Fukinoto -- Shunrai（春雷）

 

Officially, spring arrives in a few hours. Although I'm happy for the sunny weather outside, I can hardly say that it's spring-like out there, but we're hoping for an uplift of temperatures going later into the week. Hopefully, folks in the Kanto region in Japan are enjoying their cherry blossoms.

As such, I was looking for a spring-themed kayo out there since I've already gotten famous ones such as Candies'（キャンディーズ）"Haru Ichiban"（春一番）and Ami Ozaki's（尾崎亜美）"I've Been Mellow" onto the blog. Well, I did find one but it's a little out of the ordinary.

I've known the duo Fukinoto（ふきのとう）, consisting of Yasuyo Yamaki（山木康世）and Motoyoshi Hosotsubo（細坪基佳）, primarily for their 1982 song "Hitori no Fuyu Nara Kuruna"（ひとりの冬なら来るな）, and like that one, I'd initially assumed that "Shunrai" (Spring Thunder) was going to be another tune of bitter heartbreak just from seeing the kanji for that title, and that had been the original plan. However, according to an interview that Yamaki had given the website Asagei in 2021, there was a change of plans. 

Sadly at the time, Yamaki's mother had been dying of cancer and with her son understandably upset about her condition, he created "Shunrai" as a form of giving thanks and expressing grief. There is indeed a certain drama and urgency in the delivery of the song with the minor key and rolling rhythm under the arrangement by Ichizo Seo（瀬尾一三）. "Shunrai" peaked at No. 22 on Oricon following its release in February 1979, and it was placed as a track on Fukinoto's 7th album from May that year, "Jinsei-Haru-Oudan"（人生・春・横断...Crossing of Life and Spring）.

Fukinoto -- Go-gatsu （5月）

 

Indeed, May has arrived in these parts. I went out to get the newspaper in a T-shirt and gym shorts. Well, the temperature did say that it was 11 degrees Celsius this morning and I managed to have that brisk walk to and from the store. However, no one told me that there was a stiff wind which brought wind chill factor into play. I didn't react but I did acknowledge that perhaps things were still a little too chilly to be in summer gear.

Once again on another May Day, I tried to find something kayo and appropriate for today. Last year on May 1st, I did write about Kiyohiko Ozaki's（尾崎紀世彦）"Furusato no Go-gatsu"（ふるさとの五月）, a poignant folk/pop number that was released back in 1995 as the singer's penultimate single. Well, I discovered another folksy kayo for this May 1st that originated right in the decade when the genre had been at its most popular.

The simply named "Go-gatsu" (May Song) was a track on the 2nd album "Futari Nori no Densha"（ふたり乗りの電車...Train For Two） recorded by folk duo Fukinoto（ふきのとう）back in June 1975. All the way back in April 2013, I introduced the duo consisting of Yasuyo Yamaki（山木康世） and Motoyoshi Hosotsubo（細坪基佳）for their jaunty if bittersweet "Hitori no Fuyu Nara Kuruna"（ひとりの冬なら来るな）which they recorded in 1982. I first heard it on "Sounds of Japan" and delighted in it not only because of that happy-go-lucky rhythm but its arrangement including synthesizers.

"Go-gatsu" comes from the mid-1970s so it is quite the pure folk song without the computerized equipment. In fact, I'd say with the elegant strings included in Ichizo Seo's（瀬尾一三）arrangement of Hosotsubo's melody, the folk almost veers into Fashion Music territory although maybe the name of that sub-genre hadn't been coined as of yet. Regardless, it's a lovely down-to-earth tune about how wonderful a spring month May is. "Futari Nori no Densha" peaked at No. 37 on Oricon selling about 28,000 records.

Motoyoshi Hosotsubo -- Machiwabidori （待ちわび通り）

I discovered this pleasant song by accident on one of the Internet radio stations not too long ago and was wanting to write about it. This is "Machiwabidori" (Road of Waiting Impatiently) by Motoyoshi Hosotsubo（細坪基佳）released in February 1982 as his 2nd single. Yep, I realize that this isn't a familiar name but at the time he was also one-half of the folk duo Fukinoto（ふきのとう）which was responsible for one of the rare songs of my youth via a taping of "Sounds of Japan", "Hitori no Fuyu Nara Kuruna"（ひとりの冬なら来るな）.

A little less obviously folky than "Hitori no Fuyu Nara Kuruna", "Machiwabidori" is still evocative of traveling happily through the clean air of the countryside. Written and composed by Hosotsubo, the song talks about a fellow who's finally on the verge of making his peace with a relationship that is now very much in the past with the melody sounding like a cathartic release from all that stress. Perhaps the fellow is heading out to an onsen alone to relax after his final decision. In any case, it's nice to hear some of the old happy stuff. The above video, by the way, is from a radio program in which the song starts at about 45 seconds in.

(cover version)

Hosotsubo was handling his solo career while still performing in Fukinoto so not surprisingly, "Machiwabidori" has often been treated as a Fukinoto song. It was also a track on his 2nd album from the same time as his single release, "Yoto to Garasudama"（洋燈とガラス玉...The Lamp and the Glass Bead）.

Fukinoto -- Hitori no Fuyu Nara Kuruna （ひとりの冬なら来るな）

I've been continuing to peruse my old "Sounds of Japan" audio tapes today and I came across this number from folk duo Fukinoto（ふきのとう）. One of the things I've appreciated about the old CHIN-FM radio show is that the DJs didn't just put up what was up on the Top 10 of Oricon but also songs and artists that normally didn't get anywhere near there. Naturally, everyone's opinions on music are as individual as a set of fingerprints, but for me, I've been able to find some gems through my ancient tapes.

Anyways, Fukinoto originated in Hokkaido in 1972 after Yasuyo Yamaki（山木康世） and Motoyoshi Hosotsubo（細坪基佳）, two friends at Hokkai Gakuen University in Sapporo, set up a band called Mad Slide Slim before settling upon "Fukinoto" which is known in English as the edible bud of the Giant Butterbur. In 1974, they released their debut single, "Shiroi Fuyu" （白い冬...White Winter) which became a hit for them. However after that, success was rather fleeting.

"Hitori no Fuyu Nara Kuruna" (Don't Bother Coming If You're Gonna Be My Winter) was Fukinoto's 19th single released in October 1982. First off, my translation of the title isn't that great but Yamaki's title and lyrics refer to a bitter aftermath to a doomed romance despite the jaunty melody. The spurned young man gives an open warning to not rain (or snow) on his parade since he's moving on with his life (SNAP!) Since this was a folk/New Music song from the early 80s, there's some synth work in there which reminded me a bit of some of Kozo Murashita's（村下孝蔵） enjoyable work during the same time. There's just something about Japanese folk during that time that just struck me as being very pure and refreshing.

As for that edible flower bud of the Giant Butterbur, I can tell you from delicious experience that sansai（山菜...mountain vegetable) tempura chopped up and scattered over rice is absolutely perfect!