Sendō Kouta Explained

is a Japanese kayōkyoku song originally published as sheet music in 1921 under the common name of, receiving its current title in 1922.^[1] The lyrics were written by Ujō Noguchi and the melody was composed by Shinpei Nakayama.^[2] It was popular throughout Japan from at least 1921 to 1923.^[3]

In 1922 and 1923, several record companies recorded and released "Sendō Kouta". In the latter year, Yoshinobu Ikeda's low-budget film based on the song was released, adding to the song's popularity.^{[4] [5]} After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the song's popularity spread further throughout Japan to the point that the public blamed the song for the disaster.^[6] The song was recorded by Victor Records in 1928.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Book: Saitō, Kei. 2017. 1933年を聴く: 戦前日本の音風景. ja. NTT出版. 55. 9784757143531.
2. Web site: 童謡の作詞作曲家が流行歌も生んだ。「船頭小唄」から「東京行進曲」へ. Tsuboi. Ken'ichi. 2013-12-13. Diamond Online. ja. 2019-07-20.
3. Web site: 船頭小唄 (センドウコウタ). Kotobank. ja. ja:Sendō kouta. Song of the boatman. 2019-07-19.
4. Book: Minichiello, Sharon. 1998. Japan's Competing Modernities: Issues in Culture and Democracy, 1900-1930. University of Hawaii Press. 251. 9780824820800.
5. Book: Yano, Christine Reiko. 2003. Tears of Longing: Nostalgia and the Nation in Japanese Popular Song. Harvard Univ Asia Center. 34. 9780674012769.
6. Book: Miyao, Daisuke. 2014. The Oxford Handbook of Japanese Cinema. OUP USA. 300. 9780199731664.
7. Book: Patterson, Patrick M.. 2018-08-15. Music and Words: Producing Popular Songs in Modern Japan, 1887–1952. Rowman & Littlefield. 48. 9781498550369.