138-524: Enka ( 演歌 ) 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, popular during the prewar years. Modern enka , as developed in the postwar era, is a form of sentimental ballad music . Some of the first modern enka singers were Hachiro Kasuga , Michiya Mihashi , and Hideo Murata . The revival of enka in its modern form
276-543: A dōnuki . Kimono that were in better condition could be re-used as an under-kimono, or to create a false underlayer known as a hiyoku . Children also traditionally wore kataire , kimono made of a fancier material in the okumi and upper back. Kimono are traditionally made from a single bolt of fabric known as a tanmono , which is roughly 11.5 metres (38 ft) long and 36 centimetres (14 in) wide for women, and 12.5 metres (41 ft) long and 42 centimetres (17 in) wide for men. The entire bolt
414-505: A career of composing about 5,000 songs. Toru Funamura became self-employed in 1978, beginning live performances and returning to the original position for his old friend Kimio Takano. Keiko Fuji announced her retirement in 1979 and went to the United States . Takashi Hosokawa 's song "Kita Sakaba" won the grand prix at the 24th Japan Record Awards in 1982. He covered Naomi Chiaki 's originally song "Yagiri no Watashi" next year. It
552-656: A child, became a voice actress and also appeared as a singer on King Records in 2000. On August 25, 2004, Johnny & Associates ' group Kanjani Eight debuted with the Kansai-limited release of "Naniwa Iroha Bushi" under the Teichiku Records . The song was based on " Kawachi ondo " and featured rap . The song was a hit and reached No. 8 on the Oricon weekly singles chart on the strength of Kansai sales alone. Then, on September 22, 2004, "Naniwa Iroha Bushi"
690-418: A composer whose work is considered seminal to the creation of the genre, present-day enka is different from Koga's primary music because the singing styles of many postwar singers were different from the kobushi of Koga's musical note. Modern enka singer Takeshi Kitayama himself admitted in 2006, "I was even confused because [Koga's] musical note was different from that of an old singer." Enka suggests
828-420: A few percent of the bought-new price. In the 1990s and early 2000s, many secondhand kimono shops opened as a result of this. In the early years of the 21st century, the cheaper and simpler yukata became popular with young people. Around 2010, men began wearing kimono again in situations other than their own wedding, and kimono were again promoted and worn as everyday dress by a small minority. Today,
966-532: A kimono as part of their profession, and rikishi ( sumo wrestlers) must wear kimonos at all times in public. Despite the small number of people who wear it regularly and its reputation as a complicated garment, the kimono has experienced a number of revivals in previous decades, and is still worn today as fashionable clothing in Japan. The first instances of kimono-like garments in Japan were traditional Chinese clothing introduced to Japan via Chinese envoys in
1104-404: A left-to-right closure, following typical Chinese fashions. This convention of wear is still followed today, with a right-to-left closure worn only by the deceased. Clothing used by the upper classes was significantly simpler to don and wear than dress from the following Heian period. Sleeves, while narrow, were long enough to cover the fingers, since status was associated with covering more of
1242-434: A leftover from the trailing length of most women's kimono, which had previously been either held up by hand when walking or tied up loosely with a shigoki obi ; though kimono were not worn as trailing towards the end of the 19th century, the excess length of most women's kimono remained, with the hip fold formalised and neatened into the ohashori of the modern day. Kimono have a set method of construction, which allows
1380-741: 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 . Kasuga's 1955 song "Wakare no Ipponsugi", composed by Funamura, also became a hit song. Funamura also composed Michiya Mihashi 's 1955 song "Anoko Ga Naiteru Hatoba". Ryōkyōku singers such as Haruo Minami and Hideo Murata joined Japanese popular music. Hachiro Kasuga, Michiya Mihashi and Hideo Murata went on to form their genre later called enka . Frank Nagai 's 1957 song " Yūrakuchō de Aimashō ", composed by Yoshida, also became popular. Around that time, however, Japanese rock and roll movement began and
1518-476: A major hit in Japan. On the other hand, Hideo Murata's 1961 single "Ōsho" ( 王将 , lit. "King General" ) , 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 "Namida Bune" ( なみだ船 , lit. "Boat of Tears" ) . Hiroshi Miyagawa composed The Peanuts' 1962 song "Furimukanaide." The Peanuts also sang " Mothra 's Song". The song
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#17327910249171656-455: A major influence. From this point onwards, the basic shape of both men's and women's kimono remained largely unchanged. The sleeves of the kosode began to grow in length, especially amongst unmarried women, and the obi became much longer and wider, with various styles of knots coming into fashion, alongside stiffer weaves of material to support them. In the Edo period, the kimono market
1794-419: A male singer. In the early 1960s, rockabilly influenced by Elvis Presley began to gain popularity. Kyu Sakamoto , who came from Japanese rockabilly, joined Japanese popular music. However, many Japanese music critics complained about rockabilly, and Hideo Murata 's 1961 "pure Japanese style"-like song "Ōsho", composed by Toru Funamura, became a million-selling single in Japan. When Kyu Sakamoto took part in
1932-460: A musical project of the rock band Soul Flower Union , played sōshi enka to help buoy the spirits of disaster victims. In the early Shōwa period in the late 1920s, record companies produced ryūkōka in place of enka-shi . Enka-shi began to use guitar and were dubbed nagashi ( 流し ) . Haruo Oka debuted with the 1939 song "Kokkyō no Haru" ( 国境の春 , lit. "Spring at the Border" ) on
2070-541: A new genre called "Seishun Kayō" ( 青春歌謡 , lit. "Youthful Kayō" ) . On September 6, 1963, record label Nippon Crown became independent from the Nippon Columbia . 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
2208-415: A single formal kimono could support the seller comfortably for three months. The kimono industry peaked in 1975, with total sales of 2.8 trillion yen (~£18 billion). The sale of informal brand new kimono was largely neglected. The economic collapse of the 1990s bankrupted much of the kimono industry and ended a number of expensive practices. The rules for how to wear kimono lost their previous hold over
2346-475: 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 . Mickey Curtis formed rock band "Samurai" in 1969 in U.K. and later scouted
2484-462: A subtle pattern, and textured fabrics are more common in informal men's kimono. Informal men's kimono may also feature slightly brighter colours, such as lighter purples, greens and blues. Sumo wrestlers have occasionally been known to wear quite bright colours, such as fuchsia, in their kimono, which they are required to wear when appearing in public. The fabrics that kimono are made from are classified in two categories within Japan. Gofuku ( 呉服 )
2622-559: A success in Japan, selling 150,000 copies. He went back to India a few years later, but returned to Japan in 2008. In 2002, Yolanda Tasico became the first Filipino enka singer, going to Japan with her singles "Shiawase ni Narō", "Nagai Aida", and many others. In the United States, while enka remains popular among a section of the (typically older) Japanese-American population, enka has many fans among non-Japanese. There are some enka orchestras and performers active in
2760-584: A traditional, idealized, or romanticized aspect of Japanese culture and attitudes. Enka singers, predominantly women, usually perform in a kimono or in evening dress. Male enka performers tend to wear formal dress, or in some performances, traditional Japanese attire. Nods to traditional Japanese music are common in enka . The melodies of enka are fundamentally Western harmonies, and electronic instruments are used, such as synthesizers and electric lead guitar with plenty of distortion, but its musical instruments also include traditional Japanese instruments such as
2898-589: A trend that continued throughout the Taishō period, as social occasions and opportunities for leisure increased under the abolition of class distinctions. As Western clothing increased in popularity for men as everyday clothing, the kimono industry further established its own traditions of formal and informal dress for women; this saw the invention of the hōmongi , divisions of tomesode (short-sleeved) kimono for women, and montsuki hakama . The bridal kimono trousseau ( oyomeiri dōgu ), an uncommon practice of
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#17327910249173036-778: A variety of ways, depending on the type of kimono and its original use. When the cloth is worn out, it may be used as fabric for smaller items or to create boroboro (patchwork) kimono (which were also sometimes made for the sake of fashion ). The fact that the pattern pieces of a kimono consist of rectangles, and not complex shapes, make reuse in garments or other items easier. Sashiko are used to hold cloth together and decorate it. The cloth used for patchwork clothing must all be of similar weight , drape , and handle . Formal kimono, made of expensive and thin silk fabrics, would have been re-sewn into children's kimono when they became unusable for adults, as they were typically unsuitable for practical clothing; kimono were shortened, with
3174-635: A wide variety of fibre types, including hemp, linen, silk, Japanese crêpe (known as chirimen ), and figured damask weaves ( rinzu ). Fabrics are typically – for both obi and kimono – woven as tanmono (bolts of narrow width), save for certain types of obi (such as the maru obi ), woven to double-width. Formal kimono are almost always made from silk, with thicker, heavier, stiff or matte fabrics generally being considered informal. Modern kimono are widely available in fabrics considered easier to care for, such as polyester. Kimono linings are typically silk or imitation silk, and often match
3312-426: Is Hibari Misora (1937–1989), known as the "Queen of Enka " and "Queen of Shōwa" for the period in which she lived and was celebrated. Misora's song "Yawara", composed by Masao Koga, won the grand prix award at the 1965 Japan Record Award . Masaru Matsuyama also made his debut in 1965, but was not able to achieve commercial success and changed his stage name to Hiroshi Itsuki in 1971. Mina Aoe appeared with
3450-486: Is Shiro Miya and Pinkara Trio's 1972 " Onna no Michi ." The song topped the Japanese Oricon single charts for 16 consecutive weeks and sold over 3.25 million copies, to become the second best-selling single in Japan behind " Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun ." Hiroshi Itsuki 's song "Yozora" won the grand prix award at the 15th Japan Record Awards in 1973. Shinichi Mori released the single "Erimo Misaki" in 1974. Although
3588-561: Is said to date from 1969, when Keiko Fuji made her debut. The most famous male enka singers are Shinichi Mori and Kiyoshi Hikawa . The term enka was first used to refer to political texts set to music which were sung and distributed by opposition activists belonging to the Freedom and People's Rights Movement during the Meiji period (1868–1912) as a means of bypassing government curbs on speeches of political dissent – and in this sense
3726-567: Is the sinic reading of hayariuta , used for commercial music of Edo Period . Therefore, imayō , which was promoted by Emperor Go-Shirakawa in the Heian period , 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 . Ryūkōka ultimately split into two genres: enka and poppusu . Unlike enka , archetypal ryūkōka songs did not use
3864-564: Is the term used to indicate silk kimono fabrics, composed of the characters go ( 呉 , the Japanese pronunciation of "Wu") , referring to the State of Wu in ancient China where silk weaving technology developed, and fuku ( 服 , meaning "clothing") . The term gofuku is also used to refer to kimono in general within Japan, particularly within the context of the kimono industry, as traditional kimono shops are referred to as either gofukuten ( 呉服店 ) or gofukuya ( 呉服屋 ) – with
4002-455: Is used to make one kimono, and some men's tanmono are woven to be long enough to create a matching haori jacket and juban as well. Kimono linings are made from bolts of the same width. Some custom bolts of fabric are produced for especially tall or heavy people, such as sumo wrestlers, who must have kimono custom-made by either joining multiple bolts, weaving custom-width fabric, or using non-standard size fabric. For children, in
4140-402: The okumi taken off and the collar re-sewn to create haori , or were simply cut at the waist to create a side-tying jacket. After marriage or a certain age, young women would shorten the sleeves of their kimono; the excess fabric would be used as a furoshiki (wrapping cloth), could be used to lengthen the kimono at the waist, or could be used to create a patchwork undergarment known as
4278-546: The shakuhachi and the shamisen . The political songs called enka in the Meiji period (1868–1912) are also called Sōshi Enka ( 壮士演歌 ) to distinguish it from modern enka . Street singers were called enka-shi ( 演歌師 ) . The first enka song is said to be "The Dynamite Stanzas" ( ダイナマイト節 ) . The songs during this time include Otojiro Kawakami 's "Oppekepe". In the Taishō period (1912–26), enka-shi began to incorporate
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4416-527: The Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1600), the decoration of the kosode developed further, with bolder designs and flashy colours becoming popular. By this time, separate lower-body garments, such as the mō and hakama , were almost never worn, allowing full-length patterns to be seen. During the Edo period (1603–1867 CE), both Japan's culture and economy developed significantly. A particular factor in
4554-571: The Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, cheap, informal and ready-to-wear meisen kimono, woven from raw and waste silk threads unsuitable for other uses, became highly popular, following the loss of many people's possessions. By 1930, ready-to-wear meisen kimono had become highly popular for their bright, seasonally changing designs , many of which took inspiration from the Art Deco movement. Meisen kimono were usually dyed using
4692-544: 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 visited Japan and had a concert at the Nippon Budokan in 1966. With the aim of breaking the traditional style, Group Sounds band The Blue Comets' 1966 song "Aoi Hitomi" ( 青い瞳 , lit. "Blue Eye" ) , originally released as an English song,
4830-587: The Kofun period (300–538 CE; the first part of the Yamato period), through immigration between the two countries and envoys to the Tang dynasty court leading to Chinese styles of dress, appearance, and culture becoming extremely popular in Japanese court society. The Imperial Japanese court quickly adopted Chinese styles of dress and clothing, with evidence of the oldest samples of shibori tie-dyed fabric stored at
4968-524: The Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the first time with the song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (aka " Sukiyaki ") in 1961, Hideo Murata also made his debut with the song "Ōsho" at the same show. Young enka singer Yukio Hashi appeared in 1960, Saburō Kitajima in 1962 and Harumi Miyako in 1964. Sachiko Kobayashi debuted with the 1964 single "Usotsuki Kamome" ( ウソツキ鴎 , lit. "Liar Seagull" ) at the age of only 10. The most well-known and beloved performer of enka
5106-415: The Meiji period , the opening of Japan to Western trade after the enclosure of the Edo period led to a drive towards Western dress as a sign of "modernity". After an edict by Emperor Meiji , policemen, railroad workers and teachers moved to wearing Western clothing within their job roles, with the adoption of Western clothing by men in Japan happening at a much greater pace than by women. Initiatives such as
5244-660: 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 . 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 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
5382-513: The Shōsōin Temple being of Chinese origin, due to the limitations of Japan's ability to produce the fabrics at the time. As early as the 4th century CE, images of priestess-queens and tribal chiefs in Japan depicted figures wearing clothing similar that of Han dynasty China. In 718 CE, the Yoro clothing code was instituted, which stipulated that all robes had to be overlapped at the front with
5520-538: The Toyo Music School once annulled her graduation. However, her song "Wakare no Blues" ( 別れのブルース , lit. "Farewell Blues" ) became a hit in 1937. The song was composed by jazz composer Ryoichi Hattori . She was called "Queen of Blues", though term " blues " was just a song title. In 1936, NHK started radio program "Kokumin Kayō" ( 国民歌謡 , lit. "National Kayō" ) to compete with ryūkōka , which
5658-573: The Victoria and Albert museum staged an exhibition called Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk , a "collection of around 300 garments, accessories, paintings, prints, photographs and film clips" relating to the history of the Kimono from the 17th century to the present. The final instalment of the exhibition's four-year international tour was at the V&;A Dundee in 2024. Both kimono and obi are made from
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5796-451: The enka range expanded into the genre kayōkyoku while the genre kayōkyoku was vanishing. Hachiro Kasuga died in 1991. As enka 's traditional themes were no longer appreciated among younger Japanese and Western-style J-pop music became more popular, enka sales declined. However, the genre still had many adherents. Besides TV programs, enka could be heard in many restaurants, drinking establishments, karaoke bars and cafes. On
5934-404: The ikat ( kasuri ) technique of dyeing, where either warp or both warp and weft threads (known as heiyō-gasuri ) were dyed using a stencil pattern before weaving. It was during the Taishō period that the modern formalisation of kimono and kimono types began to emerge. The Meiji period had seen the slow introduction of kimono types that mediated between the informal and the most formal,
6072-543: The kobushi method of singing. Ryūkōka used legato . Bin Uehara and Yoshio Tabata 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 and Ryoichi Hattori received the People's Honour Award in later years. Although enka branched off from ryūkōka , many singers of
6210-447: The mо̄ [ ja ] ( 裳 ) grew too narrow to wrap all the way around and became a trapezoidal pleated train . Hakama (trousers) became longer than the legs and also trailed behind the wearer. During the later Heian period, various clothing edicts reduced the number of layers a woman could wear, leading to the kosode ( lit. ' small sleeve ' ) garment—previously considered underwear—becoming outerwear by
6348-409: The violin , thus their songs were called violin enka. An enka-shi of the period was Toshio Sakurai ( 桜井敏雄 ) , who in turn taught Haruo Oka . In present-day Japan, Road Traffic Law regulates the appearance of street performers. However, Japanese performers such as Utaji Fukuoka ( 福岡詩二 ) have still sung enka from the Taishō period. When the 1995 earthquake struck, Soul Flower Mononoke Summit,
6486-548: The "proper" kitsuke of upper-class women. However, kitsuke standards were still relatively informal, and would not become formalised until after World War II. While kimono were no longer common wear for men, they remained everyday wear for Japanese women until World War II (1940–1945). Though the Taishō period had seen a number of invented traditions, standards of kitsuke (wearing kimono) were still not as formalised in this time, with creases, uneven ohashori and crooked obi still deemed acceptable. During
6624-607: The 14th Kōhaku Uta Gassen reached 81.4% in 1963. In 1964, Haruo Minami released his cover version of song "Tokyo Gorin Ondo" ( 東京五輪音頭 , lit. " Ondo for the Tokyo Olympics " ) , composed by Masao Koga . In 1965, Kitajima released a string of hits such as "Kyōdai Jingi" ( 兄弟仁義 , lit. "Brother Benevolence And Righteousness" ) , "Kaerokana" ( 帰ろかな , lit. "Maybe I Will Return to My Home" ) and "Hakodate no Hito" ( 函館の女 , lit. "Hakodate Woman" ) . "Kaerokana"
6762-448: The 1921 song " Teru teru bozu ". Nakayama transferred Japanese traditional music to staff -style by main force. His 1921 song " Sendō Kouta " ( 船頭小唄 ) was later covered by various singers, but was at first best known for being covered by violin enka-shi Shunyo Tottori ( 鳥取春陽 , Tottori Shun'yō , 1900–1932) featuring Orchestra . The pentatonic scale used in this song was " Minor scale without forth and seventh degree ". However,
6900-513: The 1930s. Many kimono motifs are seasonal , and denote the season in which the kimono can be worn; however, some motifs have no season and can be worn all-year round. Others, such as the combination of pine, plum and bamboo – a grouping referred to as the Three Friends of Winter – are auspicious, and thus worn to formal occasions for the entire year. Motifs seen on yukata are commonly seasonal motifs worn out of season, either to denote
7038-461: The 1969 single "Shinjuku no Onna" ( 新宿の女 , lit. "Woman in Shinjuku" ) at the age of 18. The term enka which had not been used in the postwar era, was revived by her performance. Keiko Fuji 's 1970 song " Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku " won the mass popularity award of the 12th Japan Record Awards and the grand prix award of the first Japan Music Awards . That year, she also took part in
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#17327910249177176-494: The 1st Kōhaku Uta Gassen with "Nagasaki no Kane" in 1951. Chiemi Eri debuted in 1952 and Izumi Yukimura debuted in 1953. Fujiyama moved to NHK 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 . New singers such as Hibari Misora , Hachiro Kasuga , Michiya Mihashi and Chiyoko Shimakura became popular when old singers became unpopular. The period between around 1955 and 1964 saw
7314-522: The 21st Kōhaku Uta Gassen with the song. Her 1970 album Shinjuku no Onna/'Enka no Hoshi' Fuji Keiko no Subete ( 新宿の女/"演歌の星" 藤圭子のすべて , Woman in Shinjuku/'Star of Enka' All of Keiko Fuji ) established a record-breaking consecutive number-one record to top the Oricon charts for 20 "consecutive" weeks. It is a record that still stands. The best-selling enka after the Oricon charts began in 1968
7452-527: The Heian period (794–1185), when Japan's nobility embraced a distinctive style of clothing. Formerly the most common Japanese garment, the kimono has fallen out of favor and is rarely worn as everyday dress now. They are most often seen at summer festivals, where people frequently wear the yukata , the most informal type of kimono. More formal types are worn to funerals, weddings, graduations, and other formal events. Geisha and maiko are required to wear
7590-564: The Japanese band "Carol" in which leader was Eikichi Yazawa . A part of Ryoichi Hattori's Western-style music during that period remained in Western-style classical music of Japan and was transvalued in 2000s. His tribute album 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
7728-480: The Japanese record label King Records . However, the term enka became uncommon in the postwar years. As jazz became popular in early postwar Japan, Japanese singer Hibari Misora released her debut song "Kappa boogie-woogie " on Nippon Columbia in 1949 at the age of only 12. She went on to sing jazz songs throughout the 1950s and 1960s. She later did many enka songs in the 60s and 70s. In 1948, Hachiro Kasuga won King Records' first talent contest. He joined
7866-473: The Meiji period, stores only retailing futomono kimono became less profitable in the face of cheaper everyday Western clothing, and eventually went out of business, leaving only gofuku stores to sell kimono – leading to kimono shops becoming known only as gofukuya today. Kimono can readily be resized, or unpicked back into tanmono (bolt) lengths. Outside of being re-woven into new fabrics, worn-out kimono have historically been recycled in
8004-409: The Oricon weekly charts. Older female singer Junko Akimoto also debuted on King Records, releasing her first single "Madison-gun no Koi" on July 21, 2005. However, ? her musical style was '70s kayōkyoku style. Veteran enka singer Hiroshi Itsuki , at 58, released the single "Takasebune" on April 19, 2006, becoming his first Top 10 single in 22 years since 1984's "Nagaragawa Enka." It debuted at
8142-452: The Oricon's 300th number-one single in 1987. Other new enka singers around that time included Fuyumi Sakamoto and Ayako Fuji . Hibari Misora , at the age of 50, released the single "Midaregami" on December 10, 1987. "Midaregami" reached the No. 9 position on the Oricon weekly charts. Yasushi Akimoto wrote the lyrics of her 1989 single " Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni ". However, she died in 1989 and
8280-507: The Tokyo Women's & Children's Wear Manufacturers' Association ( 東京婦人子供服組合 ) promoted Western dress as everyday clothing. Western clothing quickly became standard issue as army uniform for men and school uniform for boys, and between 1920 and 1930, the fuku sailor outfit replaced the kimono and undivided hakama as school uniform for girls. However, kimono still remained popular as an item of everyday fashion; following
8418-531: The Top 10 for the first time, ranked at No. 9 on the Oricon charts. The single became her first Top 10 single in 21 years since "Otoko no Jōwa", which had ranked in the Top 10 on the Oricon charts in 1989. Enka has had a strong influence on music in Taiwan, which was once a Japanese colony . The first non-Japanese singer of enka was Sarbjit Singh Chadha from India . His enka album was released in 1975 and became
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#17327910249178556-467: The additional character of ya ( 屋 ) meaning 'shop'. Cotton and hemp fabrics are referred to generally as futomono ( 太物 ) , meaning "thick materials", with both cotton and hemp yarns being considerably thicker than silk yarns used for weaving. Cotton kimono are specifically referred to in the context of materials as momenfuku ( 木綿服 ) , "cotton clothes", whereas hemp kimono are known as asafuku ( 麻服 ) , "hemp clothes", in Japanese, with
8694-464: The album. The tribute album debuted at the number-ten position on the Japanese Oricon weekly album charts. Kimono The kimono ( きもの/ 着物 , lit. ' thing to wear ' ) is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan . The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right , unless
8832-414: The aristocracy and samurai classes, shown by their brightly-coloured kimono that utilised expensive production techniques, such as hand-painted dyework. Rinzu , a damask fabric, also became the preferred material for kimono at this time, replacing the previously-popular nerinuki plain-weave silk, which had been used to create tsujigahana . In response to the increasing material wealth of
8970-548: The body. During the Heian period (794–1193 CE), Japan stopped sending envoys to the Chinese dynastic courts. This prevented Chinese-imported goods—including clothing—from entering the Imperial Palace . This also prevented dissemination to the upper classes, who were the main arbiters of traditional Japanese culture at the time, and the only people allowed to wear such clothing. The ensuing cultural vacuum facilitated
9108-451: The character for hemp – asa ( 麻 ) – also being used to refer widely to hemp, linen and ramie kimono fabrics. Until the end of the Edo period, the tailoring of both gofuku and futomono fabrics was separated, with silk kimono handled at shops known as gofuku dana , and kimono of other fibres sold at shops known as futomono dana . Stores that handled all types of fabric were known as gofuku futomono dana , though after
9246-452: The child grew, and are mostly only seen today on the kimono of apprentice geisha in Kyoto, as apprentices previously began their training at a young age, requiring tucks to be let out as they grew. In the present day, apprentices begin their training in their late teenage years, and the tucks are retained merely as an anachronism. Though adult women also retained a 'tuck' at the hip, this was
9384-449: The coming season. Though men's kimono historically displayed just as much decoration and variety as women's kimono, in the modern era, the principal distinction of men's kimono in terms of seasonality and occasion is the fabric. The typical men's kimono is a subdued, dark colour; black, dark blues, greens and browns are common. Fabrics are usually matte, in contrast to the occasional satin weaves of some women's kimono. Some men's kimono have
9522-402: The country's first major stars were singer Ichiro Fujiyama and composer Masao Koga . Koga attempted to initiate fusion of Western jazz and Japanese dodoitsu . Fujiyama's 1931 song "Sake wa Namida ka Tameiki ka" ( 酒は涙か溜息か , lit. "Is Sake Tears or Sighs?" ) , composed by Koga, became a major hit in Japan. This song created a fusion of Fujiyama's crooning and Koga's guitar play. Using
9660-642: The country, such as the San Jose Chidori Band, which occasionally performs at O-Bon festivals in the summer. Yano, Christine R. Tears of Longing: Nostalgia and the Nation in Japanese Popular Song. Harvard University Asia Center: 2003. Ry%C5%ABk%C5%8Dka Ryūkōka ( 流行 歌 , lit. ' popular song ' ) is a Japanese musical genre . The term originally denoted any kind of " popular music " in Japanese, and
9798-498: The development of a Japanese culture independent from Chinese fashions. Elements previously lifted from the Tang Dynastic courts developed independently into what is known literally as "national culture" or " kokufū culture" ( 国風文化 , kokufū-bunka ) . The term is used to refer to Heian-period Japanese culture, particularly that of the upper classes. Women's clothing in the imperial palace became increasingly stylised in
9936-436: The development of the Edo period was the early Genroku period (1688–1704 CE), wherein " Genroku culture " – luxurious displays of wealth and increased patronage of the arts – led to the further development of many art forms, including those of clothing. Genroku culture was led by the growing and increasingly-powerful merchant classes ( chōnin ), whose clothing was representative of their increasing economic power and rivaled
10074-469: The earliest Japanese songs that was said to have partly used it is Rentarō Taki 's " Kōjō no Tsuki ", which was called shōka ( 唱歌 , "school song") in the Meiji period . The seventh- scale degree is not used in "Kōjō no Tsuki", a song of B minor . The music, based on the pentatonic scale , has some resemblance to blues . Enka lyrics are usually written similarly around the themes of love and loss, loneliness, enduring hardships, and persevering in
10212-439: The early 1900s, shorter lengths were used, and sometimes the body of the kimono was made only a single cloth width wide ( hitotsumi ). Tucks were also used to take in the garment; an outwards-facing pleat at each shoulder ( kata-nue-age ) and a kolpos -like overfold at the hip ( koshi-nue-age ), so that the child appeared to be wearing a sleeveless vest of the same fabric over their garment. These sewn tucks were let out as
10350-413: The early Meiji period to Western trade, a number of materials and techniques – such as wool and the use of synthetic dyestuffs – became popular, with casual wool kimono being relatively common in pre-1960s Japan; the use of safflower dye ( beni ) for silk linings fabrics (known as momi ; literally, "red silk") was also common in pre-1960s Japan, making kimono from this era easily identifiable. During
10488-415: The entire garment to be taken apart, cleaned and resewn easily. As the seam allowance on nearly every panel features two selvedges that will not fray, the woven edges of the fabric bolt are retained when the kimono is sewn, leading to large and often uneven seam allowances; unlike Western clothing, the seam allowances are not trimmed down, allowing for a kimono to be resewn to different measurements without
10626-497: The entire industry, and formerly-expensive traditions such as bridal kimono trousseaus generally disappeared, and when still given, were much less extensive. It was during this time that it became acceptable and even preferred for women to wear Western dress to ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals. Many women had dozens or even hundreds of kimono, mostly unworn, in their homes; a secondhand kimono, even if unworn, would sell for about 500 yen (less than £3.50; about US$ 5),
10764-489: The fabric fraying at the seams. This was also used to prolong the life of the garment by reversing the sleeves (hiding the worn cuff hem in the shoulder seam) or the back panels (swapping the high-stress center seam and the low-stress sides), like the European custom of side-to-middling or end-to-middling bedsheets. Historically, kimono were taken apart entirely to be washed – a process known as arai-hari . Once cleaned,
10902-408: The fabric would be resewn by hand; this process, though necessary in previous centuries, is uncommon in modern-day Japan, as it is relatively expensive. Despite the expense of hand-sewing, however, some modern kimono, including silk kimono and all formal kimono, are still hand-sewn entirely; even machine-sewn kimono require some degree of hand-sewing, particularly in finishing the collar, the hem, and
11040-409: The face of difficulties, even suicide or death. Although enka is a genre of kayōkyoku , it is considered to be more expressive and emotional, though there is no clear consensus on the matter. Archetypal enka singers employ a style of melisma —where a single syllable of text is sung while moving between several different notes in succession—known as kobushi . Kobushi occurs when the pitch of
11178-500: The first time with "Otomi-san" that year. The song's composer, Masanobu Tokuchi, was born on Okinawa Island and grew up in Amami and became an important figure for introducing the Ryukyu Islands ' music into the Japanese mainstream. Although "Otomi-san" was popular, Kasuga himself was not completely satisfied with it and recorded the song "Wakare no Ippon-sugi" ( 別れの一本杉 , lit. "Farewell One Cedar" ) by Toru Funamura . The song
11316-409: The formal jūnihitoe , with some elements being abandoned by both male and female courtiers, such as the round-necked and tube-sleeved chun ju jacket worn by both genders in the early 7th century. Others, such as the wrapped front robes also worn by men and women, were kept. Some elements, such as the mo skirt worn by women, continued to in a reduced capacity, worn only to formal occasions;
11454-461: The formalisation. ). Kimono were promoted as essential for ceremonial occasions; for instance, the expensive furisode worn by young women for Seijinshiki was deemed a necessity. Bridal trousseaus containing tens of kimono of every possible subtype were also promoted as de rigueur , and parents felt obliged to provide kimono trousseaus that cost up to 10 million yen (~£70,000), which were displayed and inspected publicly as part of
11592-421: The genre. One notable rōkyoku singer who had an influence on enka was Kumoemon Tochuken , whose student's pupil was Murata. Minami debuted on Teichiku Records in 1957 and Murata on Nippon Columbia in 1958. Murata covered the song "Jinsei Gekijō" ( 人生劇場 , lit. "Drama of Life" ) , composed by Masao Koga . Haruo Minami was known for wearing a kimono , which was at the time considered an unusual style for
11730-745: The kimono, and an increasingly tubular figure was promoted as the ideal for women in kimono. The kimono-retail industry also promoted a sharp distinction between Japanese and Western clothes; for instance, wearing Western shoes with Japanese clothing (while common in the Taishō period) was codified as improper; these rules on proper dressing are often described in Japanese using the English phrase "Time, Place, and Occasion" (TPO). As neither Japanese men or women commonly wore kimono, having grown up under wartime auspices, commercial kitsuke schools were set up to teach women how to don kimono. Men in this period rarely wore kimono, and menswear thus escaped most of
11868-427: 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." In 1914, Sumako Matsui 's song " Katyusha's song ", composed by Shinpei Nakayama , was used as a theme of the rendition Resurrection in Japan. The record of the song sold 20,000 copies. One theory holds that this
12006-415: The lining, if present. Hand-sewn kimono are usually sewn with a single running stitch roughly 3 millimetres (0.12 in) to 4 millimetres (0.16 in) long, with stitches growing shorter around the collar area for strength. Kimono seams, instead of being pressed entirely flat, are pressed to have a 'lip' of roughly 2 millimetres (0.079 in) (known as the kise ) pressed over each seam. This disguises
12144-437: The majority of people in Japan wear Western clothing as everyday attire, and are most likely to wear kimono either to formal occasions such as wedding ceremonies and funerals, or to summer events, where the standard kimono is the easy-to-wear, single-layer cotton yukata . In 2019, the mayor of Kyoto announced that his staff were working to register "Kimono Culture" on UNESCO 's intangible cultural heritage list. In 2020,
12282-512: The merchant classes, the Tokugawa shogunate issued a number of sumptuary laws on kimono for the lower classes, prohibiting the use of purple or red fabric, gold embroidery, and the use of intricately dyed shibori patterns. As a result, a school of aesthetic thought known as Iki developed. They valued and prioritised the display of wealth through an almost mundane appearance, and the concept of kimono design and wear continues to this day as
12420-439: The most formal kimono, this is more of a general suggestion than a strict rule. Formal kimono are typically decorated with dyed patterns, commonly found along the hemline. These patterns may feature embroidery in parts, couched gold and silver thread, and/or gold and silver foil. The layout of motifs can denote a kimono's age, with patterns that mirror along the vertical back seam ( ryōzuma ) being typical for kimono made before
12558-464: The music based on the scale had difficult in presenting chord and harmony because traditional Japanese music didn't adopt equal temperament . Nakayama's songs were based on Japanese folk music called min'yō , but also adopted Western musical style. Therefore, his music was called "Shin Min'yō" ( 新民謡 , lit. "New Folk Song" ) . In the early Showa period, the microphone was introduced into
12696-424: The number-nine position on the Oricon charts. Hikawa's song "Ikken" won the grand prix at the 48th Japan Record Awards on December 30, 2006. Kanjani Eight was transferred to the pop/rock record label Imperial Records, the sub-label of Teichiku Records in 2007. In the same year, 80s superstar Akina Nakamori paid her respect to enka music by releasing an album—full of light enka songs. Junko Akimoto released
12834-422: The occasion, the season , the wearer's age, and – less commonly in the modern day – the wearer's marital status. Despite the kimono's reputation as a formal and difficult-to-wear garment, there are types of kimono suitable for both formal and informal occasions. The way a person wears their kimono is known as kitsuke ( 着付け , lit. ' dressing ' ) . The history of the kimono can be tracked back to
12972-456: The other hand, "bright" enka singer Yoshimi Tendo , who was ignored when the "dark" enka songs like Keiko Fuji's song "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" were popular, took part in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the first time in 1993. Other new enka singers such as Toshimi Tagawa and Fuyumi Sakamoto were also appearing on TV enka programs which kept enka alive. Taiwanese diva Teresa Teng
13110-490: 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 . Baritone singer Taro Shoji 's 1934 song "Akagi no Komoriuta" ( 赤城の子守唄 , lit. "Lullaby of Akagi " ) also became popular, though he did not know Kunisada Chūji , the theme of the song. Soprano singer Noriko Awaya also sang ryūkōka , but
13248-459: The popular music of Japan. Teiichi Futamura released his cover version of "Sing me A Song of Araby" ( アラビヤの唄 , Arabiya no Uta ) in 1928. The song was originally composed by Fred Fisher . Chiyako Sato 's 1928 song "Habu no Minato" ( 波浮の港 , lit. "Port of Habu" ) , 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. Some of
13386-444: The popularity of " kayōkyoku ". Around that time, Japanese composers went on to establish their own genres such as Toru Funamura and Minoru Endo 's "Enka", Tadashi Yoshida 's "Mood Kayō", and Hachidai Nakamura and Hiroshi Miyagawa 's "Jazz". Masao Koga 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 and became
13524-491: The record label the next year where Haruo Oka was his senior. His debut single "Akai Lamp no Shū Ressha" ( 赤いランプの終列車 , lit. "Last Train with Red Lamp" ) was released in 1952. The kabuki -style song "Otomi-san" ( お富さん , lit. "Miss Otomi" ) was originally made for Oka, but was sung by Kasuga, and in 1954, "Otomi-san" became a very popular hit in Japan. Kasuga took part in the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen for
13662-431: The seasons. Motifs typically represent the flora, fauna, landscape or culture of Japan; one such example is cherry blossoms , a famously seasonal motif worn in spring until just before the actual cherry blossoms begin to bloom, it being considered unlucky to try and 'compete' with the cherries. Motifs are typically worn a few weeks before the official 'start' of any given season, as it is considered fashionable to anticipate
13800-548: The second half of the 20th century, the Japanese economy boomed, and silk became cheaper, making it possible for the average family to afford silk kimono. The kimono retail industry had developed an elaborate codification of rules for kimono-wearing, with types of kimono, levels of formality, and rules on seasonality, which intensified after the war; there had previously been rules about kimono-wearing, but these were not rigidly codified and varied by region and class. Formalisation sought perfection, with no creases or unevenness in
13938-492: The singer's voice fluctuates irregularly within one scale degree : This compares with vibrato , which vibrates in a regular cycle. The kobushi technique is not limited to enka , as can be heard in the Italian song " Santa Lucia ." In the late 1930s and early '40s, the music of composer Masao Koga began to resemble Buddhist shomyo -chanting possibly because his record label asked him to produce music. Although Koga became
14076-466: The single "Ai no Mama de…" on January 23, 2008, reaching the top of the Oricon weekly single charts in January 2009, making her, at the age of 61, the oldest solo singer to top the charts. That same year, Hikawa released two consecutive number-one singles — "Ryōkyoku Ichidai" and "Tokimeki no Rumba" — on the Oricon weekly charts. Fuyumi Sakamoto 's 2009 song "Asia no Kaizoku", composed by Ayumi Nakamura ,
14214-422: The single "Kōkotsu no Blues" ( 恍惚のブルース , lit. "Ecstasy Blues" ) in 1966, pioneering the " enka - blues " genre. Shinichi Mori debuted with the 1966 single "Onna no Tameiki" ( 女のためいき , lit. "Woman's Sigh" ) . His 1969 song "Minatomachi Blues" ( 港町ブルース , lit. "Port Town Blues" ) topped the Japanese Oricon single charts for five weeks and sold over one million copies. Keiko Fuji came out with
14352-422: The song was composed by non- enka musician Takuro Yoshida , "Erimo Misaki" won the grand prix at the 16th Japan Record Awards that year. Harumi Miyako 's song " Kita no Yado kara " also won the grand prix at the 18th Japan Record Awards in 1976. New enka singers, who debuted in the '70s, include Sayuri Ishikawa and Takashi Hosokawa who were both Michiya Mihashi 's pupils. Masao Koga died in 1978, after
14490-420: The spring just passed or the desire for cooler autumn or winter temperatures. Colour also contributes to the seasonality of kimono, with some seasons – such as autumn – generally favouring warmer, darker colours over lighter, cooler ones. A number of different guides on seasonal kimono motifs exist, with some guides – such as those for tea ceremony in particular – being especially stringent on their reflection of
14628-408: The stitches, as hand-sewn kimono are not tightly sewn, rendering the stitches visible if pressed entirely flat. A number of terms are used to refer to the different parts of a kimono. Kimono that are lined are known as awase kimono, whereas unlined kimono are known as hitoe kimono; partially lined kimono – with lining only at the sleeve cuff, the back of the sleeve, the lower chest portion of
14766-511: The time of the Muromachi period (1336–1573 CE). Originally worn with hakama , the kosode began to be held closed with a small belt known as an obi instead. The kosode resembled a modern kimono, though at this time the sleeves were sewn shut at the back and were smaller in width (shoulder seam to cuff) than the body of the garment. During the Sengoku period (1467–1615) and
14904-739: The top fabric in fibre type, though the lining of some casual silk kimono may be cotton, wool or linen. Kimono fabrics are often decorated, sometimes by hand, before construction. Customarily, kimono with woven patterns are considered more informal, though for obi , the reverse is true, with obi featuring dyed patterns being less formal than obi with woven patterns. Though kimono fabrics with woven patterns are typically not especially heavy and can be lightweight, obi fabrics with woven patterns are often very heavy, with many formal obi being made from thickly-woven brocade. Traditionally, woven kimono are paired with obi that are decorated with dyed patterns, and vice versa. However, for all but
15042-431: The upper classes in the Edo period, also became common throughout the middle classes; traditions of kimono bridalwear for marriage ceremonies were also codified in this time, which resembled the bridalwear of samurai-class women. Standards of kitsuke at this time began to slowly graduate to a more formalised, neatened appearance, with a flat, uniform ohashori and a smooth, uncreased obi , which also resembled
15180-599: The vocal technic Mezza Voce with a microphone, Fujiyama sang the song by the deep voice of not Opera 's G minor but D minor . Fujiyama's song "Oka o Koete" ( 丘を越えて , lit. "Beyond the Hill" ) sold 600,000 copies. However, Fujiyama was an elite student, who specialized Western classical music 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
15318-420: The war, kimono factories shut down, and the government encouraged people to wear monpe (also romanised as mompe ) – trousers constructed from old kimono – instead. Fibres such as rayon became widespread during WWII, being inexpensive to produce and cheap to buy, and typically featured printed designs. Cloth rationing persisted until 1951, so most kimono were made at home from repurposed fabrics. In
15456-452: The wearer is deceased. The kimono is traditionally worn with a broad sash, called an obi , and is commonly worn with accessories such as zōri sandals and tabi socks. Kimono have a set method of construction and are typically made from a long, narrow bolt of cloth known as a tanmono , though Western-style fabric bolts are also sometimes used. There are different types of kimono for men, women, and children, varying based on
15594-405: The wedding, including being transported in transparent trucks. By the 1970s, formal kimono formed the vast majority of kimono sales. Kimono retailers, due to the pricing structure of brand new kimono, had developed a relative monopoly on not only prices but also a perception of kimono knowledge, allowing them to dictate prices and heavily promote more formal (and expensive) purchases, as selling
15732-437: The word is derived from " en zetsu no uta" ( 演説の歌 ) , meaning "speech song". Another theory holds that modern enka means " en jiru uta" ( 演じる歌 ) , meaning "performance song". The genre called enka is also said to be an expedient classification for record labels as well as J-pop . For example, Harumi Miyako , who has been usually considered as an enka singer, said "I don't think that I sing 'enka ' " and "In fact, there
15870-524: Was a non-propaganda song. After the war, Taro Shoji , who heard the Gyokuon-hōsō in Nagano 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
16008-479: Was also singing in Japanese and covering enka songs from the 70s until she died in 1995 at the age of 42. Enka 's popularity among younger Japanese, however, increased in the first decade of the 21st century. Kiyoshi Hikawa debuted on Nippon Columbia in 2000 with the single "Hakone Hachiri no Hanjirō", which became a smash hit. The early solo releases of then- Morning Musume member Yuko Nakazawa were also enka . In contrast, Nana Mizuki , who learned enka as
16146-466: Was also won the grand prix at the following Japan Record Awards . The total sales of Michiya Mihashi 's work surpassed 100 million records in 1983, making him the first artist to achieve that in Japan. On June 11, 1986, Sanae Jōnouchi , a member of idol group Onyanko Club , released the enka single "Ajisai Bashi", written by Yasushi Akimoto . The single debuted at No. 1 on the Oricon weekly single charts. Ikuzo Yoshi 's 1986 single "Yukiguni" became
16284-602: Was an enka song featuring rock music . Sakamoto said, "If Ayumi sings the song, it's a rock song. If I sing the song, however, it's an enka song." On January 1, 2010, 73-year-old Saburō Kitajima released the single "Fūfu Isshō" ( 夫婦一生 , lit. "Couple in a Lifetime" ) , emerging at No. 10 on the Oricon weekly charts, making him the first solo artist to reach the Top 10 in his 70s. After Fuyumi Sakamoto appeared on Masahiro Nakai 's TV program Nakai Masahiro no Kinyōbi no Sumatachi e on March 19, 2010, her double A-side single "Mata Kimi ni Koi Shiteru/Asia no Kaizoku" reached
16422-498: Was composed by Hachidai Nakamura . Koga composed Hibari's song "Yawara", which won the grand prix award at the Japan Record Award in 1965. Koga was also an original composer of Hibari's 1966 cover song "Kanashii Sake" ( 悲しい酒 , lit. "Sad Sake" ) . 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
16560-456: 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 songs, those songs were called " kayōkyoku ", but the term "kayōkyoku" went on to be used as another name of ryūkōka in NHK . At first, Koga was a good co-worker for Fujiyama but they moved apart from each other because Koga sought "Japanese" music. On
16698-748: Was composed by Yuji Koseki. In 1963, the era of former popular singers such as Hibari Misora , Chiemi Eri , Izumi Yukimura , Hachiro Kasuga , Michiya Mihashi and Frank Nagai 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 "Guitar Jingi" ( ギター仁義 , lit. "Guitar Benevolence and Righteousness" ) and Kazuo Funaki 's song "Koko San Nen Sei" ( 高校三年生 , lit. "High School Seniors" ) also became popular. Both songs were composed by Minoru Endo. Hashi and Funaki became singers for youth music, making
16836-473: Was disinclined to mention its former history. Michiko Namiki 's song "Ringo no Uta" ( リンゴの唄 , lit. "Song of Apple" ) 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 "Tokyo no Hanauri Musume" ( 東京の花売り娘 , lit. "Tokyo Flower Girl" ) and his 1948 song "Akogare no Hawaii kōro" ( 憧れのハワイ航路 , lit. "Coveted Fairway to Hawaii" ) . Ichiro Fujiyama, who
16974-422: Was divided into craftspeople, who made the tanmono and accessories, tonya , or wholesalers, and retailers. In 1869, the social class system was abolished, and with them, class-specific sumptuary laws. Kimono with formerly-restricted elements, like red and purple colours, became popular, particularly with the advent of synthetic dyestuffs such as mauvine . Following the opening of Japan's borders in
17112-584: Was falsely reported to have been killed in battle, returned to Japan in 1946. Ryoichi Hattori, who moved to Shanghai 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 of Kasagi. She made her debut with song "Kappa Boogie-Woogie" in 1949. Hattori's composed song "Aoi Sanmyaku" ( 青い山脈 , lit. "Blue Mountains" ) , which
17250-712: Was killed in the New Guinea campaign and Fujiyama was taken prisoner in Indonesia . 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, " Shussei Heishi o Okuru Uta " ( 出征兵士を送る歌 , literally "Song for giving warriors a send-off" ) , 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
17388-420: Was later called the first enka singer. Michiya Mihashi, who originally sang Japanese folk music ( min'yō ) and learned tsugaru-jamisen , released his debut single "Sake no Nigasa yo" as a recording singer in 1954. Mihashi's "Onna Sendō Uta" was a hit in 1955. Funamura's friend Kimio Takano, the lyricist of "Wakare no Ippon-sugi", died in 1956 at the age of 26. Hibari Misora's music turned to enka when she
17526-550: Was later criticised as a war collaborator, though he seemed to be touched with remorse. Koseki composed " Roei no Uta " ( 露営の歌 , lit. "Song of the Camp" ) released in 1937. Although the song was a B-side song, it sold 600,000 copies. The 1937 song " Aikoku Kōshinkyoku " ( 愛国行進曲 , lit. "Patriotic March" ) 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 claimed that he
17664-473: Was no longer regarded as a teen idol . Around the postwar period, rōkyoku (or naniwa-bushi ), famous during the war, declined in popularity mainly because their speaking lengths were considered too long. Enka , on the other hand, which became popular around that time, was said to be a shortened version of rōkyoku because several enka singers such as Hideo Murata and Haruo Minami were originally rōkyoku singers and enka has many themes in common with
17802-408: Was no such term as 'enka' when I debuted." Modern enka ' s mainstream scale is called Yonanuki Tan-Onkai ( ヨナ抜き短音階 ) or "Minor Scale without Four and Seven ( fa and te )", and is a modified version of Yonanuki Chō-Onkai ( ヨナ抜き長音階 ) or "Major Scale without Four and Seven ( Fa and Si )", which came from an older Japanese scale, the " Ryo Scale " ( 呂音階 , Ryo Onkai ) . One of
17940-468: 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 . On the other hand, former enka-shi Haruo Oka 's debut song "Kokkyō no Haru" ( 国境の春 , lit. "Spring at the Border" ) was released in 1939. Yoshio Tabata also mede his debut with song "Shima no Funauta" ( 島の舟唄 , lit. "Island Ship Song" ) in 1939. Rōkyoku ( naniwa-bushi )
18078-518: 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 singers such as Ichimaru and Katsutaro Kouta . Katsutaro became famous when Fujiyama was turned out of ryūkōka . Her song "Shima no Musume" ( 島の娘 , lit. "Island Girl" ) sold 600,000 copies. Katsutaro and Issei Mishima recorded duet song "Tokyo Ondo". The song
18216-539: Was released as a Japanese song. In 1966, folk singer Ryoko Moriyama , a daughter of jazz musician Hisashi Moriyama, also released hit song "Kyō no Hi wa Sayōnara" ( 今日の日はさようなら , lit. "Good-bye, Today" ) . 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 "Kayō Pops" ( 歌謡ポップス ) also
18354-412: Was released in 1955 and was later regarded as a true enka song. The song, ironically, was also influenced by tango music 's rhythm because Funamura felt that tango seemed similar to enka in its local color. "Wakare no Ippon-sugi" was later covered by singers as diverse as Michiya Mihashi , Hideo Murata , Keiko Fuji , Hibari Misora , Saburō Kitajima , Takashi Hosokawa , and Hiroshi Itsuki . Kasuga
18492-409: Was released nationwide and re-debuted on the Oricon weekly singles charts at the No. 1 spot, becoming the first enka single to reach the No. 1 in seventeen years since Yujiro Ishihara 's 1987 single "Kita no Tabibito" according to Oricon. Hikawa also released the single "Hatsukoi Ressha" on February 9, 2005, which debuted at the No. 1 position on the Oricon charts, Hikawa's first number-one single on
18630-427: Was sung by Ichiro Fujiyama and Mitsue Nara, became a major hit in the early post-war years in Japan. Yuji Koseki composed "Nagasaki no Kane" ( 長崎の鐘 , lit. "The Bells of Nagasaki " ) and "Himeyuri no Tō" ( ひめゆりの塔 , lit. " Himeyuri Lily Tower" ) . "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
18768-551: Was the first ryūkōka song, which was made by Hogetsu Shimamura 's order: "the tune between Japanese popular folk music and Western music". However, street performers called " enka -shi" ( 演歌師 ) had been popular until record labels such as the Victor Company of Japan began to produce songs in the early Shōwa period . 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
18906-496: Was under the influence of "Ero Guro Nansensu", but it soon began to air war songs around July 1937. The program was renamed to "Warera no Uta" ( われらのうた , lit. "Our Songs" ) in 1941 and then "Kokumin Gasshō" ( 国民合唱 , lit. "National Group Singing" ) in 1942. The songs during the war were called "Senji Kayō" ( 戦時歌謡 ) . During the war, many musicians were forced to write war songs. Yuji Koseki composed many war songs and
19044-667: Was used for enhancing the national prestige. Although many war songs were made after the beginning of the Pacific War , "Kōgen no Tsuki" ( 高原の月 , lit. "Tableland Moon" ) , 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 and Marshall Islands Campaign . Oka went to Ambon Island , but fell ill and soon returned to Japan. Bin Uehara , who used kobushi of naniwa-bushi for singing,
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