is a Japanese
musical genre
A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. Genre is to be distinguished from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometim ...
. The term originally denoted any kind of "
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
" in Japanese, and is the
sinic reading of ''hayariuta'', used for commercial music of
Edo Period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
. Therefore, ''imayō'', which was promoted by
Emperor Go-Shirakawa in the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
, was a kind of ''ryūkōka''. Today, however, ''ryūkōka'' refers specifically to Japanese popular music from the late 1920s through the early 1960s. Some of the roots of ''ryūkōka'' were developed from Western
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
.
''Ryūkōka'' ultimately split into two genres: ''
enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...
'' and ''poppusu''. Unlike ''enka'', archetypal ''ryūkōka'' songs did not use the ''kobushi'' method of singing. ''Ryūkōka'' used
legato
In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly, such that the transition from note to note is made with no intervening si ...
.
Bin Uehara
was a Japanese music (''ryūkōka'') singer and soldier. He was known for using naniwa-bushi's ''kobushi'' vocalism in Japanese popular music. He was killed in action during the eastern New Guinea campaign during the Pacific War.
Life
Uehara w ...
and
Yoshio Tabata
was a Japanese ''ryūkōka'' and ''enka'' singer, songwriter, and electric guitarist. His debut song was released in 1939. Along with enka-shi Haruo Oka's 1939 debut, his debut had a big impact on Japanese popular music because Japanese popular ...
are considered to be among the founders of the modern style of ''kobushi'' singing.
Many composers and singers of ''ryūkōka'' went on to earn official distinctions;
Ichiro Fujiyama and composers
Masao Koga
was a Japanese composer, mandolinist, and guitarist of the Shōwa era who was dubbed "Japan's Irving Berlin" by Universal Press Syndicate. His melancholy style, based upon Nakayama Shimpei's '' yonanuki'' scale, was popularly known in Japan ...
and
Ryoichi Hattori received the
People's Honour Award
is one of the commendations bestowed by the Prime Minister of Japan on people in recognition of their accomplishments in sport, entertainment, and other fields. The award, not restricted to Japanese nationals, was created in 1977 by the then-Prime ...
in later years.
Although ''enka'' branched off from ''ryūkōka'', many singers of the latter genre proclaimed strong disdain for its stylistic descendant. In a 1981 interview,
Noriko Awaya said "Whenever I hear ''enka'', I have to get away from the music because I feel like vomiting."
[Original text: "演歌を聴くと胸がムカムカするから、あれが聴こえてくると逃げ回るんです。"]
History
1914–1927: Origin
In 1914,
Sumako Matsui's song "
Katyusha's song", composed by
Shinpei Nakayama, was used as a theme of the rendition ''
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...
'' in Japan. The record of the song sold 20,000 copies. One theory holds that this was the first ''ryūkōka'' song, which was made by
Hogetsu Shimamura's order: "the tune between Japanese popular folk music and Western music".
[Original text: "日本の俗謡と西洋歌曲の中間のような旋律"] However, street performers called had been popular until record labels such as the
Victor Company of Japan began to produce songs in the early
Shōwa period
Shōwa most commonly refers to:
* Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa
** Shōwa era (昭和), the era of Hirohito from 1926 to 1989
* Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufactu ...
.
Although Matsui committed suicide after Shimamura's death, Nakayama continued to develop his music. During his career, he composed about 3,000 songs such as the 1921 song "
Teru teru bozu". Nakayama transferred Japanese traditional music to
staff-style by main force. His 1921 song was later covered by various singers, but was at first best known for being covered by
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
enka-shi featuring
Orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...
. The
pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to heptatonic scales, which have seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale).
Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many ancient ci ...
used in this song was "
Minor scale
In Classical_music, Western classical music theory, the minor scale refers to three Scale (music), scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending).
...
without forth and seventh
degree". However, the music based on the scale had difficult in presenting
chord and
harmony
In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...
because
traditional Japanese music
Traditional Japanese music is the folk or traditional music of Japan. Japan's Ministry of Education classifies as a category separate from other traditional forms of music, such as (court music) or (Buddhist chanting), but most ethnomusic ...
didn't adopt
equal temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament or Musical tuning#Tuning systems, tuning system that approximates Just intonation, just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into steps such that the ratio of the frequency, frequencie ...
.
Nakayama's songs were based on Japanese folk music called ''
min'yō
, ''Nihon min'yō'', Japanese ''min'yō'' or Japanese folk music is a genre of traditional Music of Japan, Japanese music.
Characteristics
Styles
Many ''min'yō'' are connected to forms of work or to specific trades and were originally su ...
'', but also adopted Western musical style. Therefore, his music was called .
1928–1930: Beginning of popularity
In the early Showa period, the
microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...
was introduced into the popular music of Japan.
Teiichi Futamura released his cover version of in 1928. The song was originally composed by
Fred Fisher
Fred Fisher (born Alfred Breitenbach; September 30, 1875 – January 14, 1942) was a German-born American songwriter and Tin Pan Alley music publisher.
Biography
Fisher was born in Cologne, Germany. His parents were Max and Theodora Breitenbach ...
.
Chiyako Sato's 1928 song , composed by Nakayama, sold 100,000 copies.
The song was also sung by singer
Yoshie Fujiwara.
Chiyako Sato's 1929 song "Tokyo March" sold more than 300,000 copies.
1931–1937: Rising popularity
Some of the country's first major stars were singer
Ichiro Fujiyama and composer
Masao Koga
was a Japanese composer, mandolinist, and guitarist of the Shōwa era who was dubbed "Japan's Irving Berlin" by Universal Press Syndicate. His melancholy style, based upon Nakayama Shimpei's '' yonanuki'' scale, was popularly known in Japan ...
. Koga attempted to initiate fusion of Western jazz and Japanese
dodoitsu.
Fujiyama's 1931 song , composed by Koga, became a major hit in Japan. This song created a fusion of Fujiyama's
crooning
A crooner is a singer who performs with a smooth, intimate style that originated in the 1920s. The crooning style was made possible by better microphones that picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to acce ...
and Koga's
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
play.
Using the vocal technic ''
Mezza Voce'' with a microphone, Fujiyama sang the song by the deep voice of not
Opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
's
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major.
The G natural minor scale is:
Changes n ...
but
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major.
The D natural minor scale is:
Changes needed ...
.
Fujiyama's song sold 600,000 copies. However, Fujiyama was an elite student, who specialized Western
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
in the
Tokyo Music School. ''Ryūkōka'' songs often dealt with the "
Ero Guro Nansensu" things.
Since his school regarded ''ryūkōka'' as bad form at that time, Fujiyama was once suspended from the school, though Fujiyama was not dismissed from the school because
Klaus Pringsheim Sr., a professor of the school, opposed the proposal of Fujiyama's expulsion.
This period also saw the popularity of ''
geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha
{{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor= ...
'' singers such as
Ichimaru and
Katsutaro Kouta. Katsutaro became famous when Fujiyama was turned out of ''ryūkōka''. Her song sold 600,000 copies. Katsutaro and Issei Mishima recorded
duet
A duet (italian language, Italian: ''duo'') is a musical composition for two Performing arts, performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a har ...
song "Tokyo Ondo". The song was composed by Shinpei Nakayama and was released in 1933. The single "Tokyo Ondo" sold 1,200,000 copies.
When Fujiyama sang Western classic
lied
In the Western classical music tradition, ( , ; , ; ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German and Dutch, but among English and French speakers, is often used interchangea ...
songs, those songs were called "
kayōkyoku
is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. ''The Japan Times'' described ''kayōkyoku'' as "standard Japanese pop" or "Shōwa period, Shōwa-era pop".
''Kayōkyoku'' represents a blend of Western and Japanese musical s ...
", but the term "kayōkyoku" went on to be used as another name of ''ryūkōka'' in
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
.
At first, Koga was a good co-worker for Fujiyama but they moved apart from each other because Koga sought "Japanese" music. On the other hand, Yoshie Fujiwara drew a clear line between him and ''ryūkōka'' and established the
Fujiwara Opera in 1934, launching the establishment of Japanese
Opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
.
Baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
singer
Taro Shoji
was a popular Japanese ryūkōka singer. He also used the aliases , , and in his early recording career.
Early life
Shōji was born in Akita, Akita Prefecture. His father was an employee of the South Manchuria Railway, and his parents moved ...
's 1934 song also became popular, though he did not know
Kunisada Chūji, the theme of the song.
Soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
singer
Noriko Awaya also sang ''ryūkōka'', but the
Toyo Music School once annulled her graduation.
However, her song became a hit in 1937.
The song was composed by jazz composer
Ryoichi Hattori.
She was called "Queen of Blues", though term "
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
" was just a song title.
1937–1945: Influences of war
In 1936,
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
started radio program to compete with ''ryūkōka'', which was under the influence of "Ero Guro Nansensu", but it soon began to air
war song
A war song is a musical composition that relates to war, or a society's attitudes towards war. They may be pro-war, anti-war, or simply a description of everyday life during war times.
It is possible to classify these songs by historical conflic ...
s around July 1937.
The program was renamed to in 1941 and then in 1942.
The songs during the war were called . During the war, many musicians were forced to write war songs.
Yuji Koseki composed many war songs and was later criticised as a war collaborator, though he seemed to be touched with remorse. Koseki composed released in 1937. Although the song was a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
song, it sold 600,000 copies. The 1937 song sold 1,000,000 copies. However, Japanese jazz musicians such as
Ryoichi Hattori seemed to be vigorless to compose war songs.
His son
Katsuhisa Hattori
was a Japanese classical composer who also wrote music for anime films, television series and Original video animation, OVAs. Hattori was a respected composer in Japan; his style was classical, although he was experienced and respected in many ot ...
claimed that he was not an antinationalist and he technically were hardly not able to compose war songs even if they wanted to make those because Japanese war songs were musically ''
enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...
''.

On the other hand, former enka-shi
Haruo Oka's debut song was released in 1939.
Yoshio Tabata
was a Japanese ''ryūkōka'' and ''enka'' singer, songwriter, and electric guitarist. His debut song was released in 1939. Along with enka-shi Haruo Oka's 1939 debut, his debut had a big impact on Japanese popular music because Japanese popular ...
also mede his debut with song in 1939. ''
Rōkyoku'' (''naniwa-bushi'') was used for enhancing the national prestige.
Although many war songs were made after the beginning of the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
, , sung by Noboru Kirishima and
Akiko Futaba, became popular as a lyrical song. When the war was nearing an end, the theme included frightful spectacles such as the
Battle of Attu,
Guadalcanal Campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allies of World War II, Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during th ...
and
Marshall Islands Campaign.
Oka went to
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south, and three districts (''k ...
, but fell ill and soon returned to Japan.
Bin Uehara
was a Japanese music (''ryūkōka'') singer and soldier. He was known for using naniwa-bushi's ''kobushi'' vocalism in Japanese popular music. He was killed in action during the eastern New Guinea campaign during the Pacific War.
Life
Uehara w ...
, who used ''kobushi'' of ''naniwa-bushi'' for singing, was killed in the
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign of the Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Territory of New Guinea on 23 January and Territory of Papua on ...
and Fujiyama was taken prisoner in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
.
After the war, the songs during the war have been regarded as a taboo even in Japan despite those historical importance.
One of war songs, , composed by
Isao Hayashi, went on to become a theme of Japanese right-wing groups called ''
uyoku dantai''.
Li Xianglan's "Suzhou Nocturne", composed by Hattori, has remained controversial in China, though it was a non-propaganda song. After the war,
Taro Shoji
was a popular Japanese ryūkōka singer. He also used the aliases , , and in his early recording career.
Early life
Shōji was born in Akita, Akita Prefecture. His father was an employee of the South Manchuria Railway, and his parents moved ...
, who heard the
Gyokuon-hōsō
The Hirohito surrender broadcast (, ), was a radio broadcast of surrender given by Hirohito, the emperor of Japan, on August 15, 1945.
It announced to the Japanese people that the Japanese government had accepted the Potsdam Declaration, which ...
in
Nagano Prefecture
is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...
, was once banned from singing many of his songs because those were regarded as nationalistic.
''Rōkyoku'' faded into the wallpaper with the spread of television in the postwar period.
In 1946, NHK revived their music program as "Radio Kayō" and it was later reformed as "
Minna no Uta", but NHK was disinclined to mention its former history.
1945–1954: Postwar popularity
Michiko Namiki's song sung by Michiko Namiki and Noboru Kirishima, airing in 1945 movie "Soyokaze", became popular. Haruo Oka also released hit songs such as his 1946 song and his 1948 song . Ichiro Fujiyama, who was falsely reported to have been killed in battle, returned to Japan in 1946.

Ryoichi Hattori, who moved to
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
in 1944, contributed to advancing Japanese ''poppusu'' music after the war.
Shizuko Kasagi's 1947 song "Tokyo Boogie-Woogie", composed by Hattori, became popular. Hattori also composed
Ichimaru's 1949 song "Shamisen Boogie-Woogie". Around that time,
Hibari Misora became known as an
impersonator
An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone:
*Living history: After close study of some historical figure, a performer may dress and speak "as" that ...
of Kasagi. She made her debut with song "Kappa Boogie-Woogie" in 1949. Hattori's composed song , which was sung by Ichiro Fujiyama and Mitsue Nara, became a major hit in the early post-war years in Japan.
Yuji Koseki composed and .
"Nagasaki no Kane", based on
Takashi Nagai's book ''
The Bells of Nagasaki'', was sung by Fujiyama in 1949. Fujiyama became the final singer of all singers at the 1st
Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
with "Nagasaki no Kane" in 1951.
Chiemi Eri debuted in 1952 and
Izumi Yukimura
is a Japanese popular singer and actress.
Yukimura made her debut with the song in 1953. Her style of singing varied from jazz to rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), ...
debuted in 1953. Fujiyama moved to
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
in 1954 and returned to his original style―classical music. He went on to become a
conductor for "
Hotaru no Hikari" at the
Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
.
1955–1963: Transformation of music
New singers such as
Hibari Misora,
Hachiro Kasuga
, born Minoru Watabe, was a Japanese enka singer. He has been dubbed "the first enka singer".
Having seen Ichiro Fujiyama on stage, he attempted to become a popular singer. After he graduated from the Toyo Music School, he joined the Imperial ...
,
Michiya Mihashi
Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 ''Mihashi Michiya'', November 10, 1930 – January 8, 1996), born Michiya Kitazawa (北沢 美智也 ''Kitazawa Michiya'') in Kamiiso, Hokkaidō, was an enka singer in postwar Japan. Along with Hachiro Kasuga and ...
and
Chiyoko Shimakura became popular when old singers became unpopular.
The period between around 1955 and 1964 saw the popularity of "
kayōkyoku
is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. ''The Japan Times'' described ''kayōkyoku'' as "standard Japanese pop" or "Shōwa period, Shōwa-era pop".
''Kayōkyoku'' represents a blend of Western and Japanese musical s ...
".
Around that time, Japanese composers went on to establish their own genres such as
Toru Funamura and
Minoru Endo's "Enka",
Tadashi Yoshida Tadashi (Kanji: 正, 禎, 忠, 荘, 匡史, 理 Hiragana
is a Japanese language, Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''.
It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' ...
's "Mood Kayō", and
Hachidai Nakamura and
Hiroshi Miyagawa's "Jazz".
Masao Koga
was a Japanese composer, mandolinist, and guitarist of the Shōwa era who was dubbed "Japan's Irving Berlin" by Universal Press Syndicate. His melancholy style, based upon Nakayama Shimpei's '' yonanuki'' scale, was popularly known in Japan ...
renounced his pre-war musical style, approaching Hibari Misora.
The song "Otomisan" was made for being sung by Haruo Oka, but was eventually sung by
Hachiro Kasuga
, born Minoru Watabe, was a Japanese enka singer. He has been dubbed "the first enka singer".
Having seen Ichiro Fujiyama on stage, he attempted to become a popular singer. After he graduated from the Toyo Music School, he joined the Imperial ...
and became a major hit in Japan in 1954. The single sold over one million copies.
The song was composed by
Masanobu Tokuchi, who came from the
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...
. Kasuga's 1955 song "Wakare no Ipponsugi", composed by Funamura, also became a hit song. Funamura also composed
Michiya Mihashi
Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 ''Mihashi Michiya'', November 10, 1930 – January 8, 1996), born Michiya Kitazawa (北沢 美智也 ''Kitazawa Michiya'') in Kamiiso, Hokkaidō, was an enka singer in postwar Japan. Along with Hachiro Kasuga and ...
's 1955 song "Anoko Ga Naiteru Hatoba". ''Ryōkyōku'' singers such as
Haruo Minami and
Hideo Murata
was a Japanese rōkyoku and enka singer. He took part in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen 27 times.
Murata was born as a son of rōkyoku singer and . However, he was immediately adopted by and became his stepfather. His real name was . He studied rōk ...
joined Japanese popular music. Hachiro Kasuga, Michiya Mihashi and Hideo Murata went on to form their genre later called ''enka''.
Frank Nagai
Frank Nagai (フランク 永井; March 18, 1932 – October 27, 2008) was a Japanese singer. Known for his attractive baritone voice. His real name was Kiyoto Nagai (永井 清人 ''Nagai Kiyoto'').
Life
Frank Nagai was born in Matsuyama, M ...
's 1957 song "
Yūrakuchō de Aimashō", composed by Yoshida, also became popular. Around that time, however, Japanese
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
movement began and the
Nichigeki Western Carnival was opened in 1958. The concerts were taken part in by future popular singers such as
Mickey Curtis and
Kyu Sakamoto
, legally registered as since 1956, was a Japanese singer and actor.
He was best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (known as "Sukiyaki (song), Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japane ...
. Against Japanese rock and roll movement,
Yukio Hashi shocked Japanese popular music as a young ''enka'' singer because singers of the genre were elderly singers such as Hachiro Kasuga and Michiya Mihashi.
Japanese singers such as Kyu Sakamoto,
The Peanuts and
Mieko Hirota
was a Japanese singer. Her nickname was Mico (also spelled ''Miko'').
Hirota was born in Setagaya, Tokyo. She grew up listening to pop and jazz in places like Tachikawa, which was frequented by Occupation troops. She made her debut in 1961 at ...
covered American songs at first, but they began to sing their own song. Sakamoto's 1961 single "
Ue o muite arukō", composed by Nakamura, became a major hit in Japan. On the other hand, Hideo Murata's 1961 single , composed by Toru Funamura, sold over one million copies in Japan. On June 5, 1962,
Saburō Kitajima made his debut with the single "Bungacha Bushi." Funamura composed Kitajima's 1962 hit song . Hiroshi Miyagawa composed The Peanuts' 1962 song "Furimukanaide." The Peanuts also sang "
Mothra's Song". The song was composed by Yuji Koseki.
In 1963, the era of former popular singers such as
Hibari Misora,
Chiemi Eri,
Izumi Yukimura
is a Japanese popular singer and actress.
Yukimura made her debut with the song in 1953. Her style of singing varied from jazz to rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), ...
,
Hachiro Kasuga
, born Minoru Watabe, was a Japanese enka singer. He has been dubbed "the first enka singer".
Having seen Ichiro Fujiyama on stage, he attempted to become a popular singer. After he graduated from the Toyo Music School, he joined the Imperial ...
,
Michiya Mihashi
Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 ''Mihashi Michiya'', November 10, 1930 – January 8, 1996), born Michiya Kitazawa (北沢 美智也 ''Kitazawa Michiya'') in Kamiiso, Hokkaidō, was an enka singer in postwar Japan. Along with Hachiro Kasuga and ...
and
Frank Nagai
Frank Nagai (フランク 永井; March 18, 1932 – October 27, 2008) was a Japanese singer. Known for his attractive baritone voice. His real name was Kiyoto Nagai (永井 清人 ''Nagai Kiyoto'').
Life
Frank Nagai was born in Matsuyama, M ...
seemed to end and Sakamoto released a Japanese hit song titled "
Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o".
In June 1963, Sakamoto's "Ue o muite arukō" reached the number-one position in the U.S.
''Billboard'' Hot 100 under its alternative title "Sukiyaki". In 1963, Kitajima's song and
Kazuo Funaki's song also became popular. Both songs were composed by Minoru Endo. Hashi and Funaki became singers for youth music, making a new genre called .
1963–1966: Enka's independence and collapse
On September 6, 1963, record label
Nippon Crown
is a Japanese record label established as Crown Records on 6 September 1963. It is a spin-off of Nippon Columbia and is owned by karaoke maker Daiichikosho. The record label singles which topped the Oricon Singles Chart are Kaze's "22-Sai no ...
became independent from the
Nippon Columbia
, often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...
.
Saburō Kitajima was its member.
Hibari Misora presented a song titled "Kanto Harusame Kasa" when the record label was established. Kitajima took part in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the first time on December 31, 1963. The audience share of the 14th
Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
reached 81.4% in 1963.
In 1964, Haruo Minami released his cover version of song , composed by
Masao Koga
was a Japanese composer, mandolinist, and guitarist of the Shōwa era who was dubbed "Japan's Irving Berlin" by Universal Press Syndicate. His melancholy style, based upon Nakayama Shimpei's '' yonanuki'' scale, was popularly known in Japan ...
. In 1965, Kitajima released a string of hits such as , and . "Kaerokana" was composed by
Hachidai Nakamura. Koga composed Hibari's song "Yawara", which won the grand prix award at the
Japan Record Award
is a major music awards show, held annually in Japan that recognizes outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association. Established in 1959, the Japan Record Awards are one of the oldest and most prestigious music awards in the count ...
in 1965. Koga was also an original composer of Hibari's 1966 cover song . His music, called "Koga melody", became a base of modern ''enka'' and he became known as "the father of modern ''enka''".
On the other hand, Hachidai Nakamura also composed the
Johnnys' 1964 debut single "Wakai Namida." Japanese guitarist
Yūzō Kayama also produced his 1965 hit song "Kimi to Itsumademo" as a singer. British rock band
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
visited Japan and had a concert at the
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wres ...
in 1966. With the aim of breaking the traditional style,
Group Sounds
, often abbreviated as GS, is a genre of Japanese rock music which became popular in the mid to late 1960s and initiated the fusion of Japanese ''kayōkyoku'' music and Western rock music. Their music production techniques were regarded as playin ...
band The Blue Comets' 1966 song , originally released as an English song, was released as a Japanese song. In 1966, folk singer
Ryoko Moriyama, a daughter of jazz musician Hisashi Moriyama, also released hit song . The Blue Comets' song "Blue Chateau" won the grand prix award at the Japan Record Award in 1967.
The Folk Crusaders' 1967 song "I Only Live Twice" also had a big impact on Japanese popular music. New musical movement called also a string of hits such as
Ayumi Ishida's 1968 song "Blue Light Yokohama", composed by Kyohei Tsutsumi.
Group Sounds became unpopular in the late 1960s in Japan. Then, Group Sounds was displaced by "New Rock" in Japanese underground rock music around 1970. Japanese-language rock band
Happy End became one of prototypes of modern
J-pop
J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...
. Mickey Curtis formed rock band "Samurai" in 1969 in U.K. and later scouted the Japanese band "Carol" in which leader was
Eikichi Yazawa
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and a prominent figure in Japanese popular music. Yoko Yazawa of The Generous is his daughter. He has been nicknamed as Ei-chan (永ちゃん), Boss or The King of Rock.
Biography
Sources:
1949-1967: Early Li ...
.
Legacy
A part of Ryoichi Hattori's Western-style music during that period remained in Western-style
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
of Japan and was transvalued in 2000s. His
tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...
was released on October 17, 2007. Various musicians such as
Hideaki Tokunaga (for "Wakare no Blues"),
Kazumasa Oda (for "Suzhou Nocturne"),
Masaharu Fukuyama (for "Tokyo Boogie-woogie") and
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (for "
Aoi Sanmyaku") took part in the album. The tribute album debuted at the number-ten position on the Japanese
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...
weekly album charts.
See also
*
J-pop
J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...
*
Enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...
*
Trot
The trot is a two-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is som ...
*
Taiwanese pop
Footnotes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryukoka
Japanese styles of music
Popular music