I've been a fan of Japanese popular music for 40 years, and have managed to collect a lot of material during that time. So I decided I wanted to talk about Showa Era music with like-minded fans. My particular era is the 70s and 80s (thus the "kayo kyoku"). The plus part includes a number of songs and artists from the last 30 years and also the early kayo. So, let's talk about New Music, aidoru, City Pop and enka.
Credits
I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.
Autumn is finally upon us - if you’re living in the northern hemisphere, that is. Otherwise, happy spring to y’all in the south. Autumn is best season in my opinion. The temperatures are now at habitable levels and a little chilly, and the foliage is starting to turn into vibrant shades of red, orange and gold. There’s also Halloween and the cute and zany ghouly and pumpkiny decor that come with it. Overall, it’s a cozy time.
Going in line with the season, I’ve decided showcase my collection of songs that reflect autumn. To preface, I don't think most of them are directly be about autumn. Rather, some have imagery synonymous with it, and others simply conjure up the cozy feeling I associate with the season. As such, I have labelled the songs accordingly: Spider lilies (manjushage), the moon (o-tsukimi (moon viewing)), autumn foliage (maple leaves, falling leaves), Halloween, jazz-inspired tunes. If you're wondering about the last category, it's just that certain types of of jazz convey autumn in my head. I don't know why, but they just do.
Anyway, similar to the summer playlist I did in 2024, I won't provide info on the songs and will only list them with short, sometimes unhinged comments, if at all. It's a brain-off piece that'll hopefully get you in the autumn spirit. With that, here's my list of autumn songs.
Spider lilies: Koi no Manjushage (恋の曼珠沙華) -- Akiko Futaba (二葉あき子)
I know autumn is finally on its way when I see stalks of these popping up in the most random of places. I've read that red spider lilies have some sad tales and macabre meanings attached to them, which sort of makes its striking appearance rather intimidating. Still, there is a sort of forlorn beauty to them, which Futaba's wistful number encapsulates.
The moon: Tsukiyo no Sanpo (月夜の散歩) -- Tadaharu Nakano (中野忠晴)
If there's one event that marks the start of autumn in Japan, at least, it's o-tsukimi (moon viewing) during mid-autumn on the lunar calendar (around mid-September). While it's meant as a festival to appreciate the moon at its roundest and show appreciation for a bountiful harvest, I only see this as the time of limited edition egg and dango foods at all F&B joints. That aside, if this tune sounds familiar to you, that's probably because this is Nakano's rendition of Side by Side.
Strolling down the avenue, moon shining up above, holding Mr. Nakano's arm... *Ahem* Great song.
Leaves: Tasogare no Hakage ni (たそがれの葉陰に)-- Katsuhiko Haida (灰田勝彦)
Not necessarily relating to autumn foliage, but the warm atmosphere in Haida's bossa nova tune about a rendezvous under the soft shadows of the trees at twilight somehow feels perfect for autumn at golden hour.
Hai-Katsu waiting under a gold ginkgo at golden hour, waiting to hit the town together... *Ahem* Nice song.
Maple leaves: Momiji Oiwake (もみじ追分) -- Duke Aces
Perhaps the image most synonymous with autumn is the maple leaf, and it just so happens that Duke Aces has a song related to it. It's based on Tochigi - I'm not familiar with the prefecture, but I'm guessing it's one known for its maple trees (momiji) and, by extension, its autumn scenery.
If you were to ask me for a kayo I'd equate to autumn, my first answer would be Ochiba Shigure at least 80% of the time. It's simply because of the image of falling leaves I get just from its title, literally meaning "Fallen leaf showers" (showers as in rain).
Halloween: Yurei wa Odoru (幽霊は踊る) -- Columbia Rhythm Boys
I feel like you can't talk about autumn without Halloween, so here's a spoopy little ditty from the Columbia Rhythm Boys.
Jazz-inspired tune: Mune no Furiko (胸の振子) -- Noboru Kirishima (霧島昇)
Now we've entered the part of the list where the songs have no autumn imagery, but just feel autumn. Mune no Furiko is hands-down my favourite song by Kiri-san. It's so sweet and warm, and listening to it feels as though you're being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.
Rounding things off with Hachi. The song in question is the last in the compilation and comes in at the 24:28 mark. If you're like me and you think you're about to hear enka because you saw the title, you'd be wrong. This is a snazzy jazzy number, and it has me imagining a Hachi skipping down an avenue lined with red maples on a clear autumn day without a care in the world.
A few days ago, I posted the Duke Aces' 2017 take on a Pizzicato Five song "Atarashii Uta"（新しい歌）with all of its Shibuya-kei goodness.
Well, I had been thinking of including the coupling song to that single but with all of the history behind "Atarashii Uta", I decided that I would give "Atarashii Uta" all the breathing room in its article while I provide that coupling song its own space and time. And as it turns out, the venerable vocal group devotes their cords and chords to the classic anime theme to "Tetsuwan Atomu"（鉄腕アトム...Astro Boy） from 1963.
Yasuharu Konishi（小西 康陽）from P5 is behind the arrangement here, too, but this time, instead of the Shibuya-kei, he gives this version of "Tetsuwan Atomu" some seemingly acid jazz oomph with some added soul and funk. The song is less than 2 1/2 minutes long but it feels quite happy and filling (especially thanks to the trumpet) due to all that upbeat vibe.
Just imagine...a veteran vocal group from decades ago collaborating with a songwriter and producer famous for a trendy music genre from a few decades ago. But that's what we get with Yasuharu Konishi（小西康陽）writing and composing a song called "Atarashii Uta"(A New Song) and Duke Aces（デューク・エイセス）tackling it at full throttle. And indeed, it's the familiar voices from yesteryear singing about creating that song for that significant other against a wall of Shibuya-kei sound goodness.
Duke Aces first covered "Atarashii Uta" on the March 2002 Pizzicato Five tribute album"Sensou ni Hantai suru Yuuitsu no Shudan wa. ~ Pizzicato Five no Uta to Kotoba"（戦争に反対する唯一の手段は。-ピチカート・ファイヴのうたとことば-...The Only Way to Oppose War ~ Words and Music by Pizzicato Five）. The project was released on the 1-year anniversary of P5's disbanding. The Duke Aces' cover was once again put out years later in 2017 as a single.
(31:23)
The original "Atarashii Uta" can be found on P5's 11th studio album"Playboy, Playgirl"（プレイボーイ プレイガール）from October 1998 with the Divine Ms. Maki Nomiya（野宮真貴）singing with Hisashi Kato（加藤ひさし）of The Collectors. The arrangement is "slightly more subdued" but still an exciting trip around town. Kato and Nomiya teamed up as well for "Nagame no Ii Heya"（眺めのいい部屋）.
One more version of "Atarashii Uta" can be found as a twee technopop take with Nomiya behind the mike once more through the special album "Haishin Muke no Pizzicato Five ~ Sono San Nomiya no Maki"（配信向けのピチカート・ファイヴ その3 野宮の巻...Pizzicato Five for Streaming Part 3: Nomiya） which came out in November 2021.
Welcome again to Urban Contemporary Fridays on "Kayo Kyoku Plus". I was searching around for another song by 1970s disco soul bandDr. Dragon and Oriental Express（Dr.ドラゴン&オリエンタル・エクスプレス）to post up here. Just to remind readers, the band was led by Dr. Dragon himself, composer and arranger extraordinaire Kyohei Tsutsumi（筒美京平）, and it had Akiko Yano（矢野顕子）on keyboards, Tsugutoshi Goto（後藤次利）on bass, Shigeru Suzuki（鈴木茂）on guitar, Tatsuo Hayashi（林立夫）on drums, Kentaro Haneda（羽田健太郎）on piano and Michiru Maki（槙みちる）as background chorus (which was also shared by Yano). Maybe in the mid-1970s they hadn't been quite as famous but of course later on, all of them would get their share of fame in the music industry.
In June 1976, Dr. Dragon and Oriental Express put out their album "The Birth of a Dragon" and the last track on Side A was the instrumental "Carib no Yume" (Caribbean Dream) which was composed by Dr. Dragon. Although there is a feeling of some tropical tempest, I think most of "Carib no Yume" makes the song an ideal theme tune for a Japanese drama regarding a private detective or a branch of police. Yup, it all takes place in Tokyo with a stentorian narration describing the hard streets of the metropolis which can only be tamed by even harder law enforcement officers. I can easily imagine the LEOs running all over Shinjuku to the rhythm of this one.
Now, I would have ended the article right then and there, but I then found out that cover versions of "Carib no Yume" had been created, starting with the one by the long-running vocal group Duke Aces（デューク・エイセス）. It was a surprise realizing that this kayo kyoku group had ever tackled a high-energy disco number but they did record it as their 61st single in 1977. And of course, this time they got lyrics by Keisuke Yamakawa（山川啓介）. Slightly shorter in length than the original, the Duke Aces' version was tweaked a little bit to fit their style but hey, it's still disco.
What hasn't surprised me is that the band Pedro & Capricious（ペドロ&カプリシャス）covered "Carib no Yume" as their 15th single in 1978. The band was already showing signs that it was growing beyond its original folk roots and trying other genres far afield, and for those fans of hers, yep, it's indeed Mariko Takahashi（高橋真梨子）behind the mike. And since I see his name in the thumbnail, I will assume that Mitsuo Hagita（萩田光雄）gave his own arrangement. In terms of length, this version falls nicely in the middle between Duke Aces' take and the original by Dr. Dragon and company. I can also see P&C's version being used as a special ending theme for my imagined police drama that I whipped up in the paragraph talking about the original.
As if anyone needed reminding, it is indeed October 1st, 2022. Time for fall leaves, harvesting and good food such as matsutake mushrooms and grilled sanma in Japan. Turkey and pumpkin pie would be the delicacies here in Canada and the United States, but I digress.
Last Saturday, I began a series known as "Go-Touchi Songs", those tunes that reflect a certain region or prefecture or city in Japan. They are held near and dear by many people in the country and last weekend, I started with Hokkaido and the Tohoku region which tends towards the northern part of the main island of Honshu. But as promised, I am now going into the area where I spent almost two decades of my life: the Kanto region which includes Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Gunma, Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures along with Metropolitan Tokyo. As was displayed in last week's list, the songs aren't all about enka and Mood Kayo. Also to reiterate, this is a very tiny list merely to provide a small taste of these geographically based songs (especially where Tokyo and Yokohama are concerned); you can take a look at the far more extensive list at J-Wiki. Plus, I'll be covering the Chubu region next week.
1. Yukio Hashi -- Itakogasa (潮来笠) for Itako City in Ibaraki (1960)
2. Duke Aces -- Ii Yu da na （いい湯だな）for Gunma (1966)
7. Ayumi Ishida -- Blue Light Yokohama（ブルーライト・ヨコハマ）for Yokohama, Kanagawa (1968)
As was the case with Hokkaido and the Tohoku last week, I'd like to finish with a couple of delicacies from the Kanto: yaki manju（焼き饅頭）in Gunma and monjayaki（もんじゃ焼き）in Tokyo respectively.
Right off the top of the NHK "News Watch at 9" broadcast earlier today was the news that actor Kunie Tanaka（田中邦衛）had passed away at the age of 88 on March 24th. He was a star of both the big and small screen, but I first got to know him through his commercials such as the one above. From what I've read of his biography, he had played everyone from thugs to amiable middle-management section chiefs.
His most famous role though was that of Goro Kurosaka in the 1981 Fuji-TV drama"Kita no Kuni kara"（北の国から）in which he played a gas station employee who got tired of life in Tokyo, and after hearing about his wife's affair, he took the kids and headed back up to his hometown of Furano in Hokkaido Prefecture.
However, a few decades earlier, Tanaka co-starred with singer/actor Yuzo Kayama（加山雄三）in the "Wakadaisho" franchise of movies which had the former playing the comical foil to the latter's heroic presence.
Tanaka was known primarily as an actor but he did put out a couple of his own records, one of which I will profile sometime during the weekend. However, for this article, I will focus on the theme song for the very first in the "Wakadaisho" series, "Daigaku no Wakadaisho" (Sir Galahad in Campus) which was released in 1961. Given the same title as the movie itself, the theme song "Daigaku no Wakadaisho" was performed by vocal group Duke Aces（デューク・エイセス）. It's a hearty and uptempo song matching Kayama's optimistic can-do-anything title character. Tokiko Iwatani（岩谷時子）provided the lyrics and Kentaro Hirose（広瀬健次郎）composed the music. Kayama himself sang a cover of "Daigaku no Wakadaisho" which became the B-side to his debut single"Yoru no Taiyo"（夜の太陽）from July 1961.
In the way of my selections per era, we've delved into the ancient 30's and 40's, progressed to the 50's, and we've now arrived at our next stop: the 60's. Besides the technology and the overall condition of Japan improving by leaps and bounds, another thing I've noticed about this era is that this was when the musical genres seem to become more distinct and not just simply be lumped into the umbrella categories of ryukoka or kayokyoku, and Western influences get more deeply ingrained into the melodies.
With greater musical variation in this period, it kind of goes without saying that the songs on this list will more or less show that - I mean, it's probably not as varied as I think, but there's definitely more than just enka in store here. As per the other articles, the songs aren't arranged in a particular order and I will add bits of lyrics which I like to the blurbs as well.
Disclaimer: These will be my picks on my favourites from the 1960's, so you may or may not find songs that you like or feel should be on here.
That said let's get on with the show.
Duke Aces -- Onna Hitori (1965)
Shiozawa-gasuri ni Nagoya obi (塩沢がすりに名古屋帯) Mimi wo sumaseba taki no oto (耳をすませば滝の音) Kyoto Ranzan Daikakuji (京都 嵐山 大覚寺) Koi ni tsukareta onna ga hitori (恋に疲れた女がひとり)
Admittedly, I haven't been listening to this elderly vocal group all that much as of late. However, when I do want some Duke Aces (デューク・エイセス) and want to cleanse my palate from hardcore enka and, wouldn't you know it, modern J-pop, the first song that I will always choose is "Onna Hitori" (女ひとり). This installment from their ambitious "Nihon no Uta Series" (「にほんのうた」シリーズ) is one beautiful and rather therapeutic tune that wonderfully portrays Kyoto and three of its well-known temples. Ah, I wish I could see Duke Aces in the lineup above singing this song one more time.
Yoshio Tabata -- Shima Sodachi (1962)
Asa wa nishi kaze yo wa minami kaze (朝は西風 夜は南風) Oki no tachi gam'ya oki no tachi gam'ya (沖の立神ゃ 沖の立神ゃ) Mata kata senami (また片瀬波)
From the thousand year old capital we take a trip down south to the little island off the coast of Kagoshima. Similar to "Onna Hitori", I find Yoshio Tabata's (田端義夫) take on the Amami Oshima minyo "Shima Sodachi" (島育ち) so relaxing just listening to it feels like I'm at a quiet beach soaking up the sun - not like I need anymore of it.
I try hard not to repeat any singer in my lists so that they wouldn't be jam-packed with the same handful of them for, as I said before, that'd be boring. However, Batayan is that wild exception I'm willing to make. Yes, I like "Shima Sodachi" that much, so much so that I so readily put it down here as I'm biting my fist as I gloss over a certain fellow with an "8" in his name and the one with a smile for the ages.
Hibari Misora -- Yawara (1963) Yuku mo tomaru mo suwaru mo fusu mo (行くも住るも 坐るも臥すも) Yawara hitosuji Yawara hitosuji yo ga akeru (柔一すじ 柔一すじ 夜が明ける)
And from Amami Oshima, we come back to Tokyo for the Olympics.
Whoo! You can feel that ferocity emanating from that tiny figure! Madam Misora looks about ready to knock someone's block off. I believe I've said it before and I'll say it again: "Yawara" (柔) has got to be the manliest song sung by a woman of that time. The muscular and grand melody combined with Hibari Misora's (美空ひばり) moxie just makes for such a cool song.
Yuzo Kayama -- O-Yome ni Oide (1965)
Fune ga mieta nara nureta karada de (舟が見えたなら 濡れた体で) Tondekoi sora e dakiagete (とんでこい 空へ抱きあげて) Moeru kuchizuke shiyou (もえるくちずけしよう)
Ah, the Wakadaisho. If there's one song by him that consistently gets itself lodged into my cranium, it's the Hawaiian-esque "O-Yome ni Oide" (お嫁においで). It's a simple and oh-so-catchy ditty with a cute premise, and that alone is enough to keep it running through my mind.
Yujiro Ishihara -- Yogiri yo Konya mo Arigato (1967)
Unlike the other songs on this list my liking for "Yogiri yo Konya mo Arigato" (夜霧よ今夜も有難う) crept in slowly... like night fog. Sure, I was agreeable with it upon my introduction to Tough Guy, but with the right premise of me staying back in the safety of an almost empty class to finish up the daily assignment in the evening with a tropical squall battering outside and this jazzy number circulating through my earpieces, "Yogiri yo Konya mo Arigato" eventually became associated with warm comfiness and eventually one of my favourites.
Michiya Mihashi -- Hoshikuzu no Machi (1962)
Yubibue fuite kaerou (指笛吹いて 帰ろう) Yure nagara (揺れながら) Hoshikuzu wakete machi wo hanarete (星屑わけて 街をはなれて)
I'm usually picky with covers of my favourite, often times to an unfairly biased level - you probably have noticed it in some of my earlier articles. But lately, I've been more open minded. However, the one song that I remain absolutely (and, perhaps, infuriatingly) obstinate about is "Hoshikuzu no Machi" (星屑の町), in the sense that Michi fits the song best and the best renditions are those that are closest to Michi's. I like this song very much for how atmospheric it is and for how Mihashi's silky and unique delivery adds that extra layer of wistfulness. And without Michi's voice, "Hoshikuzu no Machi" loses half its flavour.
Watashi?
Hideo Murata -- Meoto Shunju (1967)
Sore ga meoto to karuku wa iu ga (それが夫婦と 軽くは言うが) Ore to omae de kurou wo shita (俺とお前で 苦労をした) Hana wa daiji ni (花は大事に) Sakasou naa omae (咲かそうなァ お前)
We've now come to the last song on the list. You were expecting "Osho" (王将), weren't you? After all, I said it was my ultimate o-enka. But having already talked about it and actually having another Murata number I can't get enough of, I decided to go with the latter, that being "Meoto Shunju" (夫婦春秋). This sweet and heartwarming song about a man showing his appreciation for his wife sung by one of the most gruff and imposing (in demeanor) fellows is absolutely adorable. I love the manly but gentle melody that goes along with it, and that "Omae" with that sheepish Muchi grin always melts my heart.
I have to say, this is probably one of the most un-Murata pictures I've seen to date but at the same time, it's also very Murata.
And on that sweet note I end my list of favourites from the 1960's. It was quite good fun planning these lists, and I hope you enjoyed as much as I did writing it. And on hindsight, I realise that a good number of the songs hear I'd easily put into an overall top 10 or 20. I might continue with this series of articles for the following decades, but we'll see how that goes. But that aside, what are your favourite songs from the 60's?
Before I begin this article, I read a couple of nights ago that Mr YOUNG MAN Hideki Saijo (西城秀樹) had passed away just a few days ago. I am not a big fan of Saijo but he was one of the singers who ushered me into the world of kayo early on. As such, it was a big shock to read that he's gone so soon. J-Canuck has done a nice little tribute to him which you can check out here. I'm happy that I had the chance to see this icon of the 70's a couple of times on TV. Rest in peace, Mr Saijo.
Well, let's continue on a brighter note, shall we? (Shoo, onion ninjas! Shoo!)
For a couple of weeks between the end of April and early May, I was back in Japan for what may be my last visit to the land of the rising sun for a while - I'll be heading off to university soon so I wanted to take care of some outstanding items on my list before I get shipped off. I did accomplish the goals I set out for this trip (at the cost of my bank account) around a fragment of Tohoku, a bit of Hokuriku, and of course, Tokyo, and I had an incredible time travelling with Mom for most of the time, and hanging around, as J-Canuck calls it, The Big Sushi, on my own for a few days. As with my previous trips, I would like to share with you guys the highlights. To start, I'd like to talk about my return to Mukashi no Uta no Mise, a karaoke joint somewhere in the middle of Sugamo'sJizodori.
I recorded down my first visit to this quaint joint a couple of years ago, so you can check that out here. This sequel will be a long one as it encompasses my third and fourth visit, so sit back and get comfy. Alright, let's begin.
My acceptance gift.
I was at Mukashi no Uta no Mise last December for my second visit, but with it being a weekday, there was hardly anyone there so I took it as some sort of a practice round to try out some songs I had been meaning to sing. This time around, however, was a whole different ball game. This third visit (and first of this recent trip) was during the middle of Golden Week, more specifically Children's Day Saturday, and I was on my own. I was a little worried as to whether there'd be anyone there as I thought that the oldies would be spending that day with their grand kids (if they had any). But I was dead wrong as an hour into opening time and the "party" was already in full swing. The Mama-san was happily surprised that I showed up again, and one of the folks, this uncle I'll call Y-san, recognized me from two years back.
With a rowdy audience of 6 (at that moment) and hyped on coffee, I went in over my head and picked my opening song, Ikuzo Yoshi's (吉幾三) "Hokugen Kaikyo" (北限海峡). I'd never sung it before (karaoke style) but I love it, so what could go wrong? - Oh, things went wrong. It was a bad idea to start with an unfamiliar song and the key was wrong and I couldn't quite get it either. I could feel the disappointment from the crowd too, especially since one of them even mentioned, "Oh, this looks promising," at the start. I stabilized a little, but I thought it was a travesty. I am so sorry, Yoshi.
"Omae...", the sweetest bit, but the hardest to sing, in my opinion.
With my senses slapped back into me, I switched to my original plan, which was opening with Hideo Murata's (村田英雄) "Meoto Shunju" (夫婦春秋). I thought it was decent - after tweaking the key a bit, though a little rough on the lowest notes than I'd hoped, I felt like I was redeemed in the eyes of the regulars, most of whom had honed their skills to a fine point. "All the oji-sans would shed happy tears when they hear you sing this," was my favourite comment. I was given a seal of approval and offered sushi (the first of many, many other snacks) that the group had brought along. By that time, the most rowdy member of the club had arrived - a flamboyant purple haired oji-san in a kimono whom I shall call Y-chan. He fanned the flames of an already noisy bunch to new heights with oolong highballs - much to the chagrin of this old lady beside me, though.
I followed it up with Hachiro Kasuga's (春日八郎) "Ore wa Nora Inu" (俺は野良犬), a song which I have decided to make my Juu-hachi ban. It was definitely a blast from the past for the audience with its nostalgic sound. Personally, I felt that this was my best song for that day.
By then, the handful of folks became two handfuls, and passionate cheers of encouragement like "Mattemashita!" (I waited for this!) were constantly thrown out to everyone. It also became apparent to the oldies that I knew a lot of enka - frankly, it's more because they picked many I so happened to know - so it became almost like a game to see if I could recognize or even sing whatever they sang. It was amusing... or they thought I was amusing.
En-ya-saaaa-to mawashiteeeeee...
Next was Haruo Minami's (三波春夫) "Funakata-san yo" (船方さんよ), which was personally the hardest to sing, not because I had problems with the song itself, but because the oldies were at peak levels of excitement while screaming out their kakegoe to go along with the song and Y-chan kept singing with me (it's one of his favourites), so I had a hard time listening to myself... I need more karaoke experience (this was only my third time ever). Overall, I thought it was OK in spite of the distractions.
After dwelling in the oldies, I decided to go with something more modern. By that I mean Kiyoshi Hikawa (氷川きよし) and "Choito Kimagure Wataridori" (ちょいと気まぐれ渡り鳥), and after, "Omokage no Miyako" (面影の都). The former I felt was better than the latter, plus it was a lot more fun to sing. It made me realize, however, that the Sugamo bunch couldn't be very much bothered about the Prince of Enka, so that made the serifu portion a little dull, though I did get a "Hai, ojou-san!" from the lovely Grandma K. The video above, which first also shows "Otone Nagare Tsuki" (大利根ながれ月), a song I sang at a later date, will give you an idea of how fans react to the whimsical "Choito Kimagure Wataridori".
My 8th choice and the last for that whole afternoon session, was Michiya Mihashi's (三橋美智也) "Yuyake no Tonbi" (夕焼けとんび), thus completing the Yonin Shu set. I also thought it'd be a good idea since it didn't require as much vocal gymnastics, and it was evening (around 5 pm) by then. Again, I had to tinker with the key, but it was a satisfactory end to Saturday. This being another of Y-chan's favourites, he actually gave me some notes for improvement, of which I felt honored for having received advice from one of the day's best singers.
There were handshakes here and there, and I even managed to arrange another meeting with some of them on the following Monday - I planned to go for another round anyways, so all the better with a few more folks. 'twas then when I finally introduced myself. Suddenly, I didn't feel so lonely anymore.
Monday came soon enough and I was back in Sugamo. As expected, it was pretty quiet and there was only a crowd of 3 strangers, and later the 2 folks from Saturday who promised to show up, Grandma K and this sweet lady called K-chan, much to my joy. I took it as another opportunity to try out more songs, which indeed I did - I (unwittingly) sang a total of 13 songs! Takoyaki was brought by grandma to the karaoke to share, which was enough for all present, though both ladies insisted I had theirs, so I ended up with 3. I was glad and relieved that the red ginger taste was very mild.
The first of three.
This session was partially me retrying a few numbers from my 2016 round, beginning with Hikawa's "Hakone Hachiri no Hanjiro" (箱根八里の半次郎), which I can always rely on for a warm-up, Minami's "Yuki no Wataridori" (雪の渡り鳥), Muchi's "Osho" (王将), and Michi's "Hoshikuzu no Machi" (星屑の町). The later three attempts I would consider "meh" - was in too mellow a mood to "feel" the them.
Oh boy, do I miss them...
New tunes were attempted too, and some of my best that day, I felt, were Duke Aces' "Onna Hitori" (女ひとり), and Haruo Oka's "Akogare no Hawaii Koro" (憧れのハワイ航路). I was nervous over their keys as well, but it all worked out in the end. For once I could agree with audiences' "Umai!" and "Jouzu!", and not see it as common courtesy .
To mix things up a little, I picked some daring stuff too, like Hikawa's version of "Benten Kozo" (弁天小僧), which was a real crowd-pleaser the moment I did it in his expressive manner - a deliberate decision. And also his recent single, "Shoubu no Hanamichi" (勝負の花道).
HA!
It goes without saying that I did another Hachi number, this time being "An' Tokya Doshaburi" (あん時ゃどしゃ降り), and the MV showcased the movie he was in from 1957. They knew I love Hachi, so I think they yelled out something on the line of "There's your Hacchan!" when he appeared. Yes, grandmas, myHacchan...
0:49-0:57 though... ma heart...
Duets were quite commonplace that day, with a couple of the uncles wanting to sing something with Grandma K - she was pretty good for someone over 80. Eventually, she even invited me to sing 2 songs with her! Her choices were "Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi" (きよしのズンドコ節), followed by Dick Mine's "Tabi Sugata Sannin Otoko" (旅姿三人男), the latter chosen with the knowledge that I love matatabi enka. From the former, I noted that I had problems singing duets as I couldn't concentrate on my own key when my mind goes off listening to my partner's. The latter was better, though after that was when I truly felt exhausted from forcing out the low notes (my nemesis).
As the session came to a close, I wondered what song would be a meaningful end (for now, at least) to my fun-filled days at Mukashi no Uta no Mise. Frankly, I thought of saving the encouraging "Shoubu no Hanamichi" for this, but having already sung it earlier, I needed a replacement. And then a light bulb appeared - why not return to my Japanese music roots?
I chose "Hajimari wa Itsumo Ame" (はじまりはいつも雨) by Aska. The folks knew I'm all enka, but I wanted to show them what came first. Frankly, while I felt that it was a good attempt and better than a good half of my enka choices, the reception was lukewarm - except for K-chan, who was perpetually excited for anything. Grandma K and this other grandpa had no clue of the song's existance, and I have a bad feeling that the Mama-san did not approve of my choice, considering Aska's tarnished record - it's been 5 years, though...
Anyway, at the end of everything, I was pleasantly surprised albeit quite tentative to recieve some parting gifts from the folks. After all, I had only known them for two days. But they insisted, so I agreed to a pair of geta from K-chan, and a dinner treat from Grandma K. It was an awkward sushi dinner - not because I had problems communicating with the old lady, but because I had problems interacting with the sushi chef. Geez, he must have been wondering what this grandma was doing with this young foreigner who could barely speak Japanese...
I am very grateful to have met such wonderful people and experience their hospitality on this trip, and saying goodbye wasn't the easiest thing to do, to be honest. But I hope to see them again soon - now I'm aware that I have to appear on Saturdays or Sundays for most of the Sugamo bunch to be in attendance. Until then, I intend to fully learn Grandma K's favourite song, "Kantaro Tsukiyo Uta" (勘太郎月夜唄).
With that, we've come to the end of this article. It's been a long article - thank you for sticking through and I hope you enjoyed reading it!
Left: Conch; Right: Salmon
Far right: A gross pile of ginger
P.S. During one interview, Kohei Fukuda (福田こうへい) saidthat if you sing any one of the Yonin Shu's (Hachi, Michi, Muchi, Minami) songs, the oldies will go wild. I can strongly attest to that.
According to the information for this YouTube video, this is the lone concert recording of Hollywood's famous Rat Pack with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. along with Johnny Carson as the host. I was born a few months after this performance in St. Louis so my first now-fuzzy memories of pop culture back then consisted of the last spurt of those big guns from the Golden Age of Hollywood as they often appeared on television in either finely tailored suits or tuxes singing those swingy jazz standards. Folks nowadays usually can't catch such a thing anymore unless they are Michael Buble fans or watch certain episodes of "Family Guy" since star and creator Seth MacFarlane is an ardent fan of the old tunes.
I've always equated Yujiro Ishihara's（石原裕次郎）Ishihara Gundan（石原軍団...the Ishihara Army） with Ol' Blue Eyes' Rat Pack. The Big Man was the Chairman of the Board for that Gundan with members including Masaki Kanda, (ex-husband No. 1 of Seiko Matsuda, father of Sayaka), Hiroshi Tachi and Tetsuya Watari as the cool tough guys in their own fine threads. They even starred in their own cop shows from the 1970s onwards.
However, singer-actor Jerry Fujio（ジェリー藤尾）actually looked like he could have joined Dean, Frank and Sammy on stage in Las Vegas. I haven't seen him too much in the last several years but when we could get access to a VCR (either through showings at the Buddhist Church or when we finally purchased our own), I was able to see footage of the dapper fellow in his tux singing old chestnuts such as "Danny Boy". And that's how I've always seen Fujio.
From what I've read of Fujio, he had a pretty tough upbringing. According to his J-Wiki bio, the singer was born Shigeki Fujio（藤尾薫紀）, the son of an NHK announcer, Shigehiro Fujio（藤尾薫宏）, and his English wife, Olivia Heath Gonzales in 1940 in Shanghai, China. When the family returned to Japan after World War II, Olivia and young Shigeki were discriminated for a number of reasons including the language barrier. The anxiety was too much for Olivia as she descended into alcoholism and died when Shigeki was in his first year of junior high school. After jobs as a bouncer and a roadie, in 1957, Fujio was scouted by someone working for Manase Productions when he spotted Fujio suddenly jumping onto to the stage to sing Elvis Presley's"Hound Dog" at a jazz lounge. Thus, his career in showbiz began.
In 1962, on the NHK music-variety program, "Yume de Aimasho"（夢であいましょう...Let's Meet In Our Dreams）, Fujio sang "Tooku e Ikitai" (I Want To Go Far Away), one of the most melancholy-sounding kayo that I have ever heard. The power duo of songwriting at the time, Hachidai Nakamura and Rokusuke Ei（中村八大・永六輔）, created this ballad of wanting to travel somewhere unknown and as far away as possible. There's no mention about the reason behind the urge to make that trek all alone but I can only wonder if it were some kind of romantic breakup. Perhaps the pair even made it specifically for Fujio. The song became his breakthrough hit and it has become his signature tune.
I've heard Fujio sing the number but when I re-acquainted myself with "Tooku e Ikitai", there was a voice inside me stating that I've heard this cry-in-your-beer sort of tune even beyond his contributions. And as it turned out, the song was adopted as the theme for an NTV travel show with the same title that has been continuing since 1970...a good 46 years!
And it was here that many singers over the decades have covered "Tooku e Ikitai". Everyone from Duke Aces（デューク・エイセス）to Yo Hitoto（一青窈）have given their own version of the evergreen song.
Here are the Duke Aces with their own version.
And this is the late Keiko Fuji（藤圭子）with her haunting and more introspective cover of "Tooku e Ikitai".
Finally, this is the performance of a much older Fujio singing his signature song. As for the name of Jerry, there was no mention in the J-Wiki article about how he got it. Was he given an English name by his mother or was it placed onto him by the folks at Manase Productions because of his Eurasian appearance? However, for some reason, Wikipedia and even his own webpage have written his nom de guerre as "Jelly" and not "Jerry" although the covers on his records have it listed as the latter. I'm still not clear on this so I have placed the two names at the top. Frankly, if there is anyone who should have earned the name "Jelly", it would be me due to considerations of my own girth.
Most likely over the next several months, there will be box collections of the works of lyricist Rokusuke Ei coming out in the major music stores. I just found out this morning that Ei had passed away last week at the age of 83. So the Creator article this time will be as much a tribute to the man as it will be a look at his songs.
Rokusuke Ei was born in 1933 in the district of Moto-Asakusa, Tokyo, and along with his title of lyricist, he was also a radio personality, an essayist and a tarento although according to the NHK report on his death, he far preferred being behind a radio mike over being in front of a TV camera. In fact, his J-Wiki article mentioned that he truly loved the medium of radio; one piece of information stated that after high school, he and a group of friends got together to buy various parts in Akihabara to create their own crystal radio set. The leader of that group just happened to be the late actor Kiyoshi Atsumi（渥美清）who would gain his own legend through his famous character of Tora-san.
But when the NHK report started, the song that played is arguably the one that he is the most famous for, "Ue wo Muite Arukou"（上を向いて歩こう）by Kyu Sakamoto（坂本九）from 1961. Ei wrote this evergreen tune about smiling through the tears with his frequent songwriting partner, Hachidai Nakamura（中村八大）, who had left this mortal coil more than 20 years previously in 1992.
However, he and Nakamura got their songwriting tandem started in 1959 when they created the Mood Kayo"Kuroi Hanabira"（黒い花びら...Black Petals） for kayo singer Hiroshi Mizuhara（水原弘）. It was also a first for Mizuhara in that it was the singer's debut single. The combination was sweet for all concerned..."Kuroi Hanabira" won the Grand Prize at the very first Japan Record Awards in that same year.
The Ei/Nakamura duo had more success into the 1960s with another kayo standard, "Konnichiwa Akachan"（こんにちは赤ちゃん）from 1963 sung by Michiyo Azusa（梓みちよ）. As I mentioned in the article for that song, Ei wrote the words for Nakamura as a present of sorts in celebration of the upcoming birth of Nakamura's child.
Another composer who often worked with Ei was Taku Izumi（いずみたく）. Together they created another kayo classic in the form of "Ii Yu da na"（いい湯だな）in 1966 for the vocal group Duke Aces（デューク・エイセス）. Afterwards, the song was further immortalized as the ending theme for the very long-running variety series featuring comedy group The Drifters, "Hachi-ji da yo! Zen'in Shuugo!"（8時だよ！全員集合...It's 8 O'Clock! Everyone Assemble!）Considering how beloved onsen are in Japan, I would think that this song has triggered a Pavlovian craving for folks to head over to Hakone and other hot spring-laden resorts.
In the J-Wiki article on Ei, it said that although the songwriter liked some specific enka tunes, he wasn't a huge fan of the genre, generally speaking. And yet, he created one of Saburo Kitajima's（北島三郎）signature songs, "Kaero kana"（帰ろかな...Shall I Go Home?）for release in April 1965. An article for the song has yet to be written up on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" so I will keep things brief here and just say that Ei and Nakamura managed to create an anthemic mountain-moving ballad for Sabu-chan that has been performed at no less than 7 of the Kohaku Utagassen specials, and most if not all of them probably ended the show in epic paper snow blizzards.
I'm uncertain whether Ei kept to a fixed theme when it came to writing lyrics for songs but just from looking back on some of these kayo here, I would guess that the lyricist liked to reflect specifically on the Japanese heart whether it dealt with the simple pleasures of soaking in a hot spring or keeping that smile up even during the most heartbreaking of times.
I may have heard it on that NHK report and I definitely did read it in the J-Wiki article but Ei stopped being a lyricist for the most part after 1969. According to that article, he had apparently been afraid that once anything got onto television, it would simply get trendy for that fact and perhaps not for the quality of the song itself. But the main reason was that Ei wanted to put his priorities on having Nakamura and Izumi more as friends than also as collaborating colleagues in the music industry. Perhaps he didn't like the stresses of songwriting wearing on their mutual friendships, and besides, it seems as if Ei had a lot of other interests to pursue to keep him happy. I'm not a religious man but I hope that Ei has now reunited with his old friends, Nakamura and Izumi (who also passed away in 1992) to talk about the old days. Meanwhile, I'm sure that there will be people here, famous or not, who will converse on and sing those nostalgic tunes at karaoke or the bars.
I'll leave you with a rendition of another Ei classic also from 1963, "Miagetegoran Yoru no Hoshi wo"（見上げてごらん夜の星を）, originally sung by Kyu Sakamoto.
During one lesson of marine biology in my previous semester at school, we were learning about the different species of crustaceans, crustacean anatomy, and what allows them to be considered crustaceans. The most incredible thing is that as long as the creature has certain features e.g. a carapace, that thing can be considered a crustacean, so the animals we got to know about ranged from the common prawn and lobster to the sessile barnacle (yep, they're part of the family too), from macroscopic to microscopic. But of course, a lesson on subphylum crustacea wouldn't be complete without the crab, which is probably the first thing you'd think of when the word "crustacean" is uttered. That being said, it was the first thing that popped into my mind, along with it came Duke Aces' (デューク・エイセス) commercial song for the popular seafood chain, "Kani Doraku", which is known for having a huge animatronic crab greeting customers at the front of each store. I remember seeing that in Osaka a number of years back.
I happened to come across "Kani Doraku", the song, about a week or so before that particular lesson and I remembered marveling at how coincidental and amusing this find was, and I also recalled finding it a little odd that I was actually enjoying a tune meant for a commercial as I would a regular song. But I suppose that was inevitable as just like most CM songs, "Kani Doraku" has a catchy melody that gets you hooked on. The strings and the harp makes it sound like you're taking a dive down into the sea where the crabs reside, probably dancing around with bright smiles on their faces (just adding a bit of my imaginary commercial), and then you have the wonderful voices of the vocal group's members as they sing about the exquisite flavours (I'd like to think so) of the fresh crab served up at the restaurant. I'm not a big fan of crab, but listening to this song and watching the commercial makes me want to get some.
Judging from the most prominent and hearty voice you hear throughout the song, it seems to me like former top tenor Yasumasa Taniguchi (谷口安正) was taking the lead here, but I'm not entirely sure. Sometimes I'd think that it's Michio Tani (谷道夫), but then I feel that the baritone's vocal delivery has got a richer and deeper tone.
As to when "Kani Doraku" was sung, it was probably in the early 90's since that was when the commercials were out playing, and Taro Kida (キダ・タロー), the composer to this ditty as well as many other CM songs, had released it in his album "Naniwa no Mozart Kida Taro no Subete" (浪花のモーツァルト キダ・タローのすべて) from 1992. Duke Aces had just released an album featuring commercial songs they had done over the years, including "Kani Doraku", just a few months ago called "Duke Aces CM WORKS" (デューク・エイセス CM WORKS). Writing the lyrics to "Kani Doraku" was Noboru Inoue (伊野上のぼる).
To wrap things up on this article, here's Yuki Tokunaga (徳永ゆうき) singing a bit of "Kani Doraku" with the guys. Ah yes, I should mention that Kazuhiko Yoshida (吉田一彦), the second tenor you see here in those shades and one of the longest surviving members, is no longer in commission as of early 2015 due to some health ailments. He is now replaced with this young fella by the name of Gen Iwata (岩田元)... Dang it, I like Yoshida... I already miss him.
Yoshitaka Makino (槇野義孝) was pretty cute then...
He still is now.
"Mambo U" is another entry from Duke Aces' "Nihon no Uta Series" (「にほんのうた」シリーズ)and the prefecture of focus would be Gifu. Frankly, when I stumbled upon this interesting song on YouTube over the weekend, I had no idea that "Mambo U" is part of this series, I just thought that it's probably one of their other jazzy or weird-but-good ditties I had yet to discover. It was only when I saw the names of these songwriters, Rokusuke Ei (永六輔) and Taku Izumi (いずみたく), in the video's description did it finally dawn on me.
So what well-known thing in Gifu is being featured in Ei's lyrics this time? No, it's not temples, or hot springs or frogs. It's the "U" (鵜) or the cormorant, an aquatic bird I've seen in TV shows/documentaries (mostly on a province in China) diving into rivers and swallowing up fish before returning to their human employers (fishermen) and regurgitating the catch on to the bamboo boat. As it turns out, this method of fishing, known as Ukai (鵜飼... Cormorant fishing), is also used in Gifu City along the Nagaragawa River since the beginning of time, according to a tourist guide I visited to find out why a song on Gifu had featured this species of bird. Izumi's smooth, bossa nova styled music makes "Mambo U" quite whimsical and together with Mi-Chan's brassy baritone, it makes you imagine the city's brightly-lit night scene. I wonder if Izumi wanted it to that way since the Ukai is usually held in the evening?
"Mambo U" was released in 1969 and I think it's not one of Duke Aces' better known songs in the "Nihon no Uta Series" since I've never heard or seen of it until a few days ago. But dang it's really catchy!
I've been to Osaka twice, but I can't say that I've seen much of it. That's the problem of going on those package tours, I suppose. You can never have enough time to explore the place thoroughly, and just when you're enjoying the charm of the place, you gotta leave for the next spot on the itinerary. Oh well, there's always a next time. And during that next time, I shall visit the places mentioned in "Ichou Namiki", one of the entries from Duke Aces' (デューク・エイセス) "Nihon no Uta series" (「にほんのうた」シリーズ) that represents Osaka.
"Ichou Namiki"
temtekomy.seesaa.net
It sounds like a pretty fool proof tour. There's Umeda, Nakanoshima, Honmachi, Shinsaibashi, and finally Namba, so that covers quite a lot there... I think. Along with the very walk-able and warming music, the quartet narrates the progression of a couple's relationship as they take walks from the "Kita" (North; more business oriented) to the "Minami" (South; entertainment portion) part of Osaka. Joining the couple are the Ginkgo trees (what "Ichou Namiki" means). So as the young sweethearts grow closer by the season, the trees change accordingly. For example, in Spring when the leaves are young and growing back, the two are looking into each others eyes (I think), assumedly on their first date. Everything goes swell, fast forward to Autumn where the Ginkgo leaves have turned a brilliant gold - I've seen it in Asakusa, it was beautiful - and the two are engaged.
Although a pleasant sounding song, "Ichou Namiki" wasn't one of the more popular tracks from this series, despite the fact that it was on the A-side. In fact, the B-side song on the Gunma prefecture outdid it and became one of the Aces' hits.
Yes, I'm talking about "Ii Yu Dana".
Jaunty and boisterous when compared to "Ichou Namiki", "Ii Yu Dana" has the Aces singing about the four well-known hot springs in Gunma: Kusastu, Ikaho, Manza and Minakami. It's a fun song to listen to with it being so upbeat and lighthearted, and I can't remember how many times I've had this playing through my earphones during the duller, drier classes... I think there was this one time I had replayed the video above with the guys doing the abridged version of the song more than four times! The lesson was tiresome and dragged on more than it should, so I needed something to wake myself up. And YasumasaTaniguchi's (谷口安正) exclamation after his, "Tsumete e na!" ("That's cold!") was silly and adorable.
Anyway, what I enjoyed most from "Ii Yu Dana" is that all four members have a chance to sing solo. I love hearing all of their individual voices, especially Yoshitaka Makino's (槇野義孝) deep rumble that sends shivers down my spine - the good kind! I can safely say that "Ii Yu Dana" is definitely one of my top favourite Kayo kyoku, besides Yuzo Kayama's (加山雄三) "O Yome ni Oide" (お嫁においで).
Since "Ichou Namiki" and "Ii Yu Dana" are part of the "Nihon no Uta series", the lyrics were done by Rokusuke Ei and composed by Taku Izumi (永六輔 . いずみたく). They must've had a jolly good time in Gunma. It was released in 1966.
J-Canuck had done an article on "Ii Yu Dana" a while ago, that article features comedy group The Drifters (ザ・ドリフターズ) take on the ditty, you can read up on it here. I don't mind their version, but I prefer the original.
One of the interesting things about Mood Kayo group, Duke Aces（デューク・エイセス）, is that from 1966 to 1969, they were involved in a project with lyricist Rokusuke Ei（永六輔）and composer Taku Izumi（いずみたく）titled "Nihon no Uta"（にほんのうた...Songs of Japan）. The project had the songwriters tour the country through every prefecture and come up with a song befitting that region. Depending on their schedule, some or all of the Aces also took part in the long journey. One of the songs from that series was "Ii Yu da na"（いい湯だな）, the representative tune for Gunma Prefecture commemorating the hot springs there which became even more famous when it became the ending theme for the long-running variety show "Hachiji da yo! Zen'in Shuugo"（８時だよ！全員集合）starring comedy group The Drifters.
The song for Hyogo Prefecture was "Wakareta Hito to"(With My Old Flame) which was created by Ei and Izumi in 1966. Sung with sighing wistfulness by Duke Aces, the song relates of a story of two former lovers meeting once again in the city of Kobe and perhaps kindling something out of a long-dormant spark. I could imagine a lot of couples dancing to this one in the small space of the bars that could afford some sort of dance floor.
Twenty years ago on January 17, the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck the city of Kobe and the surrounding vicinity, killing over 6,000 people and injuring many many more. I'd had the day off on that Tuesday in 1995 and was only a few months into my long stay in the Kanto region. When I turned on my tiny ancient television, I saw the now-infamous scene of that highway fallen onto its side and initially thought I was watching some sort of disaster movie. Unfortunately, it was all too real. My relatives lived in nearby Osaka so I immediately called them up to make sure they were OK. Luckily, though they received the jolt of their lives, they were otherwise fine. Still at the time, I could only look on horror at the destruction and the realization that thousands of families had been tragically affected. Judging from some of the news reports that I've seen on NHK yesterday and today, the scars still remain but Kobe and its citizens have come back up from the devastation.
Kobe （神戸）is a beautiful city with one of the major Chinatowns in the country, the Kitano Ijinkan（北野異人館）district behind Sannomiya Station filled with its wonderful Meiji and Taisho Era architecture, and the modern Port Island area which perhaps may have been inspiration to those who created the Odaiba district in Tokyo Bay. In my 1981 trip and 1989 stint on the JET Programme, I had the opportunities to visit the city. For the former trip, my classmates and I got to go to Port Island and witness some of the panda mania that gripped the country while for the latter, I actually got to see more of the city since the JET Renewers' Conference took place at the Portopia Hotel on that island.
Unfortunately, I never got to visit the city during my longest stay in Japan and after the earthquake, something that I still regret. But perhaps on the next trip, I will set my sights (and financial situation) higher and visit some of those areas way beyond the borders of Tokyo.
