Sofu no Nikkiden (Grandfather’s Journal)

Sofu no Nikkiden (Grandfather’s Journal) is a musical suite of original O-hayashi music uniquely dedicated to celebrating the stories of Issei settlers who migrated to Canada prior to the Second World War. The work follows the composer’s grandfather’s autobiographical journal across the Pacific, through the war years, internment and resettlement amidst the discrimination and seclusion of the postwar era in the interior of Canada.

About Sofu no Nikkiden (Grandfather’s Journal)

Composed with support from the Japanese Canadian Legacy Society in 2024 by Kokichi Kusano, Sofu no Nikkiden (Grandfather’s Journal) is a musical suite of original O-hayashi music uniquely dedicated to celebrating the stories of Issei settlers who migrated to Canada prior to the Second World War. The work follows the composer’s grandfather’s autobiographical journal across the Pacific, through the war years, internment and resettlement in the discrimination and seclusion of the postwar era in the interior of Canada.

O-hayashi music is an accompaniment to festive and ceremonial occasions and thus this work is designed for people to come together to celebrate the heritage and history of our early Nikkei ancestors. It also allows musical learners to accompany a wide variety of theatrical, danced or performed interpretations and core pieces of the work are being composed for open sharing as educational resources, Nikkei heritage pieces and foundational works for interested groups throughout Canada.

We gratefully acknowledge support from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.

The Structure of Sofu no Nikkiden

Chapter 1: ‘Leaving Japan’, comprised of four pieces.

(Idemairi, Furue, Yokohama Udon, Sokoku ni Ichirei)

Chapter 2: ‘The Epic of the Pacific’, comprised of three movements.

(Taiheiyō: Higashi no Dan, Taiheiyō, Nishi no dan)

Chapter 3: ‘The Epic of the West Coast’, comprised of one piece and two epics with a total of seven movements.

(Yama-ichigo, Sake tsuri no dan, Shashin no Chigiri).

Chapter 4: ‘The Epic of War’, comprised of two Noh music Hayashi as prologue and two taiko pieces for taiko ensemble performance.

(Kosame, Karasu-no-shirase, Yellow Peril, Abare)

Chapter 5: ‘The Epic of Internment’, comprised of three pieces.

(Kisha, Ushi-koya, Shinrin-sannen)

Chapter 6: ‘The Legacy of the Nikkei’, comprised of four pieces.

(Abare-short, Nishi-namida, Azuma Jūdō, Sukiyaki)

Recordings and Resources

Sofu no Nikkiden (Grandfather’s Journal) is a suite of 18 works of music in its entirety totaling 40 minutes in length. An abridged selection of these pieces has been selected to tell the story of the journey of Nikkei settlers over the period of immigration, through internment, and into the postwar era – while focusing on providing a measured approach to introducing the traditions, concepts and music of O-hayashi to learners. The work is being offered as a tool for introducing Japanese musical learning tools and methods, as well as a standard basic format for a Pan-Canadian performance work through which discussions of culture, heritage, racism and awareness of the legacy of Nikkei history in the Canadian experience can take place.

Organizations or individuals may request learning resources for music from Sofu no Nikkiden (Grandfather’s Journal) for education, community music and arts organizations, Japanese Canadian history and education, by submitting a request to contact@naeproject.ca.

Yokohama Udon

Cheerful piece depicting a final meal of Udon at Yokohama pier.