{"id":5012,"date":"2017-08-12T10:11:32","date_gmt":"2017-08-12T01:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/?p=5012"},"modified":"2023-11-08T12:44:48","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T03:44:48","slug":"biwako-shuko-no-uta-100th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/biwako-shuko-no-uta-100th-anniversary\/","title":{"rendered":"Biwako Shuko no Uta 100th Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rowing on Lake Biwa with Mt. Ibuki and Chikubushima in the background. (June 26, 2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

June 2017 was the 100th anniversary of Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/em><\/strong> (\u7435\u7436\u6e56\u5468\u822a\u306e\u6b4c aka Lake Biwa Rowing Song<\/em><\/a><\/strong>), Shiga’s most famous song and one of Japan’s best hometown songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mark this milestone, a series of events were held in late June 2017 in Shiga. They included a four-day rowing excursion around Lake Biwa during June 24\u201327, a choir contest in Imazu on June 25, the unveiling of a new song monument in Nagahama on June 25, and a major concert at Biwako Hall in Otsu on June 30. I didn’t see everything, but I did get a glimpse of the major events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rowing excursion was named Nazori Shuko<\/em><\/strong> (\u306a\u305e\u308a\u5468\u822a) which means “Tracer Rowing Excursion.” It traces the rowing route the Kyoto college boys took in 1917 around Lake Biwa, going clockwise from Otsu<\/a> and on to Omi-Maiko<\/a>, Imazu<\/a>, Chikubushima<\/a>, Nagahama<\/a>, Hikone<\/a>, Omi-Hachiman<\/a>, and back to Otsu. The rowers lodged in Omi-Maiko, Imazu, and Hikone. The rowing excursion was largely organized by Kyoto University Rowing Club’s alumni association (Noseikai \u6fc3\u9752\u4f1a) with the cooperation of water sports organizations and fishing cooperatives in Shiga. About 120 rowing club alumni took turns rowing on three modern boats designed for long-distance rowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For four days, they rowed from around 5 a.m. until early afternoon. This is when the lake waters are most calm and air temperatures are cooler. The rowing excursion also had the participation of local people (\u4f4f\u6c11\u53c2\u52a0). At times, the rowers were escorted by yachts, canoes\/kayaks, and even standup paddleboarders. And at each major stop, the rowers were greeted by local folks including taiko drummers, dancers, and other well-wishers. The rowers also sang the song at each song monument<\/a> around the lake.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The four-day rowing excursion started at Otsu on June 24, 2017. The rowers started out at the Kyoto Univ. Rowing Club boathouse on Seta River at 5 a.m. and stopped by here at Mihogasaki, in front of the rowing club’s original boathouse in 1917. They left Mihogasaki at around 7 a.m. as people cheered.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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At Mihogasaki, Otsu Mayor Naomi Koshi (center) and former Shiga Governor Yukiko Kada (event committee chairperson) saw the rowers off. The man with the flag is an alumnus of the old No. 3 High School (university) (\u7b2c\u4e09\u9ad8\u7b49\u5b66\u6821) that merged with Kyoto University. The old school’s logo with a cherry blossom and three stripes is on the flag and old boathouse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Rowers pass by Ukimido Floating Temple<\/a> in Katata, Otsu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Taiko drummers greet rowers at Omi-Maiko.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Rowers sing “Biwako Shuko no Uta” on the white-sand beach at Omi-Maiko<\/a>. This is where they lodged the first night.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Official T-shirts were also sold to the public. They came in white, dark blue, and green. Orange T-shirts were reserved only for the rowers. The back says “Ware wa Uminoko” (We’re children of the lake) and the front had a small 100th anniversary logo (insert).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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On June 25, the second day, rowers leave Omi-Maiko and head for Imazu up north.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Rowers pay their respects at Shirahige Shrine in Takashima, famous for the torii in the water.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Rowers receive a warm welcome as they arrive at Imazu, the song’s birthplace. The large banner on shore reads, “Welcome to Imazu!” (\u3088\u3046\u3053\u305d\uff01\u4eca\u6d25\u3078)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Imazu’s annual Biwako Shuko no Uta choir contest<\/a> was also held on June 25. After arriving at Imazu, the rowers went to the concert hall (Takashima Shimin Kaikan) and went on stage with singer Kato Tokiko and Kada Yukiko (in green) to sing the song as guest singers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Kada Yukiko and singer Kato Tokiko at the center of the singing rowers swaying on stage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Also attending the choir contest were these three alumni from the old No. 3 High School which merged with Kyoto University in 1949.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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After singing at the choir contest, the rowers walked to Imazu Port and sang in front of the song monument. A busy day, but it wasn’t over yet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Biwako Shuko no Uta song museum<\/a> (\u7435\u7436\u6e56\u5468\u822a\u306e\u6b4c\u8cc7\u6599\u9928) in Imazu had special exhibits about songwriter Oguchi Taro<\/a> and composer Yoshida Chiaki<\/a>. The museum sells CDs of the song (including the English version) and the museum staff is very friendly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Very nice to see yoshibue<\/em> reed flute<\/a> players from Takashima greeting visitors at Omi-Imazu Station during June 24\u201325, 2017. They continuously played only the rowing song. Their flutes are made of Lake Biwa reeds grown in Harie, Takashima. \u91dd\u6c5f\u3088\u3057\u7b1b<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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New song monument for Biwako Shuko no Uta Verse 3 unveiled in Nagahama on June 25, 2017. (\u9577\u6d5c\u6b4c\u7891\u30fb\u9664\u5e55\u5f0f)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Also on June 25, a new song monument in Nagahama<\/strong> was unveiled in Hokoen Park near the lake shore near Nagahama Castle (map here<\/a>). In summer 2016, a  group of Nagahama residents formed a nonprofit (\u9577\u6ff1\u6b4c\u7891\u3067\u3064\u306a\u3050\u4f1a) to plan, design, finance, and build this new monument. They solicited donations to help foot the cost of about \u00a58 million. Although they weren’t able to get more than \u00a54 million in public donations, they somehow managed to pay for the new monument in full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Nagahama is a noted glass maker, they decided to make the new monument out of glass made in Nagahama. The new monument also functions as a park bench where you can sit and watch the sunset over the lake. It is perhaps Japan’s most expensive park bench. Seating four people, the glass bench is engraved with Verse 3 of Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/em> where it mentions Nagahama. (“Today is Imazu or, Nagahama, huh.”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opening ceremony was held at around 5:30 p.m. for sunset, but it was too cloudy. The ceremony was attended by a substantial crowd who came to see singer Kato Tokiko, former Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko, Nagahama Mayor Fujii Yuji, and local singers Kitagawa Akihiro and Matsuura Yoko help unveil the new monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier in the day in Nagahama, they held stage entertainment and boat cruises with local singers. (Couldn’t see any of it because I was in Imazu.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 25 (Sun.) was the busiest day because it was the closest weekend to the actual 100th anniversary on June 28. That night, I went back to Imazu and stayed at a hotel near the station.<\/p>\n\n\n

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While holding a copy of the concert program, singer Kato Tokiko gave a few words and mentioned the 1st Biwako Ongakusai music festival to be held on June 30 in Otsu. Holding the PR poster is Kitagawa Akihiro, ~Lefa~ vocalist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Kitagawa Akihiro and Kato Tokiko sing behind the new song monument and later everyone released balloons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Verse 3 of Biwako Shuko no Uta is engraved on the center segment of the glass bench. Bolted down in concrete and made of solid glass, it is a park bench shaped like a boat. The top is wavy like water, inspired by nami-makura<\/em> (rolling with the waves) in the song.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The rowers prepare to depart Imazu at around 5 a.m.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On June 26, the third day of the rowing excursion<\/strong>, I checked out of my hotel near Omi-Imazu Station at 4:30 a.m. and joined the Kyoto University Rowing Club’s official photographers on a fishing boat. We followed the rowers from Imazu to Osaki, Chikubushima, Nagahama, and Hikone and kept our cameras busy.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Alumnus of the old No. 3 High School (\u7b2c\u4e09\u9ad8\u7b49\u5b66\u6821) at Imazu to see off the rowers at around 5 a.m. He was also at Otsu. At the center of the cherry blossom is the kanji for “san” (three).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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They first rowed from Imazu to Osaki where they would change rowers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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This boat is named “Uminoko” (Child of the Lake). The other two boats are named “Tomari-bi” (Light\/Fire on Shore) and “Sazanami” (Lake Ripples). They are named after a key word or phrase found in the song.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The three boats they used belong to the Kyoto University Rowing Club. Thanks to donations from rowing club alumni, they were built in Shiga several years ago and designed especially for long-distance rowing around the lake. The boats have sliding seats and are quite stable in the water. They can also expel water automatically. It’s a far cry from the wooden, fixed-seat boats<\/a> they used 100 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boats are normally used by freshmen members of the Kyoto University Rowing Club to row around the lake every summer.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Rowing toward Chikubushima on a sparkling lake. Luckily, the weather was good during the four days.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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On sacred Chikubushima<\/a> island, non-rowing alumni sing the song in front of the Verse 4 monument<\/a> while the three boats solemnly look on. This was around 8 a.m. I wish more people could have witnessed this most interesting and unusual scene, but it was well before the arrival time of tourist boats. Besides myself, only a handful of official and press photographers were here to see this. The Mainichi Shimbun reporter hired his own boat just to photograph this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Mt. Ibuki<\/a> in view as they row toward Nagahama.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Our friendly boat captain knew well about lake currents and conditions. The waves got a little rough off Nagahama and slightly flooded the boats. Also on our fishing boat was the BBC (Biwako Broadcasting Co.) cameraman. The NHK TV crew also hired a fishing boat to film the rowers. In July, both BBC<\/a> and NHK<\/a> aired special TV programs about the rowing trip.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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After reaching Nagahama<\/a> at around 11 a.m., the rowers sing the song next to the new Verse 3 monument at Hokoen Park near Nagahama Castle<\/a>. Nagahama was also a lunch break.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The song leader (\u5927\u6749\u8015\u4e00) directs the singing, backed by many local dancers (\u65e5\u672c3B\u4f53\u64cd\u5354\u4f1a \u6ecb\u8cc0\u652f\u90e8). The new park bench song monument is behind him.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Rowers pass by Hikone Castle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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In front of the Verse 5 monument at Hikone Port, former Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko (event committee chairperson) asserted that the “old castle” mentioned in the song must be Sawayama Castle (Ishida Mitsunari’s<\/a> castle) instead of Hikone Castle since the latter was never attacked (“sharp arrows buried deeply”). She’s got a valid point, but I’ve always assumed that it included all the old castles in eastern Shiga (Hikone<\/a>, Nagahama<\/a>, Sawayama<\/a>, and Azuchi<\/a>). This is another thing I love about the song. We can all have our own interpretations of it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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After reaching Hikone Port in the early afternoon, the rowers sang in front of the Verse 5 song monument. They sang here again in the early evening with a local school band and lodged in Hikone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I had fun following and photographing\/filming the rowers on the lake, but I declined to follow them again on the next (last) day. (Too much sunburn.)<\/p>\n\n\n

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On June 27, the fourth and last day of rowing from Hikone to Otsu, they took a break at Omi-Hachiman<\/a> (near the song monument at Horikiri Port) and even danced the Goshu Ondo<\/a><\/em> (folk dance native to Shiga).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Rowers finally return to the Kyoto University Rowing Club boathouse on Seta River in Otsu at around 5 p.m. It was a long haul taking about 12 hours. They changed rowers four times.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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In front of the Kyoto University Rowing Club boathouse (Seta Karahashi Bridge<\/a> in the background), rowers sing the song after a safe and successful four-day rowing excursion. Congratulations to all!
*Thanks to Tetsuo Oshiro for providing some of the photos on this page.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Major newspapers like Chunichi Shimbun covered the 100th anniversary events. (Click on image to enlarge.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The rowing excursion was soon followed by the 1st Biwako Ongakusai<\/strong> (Music Festival) held on June 30, 2017 at Biwako Hall<\/a> in Otsu. It was organized by a committee led by former Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko and produced by singer Kato Tokiko who made Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/em> a national hit in 1971. Headlining the concert were top artists Miyazawa Kazufumi (Shima Uta<\/em> was fantastic), Gospellers, the Tokiko Band (great musicians), and ~Lefa~<\/a> from Nagahama. The first half had local youth groups and choirs from Shiga, Kyoto, and Osaka. The second half featured the headlining artists and Kato Tokiko herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the first Biwako Music Festival and they plan to hold this concert annually around Lake Biwa in the places mentioned in the song. So next year in 2018, it will be held in Omi-Maiko at Biwako Seikei Sport College whose president is former Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko. Then in Imazu in 2019. Kato Tokiko will be the producer of the annual concerts. It will take several years before the concert is held in each place mentioned in the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One major objective of the Biwako Music Festival is to perpetuate Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/em> to the younger generations since it is not really taught in schools in Shiga. That’s why you will see local youths performing as well.<\/p>\n\n\n

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At the 1st Biwako Ongakusai Music Festival, a short film about the rowing excursion was shown while concert goers entered the concert hall. It also mentioned the English version of the song and showed footage of our mini concert<\/a> held in Imazu in April. The short film was shot and edited by Biwako Broadcasting Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The 45-page Ongakusai program booklet included this two-page article I wrote about Lake Biwa Rowing Song<\/a>.<\/em> I was honored to explain why and how I created the English version. (Click image to enlarge. Sorry, I don’t have it in English yet.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The concert was held in Biwako Hall’s beautiful Large Hall seating about 1,800. This is ~Lefa~<\/a> performing in the audience area for their first number.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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~Lefa~<\/a> vocalist Kitagawa Akihiro (\u5317\u5ddd \u967d\u5927) also sang “Lake Biwa Rowing Song” in English. His partner Kono Hiroyuki (\u6cb3\u91ce \u5f18\u884c) played keyboard. Performing at Biwako Hall was their biggest venue so far, a dream come true.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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At the end for the finale, all the performers got on stage and sang Biwako Shuko no Uta.<\/em> So nice to see so many young people singing the song. The audience also stood up and sang.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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At the center are the former and current Shiga governors, Kato Tokiko, and other headlining artists all singing Biwako Shuko no Uta.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It was a wonderful concert showcasing a wide variety of music and artists, both amateur and famous. We look forward to the next concert next year in Omi-Maiko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otsukaresama<\/em><\/strong> and thank you<\/strong><\/em> to Kada Yukiko, Kato Tokiko, Kyoto University Rowing Club and their alumni association (\u6fc3\u9752\u4f1a), and everyone else who worked so hard to plan, coordinate, and execute these memorable events like never before. It got many local people involved and I was honored and happy to take part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hometown song must definitely be perpetuated to current and future generations. It’s an important part of Shiga’s history and cultural heritage and should be designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property (\u91cd\u8981\u7121\u5f62\u6587\u5316\u8ca1<\/span>). I hope that local educators and parents will come around and realize how precious this song really is to Shiga. Showcasing not only pretty scenes in Shiga, but also life itself. And the melody is classic and timeless. The story behind the song and its creators is also most fascinating. At the same time, the song retains an aura of mystery and intrigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On April 16, 2017, we at shiga-ken.com<\/a> also celebrated the song’s 100th anniversary by holding a Lake Biwa Rowing Song<\/em> mini concert<\/a> in English<\/strong> in Imazu. Jamie and Megan Thompson visited Shiga for this occasion and we also had Kikui Satoru and Kondo Yumiko play yoshibue<\/em> reed flutes as a duo named “Lake Reed.” Here are two videos of our event:<\/p>\n\n\n\n