[Songs of Gunma] Exquisite masterpieces that sing of Gunma’s nature and the spirit of its people

I love Maebashi.Sazankurosu

'09 Beloved Takasaki

Southern Cross is also famous for including local place names in their titles, like “I Love You, Sapporo.” Since Sapporo has quite an urban image, I feel you don’t necessarily need to run a whole local-song campaign for it.

Still, when a city is woven into a song, it somehow creates a mood that makes you want to travel there.

“I Love You, Maebashi” doesn’t say much in its lyrics either, but it’s a song that evokes images of a hometown of the heart, of water and greenery.

Female KokuteiFutaba Yuriko

Onna Kokutei (Female National), by Yuriko Futaba, released in Showa 32 (1957), record source

Yuriko Futaba, who made a huge hit with ‘Kishibe no Haha’ in 1972 and was energetically active in the public eye, announced her retirement in 2010; however, she is extremely dedicated when training her disciples.

When I saw her doing vocal exercises with Ayako Fuji on TV about one or two years ago, I could hardly believe that such vocal power belonged to someone over 80.

Love in TakasakiMihara Tomoe

Love in Takasaki (Tomoe Mihara)

This is a song written and composed by Takasaki-based musician Koji Ogawa to help raise Gunma’s profile.

Since it’s a local song, it’s filled with place names unique to the area—like around the Takasaki Castle ruins and neighborhoods packed with restaurants.

The melody has a mood kayō (vintage pop-ballad) vibe, but it’s actually a love song.

Maebashi BluesSugano Yutaka

Maebashi Blues — by Yutaka Kanno himself

Hmm, what a nice voice.

As I thought, it’s Yutaka Kanno, the original lead vocalist of Southern Cross.

After Mori Yuji & Southern Cross disbanded in 1985, Yutaka Kanno made his solo debut in 1987, and he’s been captivating audiences with his singing at local dinner shows and the like.

The mention of the Ryōmō Line’s last train really makes it a local song, doesn’t it?

Yearning: A Man’s Straw HatSankado Chuuji

Chuji Mikado / Nostalgic Man’s Kasa (Hat)

Describing the wandering drifter as an autumn pile of fallen leaves is, in a way, rather stylish among the lyrics of the matabi series.

The lines about a lone man, a traveling crow—where and why did he stray from the path, and how many times did he apologize to the mother in the palm of his hand—are truly moving.

Chuji Mikado is from Izumi, Osaka Prefecture, and in 1984 he received the Excellent Newcomer Award at the Nippon Hoso Cable Music Awards.

Oboro moonlit night on the Jōshū roadMoriyama Aiko

Song: Aiko Moriyama - “Oborozukiyo no Joshuji” (Performed by the artist) HD 1080p60

It’s interesting to have a young woman sing about a lone male drifter, isn’t it? When you think of Jōshū, there are so many images of traveling crows and the chivalrous underworld, and it’s true that there are also a lot of love songs as local tunes—but it’s all quite extreme.

Aiko Moriyama herself is an enka singer from Tochigi Prefecture.

Migratory birds of the moonAoshima Ritsuko

Migratory Birds of the Moon - Yukino Ichikawa - cover by Ritsuko Aoshima

Matsuida mentioned in the lyrics refers to Matsuidamachi, Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture, the 16th post station from Edo on the Nakasendo’s sixty-nine stations.

The film “Yataro-gasa” is sung with Matsuida-juku as its setting.

Though the protagonist may look like a yakuza, his love is pure, and he never forgets duty and human compassion—it’s a really cool song.