[Sisters' Song] A moving classic that lets you rediscover the bond with your beloved sister

Jonkara SistersNadeshiko shimai

[Promotion Video] Nadeshiko Sisters / Jonkara Sisters

This is a song by Nadeshiko Sisters, the enka duo of Yuko Nagai and Yumiko Inoue.

It was released in 2014 as their fourth single.

The lyrics portray the relationship between an older sister who sings to entertain customers at their mother’s shop and a younger sister who plays the shamisen.

Since it is based on the folk song “Tsugaru Jongara-bushi,” we can infer that the setting is Aomori Prefecture.

The duo’s beautiful harmonies penetrate deep into the heart.

While many enka songs tell stories of tragic love, this one is simply a joy to listen to.

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Araki Jakkan

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Sweet HomeMimori Suzuko

Suzuko Mimori Sweet Home 2014 MusicPlayOn

Suzuko Mimori, who is active as a voice actor and vocalist, sings about the history of her family—her sisters and parents.

There’s an old saying that when three women gather, it gets noisy, and in her case, it’s a perfect trio: her mother and two sisters! As the lyrics suggest, once the three of them start talking, the conversation is unlikely to end.

It’s a song about familial love, looking back after the rebellious years have passed.

Advance! The Kongō-class Four SistersTouyama Nao

[KanColle] Advance! Kongou-class Four Sisters full with lyrics

In the game, the four Kongō-class battleships—Kongō, Hiei, Haruna, and Kirishima—are portrayed as a sisterly quartet led by the eldest, Kongō.

The battleships are anthropomorphized as cute girls, with character designs and outfits carefully crafted based on historical details.

Capitalizing on this popularity, the restaurant chain Nakau featured the battleship girls in casual clothing, which became a hot topic.

Hide-and-seek at homeTaniyama Hiroko

Hide-and-Seek at Home — Yuki Saito, Hiroko Taniyama (with lyrics)

It was originally a song provided to singer Yuki Saito, and this is the self-cover version.

It’s included on the 2011 album “Yumemiru Chikara.” It’s a charming, nursery rhyme–like piece about searching for something that’s gone missing.

While looking for the lost item, the older sister realizes she can’t see her younger sister.

She seems to be nowhere to be found… just when they’re about to give up, she suddenly appears.

It’s a humorous song that feels as if a child’s sensibility has been turned directly into music.

It might be fun to compare it with Yuki Saito’s version.

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Araki Jakkan

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Pea blossomsTamaki Sadako

Pea Blossom — Okinawan Island Song — Sadako Tamaki

In the realm of Ryukyuan folk songs, this is a tune so beloved by the people of Okinawa that it ranks in the top ten in the prefecture.

For a folk song from Okinawa, the lyrics are in standard Japanese, and it has a bit of a nursery rhyme feel.

The mention of a “cold wind” doesn’t quite match the image of Okinawa we tend to have, but this is probably the reality.

Carrying a little sister on one’s back to pick strawberries is just adorable.

Flower ShadowYasuda Akiko

Hanakage Akiko Yasuda (High-Quality Audio Upload)

This nursery rhyme was written by the lyricist Kazuemasa Omura, based on his memories of watching his older sister leave to be married when he was a child.

Although Omura was a man, the song itself—especially the way it uses the term “big sister”—conveys the atmosphere of a younger sister seeing her elder sister off amid a flurry of cherry blossoms.

We don’t know exactly where the “distant village” is, but it was surely a time when returning home was not as easy as it is today.