Continuing on from that "Seishun" songs article I wrote just some minutes ago, my further observation when it comes to the Japanese and their salad days is that after several years away from formal education, they start getting those urges to get back together through various school reunions whether it be elementary, junior high or high school...and probably university as well. Maybe they'll reserve a large room at an izakaya and then hit the nearest karaoke box to sing all those oldies-but-goodies with plenty of alcohol imbibed.
However, this particular song by Goro Noguchi（野口五郎）that I heard being covered on a recent episode of "Shin BS Nihon no Uta"（新・BS日本のうた...Songs of Japanese Spirit） doesn't involve any sepia-toned reminiscing although that word of "seishun" is in the title. "Meguriau Seishun" (Youthful Encounter) is more of the here and now with a young man getting stabbed full bore by several arrows as he lusts for a young lady. This was Noguchi's 6th single released in September 1972.
Written by Toshiko Ohinata（大日方俊子）and composed/arranged by Shunichi Makaino（馬飼野俊一）, I gather that the deep feelings that the lad has for the lass is on full display through the oomph-laden arrangement. In fact, with the electric guitar and the smooth strings in there, I thought that "Meguriau Seishun" would have been fine as a theme song for a tokusatsu hero series or a cop show. Mind you, I'm sure that the guy would love it if he could become the hero for the target of his affections. Anyways, the song reached No. 12 on Oricon and became the 90th-ranked single of 1972. It also garnered Noguchi his first of twelve invitations to NHK's Kohaku Utagassen that year.
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