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.

希望
美空ひばり Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

希望という名のあなたをたずねて
遠い国へとまた汽車にのる
あなたは昔のあたしの思い出
ふるさとの夢はじめての恋
けれどあたしが大人になった日に
黙ってどこかへ立ち去ったあなた
いつかあなたにまた逢うまでは
あたしの旅は終りのない旅

希望という名のあなたをたずねて
今日もあてなくまた汽車にのる
あれからあたしはただ一人きり
明日はどんな町につくやら
あなたのうわさも時折り聞くけど
見知らぬ誰かにすれちがうだけ
いつもあなたの名を呼びながら
あたしの旅は返事のない旅

希望という名のあなたをたずねて
寒い夜更けにまた汽車にのる
悲しみだけがあたしの道連れ
となりの席にあなたがいれば
涙ぐむときそのとき聞こえる
希望という名のあなたのあの唄

そうよあなたにまた逢うために
あたしの旅はいままた始まる

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "希望" by 美空ひばり describe the singer's journey to search for hope, in the form of a person she calls "you". The singer boards a train to a distant country, hoping to find this person who represents her past memories of her hometown and first love. However, on the day she became an adult, "you" silently left without a word, leaving the singer to continue her endless journey until they meet again.

As the singer continues to search for hope and "you", she is alone and unsure where the train will take her next. She hears occasional rumors about "you" but never meets them. The singer constantly calls out for "you" while traveling but receives no response, creating a journey without an answer.

The final verse shows the singer still searching for hope on a cold, lonely night. She is accompanied by her sadness, but if "you" were sitting next to her, then she would find comfort in hearing the song of hope that "you" used to sing. The singer hopes to meet "you" again so her journey can continue with a purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

希望という名のあなたをたずねて
I search for you, who I call hope

遠い国へとまた汽車にのる
I board another train to a distant land

あなたは昔のあたしの思い出
You are a memory of my past

ふるさとの夢はじめての恋
A dream of my hometown and my first love

けれどあたしが大人になった日に
But on the day I became an adult

黙ってどこかへ立ち去ったあなた
You left silently, going somewhere unknown

いつかあなたにまた逢うまでは
Until I meet you again someday

あたしの旅は終りのない旅
My journey is an endless one

今日もあてなくまた汽車にのる
Today, aimlessly, I take another train

あれからあたしはただ一人きり
Ever since then, I have been alone

明日はどんな町につくやら
Who knows what town I'll end up in tomorrow