Poetry, Pops, and
Prose: Recent English Compositions in Japan
(2004.11.8) David McMurray
Following decades of learning and adapting ideas from British and
American literature, Japanese writers are creating their own works.
English poetry and pop music by Japanese composers -creative original
English that has not been translated-- is finally being heard and
appreciated outside of classrooms in Japan and entering the mainstream.
And teachers have already begun taking this newly created English back
into the classroom to motivate students with examples from their peers.
On September 8 the release of Exodus -- a CD composed
entirely in English by a Japanese musician -- meant that language
teachers no longer have to rely on the words of the Beatles and the
Carpenters or tunes such as: "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" by
groups of international artists.
"In Tokyo New Music on the Radio. We'll say goodbye to the
world we know. This is our exodus '04" sings the current Japanese pop
diva Utada Hikaru. According to publicly aired interviews Utada feared
that an English-language album would be perceived by her Japanese fans
as a sellout. Instead the album is selling out in Japan. The 21-year
old bilingual studied for a semester at Columbia University in New
York. In the title song, she writes "With you these streets are heaven.
Now home feels so foreign."
Haiku poetry composed in English by Japanese writers is
popular in Japan. Now pop music written in English by Japanese
composers has begun to flourish. Next, with encouragement by teachers
and acceptance by an admiring public, the first novels composed
originally in English by Japanese authors may begin to appear.
Mirroring this trend, in the first track of her new album, "Opening"
Utada sings in a lonely voice: "Together you and I, We can cross our
borders, you and I."
Similar to the pop group S.E.S. in Korea, Japanese
musicians have played with English lyrics, inserting a catchy phrase
here and there. During the past century some fine examples of Asian
English have been recognized by publishers and universities: original
English poetry from the Philippines; literature originally written in
English by Chinese writers in Singapore: and movie scripts in English
from Hong Kong. But until English composed by Asians becomes more
prevalent, it will be difficult for teachers to motivate students using
examples provided by student peer models.
Japan is just in time to take advantage of the soaring use
of English language pop music in the teaching curriculum. In 2002,
undergraduates taking their final year examinations at Cambridge
University were to discuss the lyrics of the Bee Gees hit song,
"Tragedy." Teachers have used pop music to reinforce grammar,
vocabulary, listening, reading, speaking and writing skills. Music is a
stimulus that has the capacity to hold the interest of the student.
Teachers of elementary school children all across Asia rely on English
music and chants in their daily lessons. Teaching methods that include
rote learning remains popular in Japan, where teacher have found that
it can be made more fun if it involves different activities such as
jazz chants, songs and poems.
Teachers of children know that it's at the very beginning
of learning a new language that the strangeness and humor in the sound
and the sights of the new language are most consciously felt. For
example, in the pop songs of Utada, she sounds like she is having fun
singing "Easy Breezy," when she rhymes: "You're easy breezy and I'm
Japanesey." She also takes a childlike approach in her song "Tippy
Toe," with lines like: 'Cuz you're married an ya even got a family too.
Pray that they don't hear you, Now let me see ya dance on your tippy
toe, ooh!"
The opportunity to use English music created locally will
likely increase motivation among students all across Asia. In Utada's
pop songs she even mixes in some internationally known Japanese
greeting words: "You came and went and left my house like a breeze just
passing by. Konnichiwa sayonara it 'twas nice of you to stop by."
David McMurray
The
International University of Kagosshima
Japan