My friend once asked me about old Japanese records, which led me to begin this series exploring the music owned by the Issei in early Canada. This is the second installment.
What kinds of songs did they choose to bring with them across the Pacific?
I had originally planned to analyze two records in this article. However, these discussions tend to become quite detailed, so I have decided to focus on a single record once again.
If you are interested, I invite you to explore the other entries in this series.
Sasurai-dori(Tori) / さすらい鳥
Record Overview: What did you see on the record?
| Record label | Teichiku |
| Title | Sasurai Dori(or Tori) / さすらい鳥 |
| Singer | Yoshio Tabata / 田端義夫 |
| Instruments | Teichiku orchestra |
| format | 78rpm? |
Record overview
The label of this record is Teichiku Records, a well-known record company at the time.
According to the National Diet Library of Japan, there were approximately 29 record companies registered in Japan before the war, and Teichiku was one of them.
The record spins at 78 rpm, and the label notes that it falls under “popular songs.”
A famous singer who lived through the pre- and post-war eras: Yoshio Tabata
He was born in 1919 and died in 2013.
Yoshio Tabata was a well-known singer and guitarist at the time. However, this song does not appear in his Wikipedia list of works, which focuses on his representative songs.
Searches on other websites also yield little detailed information. A recording, said to be from 1951, can be found on YouTube. He was apparently known for his unique playing style, which involved holding the guitar at a very high position.
I also searched Japanese used record sites and found what appears to be the same record, including an image of the B-side. This led me to wonder whether the B-side track might be more well known. However, searches for that track also produced very little information.
Understanding the Title (Sasurai–dori): The Thoughts of the Issei
In any case, I was surprised by the lack of information, to the point where I almost doubted whether Tabata actually sang it. The lyrics aren’t even listed on lyric websites, so to find the points that resonated with the audience, I’d have to carefully transcribe them.
I’ll do that later, but for now, I’d like to expand my analysis starting with the title.
The title, “Sasurai-dori,” translates to “Wandering Bird” in English. Here, “wondering” evokes the feeling of a balloon, without a permanent home, simply drifting along in the wind. It’s not the name of a bird, nor does it necessarily fly to the same region each season. Rather, it’s more like a lost or misplaced bird.
If the author identified with the bird in the title, perhaps they felt that their own existence, driven by the times and circumstances, was like that of a bird drifting aimlessly.
Conclusion: Sasurai-dori and the Issei listener
I’m somewhat surprised that a song by Yoshio Tabata, who was a popular singer at the time, was completely unappreciated, and that it was found in Canada.
From a website creator’s perspective today, one might easily think, “It didn’t sell, so there’s no need to include it in the list.” But the fact remains that Issei was strongly drawn to something in this song and deliberately chose to include it.
Does this make you want to read the lyrics even more?
I found a video of him performing in color, so I’ll post it here. He’s a very handsome singer! Below that is a video of him performing the record “Wandering Bird.”
コメント