Ihojin Explained

Ihojin
Type:Single
Artist:Saki Kubota
Language:Japanese
B-Side:Yumehiko
Released:1 October 1979
Genre:New music
Length:3:41
Label:CBS/Sony
Producer:Masatoshi Sakai
Chronology:Saki Kubota singles
Next Title:Nijūgoji
Next Year:1980

Ihojin (Japanese: 異邦人) (English: "Stranger"[1] or "Foreigner")[2] is a song[3] written and composed by Saki Kubota, and first performed by her. The song was first released as a single on 1 October 1979.[4] That recording sold more than 1.4 million copies[5] and reached number 1 in the Japanese singles chart.[6] [7] The song was used in the "Silk Road" television commercial for Sanyo.[8] [9] [10]

The version released on 12/7/2006 was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan in May 2019.[11]

A cover version[12] of the song by Tak Matsumoto, featuring Zard, reached number 3 in the Oricon Singles Chart in 2003.[13]

TV Tokyo included the song in a collection of one hundred songs that are so well known that anyone could recognise them in three seconds.[14] In 2022, it was among the most popular 1970s Japanese songs on Spotify.[15]

The song is in the new music genre.[16]

Lyrics

The lyrics of the song refer to children playing in an open space adjacent to the railway tracks, as seen by a passenger from the window of a railway train travelling on the Chuo Line.[17] [18] [19] [20] The lyrics of "Ihojin" include the motif of time travel that previously appeared in the Shinji Harada song "Taimu Toraberu" (Japanese: タイム・トラベル) (1978).[21]

Saki Kubota

The single released by Saki Kubota was a hit song.[22]

Weekly charts: The single reached number 1 in The Best Ten chart,[23] the Oricon Singles Chart,[24] the Music Labo singles chart,[6] and the Cash Box of Japan 45s chart.[7] The single spent three consecutive weeks at the top of The Best Ten chart.[25] [26] The single spent 12 consecutive weeks in The Best Ten.[22] The single spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the Oricon chart,[27] and spent 25 weeks in the Oricon chart.[24] The single was the first debut song to reach number 1 on The Best Ten chart.[28]

Monthly charts: The single was number 1 in the Oricon monthly singles chart for December 1979[29] and January 1980.[30]

Annual charts: The single was number 2 in the Oricon annual singles chart for 1980.[31]

The recording of the song released as a single in 1979 is included in the album Yumegatari. The album Saudade, released in 1980, included a new acoustic version of the song recorded in Lisbon in Portugal.[32] [33] [34]

The 1979 single was released on a 7-inch 45rpm vinyl record on the CBS/Sony label. The subtitle of the song "Ihojin" is "Shiruku Rōdo No Tēma" (Japanese: シルクロードのテーマ) which means "Silk Road Theme". The duration of "Ihojin" is 3 minutes and 41 seconds. The song "Yumehiko" (Japanese: 夢飛行) is on the B side of the single. The duration of "Yumehiko" is 4 minutes and 11 seconds.[35] The song "Ihojin" was arranged by Mitsuo Hagita[36] [37] [38] [39] and produced by Masatoshi Sakai.[40]

The song uses the lament bass as a bridge passage.[41]

Makaino said the arrangement is full of exoticism ("ikoku jōcho", Japanese: 異国情緒, the mood of a foreign country).[31] [42]

An animated music video was created by Harune Sato and Kohei Saito from the Tokyo University of the Arts in 2021.[3] The video includes three dimensional art.[43]

The song is included in the soundtrack of Mirai no Omoide: Last Christmas (1992).[44]

There are karaoke versions of both the Yumegatari version, and the (Portuguese recording) Saudade version, of "Ihojin" on the album Golden Best Saki Kubota.[45] The song has appeared in the Joysound karaoke annual rankings by age group,[46] [47] [48] and in an NTV karaoke survey ranking by age group.[49]

According to ITmedia, in 2024, "Ihojin" was the most popular song from 1980 to 1982 amongst Japanese people in their 50s and 60s,[9] in their 60s,[50] in their 50s,[51] and in their 40s and 50s.[52] It was the fourth most popular for people in their 30s and 40s,[53] and also ranked highly for women.[54] According to the Sankei Shimbun, it was the eighth most popular song amongst folk, rock and pop (fōku, rokku and poppusu) songs from the Shōwa era.[55] It was the sixth most popular among women, and the tenth most popular among men.[56] According to a 2019 survey, it is the 22nd best song.[57]

Cover versions

Tak Matsumoto, featuring Zard

Ihojin
Type:Single
Artist:Tak Matsumoto featuring Zard
Language:Japanese
B-Side:Ame No Machi Wo
Released:27 August 2003
Label:Vermillion Records

This single spent 16 weeks in the Oricon chart.[58]

The song on the B side is a cover version of Yuming's "Ame No Machi Wo" (Japanese: 雨の街を) by Tak Matsumoto, featuring Akiko Matsuda.[12] The song "Ihojin" was included in the Tak Matsumoto album The Hit Parade.

Other

There are cover versions by Hiroko Kasahara (1990),[59] Yukana Nogami (1997),[60] Akina Nakamori (2002),[61] Tatsuya Ishii (2003), Yuki Koyanagi (2003),[62] Hideaki Tokunaga (2005),[63] the 12 Girls Band (2005),[64] Acid Black Cherry (2007),[65] Yōko Oginome and Junichi Inagaki (2010),[66] Jun Shibata (2012),[67] [68] Ego-Wrappin' (2013),[69] [70] Misaki Iwasa (2014),[71] Kazuya Yoshii (2015),[72] Penicillin (2015),[73] Tomoyo Harada (2016),[74] [75] Keisuke Kuwata (2019),[76] Hiroji Miyamoto (2020),[77] [78] Mone Kamishiraishi (2020),[79] [80] [81] Sora Amamiya (2021),[82] May J. (2022),[83] Juju (2023),[84] [85] and Yūko Miyamura (2023).[86]

A cover version by Aina the End is part of the soundtrack of Kyrie (2023).[87] [88]

A cover version in Cantonese was released under the title "Hang Zhong Bu Yao Wen" (Cantonese: 行踪不要問 or 行蹤不要問 or 行踪不要问) by Paula Tsui in 1980.[89] A cover version in Mandarin was released under the title "Yìxiāngrén" (Mandarin: 異郷人) by Ai Jing in 1998.[90]

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. "Ms. Sayuri Kume as Goodwill Ambassador of JBS". JBS News International. Volume 3. October 2007.
  2. Lisa Vogt. Lisa's Wanderings Around Japan/ Otsuki: Look around and you'll find Momotaro everywhere. The Asahi Shimbun. 5 July 2022.
  3. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5raK_iAFrn8 Ihojin
  4. [CBS/Sony]
  5. (1984) 3 実践国語教育大系 277
  6. "Japan" in "Hits of the World". Billboard. 22 December 1979. p 71.
  7. [Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]
  8. (1995) 73 文藝春秋 (Bungei Shunjū) 400
  9. https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/research/articles/2264760/amp/ 思う「1980～82年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP21 ! 第1位は「異邦人」"
  10. 1979 television commercial for the Sanyo colour television model calledくっきりタテ7.
  11. https://www.riaj.or.jp/f/data/cert/hs.html 日本レコード協会 ダウンロード認定
  12. [w:ja:VERMILLION RECORDS|Vermillion Records]
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/20031003154131/http://www.oricon.co.jp/cd_detail.asp?cdno=181301&k=1&m=1 Tak Matsumoto featuring Zard: 異邦人
  14. https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/broad_tvtokyo/program/detail/202401/24518_202401081825.html 3秒聴けば誰でもわかる名曲ベスト100"
  15. https://natalie.mu/music/news/504144 今年海外でもっとも再生された日本の楽曲は？Spotifyが2022年振り返るランキング発表
  16. https://rockinon.com/disc/detail/135280 吉井和哉、生き急ぐ
  17. https://agora-web.jp/archives/2021601.html?amp=1 久保田早紀のヒット曲『異邦人』のルーツを中央線沿線に発見した
  18. https://utaten.com/specialArticle/index/7420 久保田早紀「異邦人」異国の歌ではなかった？名曲の切ない歌詞の意味を考察！
  19. https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2019/02/05/kiji/20190205s00041000092000c.html?amp=1 140万枚売れた大ヒット曲 舞台はシルクロードではなく東京の原っぱだった
  20. 異邦人 今は教会がステージ (2003) 朝日新聞縮刷版 (Asahi Shimbun shukusatsuban). 8 December 2003.
  21. https://rikkyo.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/18670 「月の沙漠」の系譜学 : 流行歌とアラビア表象
  22. https://web.archive.org/web/20210414000652/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/848b7f82a34b5e7a9ac926eba363543fbdff8eae 久保田早紀から久米小百合へ 大ヒット曲「異邦人」と歩んだ38年といま
  23. https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/broad_bstvtokyo/program/detail/202408/23312_202408162000.html 武田鉄矢の昭和は輝いていた【"異邦人"の久保田早紀と"雨バラ"の湯原昌幸】
  24. https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/201307/rank/single/ シングル売上TOP2作品
  25. https://jisin.jp/entertainment/interview/1616061/ "スターダムへの戸惑いと苦悩......「久保田早紀」は引退、音楽伝道師の道へ"
  26. https://www.daily.co.jp/opinion-d/nextstage/2019/01/14/0011976969.shtml "「異邦人」から40年...久保田早紀はなぜ音楽宣教師・久米小百合になったのか"
  27. https://www.jprime.jp/articles/amp/23159 1980年代を謳歌！『異邦人』からイカ天まで「俺たちの一発屋」名曲・青春プレーバック
  28. https://www.tbs.co.jp/tbs-ch/item/o2560/ ザ・ベストテン(1979年12月27日放送)
  29. Oricon monthly chart, December 1979
  30. https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/yomimono/music/anokoro/01/kiji/K20120124002497480.html 【1980年１月】大都会／クリスタル・キング　解散の思い出に出たポプコンから運命変わる
  31. https://news.1242.com/article/143927 "5月11日は「異邦人」久保田早紀の誕生日"
  32. https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/SakiKubota/discography/MHCL-30144 サウダーデ【Blu-spec CD2】
  33. https://reminder.top/133841821/ 久保田早紀は「異邦人」だけじゃない！異国路線にケジメを付けたアルバム「サウダーデ」
  34. (1999) 44 地理 48
  35. CBS/Sony catalogue number 06SH636. Front and back cover of the sleeve.
  36. https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/broad_bstvtokyo/program/detail/202404/23312_202404192000.html 武田鉄矢の昭和は輝いていた【黄金期のポップス歌謡曲の料理人・萩田光雄】
  37. https://www.asahi.com/sp/articles/DA3S15130877.html 斬新な味付け、ハッとするイントロ 作編曲家・萩田光雄の作品群5枚組みCDで発売
  38. https://reminder.top/116631073/ ヒット曲の料理人 萩田光雄、アレンジャーの功績はもっともっと評価されていい
  39. https://mikiki.tokyo.jp/articles/-/30981 萩田光雄『音の魔術師/作編曲家・萩田光雄の世界』筒美京平が信頼を置いた編曲家が語る歌謡曲の時代とアイドル音楽
  40. https://www.asahi.com/sp/articles/ASP7M4JV4P7MUCVL01D.html 酒井政利さん死去 百恵さんや郷ひろみさんの楽曲生む
  41. Ikuko Katano, "For Musical-Rhetorical Figures as Expressional Means of Thought & Affection: mainly Lamento-Bass Motiv" (思想や情感の表出手段としての音楽修辞学的音型より ：悲しみのバスモチーフを中心に) (2014) 宮崎国際大学教育学部紀要 『教育科学論集』 創刊号 (Bulletin of the Faculty of Education, Miyazaki International University, Educational Science Review) 46 at 55
  42. Ying Xiong. Representing Empire: Japanese Colonial Literature in Taiwan and Manchuria. Brill. 2014. pp 73 & 74.
  43. https://animation.geidai.ac.jp/?p=2635 藝大修了生による『異邦人 - Gedai Animation - 東京藝術大学
  44. Epic/Sony Records catalogue number ESCA 5602.
  45. https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/201307/products/494278/1/ GOLDEN☆BEST/久保田早紀
  46. https://www.musicman.co.jp/business/15274 JOYSOUND 2015年のカラオケ年代別ランキングを発表、総合1位は秦 基博「ひまわりの約束」
  47. https://www.musicman.co.jp/business/14636 JOYSOUND 2014年のカラオケ年代別ランキングを発表、アナ雪が各世代で支持
  48. https://web.archive.org/web/20131224105831/http://akiba-souken.com/article/hobby/18679/ JOYSOUND、年代別の2013年カラオケ年間ランキングを発表！ アニソン世代やボカロ世代など年代別の特徴が明らかに
  49. https://www.ntv.co.jp/hirunan/wednesday/2011/05/502.html ヒルナンデス!
  50. https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/research/articles/2236838/ 【60代が選ぶ】「1980～82年のヒット曲」の中で最高の1曲ランキングTOP23！ 第1位は「赤いスイートピー」と「異邦人」【2024年最新調査結果】
  51. https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/research/articles/3023794/amp/ 【50代が選ぶ】最高だと思う「1980～82年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP21！ 第1位は「異邦人」【2024年最新調査結果】
  52. https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/research/articles/3091909/amp/ 【40～50代に聞いた】最高だと思う「1980～82年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP26！ 第1位は「異邦人（久保田早紀）」【2024年最新調査結果】
  53. https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/research/articles/2744148/ 【30～40代に聞いた】最高だと思う「1980～1982年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP32！ 第1位は「赤いスイートピー」【2024年最新調査結果】
  54. https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/research/articles/2915614/ 【女性が選ぶ】最高だと思う「1980～82年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP20！ 第1位は「赤いスイートピー」【2024年最新調査結果】
  55. https://www.sankei.com/article/20241006-VQYAJMFJ3VB4LPFRSMPSE4J2CM/3/ 読者2000人が選んだ昭和の名曲—フォーク・ロック・ポップス部門ベスト50を発表
  56. https://www.sankei.com/article/20241019-BM4WH7BYR5G3TMVXWBHM4VINQE/ 四畳半フォークか、ニューミュージックか 読者が選んだ昭和の名曲、好み分かれた男女別発表
  57. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000165481 いい音爆音アワー vol.100「いい音爆音アワーが選ぶ史上最もナイスな100曲」発表♪
  58. https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/220505/rank/single/ シングル売上TOP6作品
  59. Ihojin '90 (Japanese: 異邦人 '90), Warner-Pioneer Corporation, catalogue number WPDL-4147. "Ihoujin (Assemble Version)" (Japanese: 異邦人 (アッセンブル・ヴァ－ジョン)) was released under the psuedonym "Maron Namikaze", and is included in the album "Assemble Concert", Warner-Pioneer Corporation, catalogue number WPCL-145. Both versions are included in "Which one do you like?", Warner-Pioneer Corporation, catalogue number LRS-2073.
  60. Ihojin, Nippon Columbia catalogue number CODA-1190
  61. Included in (2002)
  62. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000028915 久嶋美さち、あの名曲を大胆カヴァー！
  63. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000011548 『VOCALIST』リリース記念インタビュー Part.1
  64. Included in Romantic Energy (2005)
  65. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000035484 Acid Black Cherry ニューシングル「愛してない」スポット映像先行公開！
  66. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000064508 稲垣潤一、デュエット記録に「こうなったら、次はギネス」
  67. https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/6985/2 柴田淳 台所から聞こえてきた名曲カバー集発表
  68. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000084469 柴田淳、名曲を唄いこんだ初カバーアルバムがiTunesなど配信チャートで1位に
  69. https://ototoy.jp/news/83479 EGO-WRAPPIN'「くちばしにチェリー」ライヴ映像を期間限定公開
  70. https://rockinon.com/news/detail/78691.amp EGO-WRAPPIN'、ニューアルバム初回盤特典のライヴDVD&USBメモリの内容を発表
  71. Included in Tomonoura Bojō (2014)
  72. https://rockinon.com/news/detail/133780.amp 吉井和哉、ジャパメタ全開のビジュアル&カバー盤『ヨジー・カズボーン』詳細発表
  73. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000113731&page=3 【インタビュー】PENICILLIN、初のカバー集完成「高校時代の俺をビックリさせたい」
  74. https://natalie.mu/music/news/182205 原田知世カバー集「恋愛小説」第2弾発売、レコ発イベントも決定
  75. https://www.asagei.com/161472 黄金の"ミリオンセラー歌姫"を総直撃＜忘れじのオンナたち＞コロナ禍で消えた久保田早紀「異邦人」の復活
  76. https://rockinon.com/live/detail/182131.amp 桑田佳祐 「平成三十年度！ 第三回ひとり紅白歌合戦」/パシフィコ横浜 国立大ホール
  77. https://thetv.jp/news/detail/1012070/ 宮本浩次「孤独や悲しみが歌詞の中に...」久保田早紀『異邦人』カバーを熱唱＜ベストアーティスト2020
  78. https://aramajapan.com/news/newrelease/hiroji-miyamoto-to-release-his-first-cover-album-romance/109855/ Hiroji Miyamoto to release his first Cover Album "ROMANCE"
  79. https://www.cyzo.com/2021/11/post_295070_entry.html 今年の『紅白』の目玉は？ 上白石萌音の昭和歌謡、櫻井&相葉とあの男をトリオに...囁かれる「苦肉の策」
  80. https://natalie.mu/music/news/412036 上白石萌音が初のライブ映像作品リリース、オンラインで繰り広げた「i note」をBD/DVD化
  81. https://skream.jp/news/2020/10/kamishiraishimone_note_book.php 上白石萌音、初オリジナル・フル・アルバム『note』の超豪華版『note book』リリース決定。高音質UHQCD、オンライン・ライヴ「i note」音源や「ハッピーエンド」新撮MV収録
  82. https://natalie.mu/music/news/443912 雨宮天、初の歌謡曲カバーアルバムリリース
  83. https://natalie.mu/music/news/493089 May J.新作アルバムで山下達郎、ユーミン、石川さゆり、玉置浩二ら12曲カバー
  84. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000240315 JUJU、スナックシリーズ第二弾カヴァーアルバム全曲ダイジェスト映像公開
  85. https://natalie.mu/music/news/542748 JUJUのカバー盤「スナックJUJU」全15曲のダイジェスト映像、アルバム全貌も明らかに
  86. https://s.akiba-souken.com/article/62900/ 【先行ディスクレビュー】コンピレーションCD「声優Neo歌謡曲Vol.1」8月16日リリース！ レジェンド人気声優たちが歌謡曲をリメイクカバー！
  87. https://otocoto.jp/news/kyrie-movie0924/ 岩井俊二監督×アイナ・ジ・エンド主演 映画『キリエのうた』 歌・恋・友情がキーワードとなる3種類の予告映像が公開
  88. https://natalie.mu/music/news/542053 アイナ・ジ・エンド、松村北斗ら出演「キリエのうた」プレミアムライブをYouTubeで生配信
  89. Included in the album "Mei Ri Huai Nian Ni" (Cantonese: 每日懷念你) CBS/Sony catalogue number CBA 110
  90. Included in the album "Made in China", Sony Records, catalogue number SRCS-8841

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