Paradox and Hope: Kenji Sawada, Superstar

Abstract Kenji Sawada, a Japanese pop culture icon, embodies a paradox. Early in his decades- long career, he sang songs with lyrics reflecting patriarchal gender norms. At the same time, he deliberately used multimodal semiotic resources at multiple levels to undermine the hegemonic masculinity expressed in those lyrics. In contrast, Sawada’s recent songs convey his egalitarian gender ideologies and political views; having assumed full agency over his artistic production, he no longer needs to counter the effects of his lyrics with other semiotic resources. Using Kenji Sawada as a case in point, this article illustrates how individuals can deal with and negotiate a society’s sexist norms and patterns, and construct a particular style through diverse multilevel, multimodal semiotic resources. The article also points to possible changes and increasing diversity in gender views in Japan, and argues that Sawada’s current popularity represents a ray of hope in Japan’s still patriarchal society.