Photo/Illutration Kyohei Tsutsumi (Provided by Sony Music Entertainment Inc.)

Some songs almost bring me to tears when I sing them at karaoke. At the top of the list is "Momen no Hankachiifu" (Cotton handkerchief), probably because it immediately transports me back to the time I left my hometown to live in a big city.

And even though I didn't have any sweetheart to leave behind, I invariably choke up over the rhythm of one line that goes, "i-i-e, anata" (n-o-o, my love).

"Music by Kyohei Tsutsumi" is a credit I have seen countless times on TV programs where pop songs composed my Tsutsumi were played--"Blue Light Yokohama," "Miserarete" (Enchanted), "Sneaker Blues," to name a few.

The complete list of Tsutsumi's works represents a whole era in the history of Japanese pop.

Born Eikichi Watanabe, Tsutsumi died on Oct. 7. He was 80.

A jazz fan in his university days, Tsutsumi was hired by a record company upon graduation and assigned to the Western music department.

When he went independent to become a full-time composer and chose his pseudonym, he used the kanji denoting a hand-held drum ("tsuzumi") for his surname of Tsutsumi, and a kanji for "resonance" in his given name.

He then went on to crank out resounding hits.

The expression "Koga melody" refers to "enka" (sentimental ballad music) and pop songs composed by Masao Koga (1904-1978).

But there seems to be no such thing as "Tsutsumi melody," probably because Tsutsumi's works encompassed a broad spectrum of musical genres, ranging from poetic tunes to teen pop.

Tsutsumi was said to have listened to Western music voraciously to get his inspiration, experimenting with it in his new works.

He once said in an interview that his style of composition was "to give everything I've got to serve the listening public." He also believed in the utmost importance of "sensing the color of the times," according to "Tsutsumi Kyohei Hit Story" by Hiroto Sakaki. 

He was a hardworking craftsman with an outstanding musical sense.

"I am just so sad, I can't stop my tears," said Hiromi Ota, the singer of "Momen no Hankachiifu," commenting on Twitter about Tsutumi's death.

As we mourn his passing, we can find consolation in the certitude that many of Tsutsumi's creations will continue to be sung.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 14

* * *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

Related News