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.

風
美空ひばり Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

人は誰もただ一人旅に出て
人は誰もふるさとを振りかえる
ちょっぴりさみしくて振りかえっても
そこにはただ風が吹いているだけ
人は誰も人生につまづいて
人は誰も夢破れ振りかえる

プラタナスの枯葉舞う冬の道で

プラタナスの散る音に振りかえる
帰っておいでよと振りかえっても
そこにはただ風が吹いているだけ
人は誰も恋をした切なさに
人は誰も耐えきれず振りかえる

何かをもとめて振りかえっても
そこにはただ風が吹いているだけ
振りかえらずただ一人一歩ずつ
振りかえらず泣かないで歩くんだ

何かをもとめて振りかえっても
そこにはただ風が吹いているだけ...

Overall Meaning

The 美空ひばり song 風 talks about the struggles of life and how everyone is on their own journey, but can't help but look back and reflect on their past experiences. The lyrics paint a picture of someone walking down a winter road, with memories of their hometown and failed dreams swirling around them like the leaves of a Platanus tree. Even when they look back, all they see is the wind blowing, a reminder that life goes on and that they must keep moving forward, one step at a time.

The song highlights how everyone goes through tough times in life, but they cannot let those experiences define them. In the end, they must continue to search for something better, and not look back with tears in their eyes. They will find what they're looking for if they keep walking forward, without fear, without looking back.

Line by Line Meaning

人は誰もただ一人旅に出て
Everyone sets out on their journey alone

人は誰もふるさとを振りかえる
Everyone looks back at their hometown

ちょっぴりさみしくて振りかえっても
Even if they feel a little lonely looking back

そこにはただ風が吹いているだけ
There's only the wind blowing there

人は誰も人生につまづいて
Everyone stumbles in life

人は誰も夢破れ振りかえる
Everyone looks back on their shattered dreams

プラタナスの枯葉舞う冬の道で
On a winter road where plane tree leaves dance

プラタナスの散る音に振りかえる
Looking back at the sound of the plane tree leaves falling

帰っておいでよと振りかえっても
Even if someone calls them back home

そこにはただ風が吹いているだけ
There's only the wind blowing there

人は誰も恋をした切なさに
Everyone feels the pain of love