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| This sparks joy. |
I'm going to be completely honest: I came to like Hachiro Kasuga's (春日八郎) "Tokyo no Ari" far more than I used to because it was composed by Tadaharu Nakano (中野忠晴). Well, of course there were multiple reasons for why I've been listening to it a lot lately, but I cannot deny that Mr. Nakano was one of them... For that matter, I've been rooting out as many of The Preeminent Enka Singer's works that were written by one of the first popular jazz (Western music) singers in modern Japanese music just because it's like a "Buy 1 get 1 free" deal if I happen to enjoy it.
To be fair, "Tokyo no Ari" was to me one of the most unique-sounding of discography entries I've come across in my many years of fangirling over Hachi, and that's in addition to its curious-looking title meaning, "Tokyo Ant." I'd read somewhere ages ago (mid-2010s I think) when I first came into contact with "Tokyo no Ari" that Hachi chose to sing this during his 1959 appearance on the Kohaku over the more popular "Yama no Tsurihashi" (山の吊橋) because he liked its unconventional sound. I agreed that it sounded unlike what I've heard from him, but I could not agree with him in saying that I really liked it. I just thought that it was okay, like a 5.5 or 6 out of 10. The hollow crash of drums and cymbals that made the very recognizable intro and the rather rough jangling of the piano keys complemented by the smooth whine of the saxophone gave me a strong jazz flavour. It also has an oddly halting tempo, if that makes sense. But it was this strange and raucous arrangement that initially didn't sit very well with me.
Quite a good number of years later, I would be putting "Tokyo no Ari" on repeat when I was to do an informal mini presentation for a casual meeting with my academic advisor and his other advisees... It was a presentation for three, but the idea was to go over some of the ongoing research I've been doing for my thesis. Since my topic is none other than Kasuga and I'd been reading about bokyo kayo/enka around that time called "Bokyo Kayokyoku Ko" (望郷歌謡曲考) by Hidetada Fuji (藤井淑禎) from 1997 (man, the book's as old as I am), so I figured I could merge both while working out whether I want this combo to be a part of my big project. Of course, there was a greater rationale for this combo and it wasn't just because I wanted to talk about Hachi.
In the fragments of information I've dug up about The First Enka Singer, I noticed that he was most strongly associated with the genre/sub-genre of kayokyoku of bokyo kayo (望郷歌謡)*. Literally meaning "Homesickness song," this theme of song was popularized in the mid-1950s. As the name suggests, it usually features a character from the rural countryside in the city terribly missing their hometown and loved ones. It can also glorify the wonders of the natural countryside; conversely, it can emphasize the rancidness and loneliness of being in the stinkin' city. This just came at a time when a large-scale work-related urban migration of young Japanese people occurred (1954-1965); many, often between the ages of 15 to 19, flocked to the likes of Tokyo for better job opportunities. Some just wanted to go be in the modern and romanticized city paradise. But culture shock, disappointments and loneliness would set in, bogging down these wide-eyed kids. Tokyo wasn't as great as it was made out to be. I want to go home. I'm so lonely. The list goes on. And so, bokyo kayo and their reflection of this shared struggle took off, resonating with many a young worker, perhaps encouraging them to push on, or allowed them to find solace in knowing that they're not the only ones suffering. The tune and singer often cited as the starting point of this genre was "Wakare no Ippon Sugi" (別れの一本杉) sung by none other than my our Hachi. Of course, that's not to say that songs prior to this didn't showcase the theme of homesickness. It's just that societal events in the mid-50s and the decision to create a bokyo song theme at Hachi's resident King Records combined to make bokyo kayo a recognizable force to be reckoned with. Some years down the road, bokyo kayo would become subsumed under enka as it became an official genre in the late 60s and early 70s. I suggest that its resonance with the masses and grassroots appeal made it such an important sub-genre in enka, considering what the main genre came to stand for, and why Hachi deserves his prominent title, but I'll save that spiel for my thesis...
Okay, I went on a massive tangent right there, but my point is that Hachi is inextricably linked to bokyo kayo, and his forlorn vocals are perfect for conveying the wistfulness of this type of songs. "Wakare no Ippon Sugi" was certainly not the only bokyo kayo he did, and so I dug around for more examples for my presentation that would illustrate the variety of bokyo kayo mentioned in Fuji's book. That was when I realised "Tokyo no Ari" would be a perfect fit for a strain of bokyo kayo that highlighted the loneliness of being in the city while showcasing the wretchedness of urban living. Rather than the city paradise, Tokyo is grey and depressing. Our protagonist, having moved there with big dreams, is now in a little nook in the massive city, insignificant like an ant, just like the many who have treaded the same path as them. Hachi belting out the words so passionately ever so often almost sounds like the anguished cries of someone like that. Actually, it may have truly resonated with him and we may be hearing his real emotions in his voice as he was one such country bumpkin who moved to Tokyo, albeit in the prewar era. Anyway, Mr. Nakano's messy-sounding jazz melody, I feel, perfectly encapsulates the crusty part of urban center, and it wouldn't be the same if it had the same enka sound as something like "Wakare no Ippon Sugi." Seeing "Tokyo no Ari" in this new light enabled me to enjoy it a lot more than I once had. And then, of course, I came to like Mr. Nakano way, way, way more than before and suddenly I'm listening to this song every other day.
As implied above, "Tokyo no Ari" was one of the discography entries to receive re-recording treatment in the early 70s or so. While I still enjoy it, I think the charm of "Tokyo no Ari" can be better felt with the original arrangement and Hachi's earlier, more impassioned delivery.
When I get a little bored of listening to Mr. Nakano, I switch to Hachi singing Mr. Nakano's compositions. On the other hand, I get to discover more of Hachi's songs I didn't use to pay attention to because it has Mr. Nakano's name tagged to it. It's the perfect combination and I feel like I've unwittingly min-maxed oshi-katsu.
P.S. J-Canuck wrote about "Tokyo no Ari" some time ago, so you can check it out here.
*The rundown of bokyo kayo was based on my understanding of Fuji's piece.
Hi, Noelle. Thanks for putting up your take on "Tokyo no Ari". You've further deepened the narrative that I hinted at in my own article on the song regarding bokyo kayo and the mass migration policy back in the 50s and 60s. I can believe that Tokyo was gray, foreboding and probably very unhealthy for young lungs all the way up to the 70s. However, it was because of them that Tokyo has become what it is today.
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