Umi Yukaba

[patches]

The version played by the Navy Band in TORA TORA TORA, always was enthralled by this melody from the movie, it's played when Admiral Yamamoto assumes command of the Fleet and boards one of the battlewagons.

 

 

 

 

 

[gwb123]

Some reference material:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umi_Yukaba

 

Apparently it has had several translations:

 

 

[Fortunes Of War]

The Umi Yukaba was a patriotic song/poem.  This specific patriotic song, or gunka, is based upon the style of poem known as a waka poem, found in the Man'Yoshu with lyrics by Otomo no Yakamochi (718-785).  Yakamochi was one of the most famous and active poets of his day, helping to compile Japan's first collected works of poetry.  The poem was set to music by Kiyoshi Nobutaki in 1937, and was called Japan's second national anthem during the war.  Popular to the very end of the conflict, Umi Yukaba was played often and sung by some members of Japan's special attack squadrons as they were sent off on their final missions.  Some Japanese friends of mine whose parents were alive during the war say that their relatives would get goose bumps whenever they heard the Umi Yukaba played, post war, but often not in a good way.  It continued to conjure up many negative wartime memories.