Fly-Day Chinatown

"Fly-Day Chinatown"
1981 single cover
Single by Yasuha
from the album Transit
LanguageJapanese
B-side"Morning Date"
Released21 September 1981 (1981-09-21)
GenreCity pop[1]
LabelPolydor Records
ComposerYasuha (as Yasuha Ebina)
LyricistToyohisa Araki
Producers
  • Norio Misawa
  • Hideaki Uehiro
Yasuha singles chronology
"Fly-Day Chinatown"
(1981) 		""Blue Night Blue""
(1982)

"Fly-Day Chinatown" (フライディ・チャイナタウン, Furaidi Chainataun) is the 1981 debut song of Japanese singer Yasuha, released as part of her debut album Transit. As part of the 2020s city pop wave, it returned to popularity after Night Tempo's video of his own remix of the song became viral. It was subsequently re-issued on vinyl and digital platforms.

Production and composition

"Fly-Day Chinatown" was the debut single of Yasuha.[2] Toyohisa Araki was lyricist, Yasuha was composer (credited under her full name Yasuha Ebina) and Akira Inoue was arranger.[3]

Music release collector Chappy Kato said of the song's composition: "playing the keyboard and singing powerfully about a night in Yokohama, where foreigners hang out, Yasuha was a city pop diva."[4] Aki Ito of Real Sound  called the song's groove "a good match for today's dance floor music", noting that it "allows [Yasuha's] voice to take center stage without being lost in the groovy music" and uses transposition (between notes and lyrics) and vibrato.[5] Nikkan Cyzo said that "Fly-Day Chinatown" has "a slightly funny little song aspect".[6] Hitoshi Kurimoto cited Billy Joel and yacht rock as an influence on the song.[2]

Singer and comedian Tablet Jun remarked that the titular Chinatown in the song may be Yokohama Chinatown and that Fly-Day refers to how "the mysterious neon lights of Chinatown are brilliant, exuding an aphrodisiac-like quality just from the fleeting encounter between a man and a woman".[7] Kotetsu Shoichiro said that the Anglosphere has an interest in the division of the word "Fly" into three kana syllables.[8]

Original release

"Fly-Day Chinatown" was released by Polydor Records on 21 September 1981.[9][3] Its B-side was "Morning Date", which had the same lyricist, composer, and arranger as the A-side.[3] Both songs were also part of Yasuha's debut album Transit.[10] The single peaked at #69 on the Oricon Singles Chart.[11] She was once invited to perform the song at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1982.[12]

"Fly-Day Chinatown" appeared on the 2004 compilation album Yokohama Fantasy .[7] It was reportedly heard on variety shows when they reported on Yasuha's 2007 divorce press conference.[6] On 18 September 2017, she performed the song on Nicoradi , attracting widespread praise on social media.[13] A titular mini-album with the song was to be released two days later by Crown Tokuma, but was cancelled.[14][15]

In June 2020, singer Ms.Ooja released her cover of "Fly-Day Chinatown" as a single.[16] Other artists who have covered the song include Sora Amamiya,[17] Beni,[18] Atsuko Enomoto,[19] Yuji Kurokawa of Yourness with Koujun, [20] Re:inc,[21] Re:Re:Re:Tune,[22] and Taningoto (ft. Harusaruhi).[23] In 2026, a video of several cast members from The Specials  dancing to "Fly-Day Chinatown", which is one of the film's insert songs, was released.[24]

2020s revitalization

In November 2021, Night Tempo posted a video of himself spinning his remix of "Fly-Day Chinatown" at the Los Angeles nightclub The Novo; it went viral on Twitter amidst a 2020s wave of overseas city pop popularity.[25][26] It also became popular on TikTok, though covers and remixes were used on videos there since the original had no digital release at the time.[25] It also spawned a TikTok meme where the song would be lower-pitched to sound like the Hunter × Hunter character Killua Zoldyck.[2] In May 2023, Night Tempo released a vinyl release of his remix of "Fly-Day Chinatown" as part of his Showa Groove series, also featuring a new remix of "Bluenight Blue" (another Yasuha song).[27] Other remixers of the song include Aests and Evade from Uchuu.[2]

Takanori Chujyo called "Fly-Day Chinatown" an example of the overseas rise of city pop,[1] and Kotetsu compared its newfound popularity to "Plastic Love" and "Mayonaka no Door".[6] Kurimoto called it "the song that has generated the most buzz" in 2022.[2] Tablet Jun said of the song's 2020s rediscovery that "the melody that Yasuha herself spun is imbued with the soaring wings of a phoenix".[7] The song also became so popular it could be heard among teenage bicycle riders.[1]

On 25 May 2022, "Fly-Day Chinatown" received its first digital music release.[25] In June 2022, it charted at second place on Spotify's Daily Viral Songs (Japan).[25] On 29 June 2022, Universal Music Japan re-issued the song's 7-inch vinyl release alongside the first release of the City Pop Selections series.[28] A lyric video depicting illustrations by Bob a.k.a. Enchan was also released, achieving 780,000 views by July 2022.[2][25]

Track listing

Cited from the single's liner notes.[3]

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Fly-Day Chinatown" (フライディ・チャイナタウン)Toyohisa ArakiYasuha EbinaAkira Inoue 
2."Morning Date" (モーニング・デート)ArakiEbinaInoue 

Credits and personnel

Source: [3]

  • Katsuyuki Handa – mixer
  • Norio Misawa – producer
  • Tadashi Mutō – photographer
  • Ryō Shinohara – director
  • Hideaki Uehiro – producer
  • Mitsuru Yamada – designer

References

  1. ^ a b c "世界中で人気沸騰！ 「フライディ・チャイナタウン」「真夜中のドア」…昭和シティ・ポップのチルな魅力". Raditopi (in Japanese). 24 January 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kurimoto, Hitoshi. "＜コラム＞泰葉「フライディ・チャイナタウン」を筆頭に、今年もシティポップが海外でブレイク（執筆：栗本斉） | Special". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e Yasuha (1981). フライディ・チャイナタウン. Polydor. 7DX1120.
  4. ^ "80年代よ、もう一度！「シティーポップ」大全～チャッピー加藤選、年末年始に聴きたい10曲". Nikkan Gendai (in Japanese). 30 December 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  5. ^ Ito, Aki (28 June 2022). "泰葉「フライディ・チャイナタウン」がバイラル急上昇 リバイバルヒットした今改めて注目したい独自のグルーヴ感". Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c "泰葉の「フライディ・チャイナタウン」とアメリカが失くしたノスタルジー シティポップブームの現在地". Nikkan Cyzo (in Japanese). 24 December 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b c Tablet Jun (10 June 2025). "泰葉◆フライディ・チャイナタウン タブレット純のかながわ昭和歌謡波止場（５５）". Kanaloco (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  8. ^ "泰葉の「フライディ・チャイナタウン」とアメリカが失くしたノスタルジー シティポップブームの現在地". Nikkan Cyzo (in Japanese). 24 December 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  9. ^ "フライディ・チャイナタウン [アナログディスク]". Yodobashi (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  10. ^ "泰葉 / TRANSIT【限定盤】【CD】". Universal Music Store (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  11. ^ あのころangle 街と地図の大特集1979 渋谷・六本木・銀座・横浜・下町編. 主婦と生活社. 2018. p. 51.
  12. ^ Focus. Vol. 10–26. Shinchosha. p. 10.
  13. ^ "歌唱力だけは本物！？生放送で披露した泰葉の歌声が絶賛された". Asajo (in Japanese). 26 September 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  14. ^ "泰葉 笑いと音楽でスマイル革命！「印税収入はプール付き豪邸２軒分」". Tokyo Sports Web (in Japanese). 10 April 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Flyday China Town Yasuha CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  16. ^ "Ms.OOJA、泰葉「フライディ・チャイナタウン」カバーを先行リリース リリックビデオも". Real Sound (in Japanese). 21 June 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  17. ^ "雨宮天、初の歌謡曲カバーアルバムリリース". Music Natalie (in Japanese). 5 September 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  18. ^ "BENI、シティポップの名曲「フライディ・チャイナタウン」のカバーが配信開始！第二子の妊娠も発表". The First Times (in Japanese). 31 August 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  19. ^ "榎本温子、「フライディ・チャイナタウン (Cover)」を配信開始". The Magazine (in Japanese). 24 July 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  20. ^ "ユアネス・黒川侑司が「フライディ・チャイナタウン」をカバー、ギタリストこーじゅんも参加". Music Natalie (in Japanese). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  21. ^ "サブスク総再生回数10億越えアーティストプロデュース・Re:inc.、「フライディ・チャイナタウン」カバー（Rolling Stone Japan）". Rolling Stone Japan (in Japanese). 10 December 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026 – via Yahoo News.
  22. ^ "音楽プロジェクト「Re:Re:Re:TUNE」、泰葉「フライディ・チャイナタウン」アニメカバー映像公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 30 December 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  23. ^ "泰葉「フライディ・チャイナタウン」を他人事（ボカロP）×春猿火（バーチャルラップシンガー）が再構築". The First Times (in Japanese). 28 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  24. ^ "Snow Man佐久間大介、椎名桔平、中本悠太らがムードたっぷり「フライディ・チャイナタウン」にのせてダンスする動画が解禁＜スペシャルズ＞". Web the Television (in Japanese). 12 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  25. ^ a b c d e Ito, Aki (28 June 2022). "泰葉「フライディ・チャイナタウン」がバイラル急上昇 リバイバルヒットした今改めて注目したい独自のグルーヴ感". Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  26. ^ Chujyo, Takanori (5 December 2021). "ロサンゼルスのクラブ、昭和の音楽でノリノリ…なぜ？ 「フライディ・チャイナタウン」2000人が合唱". Maidona News (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  27. ^ "Night Tempo、昭和グルーヴ新作で泰葉「フライディ・チャイナタウン」をリエディット". Spincoaster (in Japanese). 11 April 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  28. ^ "ユニバーサルミュージックのシティポップ名盤復刻シリーズ第1弾リリース 大橋純子、泰葉、山本達彦らの名盤が再発". Real Sound (in Japanese). 8 April 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
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