By Hiroko Ishimoto (Budapest-based pianist)

Okinawa was looked down upon even more back then, and the words “Okinawan folk songs are vulgar” left her quite shaken. She thought to herself, “if European folk songs and black people’s folk songs are incorporated in textbooks, why are Okinawan folk songs seen as inferior? There is nothing inadequate about it”. Those heartless words took hold of her life and drove her onto the path of music. She thought Okinawan folk songs weren’t gaining popularity because they weren’t written down in musical notes.

At first, she studied vocal music at Nippon Music School. She was overwhelmed by the quality of the students in Tokyo. Still, her innate unbreakable spirit helped her graduate, and she eventually acquired a job at the activity photo studio and continued singing every day. One day, she was offered a singing position in the Tokyo University of Commerce (now Hitotsubashi University) orchestra. There she met Mr. Genshirou Kanai, who was to become her lifelong partner. He was a young man who played the trombone as a hobby. Soon after, their friendship grew tighter to the point where they could say anything to each other.

While making her way into the world of music, Mr. Kanai proposed to Kikuko. "Stop working part-time and study. I'll take care of it," he told her. While both their families opposed their marriage, they were happily united. In 1935, at the age of 27, she entered Tokyo University of the Arts on her husband's recommendation, and she chose to study composition. Her husband was a calm and gentle person who would continue to support Kikuko. Kikuko's devotion to composing music was due to her husband's cooperation, according to her friends.

In this age of male predominance, Kikuko’s male classmates looked down on her, as if to say, “what can a woman do?” She received prejudiced comments such as, “what are Okinawa folk songs even worth?” A woman and an Okinawan native who adored Okinawan music, Kikuko’s two main pillars of her identity had to stay standing in a challenging environment.

Amid such circumstances, she was saved by the open-minded perspective of composer Koichi Shimousa and received guidance that surpassed the borders of gender from Professor Kojiro Kure. Kikuko, who always had the idea of “spreading Okinawan folk songs” in her heart, favored creating works that incorporated the melodies of Okinawan folk songs.

When she graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1937, the National Mobilization Law was promulgated, and World War II broke out in Europe the following year. In 1940, the Imperial Rule Assistance Association was established, and Japan headed towards war.

When the Pacific War began in 1941, the annual recital of Professor Kure's students was held at Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo. Kikuko performed her symphonic poem “Memories of Ryukyu.” Because the Western style was mainstream at the time, some disdained it at first, but in the end, she received the loudest applause, acquiring an excellent reputation from the teachers. While there were concerns with the style of the Okinawan folk songs being unaccustomed, Kikuko was happy with the terrific results.

On December 8th of the same year, the Imperial Japanese army launched its attack on Pearl Harbor, and newspapers continued to print the imperial headquarters announcements. The Japanese people, believing in the invincibility of the Japanese military, went into a frenzy. Amid the rage, playing the piano was seen negatively, and the notes in the orchestral score were sometimes misperceived as ciphers for spies. Even then, Kikuko continued to move forward.

In 1944, the “Kikuko Kanai First Recital” at the Hibiya Public Hall was held, where she presented the “Ryukyu Butoh Suite” and the symphonic poem “Poetry in Space.” The conductor was drafted the day before, and Kikuko had to fill in the post. The audience was amazed by the female conductor, and the concert ended in a storm of applause. There was also a major newspaper article on the event. The following year, the second recital, “Ryukyu Rhapsody no. 1” and “Symphony no. 2” premiered.

As Japan hurried into war, Tokyo was continually hit by air raids and incendiary bombs. Food was in short supply and people were occupied with building air-raid shelters. Music could no longer be a priority. The military put up posters to raise citizens’ spirits and the news reported the outstanding achievements of the Japanese army, but they were far from the truth. Her husband remained in Tokyo to protect his workplace, and Kikuko evacuated to Yamanashi. Although there were rumors of terrible air raids in Okinawa, the lack of accurate information left her in the dark until she witnessed the tragedy of her home in the extra edition of “winning the battle of Okinawa.” In 1945, Japan suffered a major defeat after the detonation of two atomic bombs. The couple managed to reunite in Tokyo and lived there as they worked to recuperate.
In 1953, Kikuko visited her motherland, Okinawa. She learned about the tragedy that struck her home. She also fulfilled her wish of visiting the “Himeyuri Tower” where her comrades rested. Okinawa came under U.S. rule in 1952 and continued until 1972 when it was returned to Japan.

Translated by Minori Konishi

The original article in Japanese: https://wan.or.jp/article/show/6874#gsc.tab=0