HOTARU KOI

RŌ OGURA

• Was born in Kitakyūshū, Japan on January 19, 1916.
• He was a Japanese composer and a writer.
• He wrote his music based on traditional Japanese folk music
• and old nursery rhymes
• He also wrote and published several books and wrote many symphonies

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• Sung as a song for firefly catching
• Close relationship between fireflies and Japanese culture
• Fireflies symbolizes feelings of love

LYRICS

• Ho ho hotaru koi
• Atchino mizu wa nigaizo
• Kotchno mizu wa amaizo
• Ho ho hotaru koi

TRANSLATION

• Ho ho ho firefly
• Come there's some water that's bitter to taste
• Come, here's some water that's sweet to your taste
• Ho ho ho firefly
• (Measures 1-8)

INSTRUMENTS

• Shakuhachi -flute
• Tsuzumi- drum
• Shakubyoshi

THE SHAKUBYOSHI

• It's a percussion instrument
• The paddles are made of wood
• They are in pairs and about 26cm long
• The flat side of one of the paddles are struck
• with the edge of the other paddle in a steady beat

KASUTERA

• Eggs
• Confectioners Sugar
• Honey
• Baking powder
• All-purposed flour