Popular Song of the Meiji Era: A Study of 'Hayariuta' and the Nature of Their Popularity Based on Song Collections in the Kindai Digital Library

Abstract

<p>During the last years ( bakumatsu) of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867) and the first years of the Meiji Period (1868-1912), Edo (which became Tokyo) was brimming over with songs. People enjoyed singing, listening to, learning, practicing, dancing to, applauding, as well as making or modifying hayariuta, popular songs. We can appreciate the flourishing situation of hayariuta in the town life of the time from the pages of kawaraban that carry numberless variations of lyrics, kaeuta, for songs called dodoitsu, ootsue, naninani-bushi, short songs called hauta, and long narratives called kudoki.</p>