Song Introduction (Ameno Bojou)

Song Title: Ameno Bojou (Title meaning：Longing for the rain)
Artist: Aki Yashiro
Lyricist: Yu Aku
Composer: Keisuke Hama
Label: Teichiku
Overview:

Released on April 25, 1980, “Rainy Affection” is the 30th single by Aki Yashiro. The song became a massive hit, winning both the 22nd Japan Record Awards and the 11th Japan Song Award in the same year.

Source: “Ameno Bojou(Rainy Affection)” – Wikipedia
Source: Aki Yashiro – Wikipedia

About the Song

This song, set against the backdrop of a rainy scene, gently sings about the sorrowful feelings of lost love. The motif of rain seems to symbolize a love that is both sad and forbidden, the opposite of clear skies and brightness. In the opening lyrics, the image of the protagonist’s lover leaning on her lap while smoking a cigarette comes to mind, and her lingering feelings for her ex-lover are beautifully expressed in the phrase “the lap remembers the weight.”

心が忘れたあの人も　膝が重さを覚えている

長い月日の膝まくら　煙草プカリとふかしてた

（引用元：八代亜紀「雨の慕情」）

“The person my heart has forgotten, But my lap still remembers the weight.
Long years of having him rest on my lap, He’d smoke his cigarette, puffing away.”
(Excerpt from: Aki Yashiro “Rainy Affection”)

In the chorus, the phrase “Rain, rain, fall more, fall more” is repeated. This likely symbolizes that “clear skies” represent the life that the lover leads with his wife and family, a life accepted by society, while “rain” symbolizes the forbidden love, the life shared with the lover in secrecy. It reflects the protagonist’s awareness of the forbidden nature of their love, yet still, the desire to be with her beloved, to shout her longing.

雨々ふれふれ もっとふれ
私のいい人つれてこい
（引用元：八代亜紀「雨の慕情」）

“Rain, rain, fall more, fall more,
Bring my good man to me.”
(Excerpt from: Aki Yashiro “Rainy Affection”)

“Rainy Affection” became the song that solidified Aki Yashiro’s position in the enka world. She won numerous awards, including the Japan Record Award and the Japan Song Award, for this song. In that year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen, she performed “Rainy Affection” as the grand finale. Not only is this song one of her signature pieces, but it has also become a classic of Japanese enka and kayokyoku, continuing to touch and be loved by many.

Song Video

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Artist Introduction (Aki Yashiro)

Artist: Aki Yashiro (Real Name: Akiko Hashimoto)
Date of Birth: August 29, 1950 (Died on December 30, 2023, at the age of 73)
Place of Birth: Kongou Village, Yatsushiro District, Kumamoto Prefecture (now Yatsushiro City)
Active Years: 1971 – 2023
Official Website: Aki Yashiro Official Homepage
Official Website: Aki Yashiro – UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN

Artist Trails

Aki Yashiro was a Japanese enka singer, actress, talent, and painter, originally from Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. She grew up listening to her father sing narrative ballads (rokkyoku), which inspired her interest in music from a young age. At the age of 11, she heard Julie London’s records and became captivated by her husky voice, which led her to aim to become a club singer.

At 15, she moved to Tokyo and worked as a bus guide, but struggled with public speaking and quit after three months. She then worked as a singer at a local cabaret in her hometown but was disowned by her father and moved to Tokyo. After moving to Tokyo, she attended a music academy while earning tuition by working at a coffee shop. She also began singing at clubs in Ginza. In 1971, she debuted with the song Ai wa Shinde mo (愛は死んでも) under the Teichiku label. She became widely known after winning the grand championship on the audition program Zen Nihon Kayou Senshuken (全日本歌謡選手権).

In 1973, her song Namida Koi (なみだ恋) sold 1.2 million copies, becoming a massive hit. She followed this success with more hit songs such as Fune Uta (舟唄) and Ame no Bojou (雨の慕情). Ame no Bojou won the Japan Record Award in 1980, and she came to be known as the “Queen of Enka.” In 1982, she moved to Century Records and continued to release many hit songs.

In her later years, she also ventured into jazz and blues, expanding her musical style. In 2012, she released a jazz album titled Yoru no Album (夜のアルバム), marking her international debut. She also performed in Paris, France, where her concert was a great success, gaining her fans worldwide.

Beyond her music career, Aki Yashiro was actively involved in volunteer work, including performances at women’s prisons and support for disaster-stricken areas, among various social contributions.

On December 30, 2023, she tragically passed away at the age of 73 due to rapidly progressing interstitial pneumonia.

Her achievements continue to be celebrated and admired, and on February 7, 2024, she was posthumously awarded the Kumamoto Prefectural Honorary Citizen Award and the Yatsushiro City Honorary Citizen Certificate, further cementing her legacy and inspiring many people.