One of the main images that I have whenever I hear the term "enka" is a Japanese fishing boat with its captain and crew valiantly fighting the elements as they try to bring in a good haul of mackerel or tuna for market. The arrangements are punchy and there is a goodly amount of brass in there to signify the battle against rain and high waves. Of course, one of the famous songs representing my image is "Kyodai Bune"（兄弟船）by Ichiro Toba（鳥羽一郎）.
I'm pretty sure that there have been enka tunes before and after "Kyodai Bune" that painted a similar picture of fishermen heading out to sea to get their catch. Veteran enka singer Takashi Hosokawa（細川たかし） is just the latest artist to portray the manly activity through his May 2024 single "Otokobune" (A Man's Boat). The rock guitar is in there along with the kakkoii brass, and Hosokawa gives his fine kobushi as usual. But what makes this one stand out is the mondo music video utilizing CG (ancient and otherwise) which weaves together the fishing boat theme and a day in the life of Hosokawa. The lyrics were provided by singer-songwriter Yuu Tomaru（都丸悠）and the music was by Akihito Masuda（増田空人）.
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