Hachiro Kasuga, Michiya Mihashi & Hideo Murata (Sannin no Kai) -- Aishu (哀愁)

For the final piece of my Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎) Centenary project, I would like to end with a piece on the Sannin no Kai (三人の会... Group of Three). I thought that this would be the perfect end since it was one of the singer's last enka activities and the trio was the reason I got to know Hachi in the first place. In fact, you may be able to trace my Hachi discovery via Sannin no Kai right here on KKP!

From Shinobu

 

The very first time I encountered Hachi was via a video of what was perhaps the intro to what I now know as the Sannin no Kai Concert somewhere in 1989 (if I'm not mistaken). Back then, I only knew rokyoku artist turned manly enka star Hideo Murata (村田英雄) and loved his shogi-themed hit Osho (王将)*, which made me give that video a watch. Little did I know that he and the two other singers were doing a mochi uta exchange where they sang each of their most significant hits. Murata sang Aishu Ressha (哀愁列車). Min'yo master Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也) in an eye-popping pink kimono and yellow hakama set sang Akai Rampu no Shuressha (赤いランプの終列車). Finally, with bushy eyebrows and dressed in a tuxedo was Kasuga making a grand entrance fitting for Osho. Yet, I did not like the way he handled Osho. It just wasn't right. His presence was also not particularly outstanding, which was ironic considering he stood a head above his compatriots. With such a view in mind, 2014 Noelle watching that clip would not have envisioned that she would choose the one she thought was the most boring. 

The mochi-uta exchange I watched ages ago.

So, what made made three of the biggest stars of the enka-kayo world join forces? Well, for one, they were already pretty good friends. Then, it just so happened that some time in the late 1980s as they were hanging out, Muchi broached the idea of joining forces to breathe new life into the twilight years of their careers and the enka realm. His seniors** gladly agreed, and thus the Sannin no Kai was formed with the goal of "enka no fukkatsu" (the revival of enka). The first concert they organised was in 1988 and held at a hotel owned by Michi. The subsequent concerts in 1989 and 1990 were led by Hachi and Muchi respectively.

During these concerts, the fellas unveiled a couple of new collaboration songs: Aishu (Sorrow) and Otoko no Furusato (A Man's Hometown). These were released as physical singles in 1991, the former before Hachi's death, the latter after. Both had their lyrics penned by Muchi; Michi took charge of composing Aishu, while Hachi did Otoko no Furusato. True to the group's constitution, both have that distinct enka sound derived from usage of the yonanuki scale. Aishu took the minor scale route, making it sound slightly melancholic atmosphere, while Otoko no Furusato took the major scale, giving it a masculine and powerful punch. The first I encountered and the only one of the two that's available online is Aishu, thus, it will be the one I feature today. 

I remember freaking out upon encountering the blurry video of Aishu. I mean, how often do you get a trio of legendary artists in the kayo world doing songs where each of them have their own part? Despite the plaintive melody and title suggesting a sad time,  Aishu paints a little picture of each of our fellows in each stanza. A cliff notes version of Hachi, Michi and Muchi, if you will. First up is Hachi, the man from the village at the foot of Mt. Bandai (Fukushima) and who rose to prominence by walking the path of enka. Then we have Muchi, the Kyushu native raised by the Genkai coast and who prides himself as the purveyor of manly songs since the beginning of time. Finally, we have Michi, toughened by the harsh winters of the north and who sought his musical future in the land of apples. 

I talked about the Sannin no Kai and Aishu in the final part of my thesis. There, I brought up how only Hachi's part included the buzzword "enka" and enka being his life work. This made me wonder if Murata was cognizant of his buddy being heralded as enka's top figure and wanted to pay homage to that in this song. It may also have been that Hachi had a say in it too, considering he is the most senior (in age and kayo world experience). Either way, despite the fact that all three fellows are deemed as enka veterans by the late 80s, there was likely a common consensus even among themselves that it's Hachi who is the enka man. That, I argued, reinforced Hachi's "Preeminent Enka Singer" (Enka no daiichi ninsha) image that was developed over a decade prior. As I'm writing this article, I've now also noticed that Hachi's part also had the buzzword "furusato", something integral to the Bokyo Kayokyoku/Enka (Homesickness Song) genre. Hachi is often also considered the forerunner of Bokyo Kayo-Enka, so I wonder if Murata also gave a nod to that with the aforementioned term.

From Mikasa

The Sannin no Kai were probably every enka-kayo's dream team turned reality - it certainly is one of mine! My favourite part about the Sannin no Kai is seeing each of the member's different personalities. From the videos I've been seeing, what I've noticed is that Murata gives off fearless responsible leader who cares for his compatriots deeply. Michi, while seemingly withdrawn, is actually quite wild and very loud. Hachi, despite his status among them, seems the most laidback and speaks in lowercase (by that I mean he mumbles). It's really enjoyable to see them bounce off each other so naturally. So, it was heartbreaking to know that it lasted a mere three to four years. Hachi was the first to go in 1991, followed by Michi in 1996, leaving Muchi to power on in memory of his buddies until his death in 2002. That said, it was even more heartwarming to know that the three enka veterans had great fun working together while trying to keep alive the genre they hold dear.

* I can't believe it's been 10 going on to 11 years since I wrote my first articles on Hachi, Michi, and Muchi!

** Michi, while a year younger than Muchi, joined the pop music business earlier, hence making him Muchi's senior in this respect.

P.S. I very recently attended the Hachi fan club's new year gathering, the Shunyo no Tsudoi (春陽の集い). It was great fun meeting more members of the club and other figures affiliated with Hachi. I had to do a number of name card exchanges (as is common practice here, at least), and one of such figures did not bring his name card. So, as an alternative, he gave me what I can only describe as a piece of treasure in exchange for my flimsy old name card. I was dumbfounded to see Hachi, Michi, and Muchi smiling back me on the pristine telephone card you see above. Perhaps it was because I mentioned that the Sannin no Kai was how I had my fateful encounter with Hachi that this person insisted I have this card. If you haven't already noticed, the guys are wearing the exact outfits as they did in that mochi-uta exchange I watched. Seeing it reminds me of where I first began and how far I've come since then, so this telephone card means a lot to me, and I am extremely grateful to have been gifted it.