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.

知床旅情
美空ひばり Lyrics

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知床の岬にはまなすの咲くころ
思い出しておくれ俺たちのことを
飲んで騒いで丘にのぼれば
はるかクナシリに白夜は明ける

旅の情か酔うほどにさまよい
浜に出てみれば月は照る波の上
君を今宵こそ君を抱きしめんと

岩かげに寄ればピリカが笑う

別れの日は来た知床の村にも
君はでてゆく峠をこえて

忘れちゃいやだよ気まぐれ烏さん
わたしを泣かすな白いかもめよ

Overall Meaning

In the song 知床旅情 (Shiretoko Ryojo), 美空ひばり (Miyuki Hirai) sings about the memories of her travels to Shiretoko, a peninsula in Hokkaido known for its abundant wildlife and stunning scenery. The opening line refers to the blooming of the hasunatsu flower that typically occurs in May, a sign of the coming summer. The singer implores her listener to remember their shared experiences during their travels there.

The second stanza speaks about the intoxicating power of travel and the beauty of nature. The moon shines down on the waves as they crash on the shore, and the singer proclaims that she wants to hold her companion close that night, under the shelter of a rock. The third and final stanza contains a farewell message, as the singer acknowledges that the day of parting has come. However, she begs her significant other not to forget their time together, as life moves on.

Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the power of travel and fleeting encounters, as well as the complex mix of emotions that come with them.

Line by Line Meaning

知床の岬にはまなすの咲くころ
During the time when the Hamanasu flowers bloom on the Shiretoko cape

思い出しておくれ俺たちのことを
Please remember us

飲んで騒いで丘にのぼれば
Drinking and making noise as we climb up the hill

はるかクナシリに白夜は明ける
Dawn breaks with a white night in the far-off Kunashiri

旅の情か酔うほどにさまよい
Strong emotions on the journey, wandering to the point of drunkenness

浜に出てみれば月は照る波の上
If you go to the beach, the moon shines on the waves

君を今宵こそ君を抱きしめんと
Tonight, I want to hold you tight

岩かげに寄ればピリカが笑う
If you come to the shadow of the rock, the Ptarmigan will laugh

別れの日は来た知床の村にも
The day of parting has come, even in the village of Shiretoko

君はでてゆく峠をこえて
You will go beyond the mountain pass

忘れちゃいやだよ気まぐれ烏さん
Mr. Fickle Crow, I don't want to forget you