Asaki Yume Mishi

[Machine Translation] Ken Wakabayashi, a singer with a modern soul, sings the words of sorrow of Yoshiwara prostitutes! After the war, the "New Yoshiwara Women's Health Care Association" was formed by prostitutes who ran their own businesses in the so-called "red-light district" of Yoshiwara. The booklet "Bright Valley" was published in December 1952, and contains a selection of magazines, haiku, tanka, and essays contributed to the literary column of the union's newsletter "Fujin Shinpu" (Women's New Style). In the booklet, there are many tears, cries, and muttered words of the postwar Yoshiwara prostitutes who gave themselves up for the sake of society and their families, which are vividly and horribly realistic. Ken Wakabayashi, who has been singing sad chansons for more than 30 years, sang and talked about them with all his might. Ken Wakabayashi himself was born in a brothel in Tochigi Prefecture, and sings this song with the requiem for his sisters, who have loved him since he can remember.

吉原遊女、悲哀の言葉達を現代(いま)魂の歌い手、若林ケンが熱唱!! 戦後、いわゆる旧赤線地帯の吉原において特殊飲食店街という名で自主営業を営んでいた娼婦達が結成した「新吉原女子保健組合」。その組合会報誌「婦人新風」の文芸欄に寄稿された誌・俳句・短歌・随筆を選りすぐり、昭和27年12月に発行された冊子『明るい谷間』。その冊子には、社会のため、家族のため身を投げ出した戦後吉原娼婦達の、数々の泣き、叫び、呟いた言葉の数々が生々しくも恐ろしくリアリティある作品として残されている。その言葉の数々をこの現代平成の世に掘り起こし、楽曲として甦らせ、30余年に渡り悲哀に満ちたシャンソンを歌い続けたあの若林ケンが、全身全霊で歌い語った作品。若林ケン本人が栃木県某所遊郭街の娼館の産まれであり、物心ついた頃より自分を愛でてくれていた、姉さん達に鎮魂の思いを込めて熱唱している。