Songs of the Japanese Empire | Military Medley (1877–1940) | Japanese & English Lyrics

This medley presents seven songs from the Imperial Japanese military tradition, spanning the Meiji Restoration through the height of the Shōwa era — from Japan's first modern military engagement against its own samurai class, to the marches that accompanied soldiers across the Pacific. I. Battōtai (抜刀隊), 1887 Written after the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, Japan's last samurai uprising. The Imperial Army's conscript soldiers faced samurai swordsmen with rifles. This song commemorates that first test of the Meiji military. Music by French composer Charles Leroux. II. Yuki no Shingun (雪の進軍), 1895 Written by a soldier during the First Sino-Japanese War, reflecting genuine hardship and discontentment with military conditions. Banned by the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII for being insufficiently martial; the only song in this medley that the empire itself censored. III. Aikoku Kōshinkyoku (愛国行進曲), 1937 Composed at the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Cabinet of Japan sponsored a public competition for lyrics, where 57,578 entries were submitted. A printing shop worker from Tottori won. IV. Morning Wind of Shōnan-Tō (昭南島の朝風), 1942 Shōnan-Tō was the Japanese name for occupied Singapore. This song was written for and about the fallen city, the strategic jewel of Britain's Asian empire, taken in eight days. V. Kimigayo (君が代), 1880 Japan's national anthem. One of the world's shortest national anthems and one of the oldest, its lyrics draw from a Heian-period poem written over a thousand years ago. VI. Ode of Shōwa Restoration (昭和維新の歌), 1932 Written by ultranationalist activists during the turbulent early Shōwa period, calling for political revolution in the Emperor's name. Associated with the February 26 Incident of 1936, a failed military coup that killed several senior government officials. VII. The Infrantry's March (歩兵の本領), 1911 Originally composed during the Meiji Period (1911), it became immensely popular among Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) infantrymen during World War II. The lyrics compare infantrymen to the falling cherry blossoms of Mount Yoshino, praising their bravery, endurance, and fierce Yamato spirit. VIII. The Pacific March (太平洋行進曲), 1940 Composed one year before Pearl Harbour. The empire was already at war in China. The Pacific was next. Subscribe to Vox Cantorum for more songs that shaped the history of Southeast Asia and the world. Chapters: 0:00 I. Battōtai (抜刀隊) — 1877 2:22 II. Yuki no Shingun (雪の進軍) — 1895 4:43 III. Aikoku Kōshinkyoku (愛国行進曲) — 1937 7:03 IV. Morning Wind of Shōnan-Tō (昭南島の朝風) — 1942 10:12 V. Kimigayo (君が代) — 1880 11:32 VI. Ode of Shōwa Restoration (昭和維新の歌) — 1932 14:20 VII. The Infrantry's March (歩兵の本領) — 1911 17:26 VIII. The Pacific March (太平洋行進曲) — 1940 #JapaneseEmpire #ImperialJapan #WWII #WWIIPacific #JapaneseHistory #MilitaryMusic #HistoricalSong #LyricsVideo #Gunka #MeijiEra #ShowaEra #WarSongs #HistoryMusic #VoxCantorum