Japan — Visions Of China

JUL 01 1981 · 12:00

Japan — Visions Of China (1981) Era: British New Wave / Art Rock Peak (1981) - Final creative statement of Japan's studio career; released concurrent with Tin Drum, Virgin Records, October 1981, at the apex of the UK New Romantic/art-rock crossover moment High. One of the few surviving promotional clips for Japan's Tin Drum era, a record widely regarded as one of the most innovative British albums of the 1980s. The video is a primary visual artefact of early-80s art-rock orientalism, documenting both the aesthetic ambitions and cultural contradictions of the period. Its inclusion on The Very Best of Japan DVD (2006) confirms its canonical status within the band's legacy. Steve Jansen's retrospective self-criticism adds a rare layer of documented artist reflection, making this an unusually rich object for cultural and production studies. Context: Released in October 1981 at the height of the British New Romantic scene, 'Visions of China' represents Japan's most overt engagement with Sinophile exoticism — a fascination that pervaded the entire Tin Drum album. The track was co-written by David Sylvian and Steve Jansen and produced by Steve Nye alongside the band. The video's use of Chinese military imagery and sparse orientalist staging reflected a broader Western cultural fascination with Maoist China during the early Cold War thaw period. At least one academic paper has described Japan's incorporation of Chinese musical and visual influences as 'problematic' from a contemporary perspective, while Sylvian himself acknowledged at the time that the approach 'did verge on the gimmicky side.' The single reached No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart and was later ranked No. 87 in Sounds magazine's list of the top 100 songs of all time. Director notes: The promotional video was made in 1981 to accompany the single release and is also included on the 2006 compilation DVD The Very Best of Japan. Behind-the-scenes photographs from the shoot were taken by Steve Jansen and are available as limited-edition prints via his Bandcamp store, suggesting some degree of creative involvement by the band themselves in the production. The video opens with a black-and-white sequence of Sylvian seated before a television set, and incorporates archive footage of Chinese soldiers. Steve Jansen has publicly reflected (2023) that the video was 'conceptually so confused (typical 80s)' and employed a 'far too unsubtle use of Chinese themes/clichés,' describing the decision to present the band in military uniforms as a 'poor decision.' No external director credit has been surfaced by any research source.