Umi Yukaba

"Umi Yukaba" (海行かば) is a Japanese patriotic song (gunka) based on a chōka poem by Ōtomo no Yakamochi in the Man'yōshū (poem 4094).

History

As set to music in 1937 by Kiyoshi Nobutoki (信時 潔, Nobutoki Kiyoshi) it has been popular during and also after World War II. The lyrics are also used in the song Gunkan kōshinkyoku. Umi Yukaba was sung before takeoff by many Kamikaze suicide attack pilots in the final stages of World War II. After Japan surrendered in 1945, Umi Yukaba and other gunka were banned by the U.S. occupation forces. Those caught singing or listening to it would be punished, and their music and infantry confiscated. However, the ban was lifted and the song is now played by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Lyrics

Umi yukaba /
Mizuku kabane /
Yama yukaba /
Kusa musu kabane /
Okimi no / he ni koso shiname /
Kaerimi wa / seji

If I go away to the sea,
I shall be a corpse washed up.
If I go away to the mountain,
I shall be a corpse in the grass
But if I die for the Emperor,
It will not be a regret.

海行かば /
水漬く屍 /
山行かば /
草生す屍 /
大君の / 辺にこそ死なめ /
かえりみは / せじ

In popular culture

• Umi Yukaba is also the name of a 1983 Japanese film.
• "Umi Yukaba" is featured in the 1970 film, Tora! Tora! Tora!.

See also

• Man'yōshū
• "Kimi ga Yo"

External links

• Umi Yukaba from Victory in the Pacific, PBS documentary on World War II
• Kiyoshi　Nobutoki Research guide in Japanese only
• Nihonkai daikaisen: Umi yukaba from IMDB
• The Emperor and Empress's Visit to Saipan account of an elderly Chamorro man singing Umi yukaba