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Over the past few years, I have had many opportunities to feature enka in my school projects and papers. Previously in an "alright" paper (in my opinion), I had given a little nod to Hachiro Kasuga. This time, I brought the spotlight on Bin Uehara (上原敏).
Bin-san was the star of an analytical paper I did for a senior-level course on pop culture and media theories this Spring semester. Why Bin-san? You may ask. For one, he's recently managed to join the ranks as one of my... *ahem* husbandos..., together with Hachi and Haru-san... With how much I had been writing about him in my more "recent" articles, you may have seen it coming from a mile away. BUT, this frivolous point aside, the main reason for picking him instead of the other two was his songs and the era they were released in. It's fairly obvious to note that many of Bin-san's songs, all from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, were essentially wartime propaganda. So, I decided to do a study on that in the context of the chaotic prewar and wartime Japanese society through analyses of a few songs and the theory known as "Cruel optimism".
The paper was most definitely a passion project, so I'm glad my professor gave me full credit for it. I also submitted it for a peer review contest held by my school's student association because I simply wanted more feedback, which would come from its board members and faculty. Basically, I willingly put my Bin-san piece on the grill to have it be burnt to a crisp by the critics for the experience and as a potential boost for graduate school applications. There was the perk of being one of the three winning entries to be featured in the association's first-ever newsletter, but I wasn't gunning for that because, c'mon, look at those odds.
Maybe there were only three entrants including me, maybe fewer, because I couldn't believe it when I got notified that Bin-san not only got through the roasts in good shape but also made it into the final round! There are still some revisions that have to be eyeballed, BUT, if all goes well and the board approves, I think my piece on Bin-san will become a featured work on campus. I'm still a little unsure if that will actually happen, but I would like to commemorate being one of the chosen entrants at least with Uehara's "Otoko Hare Sugata", whether it does or not. The term Hare sugata, from what I could glean from the Weblio dictionary, can mean to be in one's Sunday best or to appear with honour in a formal and reputable setting. So, I reckon both iterations aptly depict the bespectacled singer on this occasion :). Yay, Bin-san, you got current generation recognition!
More on the song itself, "Otoko Hare Sugata" seems to be your quintessential ronin-based song as Choji Yajima's (矢島寵児) words follow our protagonist who had left his hometown (most likely the Shizuoka area) and embarked on a journey to Edo to sharpen his skills as a warrior. Perhaps he had completed his training and is on his way home, now a better and more respectable man. Taking into account the Weblio definitions, however, I wonder if, rather than a detested ronin/yakuza, the protagonist is actually a proper and noble samurai. Either way, while Bin-san's gentle vocals do convey the longing the warrior has for his home, there sounds to be an element of pride in him as he makes his way around. Adding to this sense of pride is the melody brought to us by Itsuro Hattori (服部逸郎) that is bright and triumphant-sounding.
"Otoko Hare Sugata" was one of Bin-san's later releases from March 1941, when the political situation in the Asia-Pacific region was getting harrier and just a year before he got drafted into the military. This wasn't one of the songs I had analysed in my paper, but if I did I think I would have made an association between the aforementioned warrior to the drafted soldier heading off to the frontlines.
P.S. If you're wondering why I label Hachi and the like "husbando" now, it's because it's easier for me to explain how I view and treat them to friends and acquaintances my age. It's like "waifu" but the male version. Mine aren't pop idols or animated characters, though.
Hello, Noelle. Good to hear from you again. Thank you very much for your latest article on Uehara, and congratulations on your apparent matrimony with the dapper fellow. :) As well, I'm glad to hear that your paper has managed to get into the upper echelons of analysis.
ReplyDeleteThe story behind "Otoko Hare Sugata" sounds like the proverbial one for the prodigal son or the young boy who did good far away and has now come back to his hometown as a better and prouder man. Strangely enough, when I first heard the song, though, I didn't think of Edo Era samurai but of a young man of the Taisho Era, let's say someone like Bin if he had been born a decade earlier. He comes strutting back to Tokyo after some years overseas and he looks like his usual fancy self in that suit and glasses.
Considering when it was recorded, "Otoko Hare Sugata" may have indeed been one of those wartime propaganda tunes to give inspiration to the troops of how they would be greeted on coming home victoriously.
Hi, J-Canuck. Much thanks! Bin-san and I are very happy together :) and we're just waiting for the school powers that be to make the call (fingers crossed!)
DeleteInteresting take on "Otoko Hare-sugata". It does seem like it can aptly describe an overseas returnee who would've been received with honour, especially back in the Taisho era. With this interpretation, I reckon it can even apply to this age. Just a couple of days ago, I popped by a friend's graduation at school and I could definitely feel that sort of pride radiating from everyone, particularly those whose family members had managed to fly into Japan. It was quite a wonderful sight, really.