Akiko Shikata is a singer-songwriter, musician and soundtrack composer. A t… Read Full Bio ↴Akiko Shikata is a singer-songwriter, musician and soundtrack composer. A tricky artist to categorize, her works incorporate various genres such as neoclassical darkwave, world music, experimental, jazz, synthpop, new age, classical, ambient, and more ordinary Japanese pop, among many others. She launched her career in 2001, with the vocal EP Midori no mori de nemuru tori ("Sleeping Bird in the Green Forest"), which she made on her own using a synth and a laptop. In 2002, she released an instrumental album, Kurenawi, showing various influences such as Caribbean music, traditional Japanese folk and classical piano music. In 2003, she released her first full-length vocal album, Haikyo to Rakuen ("Ruins and Heaven"), showing influences from Old Europe, classical and ethnic music, in which she sang Italian poetry, but also Japanese lyrics and what is seemingly an invented language ("Iuripuka"). This album gained critical success in Japan through the indie music platform Muzie, where it stayed on top of the sales for two years.

Her latest release is the avant-garde album Ayashi (2018) which could be labeled as world fusion.

恋ヒ数え
志方あきこ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

いずこへ埋めましょうか
咲き終えりし想いを
いずこへ棄てましょうか
亡くしましょうか

どこまで紡ぎましょうか
恋ひし哀し年月
どこまで織りましょうか

沙羅に永きと

いずこへと埋めましょうか
いずこへと棄てましょうか

薄墨重ねてゆるり霞む朧
出口は黄泉路と涙零してゆく

まわれまわれ八千代のひびき
愛し厭としと指を折って廻れ

いずこへと埋めましょうか
いずこへと棄てましょうか

いずこへ遣りましょうか
褪せし枯れし想いを
いずこへ流しましょうか
水面遠くと

宵闇灯し火そろり映る影絵
扉は岩戸と嘘に囚われてく

まわれまわれ十六夜の道
乞われ壊れて息を切って廻れ

幾年に永久に
袖乾く間もなく夢に浮かされてゆく

漁り火か狐火か
彼岸は鬼の火か
いざふみいざゆかん焼け跡の夜半に

宴の終わりにしんと狂う恋路
明けても黄泉路とひとり駆られてく

まどえまどえうたかたの蟬
をかし可笑しと衣解いて舞え

まわれまわれ八千代に迷い
誤め殺めて絆切って廻れ

朱に酔って嗤え

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of 恋ヒ数え by 志方あきこ depicts a deep sense of heartbreak and loss of hope that is relatable to people who have suffered rejection or any form of extreme disappointment in their journey of love. The singer poses several questions, such as where to bury and throw away the remnants of a finished love affair, how long to spin and weave the tale of their sad love story, and where to release the dried-up and withered emotions they once shared. The themes of death and the afterlife are also prominent in this song, with the mention of the underworld and the possibility of being trapped in unrealities masquerading as light.

The singer of 恋ヒ数え appears to have accepted their hurt and chosen to dwell in murky feelings and emotions that ultimately consume them. They have lost their sense of control and are left with memories of a love that failed to blossom, even as they endeavor to navigate life's challenges. The lyrics evoke the Japanese literary concept of mono no aware, a profound sense of sadness that comes with the transience and impermanence of life.

Line by Line Meaning

いずこへ埋めましょうか
Where should I bury my finished love?

咲き終えりし想いを
The love that has bloomed completely.

いずこへ棄てましょうか
Where should I throw away my love?

亡くしましょうか
Should I lose it?

どこまで紡ぎましょうか
How far do I spin my sad love story?

恋ひし哀し年月
The time I spent in sorrowful love.

どこまで織りましょうか
How far do I weave it?

沙羅に永きと
Forever in a silk of blooming cherry trees.

いずこへと埋めましょうか
Where should I bury it?

いずこへと棄てましょうか
Where should I discard it?

薄墨重ねてゆるり霞む朧
A dim veil of ink gradually spreading.

出口は黄泉路と涙零してゆく
The exit is the road to the underworld, and tears spill.

まわれまわれ八千代のひびき
Turn around and around, the sound of the eternal.

愛し厭としと指を折って廻れ
Twist your fingers, alternating between love and hatred.

いずこへ遣りましょうか
Where should I send my fading love?

褪せし枯れし想いを
The love that has faded away.

いずこへ流しましょうか
Where should I let it flow?

水面遠くと
Far away on the water's surface.

宵闇灯し火そろり映る影絵
Shadows and pictures reflecting the flickering light of twilight.

扉は岩戸と嘘に囚われてく
The door is trapped in deception and darkness.

まわれまわれ十六夜の道
Spin around and around on the 16th night's path.

乞われ壊れて息を切って廻れ
Broken and out of breath, twist around.

幾年に永久に
For how long? Forever.

袖乾く間もなく夢に浮かされてゆく
Suddenly becoming immersed in a dream before one's sleeves dry.

漁り火か狐火か
A fisherman's fire or a kitsune-bi?

彼岸は鬼の火か
Is the other side of the river the fire of the demon?

いざふみいざゆかん焼け跡の夜半に
Now we step forward, into the ruins and the darkness of the night.

宴の終わりにしんと狂う恋路
At the end of the party, love becomes crazy in silence.

明けても黄泉路とひとり駆られてく
Even in the morning, I run alone along the path to the underworld.

まどえまどえうたかたの蟬
Distract yourself, the cicada of fleetingness.

をかし可笑しと衣解いて舞え
Dance, your clothes amusingly undone.

まわれまわれ八千代に迷い
Turn around and around, lost in the eternal.

誤め殺めて絆切って廻れ
Mislead, kill and spin, cutting the bond.

朱に酔って嗤え
Laugh, enthralled by the redness.

Contributed by Elena C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@user-rs1ks6bf3g

4y↑77

・くれなゐ（絶版になったミニアルバム集）に収録されていた楽曲
・HPで素材配布されていたオルゴール曲
・wisteria（オルゴールCD）に収録されていたオルゴール曲
・そしてこのあやし（和風コンセプトアルバム）に収録されている楽曲

四曲のバージョン違いがある恋ヒ数えですが、やっぱりこの恋ヒ数えが一番好きです。
初盤のくれなゐバージョンからこのあやしバージョンまでに、およそ15年経過していますが、インディーズ時代から抜きん出た才能を感じさせていた志方さんの才能が開花し、長い月日を経て、確実な成長を遂げたと感じる一曲だと思います。

長年の志方ファンとしては、あのオルゴール曲がさらに最高の楽曲になっていて、長年ファンをやっていてよかったと思いました

志方さん本当にありがとう