[The Herring Mansions and Soran Bushi]
From the Meiji to the Taisho era, the herring fishing industry brought an incredible economic boom to the Sea of Japan coast of Hokkaido. Recently, I visited the Otaru Herring Mansion (Otaru-shi Nishin Goten), a historic building that preserves the past glory of the master fishermen (amimoto). Built in 1897 in Tomari Village on the Shakotan Peninsula and relocated to Shukutsu in Otaru for restoration in 1958, this architectural masterpiece was the very first residential building in Hokkaido to be designated as a Tangible Cultural Property. Stepping inside, I found displays of fishing gear used in those days and daily utensils from the lives of the people who lived in the guardhouses (banya), while the sound of "Soran Bushi" played as background music. Unlike the modern arrangements or the smooth, melodious versions sung at festival dances, this singing voice was rugged, honest, and filled with the raw resonance of an era when it was chanted in the absolute thick of life-threatening labor. I was deeply intrigued by this origin: the refined "Soran Bushi" that we enjoy on stages today was originally a "song for survival," shouted at the top of their lungs amidst rough seas to help everyone pull through intense physical labor together.
The Otaru Herring Mansion I visited was not only the residence of a master fisherman, built with the finest quality lumber and craftsmanship, but also a massive workplace where as many as 120 seasonal laborers (yanshu) lived and slept under one roof during its peak. The Soran Bushi sung here is based on the "Herring Ground Work Song" (Seicho Nishinba Ondo), which originated from folk songs brought over the sea by seasonal fishermen from the Tohoku region. Born to solidify the bond between comrades and blow away the exhaustion of brutal work, this song consists of four operational stages that mirror the sequential process of herring fishing. "Funakogi" (boat rowing) for traveling back and forth between the landing pier and the net-setting location; "Amiokoshi" (net lifting), the most high-spirited phase where herrings caught in the net are driven into the frame net; "Okiage" (offshore landing), where the gathered herrings are scooped up into the boat all at once with large dip nets; and "Kotataki" (roe threshing), where herring roe tightly stuck to the meshes of the net is beaten off with bamboo sticks. The Soran Bushi we know so well is a unique evolution of the "Okiage" work song, chanted when hauling up nets overflowing with herring.
The strongest young man in the group would grasp the handle of the large dip net while the surrounding fishermen beat the boat planks to keep time, fiercely chanting "Soran, Soran!" In the initial stage, herring are crowded so densely in the frame net that the fish enter on their own just by inserting the dip net slightly. However, as the work progresses and the herring in the frame net thin out, the remaining fish scatter in all directions, requiring the heavy dip net to be forcefully moved over and over to gather them. The longer it took to fill the dip net, the more the surrounding shouts of "Soran!" were repeated in rapid succession, as if to encourage the young man at his breaking point. Once the dip net was finally filled with fish, the signal "Choi Yasa E" would echo to synchronize everyone for a sudden haul, and with the shout of "Dokkoisho," the herring were showered onto the transport boat. The monotonous, ultra-strenuous labor on a rocking boat in the cold spring sea induced intense fatigue and drowsiness. In an extreme state where falling into the sea meant instant death, the leader (ondotori) would sometimes deliberately sing comical or obscene lyrics to wake the fishermen up, bringing laughter and high spirits to the tense site. The song was a vital piece of wisdom to distract themselves from the harshness of labor and drowsiness in the midst of a battlefield-like rush that continued day and night without sleep.
The golden age of herring once swept this Sea of Japan coast, but behind the glamorous success stories lay a reality that could not be settled with mere pleasantries. The distinct smell of daily life floating around the fishing grounds of the time, the brutal physical labor, and the complex human relationships between the master fishermen and the yanshu who supported the very bottom of the structure are vividly and realistically depicted in Kensaku Shimaki's novel "Nishin Ryoba" (Herring Fishery), set in the herring grounds of Otaru, Yoichi, and Shakotan in Hokkaido during the herring boom. Countless local fishermen threw themselves into this harsh environment, along with seasonal laborers who crossed the sea from Honshu. Behind the splendor of the herring mansions that reached the height of prosperity and the resonance of the masterpiece still loved today, there were the fierce lives of nameless people who worked themselves to the bone in the brutal northern sea.
On my way back, thinking that since I had come all this way I should try the famous herring, I decided to stop by the nearby "Aotsuka Shokudo" diner. At the storefront, savory smoke was rising from plump, whole herrings being grilled slowly over charcoal. Having passed through a turbulent era, the herring tasted in the peaceful present day was incredibly fluffy and tender. With every bite I savored, a deep sense of gratitude welled up for the predecessors who built the foundation of our rich daily life.
To reach Shukutsu, where the Otaru Herring Mansion is located, you can board the "Sightseeing Boat Aobato" from the Otaru Port Sightseeing Boat Terminal, situated an 8-minute walk from the Otaru Showroom, and arrive in about 20 minutes. The Otaru Herring Mansion, Aotsuka Shokudo, and the "Former Aoyama Villa"—an artistic mansion built by a family that amassed vast wealth from herring fishing—are all within walking distance. For the return trip, it is possible to take a bus back to Otaru Station. Why not extend your journey a little to Shukutsu, where the vestiges of herring fishing still live on, while enjoying a pleasant boat trip on the sightseeing vessel?
Otaru Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/otaru.html
Otaru Herring Mansion
https://www.city.otaru.lg.jp/docs/2020100900596/
Aotsuka Shokudo
http://www.aotsuka.com/
The Former Aoyama Villa
http://www.otaru-kihinkan.jp/aoyama_about/
Sightseeing Boat Aobato
https://otaru-kankousen.jp/ships/
References
https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/184110
https://www.parkhotelgroup.com/ja/grand-park-otaru/our-hotel/experiences/otaru-herring-mansion
https://www.town.shakotan.lg.jp/contents/content0034.html
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%BD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E7%AF%80
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B0%8A%E5%A0%B4%E4%BD%9C%E6%A5%AD%E5%94%84
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000008/card1083.html
