Kazuki Tomokawa

Kazuki Tomokawa, c.a. 1975

The appeal of folk music isn't difficult to understand. Music, starting in the 1950s, has been dominated by popular forms of music, such as rock and roll. At first, these new popular styles were influenced by traditional sounds and styles, but as time went on it pop has grown into what we know today. For this reason, people have sought out more substantial forms of music, and folk music is one such avenue. In light of the westernization of Japanese culture in post-war Japan, it's no wonder that there was also a resurgence of Japanese folk music. The height of folk music in Japan was in the 1970s, and in the midst of it was Kazuki Tomokawa (友川 かずき).

(Presumably) a work of Tomokawa's art

I specifically waited until today to write this particular piece, because it 64 years ago today that Tomokawa was born under the name of Tenji Nozoki (及位典司), later adopting Kazuki Tomokawa as his gou or art name. The use of such pseudonyms is is a common practice among artists from East Asia. While his music is the most accessible form of media to western audiences, Tomokawa has been active as a poet, painter, essayist, and bicycle race commentator—this fact reminds me a bit of how author Haruki Murakami is an avid runner.

His distinctive vocal style has earned him the moniker of "the screaming philosopher." During his high school days, he discovered poetry—particularly the poetry of Chuuya Nakahara (中原 中也)—becoming an avid reader. It wasn't until the 1970s that he began to set his poetry to music. That being said, he continues to produce music, even today.

Hanabana no kashitsu, cover

As has been the case with a lot of these pieces, there is a dearth of information available in English about Tomokawa. However, a documentary called La Faute des Fluers—named for his 1993 album Hanabana no kashitsu—was produced in 2010, and can be found in three installments on youtube.



Many of Tomokawa's albums can be purchased from the Amazon—albeit, in Japanese. For those curious about his art work, he produced a book of his visual art in the 1990s called Aozora (青空) available for 3,049 ¥—about 30 USD.


読んで、ありがとう。