Social and Cultural History of Japan Through Music Education: The Canary Who Forgot Songs

This is the first dooyoo to become popular. “Kanariya” represents the poet Yaso Saijoo himself, who was considered one of the main contributors to the development of the dooyoo movement along with Ujoo Noguchi and Hakushuu Kitahara. According toYaso, the song was inspired by his childhood memory. Yaso was taken to a church during a Christmas celebration. All the lamps in the church were shining brightly except for one in the corner. Despite his desire to be a poet, Yaso had to stop writing for a while to make a living. Yaso felt sadness for not being able to do what he was meant to do, just like a canary that forgot how to sing. (Canaries were considered to possess the most beautiful voice among all the birds.)

The melody contributed to the popularity of this song. Traditional Japanese songs were set in pentatonic scales omitting the notes fa and ti. “Kanariya” was composed in a traditional Japanese pentatonic scale until the end: “Tsukiyo no umi ni ukabere ba.” The note for ba is prolonged and changed from la to ti, which rendered this song a western feeling new to the Japanese.


Kanariya (The Canary) Year: 1918 Composer: Tamezoo Narita Poet: Yaso Saijoo Click to play sound:	Lyrics: Uta o wasureta kanariya wa Ushiro no yama ni sutemasho ka	Translation: The canary who forgot songs. Should I cast him away within the mountain behind us?
	Ie ie sore wa narimasenu	No, no. For that is merciless.
	Uta o wasureta kanariya wa Sedo no koyabu ni ikemasho ka	The canary who forgot songs. Should I cast him away to the thicket out back?
	Ie ie sore mo narimasenu	No, no. For that is merciless.
	Uta o wasureta kanariya wa Yanagi no muchi de buchimasho ka	The canary who forgot songs. Perhaps we should put him in an ivory boat with one silver oar.
	Ie ie sore wa kawaisoo	No, no. For that is also merciless.
	Uta o wasureta kanariya wa Zooge no hune ni gin no kai Tsukiyo no umi ni ukabereba Wasureta uta o omoidasu	And floating under the moonlight, then he will remember his forgotten songs.
This is the first dooyoo to become popular. “Kanariya” represents the poet Yaso Saijoo himself, who was considered one of the main contributors to the development of the dooyoo movement along with Ujoo Noguchi and Hakushuu Kitahara. According toYaso, the song was inspired by his childhood memory. Yaso was taken to a church during a Christmas celebration. All the lamps in the church were shining brightly except for one in the corner. Despite his desire to be a poet, Yaso had to stop writing for a while to make a living. Yaso felt sadness for not being able to do what he was meant to do, just like a canary that forgot how to sing. (Canaries were considered to possess the most beautiful voice among all the birds.) The melody contributed to the popularity of this song. Traditional Japanese songs were set in pentatonic scales omitting the notes fa and ti. “Kanariya” was composed in a traditional Japanese pentatonic scale until the end: “Tsukiyo no umi ni ukabere ba.” The note for ba is prolonged and changed from la to ti, which rendered this song a western feeling new to the Japanese.
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Main Page Overview Resources: Bibliography Related Links