Fuyumi Sakamoto -- Saikai Sakaba（再会酒場）

 

First off, let's point out this seasonal fact: Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Toronto currently in Eastern Daylight Time. Last Tuesday night, TV Japan was going to broadcast NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン） as usual, but then on Wednesday morning over in East Asia, North Korea decided to lob over a missile or a satellite which pretty much stopped all normal programming for several hours due to live reporting on the situation. Therefore, the taped-delay "Uta Con" was cancelled last week. C'est dommage!

However, the compensation is that we get "Uta Con" two nights in a row this week. Last night, we actually got a rare Monday TV Japan broadcast of "Uta Con" and tonight we get the usual show (expanded for some reason).

The theme for the show broadcast last night was the annual tribute to the late Queen of Kayo Kyoku, Hibari Misora（美空ひばり）, and so everyone did their covers of her songs. But as usual, we did get some new stuff from the guests, one of whom was enka singer Fuyumi Sakamoto（坂本冬美）and her 53rd and most recent single as of this writing, "Saikai Sakaba" (Reunion Bar) which was just released early last month.

"Saikai Sakaba" was written by Ou Yoshida（吉田旺）and composed by Koji Tokuhisa（徳久広司）as a heartfelt enka about folks meeting up once more in their beloved watering holes after the years of the pandemic. Now that Japan has basically lifted virtually every COVID restriction, folks are free to meet up in the various commercial establishments once more although my friends have been informing me that half of the folks they see out on the streets of Tokyo have still been keeping their masks on. And yet, I'm sure that there have been some hearty reunions in restaurants and izakaya.

Tokuhisa's melody is one of joy and warmth while Yoshida's lyrics express the return of the camaraderie and excitement in the favourite bar, including a final hearty toast from Sakamoto. I'm sure that the libations and snacks have been flowing very rapidly. I can understand that sentiment since meeting up with some friends earlier in February for dinner for the first time in three years. Even earlier, my family got to have a special breakfast in our old neighbourhood diner after such a long period away. I also have to mention that it's the first time to have Sakamoto back on the byline in over three years as well.