Koishune Yurari, Uta ni Saku Hana (Floating Love Boat, Blooming Flowers in Song) -- Aki Yashiro's Lyrical Progress - to 2023

Koishune Yurari, Uta ni Saku Hana (Floating Love Boat, Blooming Flowers in Song) -- Aki Yashiro's Lyrical Progress - to 2023

Aki Yatsushiro was born on August 29, 1950 in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Her real name is Akiyo Hashimoto. Growing up in a coal mining town, she lived in poverty and loneliness from an early age, relying solely on her singing. After graduating from high school, she moved to Tokyo with a dream in her heart, but the barriers of reality were so high that her heart was so deeply shaken that she sometimes almost gave up her dream of becoming a singer.

Nevertheless, in 1971, she made her debut with "Even If Love Dies. However, the road to success was not smooth. Nevertheless, she never stopped singing, and her passion for singing finally blossomed in 1973 with "Namida Koi. This song was a huge hit, and Yatsushiro's voice, along with her melancholy, was recognized as something that reached deep into people's hearts.

In "Funauta" (1979) and "Ame no Kojo" (1980), Yatsushiro deeply depicted the shadows of life. In his singing voice, the traces of his former hesitations and reawakenings are etched, quietly striking the hearts of those who listen to him. She won the Japan Record Award for her song "Ame no Boumojo (Love Affair with the Rain)," and has appeared numerous times on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen, establishing herself as the queen of enka (traditional Japanese ballad singing). However, behind her success was a quiet silence, loneliness, and countless efforts.

In particular, "Ame no Boujo," released in 1980, is a milestone in the history of enka in Japan. The lyrics were written by Yu Aku and composed by Keisuke Hama, the golden duo once again teaming up to sing about the deep emotion of seeking love even while revealing the heartbreak of being drenched by the rain. The phrase "Ame ame fure fure fure more fure ......" is like a children's song, but it is a poetic stroke that condenses all of loss and craving into a single moment.

This song is not just a song about lost love. It is a testament to the "life" of someone who has been broken by love, but still continues to think of someone else. The structure of the song, from the quiet rain-like introduction to the passionate climax, is like a wave of emotion filling one's chest. Yashiro's rich voice and subtle verse work are layered on top of each other to move the listener's heart. With this song, she has transcended the framework of enka and become a national singer.

In the 2000s, Yatsushiro began to take on new challenges. Seeking a different form of expression from her past, she began working in earnest as a painter. She was selected for "Le Salon" in France, and began to depict the depths of her heart through her paintbrush. He also continued to challenge different musical genres such as jazz and blues, in addition to enka. This was the very figure of Yashiro himself, lost but still determined to move forward.

On December 30, 2023, Aki Yashiro passed away from interstitial pneumonia at the age of 73. The passing of a soul who had lived through the Showa era, the Heisei era, and the 2025 era deeply shocked many people. However, her singing voice was born in hesitation, grew up in suffering, and shined beyond hope. Even now, like a boat in the rain, she remains quietly but surely close to the heart of Japan.