part of the 150th Aniversary of Germany Japan Diplomatic Friendship. I always like popular music as a tool of cultural exchange. Both parties have substantial merit of running such type of the campaign. An embassy has a chance to draw more people in its nation's culture. In the meantime, an artist from the country and its record label can have more promo opportunities and reach potential fans who they really don't in normal ways of promo. Addicionally they possibly can receive financial support from the embassy. Why not using such opportunities, ambassadors in Japan and you guys from Japanese record labels?

I'm ending this blog entry by introducing this video beneath - Tokio Hotel visiting German Embassy and having a press conference with Germany ambassador: