Japanese Songs from the 1930s – Music of the Reiko/Aizawa Series

I am often asked if the musical references and songs that I include in the Reiko Watanabe/Inspector Aizawa series are real. Well, the answer is ‘yes’ and I have the reciepts to prove it.

I have grown to like a few of these unique songs over the years of research, which is why I included them. There are references to Western songs in the Reiko/Aizawa books, most notably “The Japanese Sandman” and “Minnie the Moocher” but I have included only songs that are Japanese in origin or – in the case of two – very popular covers of American songs from the time. All of the songs listed below are ones featured in the Reiko/Aizawa series, but I plan on including others in future books. I hope you enjoy listening!

The Warship March – (Gunkan Koshinkyoku 軍艦行進曲)

Written in 1897, this song was the official anthem of the Imperial Japanese Navy and is still used by the Japanese Marine Self-Defense Force and even in pachinko parlors, whenever someone hits a jackpot. It’s an upbeat and stirring march and often nicknamed “Gunkan Machi” by the Japanese themselves. In Conspiracy in Tokyo, drunken sailors bawl it out in the Osen izakaya, and in Smoke Over Tokyo, Reiko plays it on her shamisen and it’s played again at Casino Follies.

Song of the Showa Restoration – (Showa ishin no uta 昭和維新の歌)

This 1930 song was written by Lieutenant Taku Mikami, the Navy officer who would assassinate Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai during the 5-15 Incident of 1932. It reflects the popular anger against the zaibatsu capitalists, the political parties, and the corruption that men like Mikami felt was ruining Japanese society. The song was an unofficial anthem of the Young Officers Movement, who advocated radical reform through a Showa Restoration, to restore full power to the Emperor and abolish the civilian government, and completely restructure Japan. This was to be achieved through assassinations and a violent coup de’tat. It is sung in Smoke Over Tokyo by Mikami and other plotters.

Sake, Tears or Sighs? – (Sake ha Namida ka Tameike ka 酒は涙か溜息か)

Sung by the legendary Ichiro Fujiyama, “Sake, Tears or Sighs?” is something akin to Japanese jazz, moody and melancholy. There are lyrics about mourning a lost love. Not my personal favorite, but the record sold a million copies in 1931, and is what Masaru Ryusaki is listening to on the radio in Shadows of Tokyo.

If Ten Thousand Enemies Should Come – (Teki wa ikuman 敵は幾万)

This stirring march is one of the oldest examples of gunka – military music. Composed in 1886 by Bimyou Yamada with lyrics by Sakunosuke Koyama, it is also one of the most famous gunka ever, popular during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) all the way to the end of World War II. It makes several appearances in Shadows of Tokyo.

Sing Me a Song of Araby – (Arabiya no uta アラビヤの唄)

In 1928, a Japanese cover by Teiichi Futamura of this popular American proved a big hit. Reiko and Ryusaki tap their toes to it at the nightclub Harlem in Shadows of Tokyo. The original cover is fine, but I prefer this modern rendition.

My Blue Heaven – (Watashi no aozora  私の青空)

Similarly, in 1928 a cover of “My Blue Heaven” was released and was an even bigger hit in Japan. I’m not sure what it was, but “My Blue Heaven” resonated with the Japanese in such a big way that it’s been covered dozens of times, shows up in movies and TV shows, including the very first Japanese sound film The Neighbor’s Wife and Mine from 1931. This song, which is known in Japan as “Watashi no aozora” (literally, My Blue Sky) has been totally integrated into Japanese culture that some don’t even know it’s originally an American song. It’s mentioned in Conspiracy in Tokyo, Shadows of Tokyo, and Smoke Over Tokyo. This rendition is sung by Teiichi Futamura and Kikuyo Amano. Pay no attention to the “unknown Japanese singers” line.

Noe Bushi – ノーエ節

The origins of this folk song are a little murky, so I’m not an expert. From what I found out, it was originally a Kanagawa folk song, turned into a marching song during the late Tokugawa Era, just before the Meiji Restoration. The lyrics are a lot of nonsense, which is why it’s usually sung at banquets and parties. Reiko and Emigiku dance to this upbeat song in Smoke Over Tokyo.

Over the Hill – (Oka wo Koete 丘を越えて)

Released in 1931 and sung by the talented Ichiro Fujiyama, “Over the Hill” was another massive hit. It’s a happy and upbeat song filled with cheerful lines like “applauding our youth” and generally celebrating life itself. It’s interesting that such a frivolous song was so popular right when Japan invaded Manchuria and started the descent into the “dark valley.” It clashes with the popular misconception that Japan became a military dictatorship overnight and shows that pop culture was not in line with militarism for many years. It features prominently in Smoke Over Tokyo. “Over the Hill” is still popular today, as evidenced by this modern cover from 2021.

The Three Human Bombs  – (Bakudan Sanyushi 爆弾三勇士)