Along with "Kayo Concert" on Tuesday nights here on TV Japan and "Nodo Jiman" on Sunday afternoons, Saturday afternoons also have the kayo corner covered with a 2-hour show. I caught today's episode, and one of the songs featured sounded awfully familiar to an old chestnut. That oldie-but-goodie happened to be Saburo Kitajima's（北島三郎）"Hakodate no Hito"（函館の女）from 1965 in which the highlight is hearing Sabu-chan yelling out the name of that city in Hokkaido.
(empty karaoke version)
I mentioned in the article for "Hakodate no Hito" that Kitajima, lyricist Tetsuro Hoshino（星野哲郎）and composer Nobuo Shimazu（島津伸男）created a series of "...no Hito" geography-based enka that numbered to around 8 or 9 and went on for about the better part of a decade starting with "Hakodate no Hito". The song that I heard today was "Onomichi no Hito" (Woman of Onomichi), the 2nd in the series that was released in 1966. Onomichi happens to be a scenic city in the southeastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture. Strangely enough, I was doing a few translation articles on that very area just within the last several days.
Hi J-Canuck.
ReplyDeleteThis 2 hour kayo show you mention reminds me of the hour-and-a-half-long "Nippon no Uta" on NHK, which is also aired on Saturday afternoons from time to time. It's not something I tune into as often a "Kayo Concert" as sitting through a number of unfamiliar kayo can be quite taxing on the patience. However, I have to say that I've found certain gems from there e.g. "Yume Shibai", sung by Kenji Ninuma. I usually watch it if someone I fancy is performing or someone is going to sing a song I like.
Anyway, Sabu-Chan's "Onomichi no Hito" reminds me of the earlier single "Hakodate no Hito". Both have a jaunty score to them. The other "... no Hito" tunes from that video of Kitajima and company also share that same lively vibe.
Oh wow, that photo at the bottom. It's the Kitajima Family! Hmm, I don't think I've seen the bloke in the black suit on the extreme left and the lady in the red kimono beside him before though.
It may very well be "Nippon no Uta" since I always enter the living room when the show has already started. The show makes for a nice afternoon experience before dinner time comes around.
DeleteI'm afraid I don't know too much about the Kitajima family. This was taken in Asakusa and I felt that I needed some sort of enka-themed photo for just such an article for the blog. :)