Michiya Mihashi — Fuyu no Hanabi (冬の花火)

 

Summer’s almost over - or, technically, it should be but the extreme heat over here in Japan is saying otherwise. Over in the Kanto area, we’re still getting highs of 36-39 degrees (Celsius), and being Southeast Asian is no longer a buffer against these insane temperatures in this country. And so, I decided to go north (again) to cool off for my summer break. 

It’s been about a decade since I last visited Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, and I’d never been to its southernmost major city, Hakodate. My parents, having been there fairly recently, had said good things about this quaint, historical locale and its sumptuous seafood, so I thought it was high time I paid it a visit. But, you know me, my vacation choices within Japan are governed by one thing: the presence of anything kayo-related. Hokkaido is one of the most enka-centric locations, and Hakodate alone has connections to the venerable Saburo Kitajima (北島三郎) and prolific lyricist Kikutaro Takahashi (高橋掬太郎). However, there was one figure from that area in particular whom I wanted to "see": Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也).

Hi, Michi

I tend to choose flying for their short durations when I travel domestically (it's actually cheaper too), but this time, I specifically chose to go by bullet train. Why? Because I wanted Michi to welcome me to Hokkaido.

The 北海道 Man

Mihashi, hails from the town of Kamiiso (上磯郡), which is now under Hokuto City (北斗市) jurisdiction. Thus, a memorial plaque dedicated to the legendary min'yo kayo singer had been constructed outside the Shin Hakodate-Hokuto shinkansen station in late 2015. Additionally, a chic painting of the man strumming his shamisen decorates the brick-lined walls at a rest area within the station. Seeing those dedications to him upon setting foot in Hokuto, it felt as though I were reuniting with an old friend, and nostalgia hit me like a Hakodate-manufactured brick.

Because I had planned for this to be a Michi-centred* trip in terms of oshikatsu, part of the prep had included digging for Mihashi tunes which were Hokkaido or, at least, north country-themed. In the process, I uncovered Fuyu no Hanabi (Winter Fireworks). Fireworks, as far as Japan is concerned, screams summer, what with all the massively extravagant fireworks shows in August nationwide. But there's also "winter" in the title, which conjures up frigid conditions and snow-blanketed streets. Hokkaido/Tohoku generally is far cooler than most regions in the country, and I was going there in summer. 

Fuyu = Winter = Cold/Cool 

Hanabi = Fireworks = Summer

Fuyu no Hanabi? Cold place in summer? 

... Yes, I'm aware of how ridiculously thin I was stretching my imagination, but it was a fine song I wanted to bring to Hokkaido, so I rolled with my half-past-six logic.

Fuyu no Hanabi was released on 15th October 1982 as the B-side to Echigo Zessho (越後絶唱). This single was meant to mark the 30th anniversary of Michi's professional singing career, and its sales allowed Michi to become the first Japanese singer to hit one hundred million in record sales, according to the J-Wiki. An incredible milestone indeed. 

Looking at the titles of both songs, they do radiate ENKA, don't they? But doesn't Echigo Zessho just feel more like an enka A-side and looks right as the fronting tune to this single? Michi, in recounting the production process of this single in his autobiography Michi no Jinsei Enka (ミッチーの人生演歌) (1983), mentioned how he liked Echigo Zessho from the get-go, being in a buoyant mood during its recording and even assuming it to be the A-side. However, unbeknownst to him, it was Fuyu no Hanabi, which had been recorded earlier, that had been set as the A-side. After much discussion, Michi's insistence won out and the song order was switched to what we see now. 

Having listened to both, I thought both were pretty good enka and I'd be fine with either being the lead song. But I'm a bigger fan of Fuyu no Hanabi. The lyrics were written by Hiroshi Yokoi (横井弘), one of Michi's long-time collaborators. Yokoi painted a picture of a snowy hot spring town deep in the mountains in the midst of a winter festival. Our protagonist arrives by steam train (of course) after a long journey, and he searches high and low for the one that got away ages ago, hoping to make things right. But this is enka, so of course his efforts are in vain and he feels nothing but regret and sadness. Michi's voice is, to me, usually cold and hollow-sounding, so it certainly amplifies the despondence of the protagonist feels here.

Classic enka storyline aside, it was the music that got me hooked. Toshiyo Kamata (鎌多俊与) was responsible for the pop-like melody with a funky rhythm. The rhythmic guitar rifts, however, are my favourite part as they feel reminiscent of snow swirling in the wind and falling heavily. This, combined with the dramatic strings, seem to articulate the protagonist's anxious yet hopeful state of mind in his search.

The winter imagery in Fuyu no Hanabi was a good enough fit for my stereotypical view of Hokkaido, and so it was a tune that was constantly in my ears during my whole trip there. It was undoubtedly cooler than Saitama, being around 8 to 10 degrees lower in general. But instead of snow, I got rain. A lot of rain. That photo of Michi at the very top is a fairly good visual of what it was like to walk around town on most of the days, but I was certainly less composed as I fought the wind and horizontal sheets of rain that came with it. That said, it was still an enjoyable trip and I would revisit Hakodate. I reckon that if I were to head there again during winter, Fuyu no Hanabi would been even more fitting. 

Say "Cheese"!

During my tour of the Hakodate region, which included a stop at the town of Esashi, I was predominantly listening to Michi songs, something I hadn't done in several years. I mentioned the nostalgia upon "meeting" Michi earlier, but it actually also came with a hint of sadness and even guilt for practically almost forgetting about him for a very long time. This trip, while mostly meant for me to completely shut out the stressors of school and work for a bit, had helped me to reconnect with the singer I used to admire greatly. And that only took me, like what - 8 years? Better late than never, eh, Michi?

I'm trying to imagine another time line where, at that fork in the road about 8 years ago, I chose Michi over Hachi (Hachiro Kasuga... 春日八郎). I think things would've turned out quite differently. Then again, it may turn out more or less the same, just with a different fellow.

* I say "Michi-centred", and for the most part that is true, especially in terms of the music aspect. But the photos I brought along included Hachi and Muchi. Admittedly, I didn't have the confidence to tote "just Michi" photos yet. I still needed my support Hachi.