Hibari Misora (美空ひばり Misora Hibari, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Ja… Read Full Bio ↴Hibari Misora (美空ひばり Misora Hibari, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. Born Kazue Kato (加藤和枝) in Yokohama, she was an accomplished singer by the age of seven, and appeared in film for the first time at age 12. Between 1949's Kanashiki kuchibue and 1971's Onna no Hanamichi, she appeared in over 60 movies.

In April of 1987, on the way to a performance in Fukuoka, she suddenly collapsed. Rushed to hospital, she was diagnosed with bilateral femoral necrosis brought on by chronic hepatitis. Until August she was confined to hospital and eventually showed signs of recovery. She commenced recording a new song Midaregami in October, and in 1988 performed at a concert called Fushichou konsaato (Phoenix Concert) at the Tokyo Dome. Against overwhelming pain in her legs, she performed a total of 39 songs while assuring her fans that she had completely recovered. However, on 24 May 1989, having been re-admitted to the Juntendou hospital in Tokyo, she died from interstitial pneumonitis at the age of 52.

In July 1989 after her death, she became the first female recipient of the National Prize of Honour (国民栄誉賞) for her longstanding contributions to the music industry.

In 1993, the Misora Hibari-kan opened in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Its popularity with fans and tourists has endured through to the present.

Her most famous song, "Kawa no nagare no yō ni," (1989) was voted #1 in a 1997 NHK poll of the best Japanese songs of all time.

ふるさとはいつも
美空ひばり Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

まぶたをとじて想い出してごらん
君の故郷のあの山や川を
小ぶなを釣ったあれは春の小川
赤い桑の実をほおばった夏を
故郷はいつもなつかしく
ふるさとはいつも暖かく
母さんのようだ
そのやさしい手で

君をなぐさめてくれる

ひとりで君が遠く離れてても
君の心には故郷があるさ
汽笛が妙に響く秋の野末
そだ木燃えてるあの炉辺の冬
故郷はいつもなつかしく
ふるさとはいつも暖かく
母さんのようだ

そのやさしい眼で
君を見守ってくれる

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are from the song "ふるさとはいつも" by 美空ひばり (Misora Hibari). The song is about the nostalgic feeling and warmth one feels towards their hometown. The singer invites the listener to close their eyes and remember their own hometown, recalling the mountains, rivers, and childhood memories. The lyrics mention fishing in a small stream during spring, eating red mulberries in the summer, and the feeling of comfort that the hometown always brings. The hometown is described as always being warm and like a mother, offering comfort and solace.

The lyrics also highlight the idea that even when one is far away from their hometown, it still holds a special place in their heart. The mention of a distant whistle and the burning of firewood in a winter fireplace evoke the changing seasons and the passing of time, but the hometown remains a constant presence in the singer's heart. The lyrics suggest that the hometown, like a mother, watches over and protects the listener with its gentle eyes, even when they are alone and far away.

Line by Line Meaning

まぶたをとじて想い出してごらん
Close your eyelids and try to remember

君の故郷のあの山や川を
Think about the mountains and rivers of your hometown

小ぶなを釣ったあれは春の小川
That was a spring stream where you caught small fish

赤い桑の実をほおばった夏を
Remember the summer when you ate red mulberries

故郷はいつもなつかしく
Your hometown always brings back fond memories

ふるさとはいつも暖かく
The homeland is always warm

母さんのようだ
It's like a mother

そのやさしい手で
With her gentle hands

君をなぐさめてくれる
She comforts you

ひとりで君が遠く離れてても
Even when you are alone and far away

君の心には故郷があるさ
Your heart holds your hometown