Background information of songs we sing 私たちが歌う曲の背景情報

Hotaru koi ほたるこい　 (Traditional children's song わらべ歌）

(prepared by Ms Satoko Hayashi)

Song’s background

Hotaru Koi has sung as a song for firefly catching probably since Edo period, which is a special attraction of summer in Japan. At that time, people, regardless of age and gender, often went to a ridge between rice fields or the bank of a stream and tried to catch fireflies.

There is a close relationship between fireflies and Japanese culture, as you will find them in Japanese literature. The oldest one that they appeared is the Chronicles of Japan(Nihon shoki 日本書紀) edited in 720, as well as the tale of Genji in Heian period. When nobles in Heian period wrote a poem or tales, fireflies (their light) often symbolized as their feelings of love. In Japan, we call fireflies mainly in two different names: “Genji Hotaru 源氏蛍” and “Heike Hotaru 平家蛍”　which has a history behind it. When tracing back to the end of Heian period, there was the battles between the Genji and the Heike clans. In 1180, Yorimasa Minamoto of the Genji clan started one of a war, but it was in the golden days of the Heike so he was defeated and committed a suicide in Byodo-in in Kyoto. That was in 26^th of May according to the old calendar. People believed that he came back to the present, as his soul becomes a firefly.

Many years passed, the song was picked up by a primary school teacher in Tottori prefecture, Japan, Tomekichi Mikami (三上留吉)(1897-1962) and introduced into a school music textbook. Gunke town（郡家町）, Tottori where he brought up is famous as a place where people can see fireflies. Every year, in rainy season, fireflies fly around in the evenings and people come to see them. There are many versions of lyrics with regional characteristics, as there are some famous places to watch fireflies in Japan. Primarily, it is known as a children’s song in Akita prefecture, Tohoku region.

Interpretation of the lyrics

The first part of the lyrice “Ho ho hotaru koi / Acchi no mizu wa nigai zo / Kocchi no mizu wa amai zo" (ほ　ほ　ほたるこい　あっちのみずはにがいぞ　こっちのみずはあまいぞ） literally means “come over here, fireflies, water there is bitter and water here is sweet".

However, “sweet” in this song probably refers to clean water, which does not contaminated, whereas “bitter” means impure. It is because fireflies usually prefer pure and clean water to live.

One part says that a father firefly is rich since he casts a strong light. This line probably came from the fact that a male firefly gives a stronger light than a female one. Other parts describe their habits. For example, they usually hide under leaves in daytime and they produce light at night. In addition, this song partly contains some dialects so even Japanese who is not from the region cannot understand the meaning of the lyrics especially here: Tenjikuagari shitareba tukunbakuro ni sarawarebe (天じくあがり　したればつんばくろに　さらわれべ) which means if they fly up to the sky, a swallow might carry them off.

(We will sing a short version of this song which is highlighted in orange. )