Part 2: Tomoya Takaishi

Hello.
My name is Hoshino from Advance Guitars in Shinjuku Ward (Shin-Okubo), Tokyo.

This series, titled “Advance Guitars Hoshino’s Folk Journey: Folk Songs and Acoustic Guitars,” was born out of a simple curiosity: “Who actually played those famous songs, and on what kind of acoustic guitars?”In "Advance Guitars Hoshino’s Folk Journey: Folk Songs and Acoustic Guitars," I’ll focus on the folk song artists and the guitars they used.

Behind the scenes of these classic songs, what kind of guitars were chosen, for what purpose, and what kind of tones did they produce?
As I write, I will deepen my understanding through the lens of a professional music store clerk—with a true enthusiast’s perspective—and the curiosity of a genuine music fan.

Who was Tomoya Takaishi, the driving force behind the Kansai Folk boom?

The protagonist of this installment is Tomoya Takaishi, who was active during an era when folk songs—which captured the student movements, including the anti-war movement (the anti-Vietnam War protests that took place from the late 1960s to the early 1970s)—known as “Kansai Folk” or “Underground Folk,” became a major movement centered in the Kansai region.

Among the artists who sang about Kansai Folk was The Folk Crusaders, led by Kazuhiko Kato, whom we introduced in Part 1.

*From the Tokyo Shimbun: “Tomoya Takaishi to Hold Anti-War Song Concert in Arakawa Ward Next Month”

*From the Tokyo Shimbun, “Folk Gathering at the Underground Plaza (1969): Believing ‘Tomorrow Will Be Sunny’ ”

Not only in Kansai, but in 1969 at the Shinjuku West Exit Underground Plaza, a “Folk Guerrilla” event was held where participants, folk guitars in hand, sang and discussed anti-war folk songs such as “Victory to Us” (1963) and “It’s Not Cool, But…” (1969), reportedly drawing a total of over 5,000 young people and citizens.
In the upper right of the photo, you can see him singing while playing the folk guitar.
I imagine this event was a crucial venue where young people could discuss and share their passionate feelings about the anti-war movement.

While The Folk Crusadersand Nobuyasu Okabayashi’s “Yamaya Blues” (1969) are well-known as representative songs of Kansai folk music. However, I imagine that “Exam Student Blues,” released by Tomoya Takaishi in 1968, with lyrics based on his own experiences of “life and anguish as a student preparing for entrance exams,” must have deeply resonated with listeners across the country, particularly with students preparing for exams.

Tracing the song’s origins, Goro Nakagawa sang a parody of Bob Dylan’s “North Country Blues” (1964) in 1967. Tomoya Takaishi then reworked the melody and lyrics and performed it, turning it into a massive hit that sold 900,000 copies!

I compared the versions of “Exam Student Blues” sung by Goro Nakagawa and Tomoya Takaishi.
Goro Nakagawa’s version of “Exam Student Blues” is in a minor key with a 3/4 time signature. True to its origins as a rewritten version of Bob Dylan’s “North Country Blues,” the melody is similar. In contrast, Tomoya Takaishi’s version is in a major key with a 4/4 time signature. I felt that the cheerful tune, along with the new melody and lyrics tailored to the 4/4 beat, made it easy to listen to and likely resonated with listeners during the folk music boom.

Hit songs such as “Memories of a Red Jacket” (1967) and “Housewife’s Blues” (1968) also spread nationwide as Tomoya Takaishi’s signature tunes.
Incidentally, “The Housewife’s Blues” seems to be known as “Kaachan no Blues” as well.

It seems the origins of “Housewife’s Blues” lie in the Irish folk song “The Housewife’s Lament,” to which Goro Nakagawa wrote lyrics and sang in Bass.

In 1969, a major turning point came for Tomoya Takaishi, who had seemed to be enjoying a steady career as a folk singer.
Because the "Folk Guerrillas" held such a strong belief in the idea of "songs of the people," they gradually began criticizing professional folk singers, including Tomoya Takaishi, as being too commercial. As a result, Tomoya Takaishi lost the physical and mental energy to continue his activities as a folk singer.
He announced a hiatus from his career as a folk singer following the “Hibernation Concert” held at Osaka Festival Hall on Sunday, December 7.

Afterward, he moved from Osaka to Nata-shō Village in Fukui Prefecture, distancing himself from the music he loved so much to spend time with his family.
There is an anecdote that during this time, he rented a defunct elementary school in Nata-shō Village, Fukui Prefecture, and lived there with his family for six years.
There is even footage of him smiling as he recounts that he rented the place for 2,500 yen a month.

*From Apple Music’s “North Country Blues”

*From “Honolulu Marathon OHANA”

As he spent more time in Nata Village, Tomoaki Takaishi began writing songs again. To build up the stamina needed to sing folk songs once more, he and his family started running marathons.
Perhaps he came to appreciate the appeal of marathon running as he ran with his family on the grounds of the abandoned school where they lived at the time.

In 1977, he competed in the Honolulu Marathon (42.195 km) for the first time and successfully finished the race.
In 1979, when his eldest son turned 8, the two of them participated in the Honolulu Marathon together and successfully finished the race.

Yes, his other identity is that of a marathon runner.

In fact, he holds the record for the most consecutive appearances by a Japanese runner, having participated 43 times in a row from his debut at the Honolulu Marathon in 1977 through 2019.
He is truly a legend of the marathon circuit.

Later, as triathlons became popular in Hawaii, Tomoya Takaishi also began to take an interest.
Thinking it “looked interesting,” he entered the first Kaike Triathlon held in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, in 1981—and surprisingly, he holds the record as the first-ever champion!

"Summer Time Dream" (the Kaike Triathlon song) was composed by Tomoya Takaishi to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Kaike Triathlon.

In 1971, Tomoya Takaishi established his base of operations in Kyoto and formed the “Back Step Country Band.” The group later changed its name to “The Natasha Seven” and gained popularity with a style that blended folk, country, and bluegrass.
It is said that the name “The Natasha Seven” was derived from a play on words based on Nata -shō Village in Tōshiku District, Fukui Prefecture, where Takaishi lived at the time.
I imagine the name evolved from “Natashō” to “Nata-shō” and then to “Nata-sha.”
It seems the “Seven” was added simply because it had a nice ring to it.

Perhaps what prompted him to resume his career as a folk singer was the irreplaceable time spent with his family and the energy he gained from marathons and triathlons.

*From the Rakuten Blog "Tomoya Takaishi & The Natasha Seven 'My Companion Is the South Wind' / 1981 Single"

1940s Martin D-28

This photo shows a 1946 D-28, but the difference from the model used by Tomoya Takaishi lies in the tuning pegs.
While the herringbone trim, long saddle, and tortoiseshell-pattern pickguard are common features, the 1946 model features Waverly open-back round-button tuners, whereas Tomoya Takaishi’s D-28 is characterized by Grover shield-back butterbean tuners.

*Image for illustrative purposes only. (1946 D-28)

1941 Martin D-18

A model from the same year Tomoya Takaishi was born.
Typical specifications for this era include a long saddle, a tortoiseshell-pattern pickguard, and KLUSON open-back metal round-button tuners; however, footage of the D-18 actually used by Tomoya Takaishi shows that the tuners are not metal round-button tuners, but rather butterbean tuners.

When compared to D-18s from around 1941 (1940 and 1942 models), the 1940 model shares the long saddle and tortoiseshell-pattern pickguard, but features Grover open-back butterbean tuners, whereas the 1942 D-18 switched to Kluson open-back metal round-button tuners.

From this, we can see that the 1941 D-18 owned by Tomoya Takaishi is a transitional model from the period when the tuner specifications changed between 1940 and 1941.
At the same time, it’s clear that even among 1941 models, there are individual instruments that feature both types of tuners.

*Photo is for illustrative purposes only. (1941 D-18)

1953 Martin D-28

Notable features of the D-28 from this period include the change in purfling—which shifted from herringbone to black-and-white multi-stripes starting in 1947—and the switch from Waverly open-back tuners to Kluson shield-back tuners, resulting in a significantly altered appearance.

Also, don’t miss the change in the decorative pattern on the center strip of the body back—from a zigzag pattern to a checkerboard pattern—which took effect after 1947.

In this way, Martin’s specification changes reveal a variety of expressions as time goes by.

*Image for illustrative purposes only. (1955 D-28)

Had I not been writing this column, I never would have known that he was active worldwide not only as a folk singer but also as a runner. I’d like to conclude this second installment by expressing my gratitude to Tomoya Takaishi for evoking these feelings in me.
If there are any songs you think I should listen to to get to know Tomoya Takaishi better, or any songs you particularly loved, please let me know.

I’m also looking forward to your requests for musicians you’d like me to feature or stories related to folk songs. For me, firsthand accounts like “I actually saw him back then” or “I heard that guitar sound at that concert” are incredibly valuable and serve as the best textbook of all. If you’d like to share your stories, please feel free to contact Hoshino at Advance Guitars.

✉️ aco@tcgakki.com

Well then, see you again in the next installment of “Hoshino’s Folk Journey”!