Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

[Japanese Military Songs and Marches] A collection of famous Japanese pieces deeply etched in the hearts of the Showa and wartime generations

Representative, Elysion Philharmonic Orchestrasai-kisaragi
Heisei College of Music, Composition Course. Studied composition and conducting under Keizo Ideta, piano under Chinami Kira, and arts management under Takuma Konishi. With a focus on community and music, I work to revitalize my hometown of Saga Prefecture. While performing as a double bassist with wind ensembles and orchestras across Kyushu, I participated on double bass in the “Orchestra Without Borders” orchestra camp of the professional game and anime music ensemble Eminence Orchestra, held in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture in September 2012. During CAPCOM’s Kyushu Tour in 2016, I not only performed as an orchestra member but also served on the production staff. I currently serve as the managing representative for the game and anime performance groups Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra (Saga Prefecture) and Fukuoka Game Music Wind Orchestra (Fukuoka Prefecture), and handle conducting, arranging, and public relations.

The rousing “Warship March” by Fujiyoshi Setoguchi, Koji Tsuruta’s “Sakura of the Same Class” echoing in the spring as cherry blossoms fall, and Aya Shimazu’s “Comrade” that pierces the heart with thoughts of fallen friends.

In Japan’s military songs and marches reside pride in the homeland, the resolve of soldiers heading to the front, and deep prayers in remembrance of comrades who never returned.

These melodies, at times powerful and at times sorrowful, pass down the memory of war and ask us to reflect on the preciousness of peace.

Here, we introduce gem-like masterpieces that remain etched in many hearts even today, alongside Japan’s history.

[Japanese Military Songs and Marches] A collection of famous Japanese tunes deeply etched in the hearts of the Showa and wartime generations (31–40)

sinking with a bang; total destruction (esp. of a warship)Volunteers from the former Navy Band

“Military Song” Sunk with a Roar (Gōchin)

Volunteers from the former Imperial Navy Band sunk in action

I learned that it means to be sunk in an instant by shelling and the like, which was completely different from the carefree way the song is sung.

There are humorous parts in the lyrics as well.

I felt that singing as if one could be sunk so easily was a way of giving themselves courage.

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Song of the Wild EagleTokyo Mixed Chorus

Song of the Wild Eagles <Tokyo Mixed Chorus> [Wartime Song]

The Song of the Wild Eagles Tokyo Mixed Chorus

It’s a valiant song, yet it’s sung lightly and humorously.

Perhaps because it exhorts manliness, it also sounds somewhat sad.

They say “Red Dragonfly” comes from the training aircraft’s color, and along with the “young eagles,” it’s portrayed in a heroic manner.

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Wheat and SoldiersTaro Shoji

Wheat and Soldiers — Taro Shoji (with: Live Report from the Battle of Xuzhou)

Wheat and Soldiers by Taro Shoji

It is said to be a song based on a novel by Hino Ashihei.

The content is apparently something that makes you want to look away, which likely expresses the cruelty of war.

In Taro Shoji’s calm voice, I sense a quiet love for the homeland rather than a triumphant military march.

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Praying to the vast skyMisao Matsubara, et al.

Praying to the vast sky

Misao Matsubara praying to the great sky, and others

It was said to be a mother’s prayer song, so I thought it expressed the shared feelings of many mothers.

But the sad part is that the prayer is not for her son’s safety, but for him to achieve glory.

Saying she’s hiding her true feelings is something only those of us who don’t know war in our time can say, but it is a song from a sorrowful era.

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Japan going to the seaGenjiro Nagata · Miho Nagato

Japan Going to the Sea — Genjiro Nagata, Miho Nagato — Men's Choir

To the Sea: Japan — Genzirō Nagata, Miho Nagato

Depicting a Japanese man of the sea, his rugged spirit—like using the waves as a pillow—inevitably brings to mind the glamorous Navy.

The idea that Japan’s domination of the world would begin by venturing out onto the seas feels unsettling.

They were brimming with spirit, and must have had absolute confidence in raising the song of victory.

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Japanese Military Songs and Marches: A Collection of Beloved Classics Deeply Engraved in the Hearts of the Showa and Wartime Generations (41–50)

Pacific MarchHamako Watanabe

Pacific March - Hamako Watanabe

Pacific March Watanabe Hamako

I wonder if many people in the armed forces also admired the navy.

I sense a feeling of claiming the Pacific as our sea and forging ahead across it.

Perhaps because this song was loved as a national popular tune, it doesn’t feel out of place to hear it sung by a woman like Ms.

Watanabe, even though it’s a military song.

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Song of the Great Air FleetNoriaki Fujii, Shizuko Chiba

Song of the Great Air (Noriaki Fujii & Shizuko Chiba)

The Great Aviation Song by Noriaki Fujii and Shizuko Chiba

The melody has a somewhat similar feel to radio calisthenics.

However, the lyrics are divine in nature.

As expected, the sky is an “eagle,” with repeated mentions of wings, wings, and a sense of pressing forward—small Japan moving out into the world—expressing hope.

It is a stern lesson for the youth.

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