In May, Takeuchi became the owner of a ryokan with the inheritance of Takenoya, a cozy Japanese-style inn in the city of Izumo, Shimane Prefecture.

That said, her story is far more interesting than just being the latest viral surprise. Outside of the country, however, sheвЂ™s the creator of an obscure J-pop song that has garnered attention thanks to computer programming and the creation of memes. In Japan, sheвЂ™s one of the most famous musicians around. Takeuchi now finds herself juggling two musical realities. No song from Japan has grabbed more attention than вЂњPlastic LoveвЂќ abroad this year, despite it being released originally in the mid-вЂ™80s. However, looking at YouTubeвЂ™s comments section for вЂPlastic LoveвЂ™ now, many viewers donвЂ™t really seem to care what language itвЂ™s in.вЂќ вЂњConsidering that it was mostly performed in Japanese, we figured it would be impossible to go abroad. вЂњIt never occurred to me to try to (release) work in the West,вЂќ Takeuchi says, thinking back to when вЂњPlastic LoveвЂќ was recorded.

Korean pop performer Yubin appeared to model a whole song after TakeuchiвЂ™s creation, only to cancel it after plagiarism accusations that were thought to be from a different artist who remixed the track. вЂњPlastic LoveвЂќ has inspired fan art, deep dive videos and theory breakdowns. Vice MediaвЂ™s Ryan Bassil wrote that it was his вЂњfavorite pop song in the world.вЂќ Fictional character Noodle of Gorillaz fame admitted to having a soft spot for the track, while The Black Madonna closed out a Resident Advisor November 2017 mix with a thumping rendition of the song. Many saw TakeuchiвЂ™s beaming face in the list of suggested videos on their right and clicked away. Part of that success can be attributed to YouTubeвЂ™s recommendation algorithm, which suggests videos for viewers based on what they think they might like. The Plastic Lover upload currently boasts more than 22 million views. Since then, вЂњPlastic LoveвЂќ has become an online sensation. Singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi is particularly fond of her 1984 album, вЂVariety,вЂ™ which features the track вЂPlastic Love.вЂ™ | COURTESY OF WARNER MUSIC JAPAN The song - a galloping, funk-indebted piece of pop whose lyrics harbor a sense of melancholy - originally appeared on the album, вЂњVariety.вЂќ In the summer of 2017, a YouTube channel called Plastic Lover shared the track - or, more accurately, a seven-minute remix of it.В The post featured a photo of Takeuchi that had been taken in Hollywood in 1980, a shot used as the cover for a single titled вЂњSweetest MusicвЂќ that was released later that year but cropped in on her smile. That changed in 2017 when the internet discovered her 1984 track, вЂњPlastic Love.вЂќ TakeuchiвЂ™s success, however, has long been limited to her home country (save for a few niche audiences devoted to vintage Japanese pop). вЂњDespite almost no live activity, she has done what many singers and songwriters havenвЂ™t been able to do and maintain her popularity,вЂќ Kanazawa says. Music journalist Toshikazu Kanazawa commends Takeuchi for striking a work-life balance.

The two of them are arguably the most famous couple in the domestic music industry today. In 1982, she married fellow musician Tatsuro Yamashita, now 65, who has arranged and produced her creations from the start. She has written and arranged songs for J-pop royalty - from Akina Nakamori to SMAP - and her вЂњSutekina HolidayвЂќ is an entrenched part of the countryвЂ™s Christmas canon. Since debuting in the late вЂ™70s, she has racked up sales of more than 16 million copies, with her best-of album, вЂњImpressions,вЂќ accounting for around 3 million of that number alone. TakeuchiвЂ™s career has been anything but ordinary, however. вЂ¦ I canвЂ™t think of anything special in my daily life.вЂќ вЂњI go to the supermarket, I buy groceries, I cook, sometimes I clean or watch a movie. вЂњItвЂ™s usually so ordinary,вЂќ she says with a laugh when asked to describe her day-to-day activities. вЂњBecause of all this promotion, IвЂ™ve been busy,вЂќ Takeuchi says, sitting in a spacious room decorated with vintage furnishings in Warner Music JapanвЂ™s Tokyo offices. Pop revival: Mariya Takeuchi poses for a portrait at Warner Music JapanвЂ™s Tokyo offices in September.

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