Tadaharu Nakano -- Suma Koshinkyoku (須磨行進曲)

Summer has came and went in the northern hemisphere, but I'd like to talk a little bit about my annual solo summer trip this year. Going against my tendency to head north, I decided to head towards western Japan this time. The destination was the port city of Kobe in Hyogo prefecture. I've been to Kobe a couple of times when I was younger, but it was only ever for a day trip when touring the bigger tourist spots in the Kansai region like Osaka and Kyoto with my family. But with the allure of meat and dairy products, the nearby Suma Sea World, and the balance of ocean and mountain views, I was all ready to revisit it for a proper trip.

But, now, you know me - my domestic travels choices are always led by kayo-related ulterior motives. So, what is it this time? 

1. Tadaharu Nakano (中野忠晴). The jazz man spent his formative years in the city due his father's (a pastor) work transfer, before moving back to his home prefecture of Ehime for middle and high school. 

2. Haruo Minami (三波春夫). The man with the most welcoming of smiles has a few Hyogo and Kobe-related entries from his rendition of the entirety of the Tale of Heike. I also had to get a bit of Minami-based research work done in Kyoto a prefecture over - I wasn't too keen on staying in the old capital with its searing summer temperatures, so Kobe with its slightly lower temperature was the perfect spot to set up camp.

Despite the 36 and 37 degree Celsius days (38/39 on that one day I was in Kyoto) that made me understand how a popsicle feels under the sun, I had a great time checking out historical spots and checking out coffee shops that have been around for a very, very long time - apparently, Japan's first coffee shop opened in Kobe's Motomachi district in the 1800s! I also headed out to Suma for the aquarium on my last full day. I spent quite some time at Sea World watching the orca shows and just staring at the vast Pacific ocean, so I didn't get to explore much of the coastal town. After all, I needed to head back to Kobe for a Minami song-based history tour featuring Kahei Takadaya and Taira no Kiyomori.

From what I understand, Suma with its pine tree-dotted sandy beach and clear waters had been a prime holiday destination since the early 20th century. I suppose it's what Kamakura or Shonan is to those in the Tokyo region. But despite its idyllic image now, it was the stage for one of the major battles in the Tale of Heike, the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, where the Minamoto clan claimed victory. From this, the duel between Minamoto retainer Kumagai Naozane and the teenaged nephew of lord Kiyomori Taira no Atsumori, has been adapted into Noh and even pop music. What a place the Suma bay was, huh? Quite nicely bringing these two sides of the beach town is Nakano's Suma Koshinkyoku (Suma march).

Suma Koshinkyoku was released in June 1933. The young Nakano breezily belts out this ditty that cleverly blends Suma's modern day image with the above fragment of ancient history. Yaso Saijo (西條八十) even peppered a few puns throughout his lyrics to concoct a fun atmosphere fit for the beach town - e.g. Suma no matsubara kimi wo matsu (Suma's pine-lined coast awaits), Suma wa nihon no Ichi-no-tani (Suma is Japan's number 1/Ichi-no-tani). Masao Koga (古賀政男) ties everything together with a delightful summery melody that has his signature mandolin sound. 

Around 1933 and 1934, there was a bit of a koshinkyoku, shin min'yo, and ondo boom in the Japanese record industry. So, Suma Koshinkyoku was one of the hundreds produced at the time. Centering on Japan's countryside towns and prefectures, they were essentially made for local tourism PR. These ditties, which point out the sights and sounds of its locale in question, are pretty much the predecessors of the go-tochi song that became all the rage in the 1960s and, eventually, and enka theme staple. I don't usually actively listen to these domestic marches, so I was quite surprised with how much I enjoyed Suma Koshinkyoku. Perhaps it's because the ditty's vibe perfectly captured my short but memorable time at Suma. Perhaps it's because I can imagine a grinning Tadaharu-san giving me a tour of the sunny Suma. Either way, one thing's for sure: I need to give Suma another visit.