Takao Horiuchi -- Taketombo（竹とんぼ）

Another Friday night so perhaps let's go with a Mood Kayo but this time from the 1990s.

But for those who may not know what the title is all about, taketombo refers to an old-fashioned Japanese spinning toy made from bamboo and is flown when spun with the hands. You might say that it's similar to children in the West and their spinning tops. You can take a look at this video by NQC7 on how a taketombo is made.

(slightly cut off at the end)

Now, getting back to the main topic...

Takao Horiuchi（堀内孝雄）is also one of those singers who has made that transition from one genre to another. In his case, it would be from the folk of his Alice（アリス）days in the 1970s to a crooner of enka and Mood Kayo.

I found this relaxing single, his 42nd to be exact, "Taketombo" which was released in March 1998. Since Horiuchi made the switch to the more shibui genres, I've found his works to be especially elegant; perhaps I can say that he's mastered an even more sophisticated form of Mood Kayo. His songs here can be poured into a snifter and gently cradled.

Horiuchi was indeed the one who created the melody with Toyohisa Araki（荒木とよひさ）behind the lyrics. When I listen to "Taketombo", I don't imagine kids playing with their flying spinning toys in the field. Actually, I think of slickly-dressed folks like the singer-songwriter getting all introspective in some very fancy bars (definitely with bottles of scotch reserved with their names) talking with bartenders and fellow barflies about the meaning of life. As for the link between this song and the toy, Horiuchi is crooning about a fellow resignedly realizing how much happier his past life was and how he would like to fly back to those times like a taketombo, although he still maintains some stubborn pride about not losing quite everything.

"Taketombo" was then a good fit as the ending theme song for the long-running detective series "Hagure Keiji Junjouha"（はぐれ刑事純情派）. I think one of the tropes of a Japanese detective drama is having a couple of the police vets sharing a drink during a particularly hard case and commiserating over their lot. Perhaps I can even see one of the cops singing this one at karaoke before the eventual arrest is made.

I've never had any friends in Japanese law enforcement but I speculate that the cops are pretty much up and running 24-7 there as well. However, I'm hoping that at least some of them can take a break and enjoy some nice atmosphere and the occasional libation...off-duty, of course.