Steel Guitar in China and Japan

October 10, 2024 • Nate Goore • Steel Guitar History

When we think of Hawaiian music, the steel guitar is often at the forefront. While it's strongly associated with the islands, this instrument has also left its mark in unexpected places–most notably in China and Japan. Let's explore how the steel guitar found a home in these countries and became an integral part of their musical histories.

The Steel Guitar's Rise in China

first introduced to the city in the 1920s, it wasn't until the 1930s that it truly began to resonate with the local population. Bernardo Endaya, a steel guitarist born and raised in Shanghai, recalls how his family and others embraced the genre. According to him, from 1937 to 1949, Hawaiian music became a significant part of Shanghai's cultural scene, with radio stations dedicating weekly segments to the genre. Musicians like Sol Ho‘opi‘i and Lena Machado were household names, and their music was regularly played across the city.

During the 1940s, Shanghai's nightclubs and ballrooms embraced Hawaiian music. Chinese patrons often insisted on hearing Hawaiian tunes during their nights out, and Filipino family bands, such as Endaya's, made sure to include steel guitar performances to meet this demand. The Hawaiian influence was so strong that even Chinese vocalists began adopting the style, contributing to the vibrant music scene.

However, this flourishing period came to an end when the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China in 1949. Foreign music, including Hawaiian, was gradually banned. By 1952, Endaya had left Shanghai, but he fondly remembered the era when the steel guitar was a key part of the city's nightlife.

The Steel Guitar's Influence in Japan

In Japan, the steel guitar found its way into the country's music scene even earlier. Hawaiian music was first introduced in 1881 when King David Kalākaua of Hawai‘i visited Japan, but it wasn't until the 1920s that the steel guitar began to truly take root.

Yukihiko and Katsuhiko Haida, two brothers born in Hawai‘i, were instrumental in bringing Hawaiian music to Japan. After arriving in 1922, Yukihiko formed one of Japan's first Hawaiian music groups. By 1929, the brothers had created the Moana Glee Club, which remained the most popular Hawaiian music group in the country until the 1940s.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, several Hawaiian musicians, including Ernest Ka‘ai Sr., Tau Moe, and David Pokipala, toured Japan. Their performances had a profound impact on local musicians. Buckie Shirakata, a steel guitarist who studied under Sol Ho‘opi‘i, introduced the electric steel guitar to Japan in the 1930s, sparking a new era for the instrument.

The Post-War Revival in Japan

Although Hawaiian music was banned in Japan during World War II, it experienced a revival once the war ended. Musicians like Poss (Hideo) Miyazaki and Tatsuo Ohtsuka helped to bring Hawaiian music back to the forefront. Miyazaki's group, the Coney Islanders, and Ohtsuka's Blue Hawaiians became leading forces in the post-war Hawaiian music scene.

By the 1960s, Hawaiian music was once again thriving in Japan, and the steel guitar was at the center of this revival. Kiyoshi Kobayashi, born in 1933, became one of Japan's foremost steel guitarists. Blending traditional Hawaiian styles with modern jazz, Kobayashi developed his own sound and even worked with Japanese companies to create custom steel guitars. His performances and recordings brought the steel guitar to a new generation of Japanese listeners, solidifying its place in the country's music culture.

Hawaiian music continues to be popular in Japan today, perhaps more so than anywhere else outside of Hawai'i. The Joban Hawaiian Center (Senta) in Japan, for example, hosts daily performances of Hawaiian music and dance, all by Japanese artists. This center, the largest Hawaiian-themed amusement complex in the world, is a testament to the deep connection Japan has maintained with Hawaiian culture.

The steel guitar's journey through China and Japan shows the remarkable influence this instrument has had far beyond its Hawaiian origins. In Shanghai, it became a key part of the city's vibrant nightlife in the 1930s and 1940s before political changes led to its decline. Meanwhile, in Japan, the steel guitar thrived both before and after World War II, and it continues to be an essential part of the country's music scene. The steel guitar's enduring presence in these countries is a testament to music's ability to cross borders and create lasting cultural connections.

Ed. Note: Sounds That Changed the World is a periodic feature authored by Nate Goore that will present various historical aspects about the Hawaiian steel guitar.