Home People Pieces Recordings Bibliography Schools Glossary Sites & Events Teachers Join the ISS Log In

Hakata Komoriuta

博多子守唄

[Genre]Min'yo
[School]Min'yo

History (Takahashi Yujiro):

One of Japan's numerous traditional lullabies (komoriuta). Young village girls from impoverished families were often sent to rich homes in nearby villages as nursemaids (komori), thus reducing the number of mouths to feed at home. They were generally treated poorly and looked forward to returning home twice a year - at the Bon festival and New Year's. While the gentle music may soothe a crying child, the lyrics may express the self-pity or anger of the nursemaid, as in this one from the Hakata in Kyushi.

My mistress is like a bad persimmon: she looks good, but she's really sour.
Mistress, listen well; master, listen too: if you mistreat the nursemaid, the baby will suffer.

Hakata Komoriuta appears on the following albums

Album Artist
Play ButtonMin'yo - Folk Song from Japan - Takahashi Yujiro and friends
One of Japan's numerous traditional lullabies (komoriuta). Young village girls from impoverished families were often sent to rich homes in nearby villages as nursemaids (komori), thus reducing the number of mouths to feed at home. They were generally treated poorly and looked forward to returning home twice a year - at the Bon festival and New Year's. While the gentle music may soothe a crying child, the lyrics may express the self-pity or anger of the nursemaid, as in this one from the Hakata in Kyushi.

My mistress is like a bad persimmon: she looks good, but she's really sour.
Mistress, listen well; master, listen too: if you mistreat the nursemaid, the baby will suffer.

Copyright 1999 - Dr David W. Hughes
e-mail dh6@soas.ac.uk

Minyo Meijin Series Watanabe Kidō Shakuhachi : Watanabe Kidō

Nihon Minyo - Shakuhachi Tokusen Shu - 2 Shakuhachi : Watanabe Kidō