Leaving Finance Behind: Pursuing a Dream in Street Performance

Different from a live house

Under the elevated tracks in Yurakucho, there’s a food alley called “Yurakucho Sanchoku Yokocho” with 11 restaurants. Every day, someone comes to perform as a street musician, and on this day, it was “Uwasa no Harumi,” a street performer with just over a year of experience.

She is currently 57 years old. Harumi has been singing in various ways, including gospel and in a Beatles band, while working at her job. As retirement approached, she started thinking about how to live the rest of her life. Then, when an unexpected job transfer came up, she decided to quit without hesitation and dive into this new career. Why did she choose to become a street performer?

[Link to the full story: “Revival of the Extinct! Showa-era songs, magic, comedy. Why street musicians are gaining popularity in the Reiwa era’s alley.”]

Travelers from NY

As I started making my way through the alley, occasionally talking to customers, I was quickly approached. The first group to place an order was a party of four, consisting of a couple from New York and a friend who was acting as their tour guide.

While looking at the list of my signature songs, the guide, a woman, offered suggestions, saying things like, “This song is the theme song of a Hayao Miyazaki anime,” or “How about some city pop?” They requested a song with a beautiful melody, so we decided on “Hanamizuki.”

“They have stages and streets in America, but it’s rare for singers to walk around and sing while interacting with the audience. This is my first experience as a street performer,” they said, taking pictures of my performance and listening intently. After the song ended, they applauded and expressed their admiration, saying, “Beautiful voice.”

Harumi’s family home is in a rural town in Fukui, where they run a movie theater and a small shop. The shop has a jukebox, and she grew up listening to Showa-era songs from a young age. She moved to Tokyo when she entered university, and after starting her job, she continued to sing as a hobby while leading a salary woman’s life. Although her work was fulfilling, it involved a lot of overtime and made for a rather heavy daily routine.

“When I quit my job, I thought I wanted to live a life where I could focus on doing only the things I truly wanted to do” (Harumi, known for rumors, from here on referred to as the same).

She wanted to continue singing, but what path could she take to ensure she could keep singing forever? While struggling with this question, a flyer for a nearby food stall village arrived in her mailbox. It mentioned that a street performer would be coming. She invited her friends to go and, for the first time, saw the street performer, Paris Nakayama.

“Even the next day, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was completely different from the music I had been doing. Unlike my own live performances, where the audience is already welcoming, here you have to approach people without knowing if they will welcome you or not. There was a hurdle, and I felt uncertain, but I believed that meeting him here was fate, so I contacted Mr. Nakayama.”

“There was also a time when I started singing a song that was in memory of his late wife, and when I began, he burst into tears.”

Starting with a pair performance with a guitarist, now she performs solo, traveling to different bars. Street performing with live music and singing with her own voice, where the audience’s reactions are directly conveyed, is the best form of training for her, allowing her to test and strengthen herself.

“Whenever I go home, I feel truly happy. More often than I expected, my singing brings joy. I’ve had many unforgettable encounters.

One time, I received a request for a song that was in memory of the late wife of a customer. When I began singing, he burst into tears. I don’t think there are many opportunities to sing such an important song in front of someone. I think it’s amazing to deliver a live voice.”

After about two hours of performing, the last customers of the day were a pair of women. One was a superior and the other a subordinate, both working in the beauty industry. “We were just talking about how we saw a street performer earlier!” they said, clearly looking forward to Harumi’s arrival.

“Our workplace is nearby, so we decided to have a drink together after a long time.” Their request was for “Funauta.” “Akiko Yashiro passed away, and I thought I’d like to hear it. This is my first time seeing a street performer! I was a little moved!” they said, listening intently while looking very happy.

Something happened at work today. It was a bit of a tough day. But with street performing, it’s not just about singing and finishing; it’s also about starting a conversation with the customers afterward, which is one of the great things about it.

“After singing, many people start sharing their own stories, weaving their life experiences into the song. Even though it’s someone I’ve just met, it’s rare to be able to have such deep conversations, isn’t it?”

“It’s the best feeling when I can help make the customers feel a little bit better, and when I can do that through my singing. Yeah, I feel like I’ve really changed a lot since I started street performing.”

▼ Rumored Harumi: From Fukui Prefecture. Made her street performance debut in 2023. In addition to street performing, she is also active in her own Showa-era song band, ‘Tokyo Ultra Gakudan.’ She is well-known for her deep, resonant voice and is particularly skilled in enka, though her repertoire spans a wide range, from Showa to Heisei-era songs, new music, and J-pop. “My future dream is to travel around Japan, helping people feel closer to music and delivering energy and healing to many through the power of music. I cherish ichigo ichie (a once-in-a-lifetime encounter) and will sing each song with all my heart.”

 

■ “Tonight, I’ll be performing here” — Information about the appearances of Rumored Harumi can be found here.

■ The website for Yurakucho Direct Market Alley can be found here.