Hi-Way -- Girari Netsuai（ギラリ熱愛）

 

I have to say that the above ad is a pretty clever take on a key scene from Dustin Hoffman's "The Graduate", and it was all done for Nissin's Menkoku（めんコク）instant noodles. When it comes to passion in Japan, there is the significant other and there are noodles. Oh, by the way, the Hoffman character here was played by a future governor of Chiba Prefecture.

I'm not sure when the Kensaku Morita（森田健作）-starring commercial above was broadcast but in 1981, for another commercial featuring Menkoku, there was a pretty kickass jingle accompanying it titled "Girari Netsuai" (Glaring Passionate Love) by the band Hi-Way（ハイウェイ）. Hi-Way already has one article up on the blog for their 1982 "Black Coffee"（ブラック・コーヒー）which made it onto "Light Mellow ~ City", part of the compilation of City Pop and J-AOR created and sold in the 2010s.

So, I gather that there was a foodie thing with Hi-Way during its brief time. Anyways, how "Girari Netsuai" became part of instant ramen folklore was that there had been a contest sponsored by Nissin called "Happy Folk Contest" which Hi-Way vocalist and songwriter Yoshimitsu Kamiura（上浦容充）had won with one of his own entries, thereby leading to the group's major debut which was this very song. in 1981. "Girari Netsuai" was actually written by Yukinojo Mori（森雪之丞）and composed by Kisaburo Suzuki（鈴木キサブロー）and it's a pop-rock song whose lyrics by Mori talk of love but can also be interpreted as something to be eaten with a whole lot of gusto as well. And when we're talking about a big hot heaping bowl of ramen...😋

In 1982, Hi-Way released their debut album "Age" and a slightly rearranged version of "Girari Netsuai" was recorded there. It kept its rock edge but there was more of a City Pop feeling in there as well, and I can't help but hear a little of Billy Joel's "The Stranger" in some of the guitar riffs. In addition, it was a guest vocalist, reggae singer Kaja（カジャ）instead of Kamiura, who was behind the microphone for some reason. 

Coffee, Tea or Milk?

 

I'm not sure if this is the gastronomic trend in Japan for 2025, but through a couple of Japanese programs including yesterday's final episode of "Asaichi"（あさイチ）before going on summer hiatus, I found out that the drink known as a tea soda may be getting lots of love around the country. Through the other variety show, the tea soda (which is what the name says) originated in one area of Japan and has remained a local favourite but suddenly it's making its way around the country. 

Now, at first impression, the thought of mixing cold Earl Grey tea and soda water doesn't exactly thrill me but then again, I have to remind myself, I once had the same reluctance with Calpis soda since I thoroughly enjoyed the original Calpis syrup mixed with plain cold water. I'm OK with it now although I will still prefer the unfizzy version. But once the heat over there comes back down to something more humane, those who are heading to Japan on vacation might want to see if a café is serving the stuff. I'd be game to try it out.

Seeing tea soda last night did have me thinking about another Author's Picks, and this time, it's revolving around tunes that have something to do with the basic drinks of coffee, tea and milk. It took a bit of doing, but I was able to track down six. Wherever you are, enjoy a cup or glass!🥛

(1991) Miki Imai -- Tea for Two

(1998) UA -- Milk Tea（ミルクティー）

(1990) Yasuyuki Okamura -- Kahlua Milk （カルアミルク）

(1989) Misato Watanabe -- Tsumetai Milk（冷たいミルク）

(1992) Yoko Oginome -- Coffee Rumba （コーヒー・ルンバ）

(1982) Hi-Way -- Black Coffee（ブラック・コーヒー）

Hi-Way -- Black Coffee（ブラック・コーヒー）

I'll be honest. Although I've been drinking coffee ever since I got into university (it'd been tea before that), I'm not so much of a connoisseur that I can drink it pitch black. My cuppa joe needs the cream; I've been able to live without the sugar (especially if I'm having dessert with it) but there's gotta be something milk-based in there.

Well, allow me to segue somewhat haphazardly then over to a band that was singing about black coffee. This is the band Hi-Way（ハイウェイ）...great name, too bad that it was over for them pretty quickly. Their one and only album "Age" from 1982 didn't contain "Black Coffee" but was the B-side for their single, "Honoo no Yoru"（炎の夜...Night of Passion）. Composer, lyricist and vocalist Yoshimitsu Kamiura（上浦容充）has got husky vocals slightly reminiscent of James Brown and Shigeru Matsuzaki（松崎しげる）as he sings about the wonders of the hot drink while perhaps taking a jab at its rival, tea (I will stay out of that argument, thank you very much).

"Black Coffee" is pretty cool and groovy to go along with the blast of caffeine, and everything that fans would imagine in an 80s City Pop tune is in here. I would think that Kamiura would have been plugging for Nescafe or Maxwell House in an ad, and in fact, within the liner notes for the song in "Light Mellow ~ City", Highway started out with a jingle for a cup ramen ad, and the 5-piece band received a Best New Artist award from a Kansai radio station. However, one of the band summarily left (I'm assuming that it's Kamiura) and then Hi-Way broke up.