Hiroshi Miyama -- Hana to Samurai（花とサムライ）

 

As I mentioned in the previous article, "Uta Con"（うたコン）was back after several weeks of hiatus due to the Holidays. One of the guests was enka singer Hiroshi Miyama（三山ひろし）who, back on New Year's Eve, managed to pull off another Guinness world record of sustained kendama catches (there are actually other snakes of people doing this sort of thing?!) on the Kohaku Utagassen.

It seems as if Miyama is taking after another famous enka legend by the name of Hiroshi (Itsuki) and becoming quite the Renaissance man or Swiss Army knife. He not only sings but loves kendama, breeds Rhinoceros beetles and handles the drums with aplomb, and those are the things that I remember; there were a few other hobbies that popped up on the screen but I forgot what they were.

Anyways, Miyama was on the drum set last night as he performed his latest single which was released only a couple of weeks ago and which makes the song the second one to be listed under the 2026 label here on KKP after this particular tune. "Hana to Samurai" (The Flower and the Samurai) is an enka song with a bit of a jazzy/rock n' roll twist so I guess I can also place this under the category of New Adult Music as well. Written by Haku Ide（いではく）and composed by Koji Tokuhisa（徳久広司）, it's all about remembering and engaging in all of those Japanese ideals such as being faithful to duty and family. I gather that it's the added genre panache that kinda softens the doctrinaire in "Hana to Samurai".

One additional thing that I discovered in Miyama's Wikipedia page is that his vocals have been called the Vitamin Voice because fans have claimed that his golden tones have provided a sense of security and vitality. So, he's the tonic that rejuvenates...something that will always be welcome in enka.

Hiroshi Miyama -- Hokkai Minato Bushi（北海港節）

 

Last night's "Uta Con"（うたコン）had a mix of stuff but one highlight was seeing singer-songwriter Takao Horiuchi（堀内孝雄）perform "Shuushifu"（秋止符）, a hit from his days with Alice（アリス）alongside his personal friend and professional partner Shinji Tanimura（谷村新司）who had passed away some weeks ago. The poignant thing was that the two had been thinking about doing a nationwide tour but that plan has obviously had to stop.

Another guest on the show was enka singer Hiroshi Miyama（三山ひろし）who will be celebrating his 15th anniversary in the singing business next year. Last night, he sung his latest single which was released in July this year, "Hokkai Minato Bushi" (Song of a Northern Sea Port). Written by Haku Ide（いではく）and composed by Tetsuya Gen（弦哲也）, I can describe this one in the same way that I did for Miyama's previous tune that I posted earlier this year "Donkozaka"（どんこ坂）: it doesn't get more enka than that.

One of the batteries that powers an enka song is the story of the song's protagonist jumping headfirst into the fray to master his fears and weaknesses against the elements or other things. Not surprisingly then, there have been a number of enka tunes revolving around the nation's fishing industry whose boats often have to deal with stormy seas to get their much-needed catch of seafood. "Kyodai Bune"（兄弟船）by Ichiro Toba（鳥羽一郎）is arguably the most famous.

"Hokkai Minato Bushi" is probably the newest one and as Miyama has noted in interviews, he has to attack the song with brio to properly express the emotions involved within a man in a family line of fishermen providing for his family, despite the risks. The melody by Gen is appropriately intrepid and tough except for a middle part which shows off a calm period...maybe it's clear skies and pristine ocean before the storm rolls in. There doesn't seem to be any particular port being indicated here so the the harbour could be anywhere in Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido or even in the northern Tohoku region of the main island of Honshu. "Hokkai Minato Bushi" managed to reach No. 21 on Oricon.

Hiroshi Miyama -- Kodama（谺－こだま）

 

"Uta Con"（うたコン）was on last night and the hosts, actor Shosuke Tanihara（谷原章介）and announcer Nonoka Akaki（赤木野々花）, were back up on the stage seating instead of the audience seats, so perhaps there has been a slight relaxation in the restrictions although I think that audiences are still not allowed into the hall. Well, baby steps and all that...

Enka singer and kendama master Hiroshi Miyama（三山ひろし）was back to perform his 14th and latest single, "Kodama" which was released on January 13th. As for the definition of the title, I took a look at jisho.org once more, and initially I'd assumed that it meant "tree spirit" because like a lot of enka singers, Miyama has exhorted the wonders of certain topographical features in Japan such as rivers in his music.

However, looking at the lyrics by Haku Ide（いではく）, kodama in this case means "echo". Miyama is relating the story of his yelling his fond resonant farewells to the grand mountains of his hometown before heading to the big city some fifteen years previously. He also wonders about the young lady he left behind and whether she's already got married to another fellow. The melody strikes me as a signal that he will be coming back home for at least a triumphant visit.

Akito Yomo（四方章人）was responsible for the just-as-grand music which brings a lot of nostalgia to me especially during the winter months here since that sort of enka always seems to ring in my head during the cold season. Miyama comes from Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, so I'm not too sure whether snow falls down in his old hometown at around this time; "Kodama" strikes me as being more of a Tohoku kayo but that's just my opinion. In any case, the song peaked at No. 12 on Oricon.

(short version)

Masao Sen -- Jinsei ni Kanpai（人生に乾杯）

Happy Monday! It's been a few decades but I've wondered what it must have been like for my parents and their Japanese friends when they attended that Toronto special concert featuring enka singer Masao Sen（千昌夫）and his then-wife Joan Shepherd. As I've said before, we simply didn't get any of the big kayo singers here in this city unless they had happened to be doing a gig in New York City (it's only a 1-hour flight from The Big Apple to The 6ix) the day before.

But Sen and his wife did show up and in the past, there have even been visits by Hiroshi Itsuki （五木ひろし）and Sachiko Kobayashi（小林幸子）. Of course, the audience dressed up to the nines and maybe even the tens to show up for such geinokai royalty.

(guide vocal version)

The other day on NHK's "Songs of Japanese Spirit", Sen appeared to sing this jaunty and boisterous enka/kayo tune called "Jinsei ni Kanpai" (A Toast to Life). On first listening to it, I'd assumed that it was one of his older hits from, let's say the 1970s, along the lines of his trademark "Kitaguni no Haru"（北国の春）.

As it turns out, though, "Jinsei ni Kanpai" was actually released last August in 2019 as his 52nd single, but it was created by the same duo that came up with "Kitaguni no Haru" all the way back in 1977. Lyricist Haku Ide（いではく）and composer Minoru Endo（遠藤実）were responsible for Sen's encouragement to all to live that life full of vim and vigour while shedding all that nonsense about the aging process. Mind you, Endo passed away in 2008 (though Ide is still alive) so I'm wondering if "Jinsei ni Kanpai" was a song that was just languishing somewhere for years before it got its time at bat.

Methinks that this particular song must be quite the popular tune in the karaoke boxes for the senior set (or will be again once the pandemic ends), and while listening or singing it at home, Ide's lyrics may strike a pleasant chord for folks remaining safely sheltered. I'm sure that once the all-clear is given, all of us will be willing to give a toast to life.

Yuki Tokunaga -- Yume Sagashi ni Yuko (夢さがしに行こう)

Yuki Tokunaga (徳永ゆうき) is the guy who had introduced me to one of Michiya Mihashi's (三橋美智也) many hits, "Hoshikuzu no Machi" (星屑の町) (profiled), during an enjoyable "Kayo Concert" last year. Besides his really distinctive warbling that has a slight semblance to the veteran enka singer, I noticed how young Tokunaga was in comparison to the old song he sang, and how youthful he looked when next to the other guests on that Tuesday night - Mae-Kiyo, Ikuzo Yoshi (吉幾三), etc. Some research afterwards, I found out that he had made only his debut just 2 years ago in 2013, a year after becoming the "Nodojiman" grand champion, and that this Osaka native is only 2 years older than I am. Well that explains his youthful appearance.

Anyway, "Yume Sagashi ni Yuko" is Tokunaga's 2nd official single, released on 8th April 2015, and I had seen it once within the Top 20 in the Enka-yo charts in the week after its release (peaked at 52nd place on the regular charts). I happened to find its MV just after watching Hiroshi Itsuki's "Nagisa no Onna" (渚の女) on Dailymotion, which sadly made me want to take out my eyeballs for a wash in saline - I just found it so uncomfortable to watch him in that role at this day and age. And so my equivalent of the saline wash was Tokunaga's "Yume Sagashi ni Yuko", which was thankfully simple and innocent; the song is about our main man here setting out to find and realise his dreams, and Haku Ide's (いではく) lyrics narrate his journeys along the way. It was composed by Mamoru Miyagi (ミヤギマモル), and the first thing that comes to my mind when hearing it is, "Let's go on an adventure!" possibly influenced by seeing Tokunaga with a backpack and a newsboy cap sitting squarely on his head in the video.

You can check out the full MV here... And you can also go to the uploader's channel to view Itsuki's MV if you want to, he uploads a number of full MVs of new enka songs, and for that I am grateful.

amazon.co.jp

Saburo Kitajima -- Takao San (高尾山)

You should've seen the look on her face when I told her that I like this song. A look of pure disgust and resentment on Mom's face can only mean one thing when it comes to Enka, Sabu-Chan is the one behind the vocals. Well, she doesn't dislike "Takao san" per se, she just has very strong negative feelings - to put it nicely - about the veteran singer himself. I myself have gotten used to Saburo Kitajima's (北島三郎) nasally warbling in the months that followed after the discovery of "Kita no Ryoba" (北の漁場), and I am generally okay with seeing him on TV.

Well, moving back to the song itself. I recalled watching Sabu-Chan singing this song on one of my first few Kayo Concert episodes in the later half of last year. I think it may have been pre-"Kita no Ryoba", so I was quite surprised to have actually somewhat enjoyed the noble-sounding "Takao San". But of course, despite making a mental note to look up the song online after the show, it did not come to pass and I just left it in the corner for a few months until it popped back into my mind on one of those days.

enkado.net

As I've said earlier, "Takao San" has got a pretty dignified score, brought to you by the man himself as George Hara (原譲二). You have the manly thumping of the drums coupled with the elegant strings that gives it a gentle side, and to make it a little more realistic, there's the sound of the blistering wind at the start to simulate being up in the mountains.

It's lyrics, written by Haku Ide (いではく), seem to tap on the lush mountain's religious significance and its benevolence, and has Sabu-Chan beseeching the mountain/its "native residents" for protection, out of other things. Y'see, other than having the Yakuo-in, a Buddhist temple, up there, according to folklore, it's one of the places well-known to have this type of formerly-morally ambiguous forest/mountain Yokai called the Tengu (天狗), as well as one of the Daitengu or Great Tengu (presumably the most powerful one of the lot in the area) by the name of Naigubu (内供奉) residing there. These fearsome creatures were known for their destructive nature - as well as their red face and long proboscis, but eventually that view changed and they became seen as more of a guardian, and are considered as a Shinto deity. As someone who loves to read about mythological creatures, I have to say that the Tengu is one of the coolest of the lot I've seen.

"Takao San" was released on 5th June 2014 and it did really well on the regular charts, peaking at 21st place. From that I'm going to assume it hit 1st place on the Enka-yo charts. Also, Sabu-Chan got invited to sing this song at the temple!

Great Tengu from the game "Okami".
I've played this beautiful game, and dang,
is this fella a force to be reckoned with! 

okamimythology.tumblr.com

Oh yeah, and if you're currently celebrating the Chinese New Year, Happy Chinese New Year!

Masao Sen -- Kitaguni no Haru (北国の春）

This is another one of my enka songs from my childhood. The flourish of strings within Minoru Endo's（遠藤実）melody at the beginning makes "Kitaguni no Haru" (Spring in the North Country) instantly recognizable for me. Haku Ide's（いではく）words about heading back home after a long time away evokes that eternal enka love for furusato (home). And Sen's plaintive singing at the end of the chorus: "Shall I go home?" always reaches those hearts who have traveled far from home.

Masao Sen（千昌夫）is one of the few enka singers who have made the trip to Toronto to do a concert for the Japanese-Canadian community. I didn't go to that concert in the 80s but my parents sure did. They dressed up to the nines as did, I'm sure, every one else who attended to see Sen and his wife at the time, Joan Sheppard. Sen has had that old-fashioned balladeer's voice which beautifully renders the lyrics even more tenderly for this song. It also didn't hurt that he is also from that north country....Iwate Prefecture, to be exact.

"Kitaguni no Haru"was Sen's 26th single since his debut in 1965, and the song has become his trademark. Since its release in April 1977, it managed to reach its peak of No. 6 on the Oricon charts, but it has also achieved many other accolades as well. Not only did it sell 3 million records, it also earned the Long-Seller Prize at the Japan Record Awards since it remained on the charts for 92 weeks! In fact, in 1979, it was the 5th-ranking song of the year. 

Getting on the Kohaku Utagassen was a foregone conclusion. The success of "Kitaguni no Haru" helped him get on the New Year's Eve special for his 5th appearance in 1977 (his first in 6 years), and he repeated the same performance for the next couple of years afterwards. He would sing his trademark song a couple of more times before the century was out, making it the most-sung tune on the Kohaku up to the year 2000. And he did his 6th rendition of the song just last year.... considering the events of March 11 2011, Sen's singing must have held special significance.

The song also became very popular outside of Japan as well. It has been sung in Mandarin and Thai, and in China, it's apparently recognized as the most well-known Japanese song there.