Ringo-no-uta（リンゴの唄）for string quartet

Michiko Namiki  

"Ringo no Uta" (Song of the Apple) was a song featured within the 1945 Japanese movie Soyokaze. It was written by poet and lyricist Hachiro Sato and composer Tadashi Manjome, who was also the producer of the film. The song was sung as a duet between the Japanese actress Michiko Namiki and the singer Noboru Kirishima and released on recording January 1946. It is considered the first hit song in Japan after World War II. 

"Soyokaze" (Soft breeze) was released on October 11, 1945, and was the first movie produced after World War II in Japan. It was a commercial success, but was severely criticized by movie critics. As autumn advanced, the song Ringo no Uta from the movie spread in popularity, becoming more famous than the film's theme song, Soyokaze. Ringo no Uta was broadcast on a radio for the first time on December 10, 1945, and the 78rpm record was released by Nippon Colombia in January 1946. Sato's lyrics expressed a girl's feeling in a red apple, one which matched the feelings of freedom after the war. The record recorded unprecedented sales which exceed 100,000 copies.