Hibari Misora -- Uramachi Sakaba（裏町酒場）

Friday nights seem to be the time for the company section to hit the izakaya en masse but perhaps then Monday nights might be the first opportunity of the week for the lone corporate cog or a couple of them anyways to drop by the favourite watering hole somewhere nearby...maybe it's on the main drag or perhaps it's hidden in one of the back streets, away and unknown from the higher-ups of the firm.

I discovered this perhaps not-as-well-known Hibari Misora（美空ひばり）single from 1982 titled "Uramachi Sakaba" (Back Alley Bar). Still, Misora had so many hits and had so much respect that even the lesser lights of her discography have probably provided much joy to kayo listeners.

Written by Daizo Saito（さいとう大三）and composed by Tetsuya Ryu（竜鉄也）, who had a huge hit the year before with "Oku-Hida Bojou"（奥飛騨慕情）, "Uramachi Sakaba" is as comforting an enka song as the arrival of the tokkuri and ochoko of sake being placed quietly on the bar counter. It is just the lone drinker coming to the watering hole, though, as he drowns his sorrow in drink with the bartender lending a sympathetic ear. For my ears, that bartender is represented by accordion and the mandolin-sounding instrument. I don't drink all that much so those instruments have provided my aural enjoyment of imbibing. But of course, even with the somewhat melancholy lyrics, The Queen of Kayo's delivery is ever cheerful and encouraging added by a goodly dollop of gusto. She could be the one behind the counter providing verbal and liquid solace for all we know.

"Uramachi Sakaba" peaked at No. 28 on Oricon and it stayed on the charts for over 6 months, selling a little over 150,000 copies. There was also a Misora album with the same title that came out in July 1982.

Misora numbers will have their cover versions and it was no different with "Uramachi Sakaba". Ayako Fuji（藤あや子）provides her own version here.

Then, there is the splendid Aya Shimazu（島津亜矢）.

And to wrap up, here is Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）.