Michiya Mihashi--From the site of his melancholy voice (1930s-1940s)

Michiya Mihashi--From the site of his melancholy voice (1930s-1940s)

In the 1950s and 1960s, Japan had emerged from the postwar turmoil and was experiencing remarkable economic growth in urban areas. However, in the background, rural areas were still in the midst of severe labor and poverty, and life at coal mines, ports, factories, and other workplaces was still dependent on physical labor. The voice of Michiya Mihashi was quietly but surely playing at the sites of these times.

The song "Sadness Train" depicts the feelings of a man who, with his thoughts and feelings for his faraway hometown and family, is rocked by the train on his way to the work place, and conveys the reality of migrant workers in a very realistic manner. The song "Old Castle" sings about the loneliness and reminiscence of days gone by, treating the ruined castle as a symbol of the human heart. Tatsuya de Na" is a song that expresses the sadness of parting and the sincere wish for the happiness of the other person, and is superimposed on the scene of sending off a parent or lover.

Unlike urban popular songs, his best-known songs, such as "A melancholy train," "Old castle," and "Tatasha de na," are characterized by their folk-rooted verses and earthiness, and directly scooped up the feelings of loneliness, nostalgia, and sorrow of parting of workers. These songs were not mere distractions or consolations, but were listened to alongside the daily work as a pillar of the workers' hearts that made them think, "Let's work again tomorrow.

Even in mountainous rice fields and fishing villages where electricity was unreliable, the radio was a lifeline of information and entertainment. The sweet, taut voice of Mitsuhashi on the radio, mingled with the buzzing of the work site, reached the weary body. The songs of Mitsuhashi blended into the landscape of labor, not as entertainment to be "watched" like TV or movies, but as entertainment to be "listened to while working.

At a time when the performing arts were still a distant world, Michiya Mihashi was like a bridge between labor and the arts. His voice was close to the hearts of those who lived in the Showa era and gave quiet strength to their daily activities. His voice certainly rang out in the Showa era.