As pandemic hobbies go, perhaps I’ve chosen a bit of a money pit.

I’ve switched from driving a fairly modern, sporty sedan, in favor of two pre-loved vehicles of some considerable age. Both cars, one a rustic Toyota pickup and the other a long-bodied, luxurious Lexus, represent an earnest attempt by one Japanese corporation to reinvent what Americans feel about our ideals, as consumers.

This cross-cultural conversation is a phenomenon, not only in the automotive industry, but in music.

Ask Memphis-bred pop/soul vocalist Wendy Moten, whose early-1990s contract with EMI Records became a springboard for a long-lasting musical exchange with Japanese audiences.

Signed to the label by the company’s former vice president of promotions Dick Williams, Moten’s Whitney Houston-esque appeal made her an attractive candidate for Williams’ comrades at affiliated label EMI Music Japan, then-known as Toshiba EMI.

“They decided, ‘Hey, she’d be a great artist for us,’ so, they extended my record deal across the Asian markets. That started a long relationship,” Moten, 55, said in a phone interview from her home in Nashville.

For nearly eight consecutive years, Moten made routine trips to Japan for spot dates, including regular gigs with a 10-piece band at the Blue Note Tokyo nightclub and several television variety show appearances.

“One of my songs was a theme song for a television show. I did a traditional Japanese EP, singing duets with another artist. The more I’d go over there, the more opportunities would pop up. And I really enjoyed the culture,” Moten said.

Just as Toyota engineers spent the ’80s and ’90s channeling the enthusiasm Americans held for Detroit-assembled pickup trucks into what would eventually become the brand’s Tacoma and Tundra, Moten says Japanese soul and jazz fans have studied American music enough to no longer need American musicians to perform for them in-person.

“They do their homework as fans, they studied and they know,” Moten said.

“In the ’90s, there was still a slight fascination with American music: Black soul music, blues, jazz, whatever it is…. But over time, in the 21st century, they’ve developed their own artists who sing these styles of music, and they’re great. Because they’ve studied. They’ve found a way to perfect it, on their own.”

In fact, Moten says she was nervous about making a good impression, when tasked with covering a popular Japanese-language number for a live television audience, in front of the song’s original performer.

“It was like paying tribute to her. That was a little nerve-wracking, because I’m singing Japanese and the artist was sitting in the audience. You hope that the inflections are correct,” Moten said.

“But it was pretty interesting. I loved it, actually.”

Back home, Moten became a spokesperson for Memphis International Airport’s partnership with Northwest Airlines before its merger with Delta Air Lines, promoting international travel via one of Memphis’ best global ambassadors: music.

“Wendy Moten ... truly is an international singing sensation, bringing awareness to our city while working solo or with some of the biggest stars in music,” Memphis Tourism president and CEO Kevin Kane wrote in a statement via email.

“She has always represented her hometown with pride, and enjoyed a tremendous following across Asia. When Northwest Airline was focusing on growing non-stop service throughout Europe and Asia, she served as an American music ambassador along with The Beach Boys and other artists, taking the Memphis sound around the world to promote tourism in our city.”

While she’s called Nashville home for nearly 25 years, Moten says many among the Japanese-connected American artists she knew set up outposts in Asia, looking to it as a “utopia,” where Black musicians were given dignified roles in the performing arts and recording industries.

“Economically, they could make a great living, there was plenty of work and they were respected, as men and women, as musicians, and as Black American artists,” Moten said.

“Plus, all the technology was being born there: the newest keyboards, the newest technology… everybody was looking toward Japan for that.”

But things have changed. And we have technology to thank for that.

“It’s a natural progression. And I’m glad that (Japanese soul musicians) have advanced. They’ve taken some of our ideas, though we all learn from each other, but they’ve perfected (those ideas) in a way that serves them,” Moten said.