Karyudo/Mika Kotou -- America Bashi（アメリカ橋）

It would seem that in Japanese pop culture, along with lonely train platforms, the bridge is also the setting for bittersweet romantic partings.

Whenever I hear about the folk duo Karyudo（狩人）, my brain automatically reacts with an aural memory of "Azusa Ni-go"（あずさ2号）, their big hit from 1977, and really it seems to be the one song that Takamichi and Kunihiko Kato（加藤孝道・加藤久仁彦）always sing whenever they get invited onto the kayo kyoku TV shows.

However, recently I did find a later song that was released in February 1979 as their 7th single, "America Bashi" (America Bridge). Written by Koshin Okuyama（奥山侊伸）and composed by Junzo Shigaraki（信楽順三）, this bridge in Tokyo, which is officially known as Ebisu Minami Bashi（恵比寿南橋）and is located between Ebisu and Meguro Stations on the JR Yamanote Line, is the source of wistful reminiscing by the protagonist since it was the final place where he and a young lady would be a couple before leaving the megalopolis.

Although it wasn't quite the blockbuster hit that "Azusa Ni-go" was a few years previously, "America Bashi" did moderately well on Oricon by placing in at No. 28. Plus, I think that the ballad is absolutely soaking in beautiful nostalgia juice, and after listening to it a few more times, there is also something rather classical in the arrangement. The song was also included in the duo's 3rd album of the same name which was released just a month after the single.

The thing is, though, that Karyudo's song isn't an original but a cover of a ballad that singer Mika Kotou（湖東美歌）had released back in September 1976. Her "America Bashi" is also quite languid but it seems a tad closer to pop and it's also several seconds longer. I probably would have to listen to both versions some more to get a more detailed comparison.

I could barely find any written information about Kotou, including a confirmation on the pronunciation of her family name, since according to Jisho.org, that name can also be pronounced as Kohigashi, so once again, if any fan of hers can confirm this with me, I would appreciate it. But from what little I could glean online, I think Kotou has been continuing her career as a jazz chanteuse for some years.

As for the bridge itself, I can't quite remember whether I had crossed over it during my years in Tokyo. It's possible since I did go to Meguro once to see an old friend at a ramen restaurant there. However, I found out the reason that Ebisu Minami Bashi was given its nickname of America Bashi. According to Asahi Shimbun articles in 2015 and 2016 via J-Wiki, the bridge had been displayed at the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904, and then the Japanese Ministry of Railways summarily purchased it and had it built and placed into its present location a couple of years later. It was then renovated in 1970.

Interestingly enough, Noelle wrote about another "America Bashi" by enka singer Yutaka Yamakawa（山川豊）back in 2014.