Longing for the Shadow: Ryūkōka Recordings, 1921-1939

The style ryūkōka (流行歌), which means "popular song," emerged with the advent of sound recording in Japan, combining elements of European music at the turn of the century, jazz, tango, and traditional Japanese folk music min'yō (民謡). The theatrical performance of ryūkōka bears similarities to operetta in form. This collection of recordings in the style of ryūkōka from the 1920s and 1930s provides insight into the cultural fusion that began to manifest in Japanese popular song, predating the influence of Western pop music during the post-World War II US occupation.

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