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.
Let's see...over the 13-year history of this blog, this will be our 925th article regarding an enka song. I encountered the list of such tunes that have reached No. 1 on Oricon, and I actually had to scroll from the very first Oricon chart-topping enka, Masao Sen's（千昌夫）"Hoshikage no Waltz"（星影のワルツ）in 1968, all the way down to the year 2005 to find another enka chart topper since we've covered most of the hits. Mind you, some of those No. 1 hits in the scroll strike me more as conventional kayo kyoku than enka.
However, that song I found from 2005? Oh, yeah...it's an enka tune alright. I'm talking about Kiyoshi Hikawa's（氷川きよし）"Hatsukoi Ressha"(First Love Train) which was released in February of that year. Written by Ryuiichi Satomura（里村龍一）and composed by Michihiko Ohta（太田美知彦）under his pseudonym of Akira Kitano（北野明）, the song is all about a man jumping onto a train headed for the north country to track down that first love he left behind all that time ago. The arrangement is so enka that it practically cries for an ochoko and tokkuri of sake.
Released as his 8th single, along with that No. 1 ranking on Oricon, "Hatsukoi Ressha" won several awards including the Gold prize at the Japan Record Awards, and eventually the song ended up as the 39th-ranked single of the year. Hikawa made his 6th appearance on the Kohaku Utagassen that year but it was to sing another song and not this one. I swear, though, that there have been so many enka songs about heading up to northern Japan, I'm guessing that northern Japan has been grumbling "Hey, where are our royalties?!".
NHK's"Uta Con"（うたコン）had its final episode today before going on summer hiatus for the next month, and it was one of their quieter ones with just the hosts and a few guests sitting in a virtual living room. One of the guests, though, was one of Japan's most prolific lyricists Takashi Matsumoto（松本隆）, and the theme was on his songs since he's celebrating his 55th anniversary in songwriting this year.
It was almost a decade ago that I posted a Creator article on Matsumoto so you can take a look at some of the songs that he wrote for other singers there. He's supposedly written more than 2,000 songs, so what I have of his creations here on KKP is barely a little over 10%, and to add onto that 10%, I have here a Matsumoto-penned song for Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）...his 41st single from this month, to be precise.
Hikawa did perform "Shiro Suiren" (White Water Lilies) on "Uta Con", and listening to that performance and the above YouTube video, it's quite the different animal from the enka that the singer has usually done. Yes, I know that he has fully plunged into other genres such as rock over the past several years, but "Shiro Suiren" might come off as the most purely pop song that I've ever heard from him; in fact, I'm wondering if it could even be a form of new New Music. The composer for the song is TAKURO, the leader of the rock band GLAY.
It's been a few years since I've put up a Michiya Mihashi（三橋美智也）kayo so I thought it was time to bring back some of his enka.
"Haha Koi Fubuki"(Mother's Love in a Blizzard) is a 1956 single that Mihashi released under the aegis of lyricist Ryo Yano（矢野亮）and composer Isao Hayashi（林伊佐緒）. It's an enka that probably had tear ducts flowing as the story tells of a man very much at the end of his rope one wintry night with his hands wrapped tightly around the bottle and wondering whatever happened to his parents (and presumably his entire life) who hadn't been with him long before leaving him alone. The record was a huge hit for Mihashi as it sold two million records.
There were covers made of Mihashi's trademark song including one by current enka singer Kouhei Fukuda（福田こうへい）. His version was released in 2016 as a track on his "Akogare ~ Mihashi Michiya wo Utau"（憧 〜三橋美智也を唄う〜...Yearnings ~ The Songs of Michiya Mihashi）. Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）also provided his own cover in 2013 through the album "Hikawa Kiyoshi ~ Enka Meikyoku Collection 18: Shigure no Minato"（氷川きよし・演歌名曲コレクション18〜しぐれの港〜...Kiyoshi Hikawa: Enka Masterpiece Collection 18 ~ Late Autumn Harbour）.
Well, that was quite the emotional episode of "Uta Con"（うたコン）last night, eh? And I feel like I was a little too fast off the mark some months ago when I noted the departure of enka prince Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）for a career hiatus. That was for his earlier single this year, "Gunjou no Ito", when I had stated that the enka singer was going to take a break of undetermined length as of last year. Apparently, seeing him come back a number of times this year clearly illustrated that I had been premature and wrong.
However, last night's appearance on "Uta Con" was confirmed to be his final one on the show and I'm guessing that he might make one more performance on the Kohaku Utagassen in about a couple of months before calling it a day for a while. There was a brief retrospective of Hikawa's career before the man began weeping in gratitude and then performing twice. The first one was a cover of Hibari Misora's （美空ひばり）"Uta wa Waga Inochi"（歌は我が命）which he had done for last year's Kohaku.
Then, his second and final performance on the show was for his 40th and final single before his hiatus "Koushuuji"(The Koshu Road). It was released in July this year and compared to the serious "Gunjou no Ito"（群青の弦）, "Koushuuji" is a boisterous yet lighthearted enka about going on that voyage to anywhere which might describe Hikawa's immediate future. The song was written by Tsubasa Kazu（かず翼）and composed by Hideo Mizumori（水森英夫）.
Welcome to the third in the weekly series of "Go-Touchi Songs", those tunes that reflect a certain region or prefecture or city in Japan. Last week, I devoted the sophomore effort to the Kanto region, which includes Chiba and Gunma Prefectures where I lived at different times in my young life, and now we move further westward and southward to cover the Chubu region. Incidentally, this area covers Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, and Yamanashi Prefectures, a whopping nine provinces. However, although I couldn't get go-touchi songs from KKP to represent all of the areas, there are some pretty famous kayo among the ones that I could find. Next week, I'll take care of the Kinki region.
1. Kenichi Mikawa -- Niigata Blues （新潟ブルース）for Niigata City in Niigata (1967)
2. Sayuri Ishikawa -- Noto Hanto （能登半島）for the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa (1977)
4. Shigeru Amachi -- Nagoya Blues（名古屋ブルース）for Nagoya in Aichi (1981)
5. Tetsuya Ryu -- Oku-Hida Bojou （奥飛騨慕情）for the Hida area in Gifu (1980)
6. Kiyoshi Hikawa -- Oi Okkake Otojiro (大井追っかけ音次郎) for the Oi River in Shizuoka (2001)
As usual, why don't we end this session with some regional delicacies? This time, we have sasa dango（笹団子）from Niigata Prefecture and then miso katsu（味噌カツ）from Nagoya.
I've brought back a clip of Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）performing Hibari Misora's（美空ひばり）"Uta wa Waga Inochi"（歌は我が命）last week, which he had also sung at the Kohaku Utagassen last month. It didn't strike me as being too strange at the time, but I'm not sure whether Hikawa showed up for any of the interview segments and I don't think that he performed any other songs that night. Perhaps my memory was addled but, in any event, he kept a very low profile on Tuesday, and now that I've seen the last few seconds where his final words sounded very much like a goodbye, maybe I did miss something significant.
Well, I didn't since the message was thrown at us loud and clear a couple of days ago. I watched NHK News which announced that Hikawa, the Prince of Enka who's appeared on the Kohaku for 22 straight years since his first appearance on the annual special and has been singing and performing non-stop, was taking an extended break as of New Year's Eve last year. So I gather that his "Uta Con" appearance was indeed the swan song for now.
(shortened version)
However, Hikawa has recorded one more single which will be released on February 1st this year, "Gunjou no Ito"(Ultramarine Strings). Written by Fumihiko Hara（原文彦）and composed by Chiaki Oka（岡千秋）, Hikawa's final single for at least a while was arranged by Masahito Maruyama（丸山雅仁）and it was apparently simmering on the back burner for a few years. But with the arranger's death in June 2020, the go-ahead was given to release this as a single in tribute.
Hikawa has gone into the pop and rock genres and has even provided an anison or two, so to hear him go back into the genre that he started his career with, enka, was nice, especially now that we won't be seeing him for an extended time. And wow, "Gunjou no Ito" is quite the atmospheric enka which seems to grandly gather together all of the elements of nature ranging from the seasons to the sound of fog (!) for mutual appreciation. Everyone involved even brings in those enka tropes of a loving mother and tears, and perhaps all bound together with the titular strings. Admittedly though, I don't have a full grasp of what's going on with "Gunjou no Ito", so if anyone can perhaps explain the meaning of it all, I'd greatly appreciate it.
This video also has the recorded version of the song, but I just wanted to show how Hikawa's presented here. If he were going to still appear on TV programs and on stage, he probably would show up looking like this dignified and fantastical figure. The single is going to be presented through three different arrangements (unfortunately that video has been taken down).
I'm certainly grateful to Hikawa for all he's done for enka and entertainment thus far including "Gunjou no Ito" which will be KKP's first official article for a 2022 song. He can happily have his time off and I wish him well in his future endeavors. Hopefully, it won't be too, too long before he returns to the stage.
Indeed, Happy New Year to everyone. 新年あけましておめでとうございます。Hope everyone has been having a safe and pleasant beginning to 2022, the only year this century that has three "2"s. and if all goes well, the final year of the pandemic. I was wondering how I would start this year on the blog, and I've decided to go with one of the best.
Having watched the majority of yesterday's 72nd Kohaku Utagassen, I did get to see enka singer (or maybe it might be now more accurate to say general kayo singer) Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）perform a cover of Hibari Misora's（美空ひばり）"Uta wa Waga Inochi" (The Song is My Life). Over the last few years, Hikawa has gone into visual-kei, pop and emotion-drenched ballads along with his enka, so for him to belt out "Uta wa Waga Inochi" is right up his alley. Although I don't think that he's ever released it as a cover single, I'm fairly confident that it may be in one of his compilation albums.
The thing is though that I don't think Misora had ever released it as a single either according to what I couldn't find in her J-Wikisingles discography or even her own website's list. It took me some doing at the latter but I think that I could trace the origin year of "Uta wa Waga Inochi" to a 1976 compilation album.
I'm quite surprised that "Uta wa Waga Inochi" may not have been released as a single because I think that the song is one of those quintessential Misora numbers that starts off quietly but then rises into an epic declaration by the end. Composed by Katsuo Inoue（井上かつお）, the legendary Queen of Kayo Kyoku has sung it on different occasions as a jazz ballad or even something close to chanson with a bit of that talking/singing style. The lyrics by Ou Yoshida（吉田旺）provide Misora a reason to explain to her many listeners about why she's chosen her way of life in a manner that sounds like Frank Sinatra's take on "My Way". As much as that karaoke chestnut is tied to the hip of The Chairman of the Board, "Uta wa Waga Inochi" is also very much a part of Misora.
With 2021 coming to a close, I think it'd be a good time for me to add my own yearly round-up. I had been thinking about some theme I wanted to go with, and rather than a singer specific list, I thought I'd go with a list that narrates significant going-ons I had throughout this bumpy year - when is it ever not, though? Without further ado, let's begin.
Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎) -- Ruten no Yoru (流転の夜)
I'd spent the majority of 2020 back in Singapore due to the pandemic, so coming back to Japan exactly a year later in March 2021 needed some readjustments. There was definitely some loneliness (though a lot less than my first year), having to deal with noisy neighbours, and I'd saddled myself with a particularly arduous class that new semester (a few of you might know what I mean...). Basically, it was draining.
Sometimes, particularly at night, be it from out of the window of that old apartment or on strolls through deserted streets in the middle of the night, I would just look up at the night sky. Being in a faraway land and roaming around trying to do my thing, Hachi's "Ruten no Yoru" of an exhausted wandering soul felt oddly fitting and would put me in a reflective mood. The slightly lonesome-sounding flute, delicate strings and Hachi's delicate vocals were the perfect medicine for my frazzled nerves.
Perhaps it's because I'm in a better head-space now and because I'd been hooked by other songs since then, so "Ruten no Yoru" doesn't resonate as strongly as it did half a year ago. Those memories of watching the stars and the feelings I held at the time had become imprinted on this song, though, and it does come back whenever I listen to it now.
I'd mentioned a number of times that sumo is one of the new hobbies I'd acquired. Spectating it, of course. Rallying behind Tochinoshin who I'd seen on NHK news long before understanding the sport; learning archaic sumo terms and practices; watching Terunofuji destroy the competition and become yokozuna on his return from injury - it was all new, weird, and yet oh, so fun! So, it was cathartic when I was able to watch the tournaments live at the Ryogoku Kokugikan when I was back in Japan. The raw power of seeing these giants tackle each other was amazing, and new yokozuna's Teru-chan's dohyo-iri in September was awesome. Plus, I even got a photo with the now-retired Ikioi, a pretty strong fighter with the voice of an enka singer!
Representing this experience is Kiyoshi Hikawa's "Ninjou Toridejuku". Sure, the wrestler presented in this popular tale used in this song is a hapless fool, but the melody that's grand and filled with vigour just fits the sport so well.
Tadaharu Nakano (中野忠晴)/Tokyo Taishu Kayo Gakudan (東京大衆歌謡楽団) -- China Tango
So, I have this jolly professor whose focus is on China studies and I'd taken a number of his classes this year. From my understanding of international politics in recent years from his classes, it's been nothing but a China Tango... ROLL CREDITS.
My introduction to my new muse (muses?), the ode to early Showa music Tokyo Taishu Kayo Gakudan, was facilitated by Tadaharu Nakano's "China Tango". I'm glad to have come across these Kotaro Takashima and his brothers because not only do they provide fantastic and authentic-sounding covers of ryukoka but through them, my interest in this part of enka/kayokyoku had been revived. In fact, the next few entries had also been introduced by them. They also have the honour of being the first artists below the age of 40 I have really gotten into... if that can be considered an honour at all...
As for "China Tango" itself, for some reason, the premises of the song, its fun tango rhythm and Ko-san's hearty vocals are just so alluring. At the moment, it's probably my favourite cover tune by the quartet. And, as I had mentioned, I was in the midst of that class international politics class while I was getting into the song. Couldn't have asked for better timing.
Bin Uehara (上原敏) -- Tsuma-koi Dochu (妻恋道中)
Cycling is one of my favourite things to do when I'm in Japan. Perhaps it's because I stay out of Tokyo and away from the mad traffic. Plus, living in the suburbs do provide incredibly scenic routes along rivers, through rice fields, and, when weather permits, Mt. Fuji can be seen looming in the distance. In the new area I'm living in, I get longer stretches of uninterrupted routes like these. I do like to sing to myself while doing so, and what better type of song to sing along to on such cycles than some dochu-mono? Somehow, Bin-san's stuff feels the most appropriate. Maybe's it's the minyo element in it? Either way, even though I'm on a modern albeit run-of-the-mill utility bicycle and not trudging around with straw sandals, I can't help but feel like one of those early Edo era travellers humming away to keep oneself entertained on a long journey. Plus, autumn foliage just made everything look 10 times as picturesque.
Bin-san has lots of matatabi enka under his belt, but, as implied in an earlier article, I have a soft spot for "Tsuma-koi Dochu". Have to thank the Takashima brothers for this too, though.
Haruo Oka (岡晴夫) -- Shiawase Wa Ano Sora Kara (幸福はあの空から)
As somewhat of a perfectionist who stresses wanting to live up to expectations, a particularly difficult lesson I had to learn this year was that it is okay to be wrong and not get things right all the time. Of course, I'm still learning how to do so and to apply it to not just school but social interactions as well. But, at the end of the day, things somehow worked themselves out and, to balance out the bad moments of the year, great moments were around the corner... You could even say, the happiness came from the sky. ROLL CREDITS. AGAIN.
Okkapal's "Shiawase Wa Ano Sora Kara" is probably not one of his notable works but with a title like that and the words of hope and endurance embedded in the lyrics, it is quite a pick-me-upper. It's almost as if he's encouraging you to hang on. I reckon everyone needs something like this in this current situation too. Hopefully, things will get better in the coming year.
And with that, we've come to the end of the article. Thanks for making it to the end. I'm not sure if I'll be posting anything between now and the new year, so let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I guess this would be a personal anniversary of sorts, but today is the 10th anniversary since I made my permanent way back from Japan to Canada after my long odyssey teaching and translating there. Time indeed flies like an arrow, and it wasn't too long after my return that I began "Kayo Kyoku Plus" which has kept my nights busy for nearly a decade.
(short version)
Therefore, I was looking around for what were some of the songs hanging about back in 2011, and I came across this song by Enka Prince Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）called "Jounetsu no Mariachi"(Passion Mariachi). His 23rd single released in September of that year, I recollect that I've heard Hikawa singing it on the various kayo shows which is why I'm surprised that neither me nor possibly Noelle has covered it on the blog before.
"Jounetsu no Mariachi" was written by Reiji Mizuki（水木れいじ）and composed by Hideo Mizumori（水森英夫）. I recollect that even a number of enka tunes have absorbed some of that Latin flavour in the arrangement, but I think that his particular one really has that mariachi band infused in the melody. I'll be honest, there is a level of cheese permeating through this musical plate of nachos in the music video and the live performances, but the entertainment value is there and Hikawa's fans were having their share of fun performing it at the karaoke boxes, I'm sure.
"Jounetsu no Mariachi" hit No. 2 on Oricon and became the 65th-ranked single of 2011. It also won a Best Performance prize at the Japan Record Awards that year.
I could do with a bit of happy right now (for example, that slice of apple cobbler a la mode from The Hard Rock Café in Roppongi above) since I'm feeling downright exhausted at the moment. From early this morning, I had to run the gauntlet with a family member through public transit, rush hour and the worst street in Canada to get to a clinic so that he could get his eye issues resolved. Plus, I had to be on hand as an interpreter in an area that I'm not exactly well versed in: ophthalmology. Anyways, we're home now and the stress has taken a lot out of me so I really ought to be turning in early tonight.
Our enka specialist, Noelle Tham, has been doing the heavy lifting when it comes to the Kiyoshi Hikawa（氷川きよし）file on "Kayo Kyoku Plus". In fact, the last time that I covered one of his songs on my own was back in February 2018 with "Shoubu no Hanamichi"（勝負の花道）. And that's about as jaunty enka as one can get.
However in the last few years, Hikawa has been exploring other genres including hard rock and pop, and it is with this latter genre that I label his latest single, "Happy!", which actually got released today in Japan. Specifically, it is the Enka prince's 37th single.
I first heard "Happy!" on last week's episode of "Hayauta"（はやうた）from NHK and it's as poppy as "Shoubu no Hanamichi" is as enka as all get out. Written by Kunihiko Sugii（杉井邦彦）and composed/arranged by Yuuichi "Masa" Nonaka（野中“まさ”雄一）, along with the plenty of happy vibes, "Happy!" has also got a good dollop of samba to get folks' energies up. The official music video is also very happy with special guest star, actress and former Takarazuka Revue member Yuuki Amami（天海祐希）, wordlessly having some fun cutting up the rug beside Hikawa.
And that is because Amami will be starring in the comedy-drama motion picture "Rougo no Shikin ga Arimasen!"（老後の資金がありません!...We Don't Have Any Retirement Savings!）which is starting its run on October 30th. It deals with a housewife having to stop the financial bleeding from her supposedly happy home due to various causes. "Happy!" will be the theme song for the flick.
As a fan of sumo, I have to say that the most recent Nagoya tournament in mid-July was most thrilling as it served as the stage for a good number of milestones in the sumo world. Among them were the indomitable yokozuna Hakuho's 45th title and perfect 15-0 run despite a year-long absence and the birth of a new yokozuna in the form of Terunofuji. Congratulations to them both!
It has been exactly a year to the basho since I started watching sumo and I've had the pleasure of witnessing the last leg of Teru-chan's comeback from the pits of the 2nd last division due to injury and illness. His inspiring comeback story and beastly performance on the dohyo made him a common favourite in my household, and we were all hoping he'd be the one with the perfect score and the title to add more pizzaz to his yokozuna promotion, but alas, ol' Haks was having none of it. Nevertheless, everyone's still stoked to have their 73rd yokozuna, one who seems to embody the sumo (Japanese) core value of perseverance, so sayeth the Yokozuna Council members, at least. For the time being, Teru had his tsuna (rope, i.e. that thick white belt with the lightning bolts) made and is in the midst of preparing for his dohyo-iri (ring-entering ceremony) during September's tournament.
Speaking of sumo and yokozunas, I bring to you today an enka tune that includes just that: Kiyoshi Hikawa's"Ninjou Toridejuku" (Kindness at the Toride station). It came early on in Hikawa's career on 7th July 2004 as the B-side to the successful single "Banba no Chutaro" (番場の忠太郎) and seems to be decently popular among fans. Like its A-side, there is a ronin element to "Ninjou Toridejuku" alongside the sumo one, the latter of which I couldn't quite comprehend, what with vocabularies like keisho-mawashi (decorative apron) not making any sense to my perenially struggling Japanese ability. I mean, I did vaguely understand that the words "dohyo-iri", sung once at the end, point to sumo, but I didn't see how it related to the whole assumed ronin-based narrative.
As with most songs I enjoy, what got me into "Ninjou Toridejuku" was its rousing melody courtesy of Hideo Mizumori (水森英夫). Making it stand out from most ronin-related enka in my opinion was the liberal usage of the taiko which seemed to suggest a protagonist with a powerful and/or stubbornly proud character... which is also not uncommon among this enka category. It took seeing Hikawa patting his kimono belt and taking on a shoulder-wide stance to finally allow me to fully connect the song to sumo. You can check out the video here.
After quite a bit of research, I believe that Yurio Matsui's (松井由利夫) words take inspiration from author Shin Hasegawa's (長谷川伸) novel "Ippon gatana dohyo-iri" (一本刀土俵入), which also served as the basis for many renowned rokyoku/enka-rokyoku pieces of the same name by the likes of enka greats like Haruo Minami and Michiya Mihashi. So, in a similar vein, "Ninjou Toridejuku" centers around the hapless (former) low-ranking sumo wrestler Mohei, who got kicked out from his stable for one reason or another. Intent on getting back into the profession so as to one day be able to perform the yokozuna dohyo-iri before his mother's grave, Mohei heads to Edo from Komagata, Gunma, to seek a new stable. Along the way, he ends up at the Toride post/pitstop in Ibaraki, broke in the wallet and probably spirit. There, he meets barmaid Otsuta, to whom he relates his story. Sympathetic to his cause, she provides him with some of her possessions and what little money she has to enable him to take the ferry to Edo via the Tone river, to which he swears to repay someday. I think Matsui's telling of Mohei's exploits ends here. Spoiler: Mohei never makes yokozuna... nor even returns to becoming a wrestler. He just turned into a gambler. I mean, he reunites with Otsuta and there's some sort of happy ending, though.
Frankly, considering what Mohei was up to, somehow Mizumori's score seemed to be on the extravagant side, but I suppose if you looked at it as representing Mohei's determination, Otsuta's graciousness and the powerful sport of sumo, it is rather apt. Also, it really gets the blood pumping when having it playing in one's earpieces on the way to Ryogoku.
To round off here's what yokozuna dohyo-iri are supposed to look like, as done by Kakuryu, Harumafuji, Hakuho, and Kisenosato. Can't wait for Terunofuji's.
P.S. J-Canuck had written an article on the other renditions of "Ippon gatana dohyo-iri", so you can check it out here if you're keen.
Hello, it's been quite a while, hasn't it? How has summer (or winter, depending on your hemisphere) been? I somewhat managed to dodge most of the worst of Japan's monstrous summer by escaping to Singapore for a couple of weeks last month, but I did get a taste of it prior. I never thought I'd say this, but I don't think I'll ever complain about the heat and humidity in my home country for a while.
Anyway, I have survived my first term in university and have just begun the second last Monday. Perhaps it's a combination of post-holiday blues and the foreboding amount of assignments, but I feel like I've fallen down the stairs. Face first. Well, in spite of the rough time readjusting, one thing was able to clear that storm on Saturday: My very first karaoke recital.
To give some background information on whatever I know, karaoke recitals that feature enka seem to be quite a major thing in Japan, particularly amongst the elderly, as you can probably tell by the genre. There are those on a larger scale that are professionally organized and host moderately to really popular enka stars and renowned songwriters. These would probably include the competitive category as well, where the acts are judged and scored, and there will be winners. Then there are those small scale ones held in little towns here and there, often organized by a local karaoke joint. Usually, these ones are just simply for the folks to have some fun, and everyone goes home a winner. The one I participated in was the latter, simply because it was my karaoke haunt that held it, and Shiro Jiisanstrongly encouraged me to take part three months prior. I had doubts about my ability, but when the senior you thought was calm yells at you excitedly to join in, you know you have to.
The recital was the 10th installment of the annual "Happi Uta no Saiten", "Happi" being the name of the karaoke joint, and was held at the nearby Nishi-Kawagoe Bunka Kaikan. The event hall wasn't as big as I had feared, though the idea of having about a third of it it filled, in other words way more than what I'm used to, was rather intimidating, especially when they were all going to be looking at me. The regulars I had gotten to know, all veterans at this, most even in charge of the event itself, reassured that it'd be fine. Sure. And they were fussing over what I should wear for my time in the spotlight, which brings me to my next point.
Seems like no matter the scale, participants would still go all out in the way of dressing, contrary to what I had believed. The women would be in loud, frilly or sequin-embellished gowns, or in kimonos, and be decked out in full makeup and possibly wigs. The men would be in flashy suits or kimonos as well. The effort put in truly astounds me. It made my "costumes", comprising of shirts and black jeans, pale in comparison. I did firmly turn down an offer for one of the aforementioned types of dresses. I may have ventured deep into the world of enka, but I have my reservations when it comes to its... fashion sense.
Finally coming down to my song choice. I was due to sing three songs, which was actually one more than the usual - I'll get to that in a bit. There were some changes here and there from the time I began my deliberating in June, but here are my final picks.
The advice I received were: choose something that would knock the audience's socks off, and something jolly. Thinking of the former, I was very close to choosing Hachiro Kasuga's (春日八郎) "Akai Lamp no Shuressha" (赤いランプの終列車), but consultation with my mom led me to Haruo Oka's (岡晴夫)"Akogare no Hawaii Koro" instead. I agreed with her rationale of it being relatively simple while still being able to stun the crowd, but what made me seal the deal was the sentimental value. Considering it was the very first ryukoka I had laid my ears upon nearly a decade ago, I felt that it deserved to be the first tune I sing at my very first karaoke recital.
To get into the Hawaiian spirit, I wore a red Hawaiian shirt over a white T-shirt and had the straw hat Mom wore during her university days upon my head. I jellied when singing, but it turned out OK - better than the rehearsal, at least. I think.
A Kiyoshi Hikawa (氷川きよし) song wasn't on my mind at all in my decision-making. Considering my age, it would be of no surprise should I choose one of his works. However, the folks advised me to change my initial Mood Kayo selection to something more exciting. To what, I did not know, until I tried out Hikawa's "Tora" one day. That was when they unanimously agreed that "Tora" should replace "Shianbashi Blues" (思案橋ブルース). I didn't mind as it felt manageable, and, in hindsight, the words were exactly why I should do it. Besides it being somewhat gender neutral, the proclamation of being the young white tiger before the aged was most fitting. Plus, standing up to adversity without complaint is something particularly resonant in me for this school term.
My outfit here was a white collarless shirt over grey and white striped T-shirt. I think it was the powerful score and the context, but the confidence it lent me (albeit temporarily) made strutting back on to the stage and staring down the growing crowd feel absolutely incredible. "Sing loud and proud. You're the tiger, after all," were my old pal's words. I tried, but I still couldn't help jellying up a bit, and for some reason, particularly during the most critical part of self-declaration. It felt awesome nonetheless.
This number by Hisao Ito (伊藤久男) and Akiko Futaba (二葉あき子) was the first actual duet I sang with a male counterpart. And what began as an impromptu duet between me and Shiro Jiisan became quite the attraction at Happi. It then caught the attention of an under-the-radar enka singer Yoko Ai (藍ようこ), who was to be the recital's guest star, when she came a visiting a month-ish prior to the event. I presume it was mostly due to her ravings that the mama-san and Shiro-san eventually decided that the duet should be included despite the both of us already meeting the two song quota. Seemed like word traveled down the Kasumigaseki-Matoba grapevine real quick, because gramps was happily telling me that one of the highly anticipated acts was, well, us. I suppose many were curious to see the grandpa-grandkid-like duo sing an ancient and obscure tune. Great for my ego, not great for my anxiety.
Because Shiro-san was to wear a yukata, I had to too. I'd never worn one before, so the mama-san, who'd so kindly picked one out for me, helped me put it on. I don't know how people wear these things! The belt was an absolute killer; one can hardly breathe or bend over. I liked the purple on black colour scheme though. Anyway, appearing alongside my Brojiisan (yep, my pun idiocy has reached new lows) allowed for a great deal of fear to be expunged. I guess that's why I was able to pull it off better than the other two in spite of worrying for it the most.
Overall, I had a great time taking part in this recital. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that I've always wanted to take part in something like this, but I didn't think it would be feasible. It started as fantasy, but then enka came into the picture and fantasy morphed into fun romps at karaoke bars, and now, well, here I am. Hmm, how things snowballed down this path fascinates me. I wonder what comes next.
P.S. While I received wonderful encouragement from the familiar regulars, Shiro Jiisan, or should I say, Mr Yamagishi, really went above and beyond. Even though he too had lots of event duties that had him constantly going around and about, he always made sure to show up by my side just before I hit the stage and watch from the sidelines till I was done.
Imagine Ichiro Toba (鳥羽一郎) singing this, and you got Mr Yamagishi.
As per tradition, Jiisan served as the Top Batter for the recital's two segments. He did Oka's "Seishun Paradise" (青春のパラダイス) to kick start the show, then followed up with Akira Fuse's (布施明) rendition of "My Way". He often wears the direst expression when singing (anything), but when he noticed me grinning at him stupidly from the second row of seats in this second segment, I could've sworn that for a split second, that scowl ever so slightly turned upside down.
In the course of the five-ish months (in counting) I've known him for, he slowly went from your typical stony showa era fellow to affectionate marshmallow. I think it's because, aside from music, I've been bothering him with random stuff like my test scores from Japanese class and bromide collection. He does reciprocate in ways such as attempting to understand smartphone technology, and trying to further expand his one trip's worth of knowledge on Singapore.
He is indeed not my actual grandfather, but he's the closest to one I've ever had and always yearned for in a very long time.
You shouldn't look at your list. Go with a song that represents how you feel here and now, that way you'll be able to sing it well and with all your heart.
Somewhere along my midnight music video hunts - I believe, for some reason, I was looking for the MV of Kiyoshi Hikawa's (氷川きよし) "Choito Kimagure Wataridori" (ちょいときまぐれ渡り鳥) - I stumbled upon this website that is quite the treasure trove in the way of downloadable music and videos that one can't find on YouTube. This is the website: www.170hi.com. It's in Chinese, but in a way, it feels reminiscent of the late music163 site, so you guys can try checking things out there - it could be useful.
Anyway, my point is that I found the full MV and a whole lot more Hikawa stuff on this 170hi, like his other full MVs and even Kohaku performances. And while going down the rabbit hole, I came across this set of 4 videos that were linked by way of one of the enka prince's concerts; I later found that they came from his annual concert in 2007, " Kiyoshi Hikawa Special Concert 2007 Kiyoshi Kono Yoru Vol. 7" (氷川きよし・スペシャルコンサート2007 きよしこの夜Vol.7). His outfit was bizarre to say the least, but what caught my attention were the titles of the songs: Seiryu, Suzaku, Tora, and Genbu.
These creatures, collectively known as the Four Symbols, are Chinese constellations that have also made it's way to Japanese and even Korean culture. For example, they were used to label the different factions in the Aizu military troops during the Boshin War (when Japan was trying to fight to stay in its feudal system).
Being a fan of mythological creatures like these, I couldn't help but listen what Hikawa had to say about them. I listened to all of them and found them all interesting in their own right, so, I would like to share my opinions about each of them. I also decided to lump them all together in one article because these creatures are always associated with one another, and on looking through the meanings of these tunes, they more or less revolve around the topic too, which is that of of striving to achieve one's goals with the heart and soul of the titular being - o-enka songs.
Before beginning, I would like to say that all of the lyrics and melodies were brought to you by Koyomi Asa and Sotaro Mori (麻こよみ . 杜奏太朗) respectively. With that said, let's get the ball rolling. (By the way, to watch the videos, click on the numbers like "432P", etc. after you've clicked on the links here.)
Whenever the Four Symbols are mentioned, the first in line tends to be the Seiryu, or Azure Dragon, which represents the East and the season of Spring. In the song itself, I would say that the dramatic and abrasive score accurately depicts a fierce and powerful dragon, with rumbling electric guitar and crashing cymbals reminiscent of thunder. And with a voice that is probably as loud as the roar of the dragon, Hikawa proudly proclaims that he'll fearlessly hold on to and chase his dreams. On his crazy chimera of an outfit, the Seiryu seems to be the most prominent with its overall bluish green, long trailing tail and scales. "Seiryu" was the first of Hikawa's Four Symbols series, being released on 1st September 2004 as a track in the album "Enka Meikyoku Collection 4 ~ Banba no Chutaro ~" (演歌名曲コレクション4〜番場の忠太郎〜).
After the dragon comes the Vermilion Bird, or Suzaku. And unlike what I had initially assumed, the Vermilion Bird and the Phoenix are not the same creature. Anyway, the Suzaku represents the South and the season of Summer. "Suzaku" sounds gentler with more focus on smooth and languid strings, which I suppose can be likened to the bird gracefully gliding through the skies. However, it sounds just as regal. Here, Hikawa sings about pursuing what he believes in a (comparatively) softer and controlled manner, even if setbacks come in to threaten the stable beat of his "wings". The Vermilion Bird can be seen via the long feathers on one of Hikawa's shoulders, although I kind of wonder if the coat tail equates to the birds own tail. "Suzaku" flew out on to the shelves via the "Enka Meikyoku Collection 6 ~ Ikken ~" (演歌名曲コレクション6〜一剣〜) on 28th June 2006.
He's wearing a black and white striped shirt - it counts.
Roaring into the scene quite literally is the White Tiger, or Byakko, which represents the West and the season of Autumn. Despite being known as Byakko, the song was titled a simpler "Tora", and with it we're back to the boastful style similar to "Seiryu" but less ostentatious and a stronger air of dignity. As he proudly struts about our protagonist has faith in his ability to charge forward no matter the distance towards his goals with the heart of a tiger. The huge salt and pepper shag carpet on Hikawa's shoulder is what I believe to be the Byakko part of the costume...? It really looks like it belongs on the floor of someone's house. "Tora" had actually stepped out into the scene earlier than "Suzaku" on 23rd November 2005 in "Enka Juu-Ni Ban Shoubu! ~ Omokage no Miyako ~" (演歌十二番勝負！〜面影の都〜).
Finally, we have the Genbu, also known as the Black Tortoise (that has a snake as a tail), which represents the North and the season of winter. Up to this point, the Four Symbols have been rather majestic creatures, but the last doesn't exactly fit into the "majestic" mold, does it? A tortoise is slow and lumbering, which can be heard from the heavy, rhythmic beats of the melody to "Genbu", but then again, one could turn it these traits into stability and being sure-footed. And I think that's what the lyrics are trying to get at: While, yes, there are times when there's nothing you can really do, the best thing you can do is stay firm in your beliefs. Now, while the dragon up to the tiger is pretty obvious on Hikawa's garb, I have some problems in seeing where the tortoise lies. I suppose it's the long dangling chain from his hip that's meant to look like the Genbu's snake...? At this point, I've given up on dissecting this Frankenstein's monster suit. "Genbu" took its time in making an appearance, coming out 3 years after "Seiryu" on 19th September 2007 in "Enka Meikyoku Collection 7 ~ Abayo . Kiyoshi no Sora Bushi ~" (演歌名曲コレクション7〜あばよ・きよしのソーラン節〜).
That about does it for this article. I hope you've enjoyed the odes to the Four Symbols as much as I did. If I had to pick a favourite, it'd be between "Seiryu" and "Tora". What would yours be?
P.S. Hikawa's record company really knows the words "Fan service" front and back because all his albums come with lots of photos of him in a myriad of poses. That said, I kind of wonder why they don't venture into other memorabilia like pins or key chains. Those would definitely sell like hotcakes, and I wouldn't mind getting a pin with him on it either.
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.
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