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.
九段の母
美空ひばり Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
かってしらない じれったさ
杖をたよりに 一日がかり
せがれきたぞや 会いにきた
空をつくよな 大鳥居(おおとりい)
こんな立派な おやしろに
神とまつられ もったいなさよ
両手あわせて ひざまずき
おがむはずみの おねんぶつ
はっと気づいて うろたえました
せがれゆるせよ 田舎もの
鳶が鷹の子 うんだよで
いまじゃ果報が 身にあまる
金鵄勲章(きんしくんしょう)が みせたいばかり
逢いにきたぞや 九段坂
The song "九段の母" by 美空ひばり tells the story of a mother who anxiously waits for her son to arrive from the Ueno Station to Kudan. She is filled with a mixture of emotions, not knowing what to expect from her son's arrival. She leans on her cane as she waits an entire day for her son to come and visit her. When she sees him, she can't help but feel overwhelmed with joy and begins to cry.
As they stand in front of the grand shrine of Kudan, she feels a sense of regret that such a magnificent place should be dedicated to a god instead of something that benefits people directly. The mother then humbles herself, prostrating and putting her hands together in prayer, feeling embarrassed that she neglected to pay her respects.
The son attempts to reassure his mother that he has made something of himself and that he wants to show her his achievement by taking her to the Kudan Hill to see a kite with a gold falcon (probably as part of a military event or parade), which he intends to get a medal from. This gesture leaves the mother filled with pride and joy, happy that her son has accomplished so much.
Overall, the song celebrates the mother's love and her son's accomplishments while also lamenting a sense of loss and disconnection between current society and traditional reverence.
Line by Line Meaning
上野駅から 九段まで
From Ueno Station to Kudan, it's a distance that she is not used to.
かってしらない じれったさ
She is feeling unsettled, as if she's never been there before.
杖をたよりに 一日がかり
She relies on her cane and it takes her a whole day to get there.
せがれきたぞや 会いにきた
Her son has come to see her.
空をつくよな 大鳥居(おおとりい)
The grand torii gates stand tall like they reach to the sky.
こんな立派な おやしろに
She is amazed at the grandeur of the shrine.
神とまつられ もったいなさよ
It's such a waste that a goddess is worshipped here.
母は泣けます うれしさに
Her mother is so happy that she cries.
両手あわせて ひざまずき
She puts her hands together and kneels down.
おがむはずみの おねんぶつ
She was so engrossed in prayer that she didn't realize.
はっと気づいて うろたえました
She suddenly realized what she was doing and was taken aback.
せがれゆるせよ 田舎もの
Her son says to forgive her for being a country bumpkin.
鳶が鷹の子 うんだよで
A kite has been raised as if it were a hawk.
いまじゃ果報が 身にあまる
Nowadays, good fortune is more than one can handle.
金鵄勲章(きんしくんしょう)が みせたいばかり
She wants to proudly show off her Golden Kite Medal.
逢いにきたぞや 九段坂
He came to visit her at Kudan Slope.
Writer(s): 石松秋二, 能代八郎
Contributed by Ryan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@m19s1d
お嬢は何を歌っても上手い
@user-qj1ws6ki7c
美空ひばりの世界に
入ってしまいます❤
ひばりが最高✨✨✨
@user-vq3tc8pt7v
‘
@user-nx8dg9of5g
素晴らしいです。こんな歌声また聞きたい
@user-hv2yt7qi3z
❤ひばりちゃん，最高❤
@masahidekawabe9620
この当時まだ多くいた戦没者の親族の方々はこのひばりの歌唱にどれほど慰められたことでしょう。
ひばりの肩に無数の遺族の悲しみが載せられているかのようです。
@user-uj7pm3hu6n
九段の母懐かしくききました！もうシニア世代７５歳になりました。幼い子供の頃はよく、聴いていた懐かしい思い出の曲です！戦後はラジオから沢山の戦争で人生を😢狂わせられた国民が気持ちをひとつに重ね合わせて、涙しながら聴いた哀しい戦争での秘話や歌〽️歌声が巷に日本国内隅々に流れていきました。😢哀しい戦争さみしい辛い気持ちを乗り越えて生きてきた日本の一人一人に忘れたくて。忘れられない思い出の日日😢数々 戦争は、繰り返さないでと😢祈るばかり😢です。
@user-uj7pm3hu6n
ひばりさん😢いろんなジャンルの歌〽️を歌声をを有難うございます。九段の母 ジャズの英語の歌声最高です！ジャズ 発音 日本人離れしたジャズは、今もきくと余りにも素晴らしさに身震いいたします。ひばりさんは、英語の歌声最高です発音 発声 声の質ヤッホー🎉ヤッホーブラボーブラボー🎉日本人の誇りそして宝
@user-bg7rb9rz9s
還是美空雲雀旳版本好聽
@keikohata8255
自分のせがれがこの靖国神社に眠っている様な錯覚を
おぼえた。