Tsuru no Koe - Voice of a Crane (koto)
Accompanied by traditional Japanese dance
Makiko Goto - koto, voice
Shie Shoji - dance
Thessaloniki Concert Hall, 7 June 2016
In Japan, the crane or tsuru, is a national treasure. It is the symbol of longevity and good luck because it was thought to have a life span of a thousand years. Tsuru are also monogamous, therefore, often used for wedding decor. There is a Japanese idiom that says, “tsuru no hito koe”, which literally translates as, “one word from the crane”, meaning the “voice of authority”, the one who has the final word that isn’t challenged. That is how high the crane is regarded, no one questions his opinions.
Composed by Tamaoka Kengyo at the end of 18th century, Tsuru no Koe is a piece symbolises felicity and longevity.
Below is the background story, although the actual lyrics are much shorter.
Caught in a sudden shower, a young traveller takes cover under the eaves of a humble tree-thatched house by the road. A young woman comes out from the house, explains that the rain may take a while to stop and invites the traveller inside. Since it is just to wait while the shower passes, he accepts. However, the rain continues, and eventually evening falls. Concerned that the road at night in the rain would be dangerous, the young woman asks him, if he can stand the poor house, to take shelter there for the night. The man hesitates at first; after all, he doesn’t know her and it appears that she is alone. In the end he decides to stay.
Through the evening they talk and become more and more close. Eventually the man announces that he loves her. While she wonders to herself if a man who has just met her can really be sincere in his love, a single note of a crane’s call can be heard. This omen convinces her of his sincerity. They are eventually married and live together until they grow grey in their old age.