Koromubia = コロムビア (Columbia)
- Place of Publication: Tokyo, Japan
- Language: Japanese
- Date of Publication: 1948
- Introduction by: Stella Li
Koromubia [Columbia] consists of six issues published in Tokyo between April and November 1948, appearing roughly on a monthly basis: no.1 (April), no. 2 (May), no. 3 (June–July), no. 4 (August), no. 5 (September), and no. 6 (November), each containing 40–50 pages. In January 1949, the journal changed its title to Rizumu [Rhythm], expanding its coverage to include music and recordings released by multiple major labels. Members representing Columbia, Victor, Kingu, Polydor, and Teichiku served on the editorial board. However, Rizumu appears to have ceased publication after its first issue (vol. 2, no. 1). Motegi Yoshizō 茂木義蔵 was the editor. This text treats both publications.
The journal’s front matter consists of sheet music and lyrics of newly released popular songs on records. The vocal score, printed in both staff and cipher notations, indicate the melody of the songs; the lyrics beneath the staff are spelled in katakana or hiragana to show the prosodic details. Following the table of content is typically information about new films, illustrated with posters, graphics, and synopses. The remainder of the issue contains articles on popular music and recordings, with particular emphasis on songs, film music, jazz, and celebrities. A regular column reports on the latest musical activities in the U.S., contributed by the journal’s correspondent in San Francisco.
Although primarily devoted to popular music, the journal features occasional reports and a regular column by writer Shinomiya Manabu 四宮学 on composers such as Mozart and Beethoven, reflecting Columbia’s release of Western classical music recordings. The journal is richly illustrated, containing portraits, photographs, comics, music examples, and dance diagrams.
The variety of topics covered in the journal showcases the vibrant popular music scene in postwar Japan, demonstrating its symbiosis with the entertainment and film industries. Of interest are a three-part series on the production of music records (vol. 1, nos. 1–3); a commentary on popular music and mass culture by the Columbia president Mutō Kōichi 武藤興市 (vol. 1, no. 1); writer Takami Jun 高見順’s recollections of Columbia during the prewar years (vol. 1, no. 2); an account of Columbia’s record factory in Kawasaki (vol. 2, no.1); journalist Itō Juji 伊藤寿二’s commentary on the political economics of the “Miss Japan” beauty contest (vol. 2, no. 1); and a two-part Japanese translation of Louis Harap’s 1941 article “The Case of Hot Jazz” (vol. 1, no. 6–vol. 2, no. 1), originally published in The Musical Quarterly.
This RIPM Index was produced from copies of the journal held by the Gordon W. Prange Collection at the University of Maryland, College Park, and the Library of Congress.