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Army March (Japan)

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audio icon Army Defile March - Performed by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band, provided by King Records on YouTube Art Track

The Army Defile March (陸軍分列行進曲, Rikugun Bunretsu Kōshinkyoku), commonly known in English as the Japanese Army March, is a Japanese ceremonial march originally composed and established for the Imperial Japanese Army, and currently used as a ceremonial march by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the Japanese Police.

Overview

[edit]

The march was composed by Charles Leroux [ja; fr], a French composer and member of the third French military mission to Japan who taught at the Army Officers' Academy, under commission from the Ministry of Military Affairs.

It was arranged from two earlier gunka (military songs) composed by Leroux: Battōtai and Fusōka [ja],[1] and was premiered in 1886 (Meiji 19) by the Army Officers' Academy Military Band.[2]

Portrait of composer Charles Leroux[3]
Sheet music cover published by Ongakusha

Designated as the official march of the Ministry of War, it was played during military parades and reviews, becoming the representative march of the Imperial Japanese Army.

As it was also one of Japan's first full-fledged Western musical compositions, it was selected for the National School music curriculum by the Ministry of Education and became widely popular among the general public. Furthermore, the piece is famous for having been played during the 1943 Student Mobilization Send-off [ja] at the Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium.

Today, it is used by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) as one of its ceremonial marches. It is also played by police forces, including the Metropolitan Police Department Riot Unit Review [ja] during reviews, as well as by police bands across various prefectural police departments established after World War II.

Name

[edit]

The title Army Defile March (Rikugun Bunretsu Kōshinkyoku) is a 'popular name' that became widely recognized over time. It was not the title used at the time of its composition.

(The following historical titles have been confirmed in documents from the Meiji period to the modern era:)

  • In 1912 (Meiji 45), sheet music published by Ongakusha[4] titled the piece Fusōka Defile March (扶桑歌 分列式行進曲). The supervisor of this score was Tokichi Setoguchi, composer of the Warship March.[4]
  • A 1927 SP record (No. 10050-A) performed by the German Polydor Military Band listed the name as Inspection Defile March (Ministry of War Designated) (観兵式分列行進曲（陸軍省制定）). The German title listed on the same record was Bunretsushiki Marsch (literally "Defile March").[5]
  • A 1928 Victor record (50276-B) performed by the New Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hidemaro Konoye was titled Inspection Defile March "Fusōka" (観兵式分列行進曲『扶桑歌』).
  • In April 1931, music critic Keizō Horiuchi [ja] wrote in World Music Complete Works Vol. 19 using both titles: "Defile March" and "Army Defile March"[6].
  • In 1934, Keizō Horiuchi noted that the full orchestral score used by the Imperial Army Band listed the title simply as "Fusōka".
  • A 1937 harmonica score collection listed the title as "Inspection Defile March" in the title header, while using the abbreviation "Defile Type" in the index.[7]
  • In the December 1937 National Encyclopedia Vol. 13, Tsunemitsu Yamaguchi used the term "Army Defile March" under the entry for "Gunka" (Battōtai section).[8]
  • A January 1939 report titled National Spiritual Mobilization Defense Exposition Journal listed "Army Defile March" alongside Kimigayo and the Navy's Warship March as performed by the Toyama Army School [ja] Band at an event in March 1938.[9]
  • In December 1941, Kuichi Hirooka (Yoshio Hirooka) listed the song as "Fusōka (Army Defile March)" in his book Instruction and Management of Brass Bands.[10]
  • On May 15, 1960, a full score published by Kyōdō Music Publishing was titled March "Fusōka" (Inspection Defile March),[11] with harmonization and commentary provided by Akira Setoguchi, the son of Tōkichi Setoguchi.[12]
  • In public address announcements at the JGSDF Central Review (held triennially), the piece was introduced as March "Fusōka"[13] until 2004 (51st Review). Since 2007 (54th Review), it has been announced as Army Defile March.[14]
  • Japanese police organizations use the title Defile March (分列行進曲) during reviews.

Among official organizations, only the Ground Self-Defense Force (since 2007) currently uses the exact title Army Defile March.

While the exact origin of the title Army Defile March remains unclear, pre-WWII writings by Keizō Horiuchi, Tsunemitsu Yamaguchi, and Yoshio Hirooka demonstrate that the term was already in usage before and during World War II[6][8][10].

Foreign translations confirmed include English: Army Defile March Fusouka,[15] German: Bunretsushiki Marsch, and French: Fou So Ka MARCHE.

Musical Structure

[edit]

Introduction

[edit]

The introductory section based on Fusōka is played heroically in B-flat minor (or F minor depending on the arrangement).[16]

About Fusōka

[edit]

Fusōka is a separate composition from Battōtai. Leroux composed it in Japan, sent it back to France, and published it there in 1886 (Meiji 19) while still residing in Japan.

Cover of Fusōka published in France

A Sa Majesté

L'EMPEREUR DU JAPON

Fou So Ka

MARCHE JAPONAISE

pour PIANO PAR

CH. LEROUX

Chef de musique dans l'Armée Française.

PRIX:5e

Cette marche a été exécutée pour la 1ère fois le 9 Novembre 1885.

par la musique militaire des Kiododans.

au Palais Impérial à Tokio (Japon).

The score bears the inscription: "Dedicated to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan / Fusōka - Japanese March for Piano by Ch. Leroux, Bandmaster in the French Army. First performed on November 9, 1885 by the Army Officers' Academy Military Band at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan."[17][18]

Trio

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The trio section utilizing the military song Battōtai begins in C minor and transitions into F major at the end (or G minor to C major depending on the arrangement).[16] The somber and solemn mood in the minor key gradually expands into a powerful crescendo before shifting into the major key. Upon resolving to the major key, the section ends on a clear and emotionally resonant note. The trio can be sung to the lyrics of Battōtai; although the minor scales appeal to traditional Japanese melodic tastes, the key change from C minor to F major makes it somewhat difficult to sing.[19][20]

Order of Performance

[edit]

As a parade march, the piece is intended to be repeated. In some performances, the introduction is repeated once more at the very end.

Composition

[edit]

A phrase in the trio section La-La-So-La, Fa-So-La, Si-Si-Si-Si, Si, Do-Do-Si-La, La-La-La, Fa-Fa-Re-Re, Do; corresponding to "Susume ya susume morotomo ni, tama chiru tsurugi nukitsurete" (ララソラ、ファソラ、シシシシ、シ、ドドシラ、ラララ、ファファレレ、ド　「進めや進め　諸共に　玉散る剣抜きつれて」) also appears in a piece titled Komusume (『小娘』), which Leroux reportedly transcribed after listening to Japanese music.[21] On the other hand, there is an old girls' play song called Ichi kake Ni kake (『一かけ二かけて』);[22] when transposed into a minor key, a slight resemblance can be felt between this song and the beginning of the trio section "Ware wa kangun waga teki wa": La-Mi-Mi, Mi-Mi, Fa-Fa-Re-Fa, Mi (「我は官軍我が敵は」ラ・ミ・ミ、ミ・ミ、ファ・ファ・レ・ファ、ミ). Furthermore, because the lyrics of Ichi kake Ni kake deal with Saigō Takamori—the same subject as the military song Battōtai—it is plausible to infer that Leroux expanded his imagination to compose this piece while being influenced by the melodies of Japanese folk songs and contemporary historical backgrounds.

On the other hand, as described later, the melody of Battōtai was adapted and woven into numerous folk songs and military songs during the Meiji era. Therefore, conversely, it can also be viewed that Battōtai, representing Western music melodies innovatively popularized by Leroux, exerted a profound influence on Japanese folk songs and popular music from the Meiji period onward.

Whichever stance one takes, it can be said that Leroux thoroughly reflected the Japanese atmosphere and folk melodies in the Army Defile March, and in turn allowed them to be reflected in other music.

Similarity to the Opera Carmen

[edit]
Comparison between Army Defile March (Battōtai) and Carmen

From Army Defile March (Battōtai section)[4]

\header { tagline = ##f } \score { \new Staff \with{ \magnifyStaff #4/5 }{ \key c \minor \once \omit Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 2 = 112 \time 2/2 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8) \new Voice { \relative c' {c g' g2 g g aes4 aes f aes g2 r f4 d2 f4 g g g g d2 ees4. d8 c4 r r2} } } \layout {indent = 0\mm line-width = 70\mm} \midi {} }

Georges Bizet's Carmen, Act II Scene 4
Canzonetta "Halte-là! Qui va là?"[23]
(Same melody as the Entr'acte to Act II)

\header { tagline = ##f } \score { \new Staff \with{ \magnifyStaff #4/5 }{ \key g \minor \once \omit Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 112 \time 2/2 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8) \new Voice { \relative c'' {g8.( d'16 d8) r g,8.( d'16 d8) r g,8( d' c ees d4)~d8 r g,4( d'8) d\staccato g,8( d'8) d4 g,8( \tuplet 3/2 {d'16 ees d} c8 ees d4~d8) r} } } \layout {indent = 0\mm line-width = 70\mm} \midi {} }

Music critic Keizō Horiuchi noted in several works that the main melody shares noticeable similarities with the Canzonetta "Les Dragons d'Alcalá" (also known as "The Dragoon of Alcalá" or "Don José's Military Song") from Act II of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen.[24][25]

Because Carmen premiered in France in 1875 (Meiji 8) and Leroux arrived in Japan in 1884 (Meiji 17), it is considered highly likely that Leroux was influenced by Carmen.[26] Research suggests that Leroux attempted to conceal the similarities to Bizet's Canzonetta in his published score in France, which paradoxically indicates he was conscious of the connection.[27]

History of Arrangement

[edit]

The end section of Fusōka was originally cut and replaced with Battōtai. In 1902 (Meiji 35), the middle section was further removed, allowing the piece to transition directly from the introduction into Battōtai, forming the current arrangement. An early SP record of this arrangement is credited as Defile March (Eckert), suggesting that German composer Franz Eckert, who taught at the Toyama Army School during that period, may have arranged the final harmonization.

In Jinta Since (1934), Keizō Horiuchi noted that the 1902 War Ministry arrangement cut the main body of Fusōka to transition immediately from the intro into the trio (Battōtai). Thus, Fusōka remained only as the introductory motif, even though Army band scores continued to label the piece Fou-so-ka.

In sheet music published in 1912,[4] the piece was arranged as: "Fusōka Intro → Fusōka Trio repeat → Battōtai Trio", showing that the structure of the Army Defile March was not completely standardized during the late Meiji era.[4]

Fusōka: Defile March based on 1912 piano sheet musicⓘ

This historical background explains why the Army Defile March is still occasionally referred to as Fusōka today.

In modern commercial recordings, the standard sequence has stabilized as: "Fusōka Intro" → "Battōtai Trio" → "Fusōka Intro".[28]

Other

[edit]
  • On October 21, 1943, it was played during the student march at the Student Mobilization Send-off held in Tokyo.
  • Film director Kihachi Okamoto, who served as a Class-A officer candidate, frequently featured the march in his films. While usually employing it in anti-war contexts, in the northern China war comedy Desperado Outpost [ja] (どぶ鼠作戦), he had actor Yūzō Kayama whistle it as a thematic motif for the Imperial Army.
  • According to music scholar Keitarō Sakamoto, the march remains part of the ceremonial music repertoire of the French Army military band.[29]
  • In 1943, when the Information Bureau ordered the removal of enemy music during World War II, music by Leroux (a Frenchman) was technically subject to the ban. However, because the march was an indispensable symbol of the Imperial Japanese Army, the composer's name was suppressed while the music continued to be officially played, including at the Student Mobilization Send-off. (At the time, France was under the pro-German Vichy regime, which maintained diplomatic relations with Japan.)[30]
  • The melody of Battōtai was adapted into various popular tunes and folk songs, including Normanton Incident Song (ノルマントン号沈没の歌), Tsuki to Hana to wa Mukashi yori (月と花とは昔より), Rappa Bushi (らっぱ節), Matsu no Koe (松の声), Naramaru Kuzushi (奈良丸くづし), and Qingdao Bushi (青島ぶし), as well as leaving melodic traces in the military song Aaa Waga Senyū (ああ我が戦友).[20]
  • Because Battōtai commemorates the suppression of Saigō's forces during the Satsuma Rebellion, there is a long-standing reluctance to perform the piece in Kagoshima Prefecture, where Saigō Takamori is honored as a local hero.
  • In the 1943 American propaganda animated film Tokio Jokio, Battōtai was played during a scene depicting the Imperial Japanese Navy, despite being an Army march.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ 江藤淳『南洲残影』ISBN 4-16-353840-2 に編曲の経緯が詳しい。
  2. ↑ 横田庄一郎 (March 2004). 西郷隆盛惜別譜. 朔北社.
  3. ↑ 『音楽界』148号、音楽出版社、February 1914
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 瀬戸口軍楽長 校閲; 音楽社編輯局編曲 (March 1912). 扶桑歌 分列式行進曲. 音楽社出版部.（Retrieved June 19, 2019）
  5. ↑ 陸軍省制定『吹奏樂 観兵式分列行進曲』10050-A、POLDOR、1927年
  6. 1 2 堀内 1931, p. 209, 「明治35年5月帝國陸軍省は此の行進曲中から「扶桑歌」を省き、序奏から直に「拔刀隊」の旋律に入る樣にして「分列行進曲」を制定し、觀兵式の際公式に用ふるものとし、現にその行進曲は廣く知られてゐる。 （中略） 茲に載せた譜は納所辨次郞氏所藏の古い寫本に依つた。これは恐らく原作のままの形だらうと納所氏が云はれた。現行の陸軍分列行進曲とは伴奏の形が違ひ、また最後の「玉ちる劔」の歌詞のところから旋律が五度違つてゐる。」（※文字強調は引用者）。
  7. ↑ 浅木洋二 編著『ハーモニカ合奏総譜NO.4 観兵式分列行進曲 カール王行進曲』シンフォニー樂譜出版社、1937年
  8. 1 2 山口 1937, p. 435, 「≪陸軍分列行進曲≫トリオニコノ≪拔刀隊≫ガ編マレテアル。」（※文字強調は引用者）
  9. ↑ 日本博覽會協會, ed. (January 1939). "『國防博の夕』プログラム". 國民精神總動員 國防大博覽會開設誌. 日本博覽會協會. p. 70. doi:10.11501/1266497.
  10. 1 2 廣岡 1941, p. 226, 「ルルー作 扶桑歌（陸軍分列行進曲）」（※文字強調は引用者）
  11. ↑ 瀬戸口晃 (March 15, 1960). 共同版ブラスバンド楽譜 No.106 扶桑歌（観兵式分列行進曲）. 共同音楽出版社.
  12. ↑ 司馬遼太郎. 坂の上の雲.
  13. ↑ "防衛庁・自衛隊50周年記念観閲式｜DVD｜ワック" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  14. ↑ "平成19年度 自衛隊観閲式｜DVD｜ワック" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  15. ↑ 『不滅の日本行進曲傑作集（2）』ASIN: B0001FAC8E、ユニバーサルミュージッククラシック、2004年
  16. 1 2 シャルル・ルルー作曲・瀬戸口晃編曲『扶桑歌 : 観兵式分列行進曲』共同音楽出版社〈共同版ブラスバンド楽譜〉、1960年表紙裏の解説
  17. ↑ 扶桑歌の古い演奏の復刻は、「CD『お雇い外国人の見た日本~日本洋楽事始』」で聞くことができる。同CDにおける前田健治 (ピアニスト)の演奏による「扶桑歌」は、掲出の楽譜に忠実に演奏された重要な録音である。
  18. ↑ 中村理平『洋楽導入者の軌跡：日本近代洋楽史序説』刀水書房p.605-615に詳しい。また、p.615にはその楽譜の表紙写真がある。
  19. ↑ 金田一春彦・安西愛子編『日本の唱歌〔下〕 学生歌・軍歌・宗教歌篇』講談社文庫（ISBN 4-06-131370-3）p.119（軍歌としての「抜刀隊」に関する詳述）。
  20. 1 2 堀内敬三『定本日本の軍歌』実業之日本社〈実日新書〉、1977年、p.35-36
  21. ↑ CD「お雇い外国人の見た日本：日本洋楽事始」キングインターナショナル、2001、Track 12: '小娘' (currently recording)
  22. ↑ 一かけ二かけて
  23. ↑ Georges Bizet (1875). Carmen. Choudens père et fils. p. 90. （IMSLPで公開されているオンライン版、PDF形式）
  24. ↑ 堀内 1931, p. 209, 「此の曲の始めが歌劇「カルメン」第二幕に出て來るスペインの軍歌に似てゐる事は面白い。ルルーは勿論「カルメン」をよく知つて來朝したのだらうから其の影響がここに出たのだ。」.
  25. ↑ 堀内敬三『ヂンタ以來』アオイ書房、1934年、p.59
  26. ↑ 長田暁二 編『日本軍歌全集』音楽之友社、1976年、p.480
  27. ↑ 中村理平『洋楽導入者の軌跡：日本近代洋楽史序説』刀水書房p.594-595
  28. ↑ 陸上自衛隊サイト内の音源ギャラリー（ページ中段「行進曲」カテゴリから陸軍分列行進曲がダウンロードできる。）このリンクにある陸軍分列行進曲のアレンジも「扶桑歌の前奏」→「抜刀隊のトリオ」→もう一度「扶桑歌の前奏」である。
  29. ↑ 坂本圭太郎『物語・軍歌史：音楽の中の戦いのうた』創思社出版、1984年、p.18
  30. ↑ 長田暁二 編『日本軍歌全集』音楽之友社、1976年

Bibliography

[edit]
  • 瀬戸口軍楽長 校閲・音楽社編輯局 編曲『扶桑歌 分列式行進曲』音楽社〈音楽社蔵版〉、1912
  • 『音楽界』148号、音楽出版社、February 1914
  • 堀内敬三 (1931). "歌詞及び解説 【31】拔刀隊". In 堀内敬三; 町田嘉章 (eds.). 世界音樂全集 19卷 明治・大正・昭和流行歌曲集. 春秋社. p. 208-209. doi:10.11501/1870789.
  • 堀内敬三 編『童謡唱歌名曲全集續篇・明治回顧軍歌唱歌名曲選』京文社、1932
  • 堀内敬三『ヂンタ以來』アオイ書房、1934
  • 山口（常） (1937). "ぐん-か ［軍歌］". In 富山房百科辞典編纂部 (ed.). 國民百科大辭典 第十三卷. 富山房. pp. 435–436. doi:10.11501/1819331.
  • 廣岡九一（廣岡淑生） (1941). 吹奏樂團の指導と経営. 共益商社書店. p. 226. doi:10.11501/1265526.
  • シャルル・ルルー作曲・瀬戸口晃編曲『扶桑歌 : 観兵式分列行進曲』共同音楽出版社〈共同版ブラスバンド楽譜〉、1960
  • 長田暁二『日本軍歌全集』音楽之友社、1976
  • 堀内敬三『定本日本の軍歌』実業之日本社〈実日新書〉、1977
  • 堀内敬三『音楽五十年史・上』講談社〈講談社学術文庫〉、1978（originally published in 1942）
  • 金田一春彦・安西愛子編『日本の唱歌〔下〕学生歌・軍歌・宗教歌篇』講談社〈講談社文庫〉、1982、ISBN 4-06-131370-3
  • 坂本圭太郎『物語・軍歌史』創思社出版、1984
  • 中村理平『洋楽導入者の軌跡：日本近代洋楽史序説』刀水書房、1993、ISBN 4-88708-146-4
  • 阿部勘一・細川周平・塚原康子・東谷護・高澤智昌『ブラスバンドの社会史：軍楽隊から歌伴へ』青弓社〈青弓社ライブラリー〉、2001、ISBN 4-7872-3192-8
  • 江藤淳『南洲残影』文藝春秋〈文春文庫〉、2001、ISBN 4-16-353840-2
  • 堀雅昭『戦争歌が映す近代』葦書房、2001
  • CD『お雇い外国人の見た日本：日本洋楽事始』キングインターナショナル、2001（ISBN KKCC 3001 KDC-1）
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