Anzen Chitai

Overview

Anzen Chitai (安全地帯, literally "Safety Zone") is a Japanese rock band formed in 1973 in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, around vocalist Koji Tamaki and guitarist Yutaka Takezawa. The name comes from the "safety zone" road markings defined in Japan's traffic law. After debuting in 1982 with the single "Moegi Iro no Snap," the band exploded in popularity: "Wine Red no Kokoro" (1983) sold 714,000 copies, and the 1985 fourth album Anzen Chitai IV topped both the weekly and yearly Oricon charts with cumulative sales of 929,000. They became one of Japan's most successful rock bands of the 1980s.

Career

Early years (1973-1981)

In April 1973 Tamaki, Yutaka Takezawa and Yutaka's brother Toshiya Takezawa formed a band called Invader, starting as a folk group before turning to rock and renaming themselves Anzen Chitai. Tamaki's brother Kazuyoshi Tamaki (drums) and Takahiro Miyashita (bass) joined later that year. The band entered the Yamaha Popular Song Contest repeatedly, and in 1976 earned the Hokkaido representative slot with "Mukashi ni Mita Mono," performing at the national finals at Tsumagoi.

In 1977 Ichiji Ohira replaced Kazuyoshi Tamaki on drums, and in December the band merged with the Haruyoshi Rokudo Band, adding Rokudo (bass, keyboards), Wataru Yahagi (guitar) and Yuji Tanaka (drums) for an eight-member lineup. In February 1978 they converted an abandoned farmhouse outside Asahikawa into a studio called Musical Farmers Production (MFP), where they practiced and recorded for hours every day; in July they won the grand prize at the first Stage Flight contest. Tanaka and Miyashita then left, and the band met future director Shohei Kaneko and producer Masaru Hoshi, formerly of The Mops. Toshiya Takezawa departed in March 1981. That July, Yosui Inoue visited MFP and performed with the band, encouraging them to broaden their horizons toward kayokyoku and pop. They moved to Tokyo and served as the backing band on his 1981 tour, which covered 23 venues nationwide.

Major debut and peak (1982-1988)

Anzen Chitai debuted on February 25, 1982 with "Moegi Iro no Snap" on Kitty Records. Ohira left and Tanaka returned, establishing the lineup that would endure. "On My Way" followed in October, and the debut album Anzen Chitai I: Remember to Remember arrived in January 1983. That autumn, "Wine Red no Kokoro" (music by Tamaki, lyrics by Inoue) was used in a Suntory Akadama Punch commercial and became a smash, reaching No. 1 on the Oricon charts.

In 1984 they scored successive hits with Anzen Chitai II, "Koi no Yokan" and Anzen Chitai III: Dakishimetai. In 1985 "Netsushisen," "Kanashimi ni Sayonara" and Anzen Chitai IV were huge successes; the band topped the year-end rankings of TBS's The Best Ten and NTV's The Top Ten, made its first appearance on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen, and won the FNS Music Festival's Best Singing Award for two consecutive years, a first and so far only feat. "Suki Sa" was featured in the anime Maison Ikkoku.

In August 1986 they held their first concert at Jingu Stadium, together with Inoue, and released the collaboration single "Natsu no Owari no Harmony" that September. In December came the 36-song, triple-LP Anzen Chitai V, an exceptional size for an original album. Songs such as "Wine Red no Kokoro," "Koi no Yokan" and "Friend" were covered and became hits in Hong Kong. In 1987 the band's popularity peaked with five sold-out nights at the Nippon Budokan (60,000 total attendance), and Tamaki released his first solo single and album.

Hiatuses and returns (1988-2003)

After a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum in autumn 1988, the band went on hiatus, reportedly due to members' growing solo activity and differing musical directions. The first best-of album, I Love You kara Hajimeyou: Anzen Chitai Best, appeared that December. Activity resumed in 1990 with Anzen Chitai VII: Yume no Miyako (July; its song "Kono Michi wa Doko e" was the theme of the 1991 Winter Universiade) and Anzen Chitai VIII: Taiyo (December 1991). After an acoustic tour ended in December 1992, the band effectively entered a long hiatus, and "Hitorbotchi no Yell" was released in February 1993. Around this time their label changed from Kitty Records to SME. Tamaki focused on solo work and acting, while Takezawa concentrated on production.

Takezawa announced his departure in 1994, but all five members reunited on stage at an Asahikawa outdoor concert in July 1998. Full-scale recording resumed around 2001, leading to the single "Deai" in July 2002, the first in nine years, and the album Anzen Chitai IX in August. Anzen Chitai X: Ame nochi Hare followed in October 2003, with a tour that included a show at Shibuya eggman, but the band paused again after the tour ended in December. In April 2008, Tamaki announced his retirement from music, citing an illness requiring long-term treatment, and the fan club was closed.

Return and recent activity (2010-present)

After secret songwriting camps in the second half of 2009, the band announced its return on January 8, 2010. The double A-side single "Aoi Bara / Wine Red no Kokoro (2010 version)" was released on March 3, 2010, debuting at No. 9 on the Oricon weekly chart, their first Top 10 single in 21 years and 6 months. Anzen Chitai XI Starts "Mata ne..." followed on May 26, 2010, their first album in nearly seven years, and the self-cover album Anzen Chitai Hits on June 30. A nationwide tour, their first in seven years, began that July, and the band also performed in South Korea and Singapore. Anzen Chitai XII (September 14, 2011), Anzen Chitai XIII Junk (November 16, 2011) and Anzen Chitai XIV The Saltmoderate Show (March 16, 2013) followed.

Drummer Yuji Tanaka died on December 17, 2022, at the age of 65. In March 2025, Yutaka Takezawa revealed that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2021, underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and has been in remission since.

Members

• Koji Tamaki: vocals, guitar, percussion (1973-present)
• Yutaka Takezawa: guitar (1973-present)
• Wataru Yahagi: guitar, bass (1977-present)
• Haruyoshi Rokudo: bass, piano, keyboards (1977-present)
• Yuji Tanaka: drums (1977-1978, 1982-2022)
• Former members: Toshiya Takezawa, Takahiro Miyashita, Kazuyoshi Tamaki, Ichiji Ohira

Musical style

Beginning as a folk group, the band turned to hard rock under the influence of Led Zeppelin, then broadened into Southern rock such as The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and American rock centered on The Doobie Brothers and Jackson Browne. Yosui Inoue's encouragement to explore kayokyoku and pop helped shape their lyrical hits. Koji Tamaki composed virtually all of the band's music, with lyrics by Inoue, Goro Matsui and others. Guided by producer and co-arranger Masaru Hoshi, they refined their sound in the studio. Rooted in rock, their music blends elements of kayokyoku, city pop and J-pop.