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By Nalea J. Ko, Reporter
Published July 7, 2009
Ken Lee moved to Japan from Malaysia five years ago to study engineering at Keio University. He regularly blogs about his experiences in Japan, and lately that includes media coverage of the late Michael Jackson.
Lee said he has been a Jackson fan since he purchased the album "Bad," which was released in 1987. The graduate student was watching TV at home when news of the King of Pop's death flooded Japan's television networks.
"That early morning was a huge shock for me," Lee wrote in an e-mail. "I've seen reports of long queues outside music stores where fans lined up to get his albums. Some of the fans were even in tears."
Jackson's Japan fan base has found different outlets to pay homage to the iconic performer, who they have reliably supported over the years. Some, Lee said, gathered for karaoke parties dedicated to Jackson. Hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil in Tokyo June 27. An oversized poster of Jackson is plastered at the entrance of the Tower Records in Tokyo. And further memorials are scheduled more than a week after his death.
Tatsuro Yagawa, who handles media relations with Tower Records Japan, said they are planning a special two-day tribute at the Shibuya store beginning July 7. A Jackson video will play in the store where a last vestige of Jackson's visit is also on display.
"There is his handprint that was made when Michael visited our store in Shibuya. People are expressing grief by taking pictures and touching the handprint," Yagawa wrote in an e-mail.
Parents, teenagers and tourists flocked to the stores to purchase the King of Pop's music in the wake of his death, said Yagawa.
"Michael's 'Thriller' has ranked 13th in the album [sales] charts through our stores nationwide for the week of June 22 through June 28," Yagawa said. Jackson's albums were not ranked within the top 100th in Japan the week before, Yagawa said.
Worldwide Jackson's music sales have spiked since his death. According to Billboard magazine, Jackson is expected to take the "top nine positions on Billboard's Top Catalog Albums."
The 50-year-old died June 25. Jackson was pronounced dead after he went into cardiac arrest at his Bel Air, Calif. home. He was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center. At a June 26 press conference Craig Harvey, Los Angeles' chief coroner investigator, said it could be four to six weeks before the cause of Jackson's death is revealed. The rumors of the cause of death continue to circulate on the Internet. Celebrities took to social networking sites like Twitter, expressing their grief before Jackson's death was officially confirmed.
Neil Duckett, who lives in Japan, said he started hearing the news of Jackson's death at 6 a.m. on Facebook, reading postings that directed people to the entertainment Web site TMZ. Staffers at TMZ reported that Jackson's body was found "riddled with injection marks," indicating that the anesthesia Propofol was also found in his home.
"Many are sad as he was a big star here." Duckett continued, "The shops I've been past (mainly clothing and electronics) are all playing MJ tracks."
Jackson found refuge in the support of his Japanese fans in 1996 following the much-publicized reports of his misbehavior with children. In the United States, he earned the moniker "Wacko Jacko." Despite his eccentricities, most of Jackson's Japanese fans reacted to his death with an outpouring of affection.
"I'd say, from what I've seen, that there's been a complete grief-stricken response to the death," said Colin Kulstad, who lives in Japan. "Compared to the few people I've seen in America via Facebook and so forth, who seem happy because the media has given them such a negative image of Jackson."
Michael Jackson's Legacy
Jackson visited Japan in the 1970s with the Jackson Five, after he was primed to launch a solo career. Years later in 1996, Jackson performed to sold-out concerts at the Tokyo Dome.
"Thriller" still holds the "world's best-selling album of all time title. The pop icon received the Legend Award at the 2006 MTV Music Awards in Japan. And in 2007, he returned to the country to host a dinner, which hundreds paid to attend.
"Michael's death is a tremendous loss around the world. He was an incredible entertainer, a musical genius who moved generations of fans," said Masami Minemura, director of communications with MTV Networks Japan, in a statement to the press. "He crossed cultural and geographical boundaries, elevated music videos to an art form and was inextricably tied to MTV. His music will live on and continue to entertain us forever."
MTV Japan dedicated the week of June 29 to Jackson, airing special tribute programs.
"MTV Japan has received some messages so far from its viewers through the hotline, saying that they were enjoying MJ-related programs and his music clips, while also expressing their deepest sadness," Minemura wrote in an e-mail to the Pacific Citizen.
As special tributes to the star air worldwide, flowers, posters and curios continue to accumulate at the entrance to Neverland Ranch in California. When Jackson lived at the estate it housed exotic animals and carnival rides. Colony Capital, LLC, now owns it.
At the Staples Center, where Jackson spent his last days rehearsing for his scheduled London concerts, his friends, family members and fans said their final farewells in a July 7 public memorial.
Jackson's friend and trainer Lou Ferrigno said in an interview with Los Angeles-based KTLA morning show, "Good Day L.A.," that the star wanted his three children — Prince Michael Jr., Paris Michael Katherine and Prince Michael II — to watch him perform. Jackson's will named his mother, Katherine, as a successor guardian of the kids.
Just like in his personal life, Jackson's death has stirred controversy worldwide. But his most stalwart supporters in Japan explained that Jackson was an undisputable talent, and his contributions to music are everlasting. Fans are giving new life to Jackson's legacy as the popularity of his music resurges. Lee said he too has found comfort in listening to Jackson's greatest hits again.
"People I interact with on a daily basis — friends and colleagues — have been listening to MJ's songs everyday since he passed away." Lee added, "I have started to watch all his MTV videos again. And right now, I feel very strongly about the 'Liberian Girl' video."
"In the video, he was secretly filming all his friends and only appeared right at the end of the video with five simple words, 'OK guys, that's a wrap.' My heart broke at those last five words. I still can't moonwalk, but thank you for the music, Michael."
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