In the early '80s, Japan was in a flourishing bubble, becoming the world's second-largest economy, threatening to overtake the West with its cutting-edge innovation. Middle class Japanese citizens indulged in luxury clothes, imported wine, and international travel, enjoying unorthodox freedom. City pop emerged as the soundtrack to this cosmopolitan lifestyle: an ode to bright colors, sunny beaches and naive romances, with a clear West influence. Such influence also brought together the first hea…