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.

上を向いて歩こう
美空ひばり Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

上を向いて歩う
涙がこぼれないように
思い出す春の日
一人ぽっちの夜

上を向いて歩こう
にじんだ星をかぞえて
思い出す夏の日

一人ぽっちの夜
幸せは雲の上に
幸せは空の上に
上を向いて歩こう
涙がこぼれないように
泣きながら歩<
一人ぽっちの夜

(口笛...)
思い出す秋の日
一人ぽっちの夜
悲しみは星のかげに
悲しみは月のかげに
上を向いて歩こう
涙がこぼれないように
泣きながら歩く

一人ぽっちの夜
一人ぽっちの夜

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 美空ひばり's song 上を向いて歩こう (Ue wo Muite Arukou) express the idea of walking with your head held high, even in the midst of difficult or lonely times. The singer encourages herself and others to remember happy memories from different times of the year, but also acknowledges the sadness and heartbreak that can come along with them. The imagery of counting the stars and walking with tears in your eyes suggests that it's okay to feel and express emotions, but ultimately one should strive to keep moving forward and find joy in the journey.

Line by Line Meaning

上を向いて歩こう
Let's walk while looking up

涙がこぼれないように
So that tears won't fall

思い出す春の日
I remember a spring day

一人ぽっちの夜
A lonely night

にじんだ星をかぞえて
Count the blurred stars

思い出す夏の日
I remember a summer day

幸せは雲の上に
Happiness is in the clouds

幸せは空の上に
Happiness is in the sky

泣きながら歩く
Walking while crying

思い出す秋の日
I remember an autumn day

悲しみは星のかげに
Sorrow is under the stars