Welcome to Japan !
Ton-yare Bushi
The First Modern Popular Song "Ryûkô-ka"
in Japan
Some foreigners who are interested in the turbulent age of the Meiji
Restoration asked me about the meaning of this song. Some wrong
information is widespread on the internet by people who misunderstand
various facts or are not well familiar with some historical facts and events.
To understand the meaning of this song, you must know some historical
background of the song. And to understand the humorous and joyful tone
of the lyrics, you must understsand the Japanese language. The language
barrier is big and I must admit that it is difficult to explain it in my poor English.
The Japanese people who watched on TV some dramas about the fall of
tthe Tokugawa Shogunate and the battle between the shogun's army and
the army of the Imperial government supported by the Satsuma,
Chôshu, Tosa and Hizen clans must have heard this military march song.
The lyrics of the song make fun of the Shogun' s army and its allies but its
tone is too much humorous to be aggressive and insulting.
On October 13, 1867, in the Ninomaru Palace of the Nijo Castle in Kyoto,
the 15th shogun or the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu, invited high-ranking
officials of some 40 han ( feudal domains ) resident in Kyoto, and declared
that he would return the Supreme Power to govern Japan, to the Imperial
Court. This transfer of power is called "Taisei Hôkan". However, in the
following year of 1868, however, the war between the shogunate and the new
Meiji government broke out. This war is called "Boshin War".
The new Meiji government intended to destroy the feudal regime completely
and this meant that the glorious House of the Tokugawa who had maintained
peace in Japan during two hundred sixty years, would be treated
with humiliation.
The Meiji government was trying to abolish every privilege of the samurai
class and to strip the Tokugawas of all lands they possessed.
The shogun's forces left Osaka Castle and advanced towards Kyoto,
to put pressure on the Imperial Court noblemen.
They could not enter Kyoto and clashed with the government forces
composed of the samurai of Satsuma, Chôshû around Toba and Fushima
close to the present Osaka Prefecture. Fierce battles took place at
Toba, Fushimi, Yodo,Yahata and Kuzuha and were scattered. The last
shogun Yoshinobu escaped from Osaka Castle. On board a warship that
had been staying in the Osaka Bay, he returned to the Castle of Edo.
He moved from Edo Castle to the Konpon-chûdô of Kan-ei-ji Temple and
he placed himself under voluntary confinement in a small room( usually not
now open to the public ) during two months to show every obedience to the
emperor. The government forces advanced further eastward to seize the
Edo Castle and to destroy the Tokugawa regime completely.
During the marching to Edo ( Tokyo ), the song "Tonyarebushi "was sung.
I believe that this song aroused neither patriotism nor martial spirits,
because the lyrics are too comical. The soldiers must have enjoyed
singing this funny song with the colloquial words while marching towards
Edo.
.
The Ninomaru Palace of the Nijo Castle, in Kyoto,
where the last shogun Yoshinobu declared that
he would return the Supreme Governing Power
to the Imperial House.
宮さん宮さん お馬の前に
ひらひらするのは何じゃいな
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
あれは朝敵征伐せよとの
錦の御旗じゃないかいな
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
Music : Ômura Masujiro
Lyrics : Sinagawa Yajiro
Miya san Miya san
Ouma no mae de
hira hira suru no wa nanjaina
Toko ton-yare ton-yare na
Are wa chôteki seibatsu seyo tono
Nishiki no mihata ja naikaina
Toko ton-yare ton-yare na
一天万乗( いってんばんじょう）の帝王に
手向かいする奴（やつ）を
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
ねらい外さず どんどん撃ち出す（ うちだす）薩長土
（ さっちょうど ）
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
伏見 鳥羽 淀 橋本 葛葉( くずは）の戦いは
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
薩土長肥の 合うたる手際じゃないかいな
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ音に聞こえし関東武士
どっちへ逃げたと 問うたれば
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
城も気概も捨てて 吾妻（あずま ）へ逃げたげな
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ国をとるのも 人を殺すも
誰も本意じゃないけれど
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
薩長士の先手に 手向いする故に
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ雨の降るよな 鉄砲の玉の来る中に
My Prince, My Prince,
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
命惜しまず魁するのも 皆お主の為故じゃ
トコトンヤレトンヤレナ
What's that flitting in front of the horse ?
Toko Ton yare toko ton yarena
Is it the honorable Brocaded Imperial standard ?
Toko ton yare ton yarena
東征軍 大総督
有栖川宮(ありすがわのみや)熾仁親王(たるひとしんのう)
平成１９年（２００７年 ）京都 時代祭
"Miya san"
Commander in-chief Prince Arisugawa no miya
Taruhito" of the Expedition Army of the East
In the procession of the "Jidai Matsuri Festival
( The Festival of the Ages in Kyoto )
On October 22, 2007
The words "Miya san, Miya san" (My Prince, my Prince ) sound excessively
colloquial, informal and childish, and therefore funny and humorous.
You must say :" Your highness". to the Commander in-chief Prince Arisugawa
no miya Taruhito
The samurai of the shogunate were scared at the
sight of the Imperial Standard, which was the
symbol of the emperor. If you fought in the face of
this standard, you would be labeled
as rebels and enemies of the emperor. The curious fact
is that this standard was not authorized by the
emperor and was forged.
京都 時代祭の維新勤王隊
が かがげる
錦の御旗 （ にしきのみはた ）
平成１９年（２００７）10月２２日
The Honorable Brocaded Imperial Standard
"Nishiki no mihata"
The Royal Soldiers of the Meiji Restoration
"Ishin Kinnôtai"
In the procession of the "Jidai Matsu" ( the Festivals
of the Periods - October 22th, 2007
The translation of the lyrics follows :
The enemies who do not obey the Almighty Emperor
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
The soldiers of the Satsuma, Chôshu and the Tosa clans
shoot them without missing any targets,
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
At the battles of Fushimi, Toba, Yodo, Hashimoto
and Kuzuha,
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
The enemies were not any matches for
the soldiers of Satsuma, Tosa, Chôshu clans
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
I asked where the famous brave samurai of Kanto fled,
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
They are said to have fled to the East,
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
I would not take a land and kill people
willingly
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
But, I would like to defeat the enemies
who do not surrender to the forces of
Satsuma, Chôshu and tosa.
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
Through a shower of bullets,
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
I advance first towards the enemies,
not sparing my life, for our Lord
Toko ton yare Toko ton yarena
This song was the first military song and the only humorous song. Thereafter,
many military songs were composed until the end of the Second World War
in 1945.
Some military songs are too gloomy, heavy and melancholic and therefore
the military authorities do not like them to be sung among the soldiers.
But, many military songs were born from the hearts of the soldiers who
yearned to meet their wives and children. They wanted to return to their
beautiful native lands.
They composed them in the battlefields in the Pacific and in the wilderness
of China and in the military prisons in the Philippines.
Tonyare bushi
Too slow
Tonyare bushi
Normal speed
Tonyare bushi
A little bit rapid
Tonyare bushi
Normal Speed
During the Marching of the Government Army "Kangun",
this song was played only with the flutes and with western style drums.
Video
"Jidai Matsuri"
Jidai Matsuri
(The Festival of the Ages )
This march is reproduced in the parade of the
Jidai Matsuri "The Festival of the Ages", in Kyoto.
Video :
Video
山形県 上山藩鼓笛隊
The Military Music band of Kaminoyama,
Yamagata Prefecture
The New Meiji government did not employ the French military advisors
as the Shogunate had done.
After France was defeated by Prussia, Napoleon was not respected. So the
Meiji government hired German military advisors. But, it hired French
Military Music advisors.
The samurai of Kaminoyama were trained by the French military advisors
before the Meiji Restoration. They also learned military band music from
the French.
In 1878, the Tsukioka Shrine was founded. The former samurai offered
the "Tonyare bushi" to the god of the shrine. Every year, they held the march.
The song "Tonyare bushi" was included in Gilbert and Sullivan's opera
"The Mikado" which was played for the first time in London. It was also
included in Giocomo Puccini's "Madame Butterfly".
The music of Tonyare bushi is said to have been composed by Shinagawa
Yajirô, who was not a professional music composer. He was born in
a low class samurai in Hagi, Chôshu. He bacame the Minister of Home
affairs in the Matsukara cabinet in 1891.
The lyrics of Tonyare bushi are said to have been written by Murata Masujirô.
( 1825-1869), who was born in Suhô ( Now in the Yamaguchi Prefecture).
His father was a medical doctor. He studied medicine, military strategy
and Dutch studies, In !846, he came to Osaka and studied in the
Tekijuku school. In 1869, he was attacked by the Assassins in the riverside
of the Takase gawa, in Kiyamachi, Kyoto.
He was carried to a hospital in Osaka and was attended there by the Dutch
doctor Anthonius Franciscus Bauduin. But, he died.
He became the vice minister of War. He was actually a minister because
the post of the minister was nominal and occupied by an imperial prince.
who was only a figurehead.
He is said to be the founder of the modern Japanese Army.
Ômura Masujiro
"Tekijuku" School in Osaka
Ômura Masujiro studied the Western Sciences in Dutch here.
大村益次郎卿遭難の碑
佐久間象山先生遭難の碑
The place wbere Ômura Masujiro
and Sakuma Shôzan were attacked by
some radical samurai.
The Takase gawa in Kyoto
This river was a canal and was more wide.
Built by Suminokura Ryôi. In this riverside,
Murata Masujirô was stabbed.
Murata Masujirô ( 1824 - 1869 ) died here, in front of the Osaka Castle,
where the National Hospital of Osaka is situated.
"Ryûkôka" means literally "flowing song". It was a song popular only at some
age in the Japanese history for a short time. It ceased to be sung soon.
But, it was played many times in the TV shows called "The Songs of Good
Old Days".
It is a singing history reminder sung in some historical backgrounds. It
reminds us of a bygone age and makes us nostalgic for our past and will
never be forgotten for ever.
©copyright - All copyrights are reserved - Hiroaki Sasaki -
Licensed interpreter-guide in Spanish and
English.
Japanese Culture
