There was a “performing arts comfort team” of 14 Korean comfort women who went to Japan in July and August 1943 to sing, dance, and “comfort” wounded Imperial Japanese soldiers in Japan. I previously posted two articles from August 1943 on this subreddit about this comfort team, one (Korean comfort women interviewed after whirlwind 1943 Japan tour) was an interview with the comfort women after they returned to Korea from this trip, and another (1943 editorial calls for Korean language to be wiped out) was a government policy editorial saying that this comfort team demonstrated that these Korean women learned Japanese so well because they interacted with Imperial Japanese soldiers as comfort women, so this lesson should be applied in all of Korea so as to “directly bump sincere hearts with each other”. 

I’ve also added some links to Youtube videos that I found of the songs and dances that they performed. Most appear to be Japanese folk songs, but their repertoire also includes some Korean songs in a slight nod to their Korean heritage. Judging from the music selection, I’m thinking these Korean comfort women must have had very specialized music instructors from Japan come to Korea to teach them these very regional Japanese folk songs and dances.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo), July 14, 1943

Giving comfort singing Doraji Taryeong

Korean performing arts comfort team working hard

Burning with heroic determination to serve again, the “Korean performing arts comfort team of the Army and Navy Hospital in Japan proper”, organized by the head office of this newspaper and consisting of 14 members including Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅), is to depart Seoul Station on the morning of July 14th for Japan proper. By comforting the brave soldiers in white who are single-mindedly focused on recuperation, the comfort team expresses their deepest gratitude to their fellow compatriots for their immense trust and affection toward the Korean peninsula. Prior to their departure, at a little after 2:00 p.m. on the afternoon of the 13th, they visited the Korea Army guided by Mr. Suzuki, Director of the Planning Department of the Head Office of this newspaper. After giving a departure speech to Mr. Kuramo, Director of the News Department, they immediately went to the main hospital of Yongsan Seoul Army Hospital to visit the injured soldiers and held a “performing arts comfort party” rich with the sentiments of the Korean peninsula in the Patriotic Hall in front of 200 soldiers in white.

Following the opening address by the group director Mr. Suzuki, Kim Jeon-wang (김전왕/金田旺) spoke on behalf of the entire group by saying, “We have decided to comfort the wounded soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy with our humble performances as a way of thanking our compatriots in Japan for their kindness on the eve of the glorious conscription order. Today, instead of a departure address, we will hold a performance in front of you, and although we are not sure if we will be able to comfort you all, we will do our best. We are reminded of the fact that we have been your sisters in the front lines as members of the glorious Imperial Army, and we are all filled with joy standing in front of you all and giving you comfort. We pray non-stop that you will all recover completely and that the day of your re-entry into the service will come sooner than expected”, giving her kind and sincere opening speech in fluent Japanese. Then the group started the performance.

All the performers, dressed in their traditional Korean clothes, sang “Arirang”, a well-known Korean folk song. The beautiful melody of the ancient folk songs of the Korean peninsula thrilled the white-robed warriors to their hearts’ content, and the Doraji Taryeong, a dance unique to the Korean peninsula, was performed with graceful Korean-inspired dance moves. The audience gave thunderous applauses to “Yasugi-bushi (安来節)” and “the Mother of Kudan (九段の母)” performed by Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅).

The comic storytelling of the “New Family Scene” brought a whirlwind of laughter, followed by enthusiastic performances of “Sado Okesa (佐渡おけさ)” and “Night in Suzhou (蘇州の夜)”, and everyone sang a lively rendition of the “Patriotic March (愛国行進曲)”, bringing the comfort performance to a close at 3:30 p.m. [Photo: The performing arts comfort party]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-14

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo), July 15, 1943

A trip to comfort the brave wounded soldiers.

Performing arts team departed for Japan proper this morning

After the send-off party and the visit to the Army Hospital to comfort the wounded soldiers on July 13th, the 14 members of the “Korean performing arts comfort team of the Army and Navy Hospital in Japan proper”, organized by the head office of this newspaper and led by Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅), visited Seoul at 8:00 a.m. on July 14th to make a departure speech, and then departed from Seoul Station at 10:05 a.m. The team members were in high spirits as they were seen off by many executives of the head office of this newspaper as well as friends and relatives, and they made their way onto the “Nozomi” train, with the crimson-red circle Hinomaru insignia on the left sides of their chests shining brightly to protect them on their 24-day trip. They left waving their hands in the air and saying, “See you later! We’ll do our best”. Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅), a member of the group, spoke in clear Japanese recounting the excitement of the departure.

“We are not used to this kind of trip, so we are all talking to each other about trying to compose ourselves and avoiding any trouble as much as possible. If the songs and dances of inexperienced people like us can offer even a little comfort to the white-robed warriors in Japan proper, we will be very happy. We will do our best with all our hearts. Most of the members in this group are excited because it will be the first time for them to visit Japan proper. I am also very grateful that we will be able to pay homage to the Imperial Grand Shrine at Ise and other precious places, and to see the beautiful Mount Fuji”. [Photo: the Korean performing arts comfort team departing Seoul Station]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-15

Song Links:

Arirang Dance: https://youtu.be/Bms4dx9ayhQ

Doraji Taryeong: https://youtu.be/o36IFUfTCMg

Yasugi-bushi: https://youtu.be/e3eMaefRU1s

Mother of Kudan: https://youtu.be/F8kVbUNsOs0

Sado Okesa: https://youtu.be/qYt7ax54eXI

Night in Suzhou: https://youtu.be/4HB-kzjWc8U

Patriotic March: https://youtu.be/2CpcztEOSrs

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年7月14日

トラジで慰める

張切る半島芸能慰問団

雄々しくも再起奉公の決意に燃え、只管療養に専念する白衣の勇士の慰問を通じて内地同胞の我が半島に寄せる絶大の信頼と厚情に満腔の感謝を表する本社主催『内地陸海軍病院半島芸能慰問団』一行金錦紅さん以下十四名は愈々十四日朝京城駅発、一路内地に向かうが、晴れの出発に先立って十三日午後二時過ぎ、団長鈴木本社企画部長に引率されて朝鮮軍を訪れ、倉茂報道部長に出発の挨拶を述べたのち、傷兵慰問のため直ちに龍山京城陸軍病院本院に向い、愛国館で白衣勇士二百名を前に半島情緒を豊かに盛った『芸能慰問会』を開催した。

鈴木慰問隊長の挨拶に次いで、金田旺さんが一同を代表して『輝かしい徴兵制を目睫に控えて内地同胞の方々にお礼の意味で陸海軍傷兵を私達の拙い芸でお慰めすることになりました。本日は出発の挨拶に代えて皆様の前で慰問芸能会を開かせて戴きますが、果して皆様をお慰め出来るか心配ですが、一同ははり切って慰問致します。私達同胞が栄えの皇軍の一員として皆様の弟となって前線に起ったことに思いを致し、こうして皆様の前に立って慰問することに私達一同は無上の喜びに胸一ぱいです。何卒全快されて再起奉公の日一日も早からんことを祈って止みません』と優しい真心こもる開会の言葉を流暢な国語で述べ、それより演芸に移った。

楚々とした朝鮮服に着替えた全員はお馴染みの”アリラン”を斉唱。美しい半島古来の民謡の旋律に白衣の勇士を心ゆくまで陶然とさせ、半島独特の舞踊トラジでは優雅な半島情緒纏綿とした踊りを繰展げる。金錦紅さんの十八番”安来節”、”九段の母”には一同割れるような拍手を送る。

漫談新家庭風景はドット爆笑の渦を巻かせ、かくて”佐渡おけさ”、”蘇州の夜”など熱演があり、全員愛国行進曲を活発に斉唱、同三時半心からなる慰問演芸の幕を閉じた。【写真＝同慰問演芸会】

京城日報　1943年7月15日

勇躍傷兵慰問の旅へ

芸能一団行、けさ内地へ出発

十三日壮行会、陸軍病院傷兵慰問を終えた本社主催”内地陸海軍病院半島芸能慰問団”一行金錦紅さん以下十四名は鈴木団長に引率され、十四日午前八時本府を訪問して出発の挨拶を行い、同十時五分京城駅発”のぞみ”で本社関係幹部並びに友人縁故者など多数の見送りを受け、勇躍壮途に上がったが、団員一行は左胸に二十四日間の慰問の旅を守護する如く耀く真紅の『日の丸』の胸章も晴れやかに展望者に現れ、”ではいって参ります、しっかりやってまいります”と手を打ち振りながら出発した。一行中の金田旺さんは、その出発の感激の中にハッキリとした国語で語った。

「慣れない旅ですが、皆心を引き緊めてできるだけ御厄介をかけないように努めましょうとお互い話し合っています。私たちのような未熟なものの歌や踊りがもし内地の白衣の勇士の方々を些かでもお慰め申しあげることが出来ますれば、こんな嬉しいことはありません。真心をこめてやって参ります。それから一行の中には内地行きは初めての方が大部分ですので、皆さん胸をワクワクさせています。それに伊勢の皇大神宮初め尊い御ところにお詣り出来ますことや、綺麗な富士山をみることの出来ますことを心から感謝いたして居ります」【写真＝京城駅出発の半島芸能慰問団】