Wikipedia

Ihojin

Ihojin (Japanese: 異邦人) (English: "Stranger"[1] or "Foreigner")[2] is a song[3] written and composed by Saki Kubota,[4] and first performed by her. The song was first released as a single on 1 October 1979.[5][6] That recording sold more than 1.4 million copies[7] and reached number 1 in the Japanese singles chart.[8][9] The song was used in the "Silk Road" television commercial for Sanyo.[10][11][12]

The version released on 12/7/2006 was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan in May 2019.[13]

A cover version[14] of the song by Tak Matsumoto, featuring Zard, reached number 3 in the Oricon Singles Chart in 2003.[4]

TV Tokyo included the song in a collection of one hundred songs that are so well known that anyone could recognise them in three seconds.[15] In 2022, it was among the most popular 1970s Japanese songs on Spotify.[16]

Lyrics

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The lyrics of the song refer to children playing in an open space adjacent to the railway tracks, as seen by a passenger from the window of a railway train travelling on the Chuo Line.[17][18][19][20] The lyrics of "Ihojin" include the motif of time travel that previously appeared in the Shinji Harada song "Taimu Toraberu" (Japanese: タイム・トラベル) (1978).[21]

Saki Kubota

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"Ihojin"
Single by Saki Kubota
LanguageJapanese
B-side"Yumehiko"
Released1 October 1979
Length3:41
LabelCBS/Sony
Songwriter(s)Saki Kubota
Producer(s)Masatoshi Sakai
Saki Kubota singles chronology
"Ihojin"
(1979) 		"Nijūgoji"
(1980)

The single released by Saki Kubota was a hit song[22] and reached number 1 in The Best Ten chart,[23] the Oricon Singles Chart,[6] the Music Labo singles chart,[8] and the Cash Box of Japan 45s chart.[9]

The single spent three consecutive weeks at the top of The Best Ten chart.[24][25] The single spent 12 consecutive weeks in The Best Ten.[22] The single spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the Oricon chart,[26] and spent 25 weeks in the Oricon chart.[6]

The single was number 2 in the Oricon annual singles chart for 1980.[27]

The recording of the song released as a single in 1979 is included in the album Yumegatari. The album Saudade, released in 1980, included a new acoustic version of the song recorded in Lisbon in Portugal.[28][29][30]

The 1979 single was released on a 7-inch 45rpm vinyl record. The subtitle of the song "Ihojin" is "Shiruku Rōdo No Tēma" (Japanese: シルクロードのテーマ) which means "Silk Road Theme". The duration of "Ihojin" is 3 minutes and 41 seconds. The song "Yumehiko" (Japanese: 夢飛行) is on the B side of the single. The duration of "Yumehiko" is 4 minutes and 11 seconds.[31] The song "Ihojin" was arranged by Mitsuo Hagita[32][33][34][35] and produced by Masatoshi Sakai.[36]

The song uses the lament bass as a bridge passage.[37]

Makaino said the arrangement is full of exoticism ("ikoku jōcho", Japanese: 異国情緒, the mood of a foreign country).[27][38]

An animated music video was created by Harune Sato and Kohei Saito from the Tokyo University of the Arts in 2021.[3]

There are karaoke versions of both the Yumegatari version, and the (Portuguese recording) Saudade version, of "Ihojin" on the album Golden Best Saki Kubota.[39] The song has appeared in the Joysound karaoke annual rankings by age group.[40][41][42]

According to ITmedia, in 2024, "Ihojin" was the most popular song from 1980 to 1982 amongst Japanese people in their 50s and 60s.[11][43] It was the fourth most popular for people in their 30s and 40s,[44] and also ranked highly for women.[45]

Cover versions

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Tak Matsumoto, featuring Zard

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"Ihojin"
Single by Tak Matsumoto featuring Zard
LanguageJapanese
B-side"Ame No Machi Wo"
Released27 August 2003[14]
LabelVermillion Records
Songwriter(s)Saki Kubota

This single spent 16 weeks in the Oricon chart.[46]

The song on the B side is a cover version of Yuming's "Ame No Machi Wo" (Japanese: 雨の街を) by Tak Matsumoto, featuring Akiko Matsuda.[14] The song "Ihojin" was included in the Tak Matsumoto album The Hit Parade.

Other

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There are cover versions by Hiroko Kasahara (1990),[47] Yukana Nogami (1997),[48] Akina Nakamori (2002),[49] Tatsuya Ishii (2003), Yuki Koyanagi (2003),[50] Hideaki Tokunaga (2005),[51] the 12 Girls Band (2005),[52] Acid Black Cherry (2007),[53] Yōko Oginome and Junichi Inagaki (2010),[54] Jun Shibata (2012),[55][56] Ego-Wrappin' (2013),[57][58] Misaki Iwasa (2014),[59] Kazuya Yoshii (2015),[60] Penicillin (2015),[61] Tomoyo Harada (2016),[62][63] Keisuke Kuwata (2019),[64] Hiroji Miyamoto (2020),[65][66] Mone Kamishiraishi (2020),[67][68][69] Sora Amamiya (2021),[70] May J. (2022),[71] Juju (2023),[72][73] and Yūko Miyamura (2023).[74]

A cover version in Cantonese was released under the title "Hang Zhong Bu Yao Wen" (Cantonese: 行踪不要問 or 行蹤不要問 or 行踪不要问) by Paula Tsui in 1980.[75] A cover version in Mandarin was released under the title "Yìxiāngrén" (Mandarin: 異郷人) by Ai Jing in 1998.[76]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ms. Sayuri Kume as Goodwill Ambassador of JBS". JBS News International. Volume 3. October 2007.
  2. ^ Lisa Vogt. Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Otsuki: Look around and you’ll find Momotaro everywhere. The Asahi Shimbun. 5 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Ihojin. Sony Music Japan.
  4. ^ a b Tak Matsumoto featuring Zard: 異邦人. Oricon entertainment site. Oricon.
  5. ^ CBS/Sony catalogue number 06SH636
  6. ^ a b c シングル売上TOP2作品 in "久保田早紀". Oricon News.
  7. ^ (1984) 3 実践国語教育大系 277
  8. ^ a b "Japan" in "Hits of the World". Billboard. 22 December 1979. p 71.
  9. ^ a b Cash Box. 2 February 1980. p 37.
  10. ^ (1995) 73 文藝春秋 (Bungei Shunjū) 400
  11. ^ a b 思う「1980～82年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP21 ! 第1位は「異邦人」". ITmedia.
  12. ^ 1979 television commercial for the Sanyo colour television model calledくっきりタテ7.
  13. ^ 日本レコード協会 ダウンロード認定. RIAJ. See table "2019年 ミリオン以上 認定作品一覧" which is found under "2019年5月" .
  14. ^ a b c Vermillion Records catalogue number BMCV-5004
  15. ^ ３秒聴けば誰でもわかる名曲ベスト１００". TV Tokyo. 8 January 2024. ３秒聴けば誰でもわかる名曲ベスト１００. TV Tokyo. 10 January and 18 July 2022. See the television programme.
  16. ^ 今年海外でもっとも再生された日本の楽曲は？Spotifyが2022年振り返るランキング発表. Natalie. 7 December 2022.
  17. ^ 久保田早紀のヒット曲『異邦人』のルーツを中央線沿線に発見した. Agora. 27 September 2016.
  18. ^ 久保田早紀「異邦人」異国の歌ではなかった？名曲の切ない歌詞の意味を考察！. UtaTen.
  19. ^ １４０万枚売れた大ヒット曲　舞台はシルクロードではなく東京の原っぱだった. Sponichi Annex. 5 February 2019.
  20. ^ 異邦人 今は教会がステージ (2003) 朝日新聞縮刷版 (Asahi Shimbun shukusatsuban). 8 December 2003.
  21. ^ 「月の沙漠」の系譜学 : 流行歌とアラビア表象 (2009) 大衆文化 (Popular Culture), vol 2, p 59, at p 68, note 8. Departmental Bulletin Paper (WEKO2).
  22. ^ a b 久保田早紀から久米小百合へ　大ヒット曲「異邦人」と歩んだ38年といま. The Page. (Yahoo! Japan). 12 December 2017.
  23. ^ 武田鉄矢の昭和は輝いていた【“異邦人”の久保田早紀と“雨バラ”の湯原昌幸】. TV Tokyo. Broadcast 16 August 2024.
  24. ^ "スターダムへの戸惑いと苦悩……「久保田早紀」は引退、音楽伝道師の道へ". 女性自身 (Josei Jishin). 3/2/2018.
  25. ^ "「異邦人」から４０年…久保田早紀はなぜ音楽宣教師・久米小百合になったのか". デイリースポーツ (Daily Sports). 14 January 2019.
  26. ^ 1980年代を謳歌！『異邦人』からイカ天まで「俺たちの一発屋」名曲・青春プレーバック. 週刊女性Prime. 14 February 2022.
  27. ^ a b "5月11日は「異邦人」久保田早紀の誕生日". News Online. Nippon Broadcasting System. 5 May 2018.
  28. ^ サウダーデ【Blu-spec CD2】. Sony Music.
  29. ^ 久保田早紀は「異邦人」だけじゃない！異国路線にケジメを付けたアルバム「サウダーデ」. Re:minder. 7/6/2023.
  30. ^ (1999) 44 地理 48
  31. ^ CBS/Sony catalogue number 06SH636. Front and back cover of the sleeve.
  32. ^ 武田鉄矢の昭和は輝いていた【黄金期のポップス歌謡曲の料理人・萩田光雄】. TV Tokyo.19 April 2024.
  33. ^ 斬新な味付け、ハッとするイントロ　作編曲家・萩田光雄の作品群５枚組みＣＤで発売. Asahi Shimbun Digital. 2/12/2021.
  34. ^ ヒット曲の料理人 萩田光雄、アレンジャーの功績はもっともっと評価されていい. Re:minder. 16 June 2020.
  35. ^ 萩田光雄『音の魔術師／作編曲家・萩田光雄の世界』筒美京平が信頼を置いた編曲家が語る歌謡曲の時代とアイドル音楽. Mikiki. 8 February 2022.
  36. ^ 酒井政利さん死去　百恵さんや郷ひろみさんの楽曲生む. Asahi Shimbun Digital. 19 July 2021.
  37. ^ Ikuko Katano, "For Musical-Rhetorical Figures as Expressional Means of Thought & Affection: mainly Lamento-Bass Motiv" (思想や情感の表出手段としての音楽修辞学的音型より ：悲しみのバスモチーフを中心に) (2014) 宮崎国際大学教育学部紀要 『教育科学論集』 創刊号 (Bulletin of the Faculty of Education, Miyazaki International University, Educational Science Review) 46 at 55
  38. ^ Ying Xiong. Representing Empire: Japanese Colonial Literature in Taiwan and Manchuria. Brill. 2014. pp 73 & 74.
  39. ^ GOLDEN☆BEST/久保田早紀. Oricon.
  40. ^ JOYSOUND 2015年のカラオケ年代別ランキングを発表、総合1位は秦 基博「ひまわりの約束」. Musicman. 18 December 2015.
  41. ^ JOYSOUND 2014年のカラオケ年代別ランキングを発表、アナ雪が各世代で支持. Musicman. 22 December 2014.
  42. ^ JOYSOUND、年代別の2013年カラオケ年間ランキングを発表！ アニソン世代やボカロ世代など年代別の特徴が明らかに. Akiba Souken. 20 December 2013.
  43. ^ 【60代が選ぶ】「1980～82年のヒット曲」の中で最高の1曲ランキングTOP23！　第1位は「赤いスイートピー」と「異邦人」【2024年最新調査結果】. ITmedia. 31 January 2024.
  44. ^ 【30～40代に聞いた】最高だと思う「1980～1982年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP32！　第1位は「赤いスイートピー」【2024年最新調査結果】. ITmedia. 26 June 2024.
  45. ^ 【女性が選ぶ】最高だと思う「1980～82年のヒット曲」ランキングTOP20！　第1位は「赤いスイートピー」【2024年最新調査結果】. ITmedia. 21 August 2024.
  46. ^ シングル売上TOP6作品. Oricon News.
  47. ^ Ihojin '90 (Japanese: 異邦人 '90), Warner-Pioneer Corporation, catalogue number WPDL-4147. "Ihoujin (Assemble Version)" (Japanese: 異邦人 (アッセンブル・ヴァ－ジョン)) was released under the psuedonym "Maron Namikaze", and is included in the album "Assemble Concert", Warner-Pioneer Corporation, catalogue number WPCL-145. Both versions are included in "Which one do you like?", Warner-Pioneer Corporation, catalogue number LRS-2073.
  48. ^ Ihojin, Nippon Columbia catalogue number CODA-1190
  49. ^ Included in Zero Album: Utahime 2 (2002)
  50. ^ 久嶋美さち、あの名曲を大胆カヴァー！. BARKS. 20 December 2006.
  51. ^ 『VOCALIST』リリース記念インタビュー Part.1. BARKS. 8/9/2005.
  52. ^ Included in Romantic Energy (2005)
  53. ^ Acid Black Cherry ニューシングル「愛してない」スポット映像先行公開！. BARKS. 9/11/2007.
  54. ^ 稲垣潤一、デュエット記録に「こうなったら、次はギネス」. BARKS. 29 September 2010.
  55. ^ 柴田淳 台所から聞こえてきた名曲カバー集発表. Billboard Japan. 10 September 2012.
  56. ^ 柴田淳、名曲を唄いこんだ初カバーアルバムがiTunesなど配信チャートで1位に. BARKS. 6 November 2012.
  57. ^ EGO-WRAPPIN’「くちばしにチェリー」ライヴ映像を期間限定公開. Ototoy. 18 April 2016.
  58. ^ EGO-WRAPPIN'、ニューアルバム初回盤特典のライヴDVD＆USBメモリの内容を発表. rockin'on.com. 22 February 2013.
  59. ^ Included in Tomonoura Bojō (2014)
  60. ^ 吉井和哉、ジャパメタ全開のビジュアル＆カバー盤『ヨジー・カズボーン』詳細発表. rockin'on. 10/11/2015.
  61. ^ 【インタビュー】PENICILLIN、初のカバー集完成「高校時代の俺をビックリさせたい」. BARKS. 18 March 2015.
  62. ^ 原田知世カバー集「恋愛小説」第2弾発売、レコ発イベントも決定. Natalie. 4 April 2016.
  63. ^ 黄金の“ミリオンセラー歌姫”を総直撃＜忘れじのオンナたち＞コロナ禍で消えた久保田早紀「異邦人」の復活. Asagei plus. 3 November 2020.
  64. ^ 桑田佳祐 「平成三十年度！ 第三回ひとり紅白歌合戦」／パシフィコ横浜 国立大ホール. rockin'on. 2/12/2018.
  65. ^ 宮本浩次「孤独や悲しみが歌詞の中に…」久保田早紀『異邦人』カバーを熱唱＜ベストアーティスト2020. WEBザテレビジョン. 25 November 2020.
  66. ^ Hiroji Miyamoto to release his first Cover Album “ROMANCE”. Arama! Japan.
  67. ^ 今年の『紅白』の目玉は？　上白石萌音の昭和歌謡、櫻井＆相葉とあの男をトリオに…囁かれる「苦肉の策」. 日刊サイゾー (Daily Cyzo), from Cyzo. 11 January 2021.
  68. ^ 上白石萌音が初のライブ映像作品リリース、オンラインで繰り広げた「i note」をBD/DVD化. Natalie. 11 January 2021.
  69. ^ 上白石萌音、初オリジナル・フル・アルバム『note』の超豪華版『note book』リリース決定。高音質UHQCD、オンライン・ライヴ「i note」音源や「ハッピーエンド」新撮MV収録. skream! 26 October 2020.
  70. ^ 雨宮天、初の歌謡曲カバーアルバムリリース. Natalie. 5 September 2021.
  71. ^ May J.新作アルバムで山下達郎、ユーミン、石川さゆり、玉置浩二ら12曲カバー. Natalie. 9 September 2022.
  72. ^ JUJU、スナックシリーズ第二弾カヴァーアルバム全曲ダイジェスト映像公開. BARKS. 27 September 2023.
  73. ^ JUJUのカバー盤「スナックJUJU」全15曲のダイジェスト映像、アルバム全貌も明らかに. Natalie. 27 September 2023.
  74. ^ 【先行ディスクレビュー】コンピレーションCD「声優Neo歌謡曲Vol.1」8月16日リリース！ レジェンド人気声優たちが歌謡曲をリメイクカバー！. アキバ総研 (Akiba Souken). 28 July 2023.
  75. ^ Included in the album "Mei Ri Huai Nian Ni" (Cantonese: 每日懷念你) CBS/Sony catalogue number CBA 110
  76. ^ Included in the album "Made in China", Sony Records, catalogue number SRCS-8841
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