Yamaha Popular Song Contest
The Yamaha Popular Song Contest, generally known as Popcon, was a Japanese popular music contest which ran from 1969 to 1986. It was sponsored by the Yamaha Music Foundation and was held annually at the Yamaha Resort Tsumagoi in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, Japan.
The grand prix winners were to be qualified for the World Popular Song Festival.History
- 1969: The first competition, as the '69 Composition Concours, took place at the Yamaha Resort Nemu no Sato in Shima, Mie, Japan.
- 1972: The contest was renamed Popular Song Contest.
- 1973: From this year, the event was held twice a year.
- May 1974: The contest venue was changed to the Yamaha Resort Tsumagoi from this year.
- May 1984: Due to a gas explosion in Tsumagoi the previous year, the Nakano Sun Plaza temporarily hosted the event.
- September 1986: The 32nd competition was held as the final Popcon event.
- 1987: Teens Music Festival replaced the Popcon.
Notable participants
The following professional singers have won in some division of awards.
- Junko Yagami
- Miyuki Nakajima
- Motoharu Sano
- Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi
- Chage and Aska
- Crystal King
- Aming
- Tom Cat
- Akino Arai
Winners
1st Composition Concours (1969)
At the Nemu no Sato Yamaha Music Hall, on November 23, 1969.
- Grand Prix
- *Jun Mayuzumi
2nd Composition Concours (1970)
At the Nemu no Sato Indoor Hall, on November 5, 1970
- Grand Prix
- *Mieko Hirota
3rd Composition Concours (1971)
At the Nemu no Sato Outdoor Hall, on October 9, 1971
- Grand Prix
- *Hide and Rosanna
4th Popcon (1972)
At the Nemu no Sato Outdoor Hall, on October 8, 1972
- Grand Prix
- *Chewing Gum, folk duo
- Awards
- *Yōsui Inoue
- *Yumiko Kokonoe
5th Popcon (1973)
At the Nemu no Sato Outdoor Hall, on May 20, 19736th Popcon (1973)
At the Nemu no Sato Outdoor Hall, on October 13, 1973
- Awards
- *Akiko Kosaka
Popcon Grand Prix '73 (1973)
At the Nemu no Sato Outdoor Hall, on October 14, 1973
- Grand Prix
- *Kouichi Ise and Manji
- *Akiko Kosaka
7th Popcon (1974)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 5, 1974
- Grand Prix
- *Kyoko Kosaka
- Top Prizes
- *Akira Yamazaki
- *Yuki Katsuragi
8th Popcon (1974)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 13, 1974
- Chewing Gum
9th Popcon (1975)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 18, 1975
- Grand Prix
- *Shichifukujin
- Best Song Award
- *Shigeru Matsuzaki
- Awards
- *Miyuki Nakajima
10th Popcon (1975)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 12, 1975
- Grand Prix
- *Miyuki Nakajima
- Best Song Award
- *Akira Inaba
11th Popcon (1976)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 16, 1976
- Grand Prix
- *Sandii
- Best Son Award
- *Yukio Sasaki
12th Popcon (1976)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 3, 1976
- Grand Prix
- *White House II
13th Popcon (1977)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 8, 197714th Popcon (1977)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 2, 1977
- Grand Prix
- *Masanori Sera & Twist
15th Popcon (1978)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 7, 1978
- Grand Prix
- *U・U
- Best Song Award
- *Motoharu Sano
- Award
- *Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi and Salty dog
16th Popcon (1978)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 1, 1978
- Grand Prix
- *Hiroshi Madoka
- Best Song Award
- *Yūko Ōtomo
- Highest Award
- *Monroes
- Awards
- *Chage and Aska
- *Crystal King
- *S.E.N.S.
17th Popcon (1979)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 6, 1979
- Best Song Award
- *Ippei Suzuki
- Awards
- *Chage and Aska
- *C. W. Nicol and his friends
- *Chizuru Matsunaga
18th Popcon (1979)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 7, 1979
- Grand Prix
- *Crystal King
- Best Song Awards
- *Hironori Kaneko
- *Gypsy and Arere no Re
19th Popcon (1980)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 11, 1980
- Grand Prix
- *Tomoya Itami & Side by Side
- Awards
- *Haruhi Aiso
- *Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Drive
20th Popcon (1980)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 5, 198021st Popcon (1981)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 10, 1981
- Grand Prix
- *Toshihiro Itoh
22nd Popcon (1981)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 4, 1981
- Grand Prix
- *Aladdin
- Award
- *Yuiko Tsubokura
- Kawakami Prize
- *Megumi Shiina
23rd Popcon (1982)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 16, 1982
- Grand Prix
- *Aming
- Best Song Award
- *Asqua
- Kawakami Award
- *Carlos Torres & the Sweet Dreams
24th Popcon (1982)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 3, 198225th Popcon (1983)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 15, 198326th Popcon (1983)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 2, 1983
- Grand Prix
- *Midori Karashima
27th Popcon (1984)
At the Nakano Sun Plaza, on May 13, 198428th Popcon (1984)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 7, 1984
- Grand Prix
- *Tom Cat
- Best Song Award
- *Sway
- Award
- *Akino Arai
29th Popcon (1985)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 12, 198530th Popcon (1985)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on October 6, 1985
- Grand Prix
- *Kazuyuki Ozaki & Coastal City
- Best Song Award
- *Rika
31st Popcon (1986)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on May 11, 1986
- Award
- *Jinnouchi Taizō
32nd Popcon (1986)
At the Tsumagoi Exhibition Hall, on September 29, 1986