Global InformationTokiyo information
| "Tokiyo" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Gen Hoshino | |
| from the album Yellow Dancer | |
| Language | Japanese |
| Written | 2015 |
| Released | December 2, 2015 |
| Genre | J-pop |
| Length | 4:15 |
| Label | Speedstar |
| Songwriter(s) | Gen Hoshino |
| Producer(s) | Gen Hoshino |
| Music video | |
| "Tokiyo" on YouTube | |
"Tokiyo" (Japanese: 時よ, Hepburn: Toki yo, lit. "Time") (Japanese pronunciation: [tokiꜜ jo]) is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino from his fourth studio album, Yellow Dancer (2015). It was written and produced by Hoshino as commercial song for the distance learning program U-CAN. Written at the start of 2015, Hoshino wished to represent people's emotions within the inevitable passing of time. Musically, he drew influence from Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Mad Pierrot" (1978), and utilized kigo in the lyrics to represent the four seasons. The album's opening track, it is an upbeat pop song centered on synthesizer with a prevalent string section, featuring a more Japanese or Asian sound on an album with heavy influence from black music. The song's lyrics references the passing of time, with a forward-facing message on the lack of meaning in life.
"Tokiyo" was received positively in reviews of Yellow Dancer. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for digital sales and reached number 21 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, charting 19 weeks from 2015 to 2017. A music video for the song, directed by Kazuaki Seki and filmed at Shōnandai Station in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, features Hoshino dressed as a train conductor, performing choreography alongside a masked female dancer. Hoshino debuted the song live during his Yellow Voyage tour promoting Yellow Dancer, with Elevenplay performing the music video's choreography. In the 2017 Continues tour, it was performed after a cover of "Mad Pierrot" as part of the theme of connecting music history.