An interesting and graphically striking collection of Japanese popular song printed sheet music dated 1917-1950, authored by an assortment of composers and lyricists, and including two songs by the popular songwriting team Miyuki Ishimoto and Yoshi Eguchi as well as a Japanese translation of “O sole mio." Most pieces with light wear along edges and binding, occasional spotting, but in generally fine condition unless otherwise noted. 

The present collection reflects dramatic shifts that had occurred in Japanese popular music as the country came out of 250 years of isolationism. Prior to the 1870's, Japanese music had been predominantly, if not exclusively, pentatonic (based around a 5-note scale), but following the Meiji Restoration, official efforts were undertaken to introduce Western scales and modes and to accustom schoolchildren and the broader public to European tonalities. As a result, by 1917, when the earliest of the present pieces were published, music in Japan already sounded, in many respects, like music abroad. The designation of "Popular Music" really arrived in Japan in the late 1920's, when radio broadcasting reached the country. Some of the earlier publications in this collection are folk songs and translations of opera; later ones conform more to the familiar Western popular music genre conventions of cover art, subject matter and musical characteristics, including the example here published by HMV Victor. Pieces like "憧れのハワイ航路" ("Voyage to Hawaii") seem to interestingly straddle a middle ground between traditional Japanese styles and Western models of musical vocabulary.  Other evidence of cultural transitions are also evident: the title of "The Gondola Song" is printed reading right to left, a convention that was less common over time and indeed not reflected in most of the works included here. 

Twenty-two pieces in total, the complete collection as follows:

喜びの日 (“Day of Joy”), written by Tsanak. Cover featuring a charming woodcut of a young woman with a bird resting on her hand. Published by Senoo Music Publishing. 4 pp. 1921. Small mark on the left edge of the cover.

小窓 (“Little Window”), a collection of five songs by an unidentified writer, possibly Kamejiro Kushiki. The booklet includes photos of Kushiki and two women, neither identified by name.  Printed font throughout in a beautiful calligraphic style. Publisher unknown. 20pp. 1922. Bound with string.

憧れのハワイ航路 (“A Voyage to Hawai”), music by Yoshi Eguchi and lyrics by Miyuki Ishimoto. This song, published in 1948, was the basis for a Japanese film of the same title released in 1950. Published by Shinkou Music Publishing. 6 pp. foldout.

君待てども (“Waiting for You”), song by Tatzuzou Azuma, arranged by Sano Spade. 1948. 6 pp. foldout. Tajima Music Publishing.

波浮の港 (“Habu no minato”), by Yoshie Fujiwara. Volume four in the Shinpei Nakayama Folk Song collection. Cover featuring a woodcut of a woman in kimono, running her hands through her hair. 1928. 8 pp. Cover sheet split at binding, upper left corner bent, discolored from old paperclip, condition good. 

東京の花売娘 (“Tokyo Flower Girl”), music by Gento Uehara and lyrics by Sasa Tsumeo. Cover reproducing a watercolor illustration of a flower girl in modern dress. All Music Publishers. 6 pp. foldout. 1946.

長崎のザボン壳り (“Nagasaki Pomelos”) music by Yoshi Eguchi and lyrics by Miyuki Ishimoto. Another song by the popular songwriting team of Eguchi and Ishimoto. Shinkou Music Publishing. 6 pp. foldout. 1949.

出船の港 (“Port of Departure”), by Shigure Otowa. Cover featuring three fisherman in silhouette on a boat in the open ocean. Inside pages heavily spotted, overall good. 8 pp.

唄のラドソゴ ("Gondola Song”) by Shinpei Nakayama. Cover featuring a woman in a dress, looking out over the ocean. A boatman can be seen on the water. Hard horizontal crease along the middle, interior spotting and wear, overall condition good. 4 pp. 1917.

A volume called “Popular Songs,” which includes two short pieces, along with the full lyrics. 4 pp. 1920.

三百六十五夜 (“365 Nights”), music by Masao Koga and lyrics by Saijo Geju. From the Toho film of the same name. All Music Publishers. 1936.

松竹映画小唄全集 (“Shouchiku Movies Complete Works”) Vol. 1. A collection of ten songs from various movies released by the Shouchiku Co. Published by Kouta Music. 1930.

春秋 (“Spring and Fall”), by Aira Owada. A collection of two pieces, called “Spring” and “Fall”. 8 pp. 1922. Some wear along the corners, overall fine.

Santa Lucia, the Neapolitan folk song. Published by Senow Music Publishing. 4 pp. 1923. Considerable wear along the edges, water staining, tape along spine.

かっぽれ (“Kappore”), by Waki Miyoshi. Cover illustration of a ship on the water at night. 4 pp. 1917.

君戀し (“Your Love”), music by Kosasa Sasa and lyrics by Shigure Otowa. Published by HMV Victor in 1929. 4 pp. Marking on back cover, else fine.

"O sole mio”, by Eduardo di Capua and Giovanni Capurro. Undated Japanese translation, published by Senow Music Publishing. 4 pp. Significant wear along edges and binding, some small creases. Overall good.

黒い眸よ今いつこ (“Kuroihitomi yo imaidzu ko”), a foxtrot written by Keizo Horiuchi. 4 pp. 1929.

“At a Sea Shore” by Joseph Mazzinghi, Japanese lyrics by I. Yoshimaru. Part of the Kogakusha Normal Vocal Music Series, published in 1926. 6 pp. 

Collection also includes: a program for a concert at Yokohama High School, dated November 1st, 1931; the first volume of a publication called 樂劇亂舞 (“Drama”), which includes a short script published in magazine form as well as printed music, publisher unknown. 24 pp. 1922; a hand-written Japanese arrangement of a piece by Felix Mendelssohn scored for two mandolins, mandola, and guitar, signed by an unknown hand; and one further printed song, as yet unidentified (due to the type of calligraphy employed).