Four Decades of Rock in Japan

Legendary Rock Photographer Bob Gruen in Japan

I first arrived in Japan with Yoko Ono in August 1974. I stood behind her as the plane door opened, and I followed her as she walked down the stairs into a crowd of photographers. She was on tour in Japan with a band of top musicians.

The first show was at the One Step Festival in Koriyama. The band performing ahead of Yoko was Carol; it would be their final show before breaking up. The lead singer, Eikichi Yazawa, finished the set and then his chest exploded! We all thought he had died, but it was actually a theatrical stunt to symbolize the end of the band.

On this first trip, I met Yuya Uchida, a promoter of the One Step Festival in Koriyama. We quickly became friends as we traveled around Japan by bullet train. When he visited the United States later that year, I introduced him to the New York Dolls. Then, in 1975, he brought the New York Dolls and me on his World Rock Festival tour.

The following year, I traveled to Japan with the Bay City Rollers. It was a very exciting trip. The band was constantly surrounded by screaming fans. Having had so much experience in Japan, KISS also invited me to travel to Japan with them for their tours in 1977 and 1978.

By then, I began to wonder about Japan beyond the music scene. On tour, I had a very tight schedule and very little time off, but everything I saw amazed me. I wanted to come back to stay for longer, with more flexibility in my schedule. In the summer of 1979, friends I had made during my visits helped me find an apartment in Harajuku. Throughout the year, I had a great time meeting Japanese musicians like the Plastics and Sheena & The Rokkets and going to clubs like Shinjuku Loft and Crocodile.

The complete article can be found in Issue #280 of the Tokyo Journal.