Vintage Japanese Calligraphy Scroll Enka Song Lyrics Mother Memory Kakemono

A Modern Subject in a Classical Form
Unlike most kakemono, which transcribe Buddhist sutras, Zen aphorisms, or classical Chinese poetry, this scroll transcribes the lyrics of a contemporary Japanese Enka song — "Haha Biyori" (母日和), performed by celebrated singer Kawanaka Miyuki (川中美幸). Enka is Japan's sentimental ballad tradition, often centered on themes of family, hometown, and quiet endurance, and this piece brings that popular, deeply emotional song into the refined format of a hanging scroll.

Structure & Composition
The text unfolds in three sections, arranged top to bottom across the scroll, echoing the verse-and-refrain structure of the song itself: the uppermost section sets a reflective, memory-laden opening; the middle section carries the emotional heart of the piece; and the lower section closes with a message of quiet encouragement. Soft pale-blue guide lines run beneath the columns of kana script, lending the composition a gentle, lyrical rhythm quite distinct from the bolder, more architectural calligraphy typical of Zen or Confucian scrolls.

Theme
The lyrics speak, in essence, of a daughter's memory of her mother — of stories once shared about a faraway hometown, treasured close to the heart, and a mother's quiet wish that her child carry those memories forward and grow into a kind, good-hearted person. It is a scroll built around maternal love and inherited memory rather than religious or philosophical instruction, giving it a warmer, more personal register than most antique kakemono on the market.

Artist
The small inscription credits the source as 川中美幸の歌 ("a song by Kawanaka Miyuki") and is signed 寒泉 (Kansen), the calligrapher's art-name, accompanied by a red seal bearing the same name to authenticate the work.

Condition & Presentation
Brushed in soft kana script on cream paper with pale blue guide lines, mounted in dark indigo silk-brocade borders.