Are there any contemporary songs that are based on the Japanese poems (like Haiku, Tanka, Renga) ?

2 comments

1. I don’t know much about music so I can’t think of much, but I can name a few.

   -まにまに r-906 feat. Hatsunemiku

   It is inspired by the most famous collection of tanka poems, the Hyakunin Isshu, and Japanese archery. A number of fragment Hyakunin Isshu phrases are used in the lyrics.

   The title Mani Mani is also a characteristic passage that every Japanese person associates with the Hyakunin Isshu. (It also has a unique sound).

   It won first prize in a twice-yearly contest for Vocaloid songs.
   [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O2VyUM5MlQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O2VyUM5MlQ)

   -巨人の肩から見下ろして 海茶 feat. Kotonoha sisters

   ‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ a European proverb, is juxtaposed with the continuous history of the song.

   There are a number of references, starting with Japanese court music, followed by a Buddhist scripture reading part, a tanka part. In the tanka part, masterpieces from each period are quoted, from the first verse of the Hyakunin Isshu, at the end, tanka by the most famous contemporary poets are placed.

   The final chorus symbolically uses the Chinese classical proverb 温故知新, which means ‘to learn new things from the past’.

   [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bd_a2gqJBQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bd_a2gqJBQ)

   In Japan, they learn tanka in junior high school, so there are probably actually more songs

2. I don’t know if it helps, but in Baby Metal’s *Catch Me If You Can*, they talk about not wearing red shoes because it’s dangerous. It comes from I guess a children’s song? But I think it’s from a fairy tale.

   [Here is a source](https://du-metal.blogspot.com/2013/09/catch-me-if-you-can.html) that gives the lyrics in both English and Romaji, and the notes may have some good info for you.