発信箱：社歌＝落合博

(Mainichi Japan) April 12, 2009
Boosting spirits with the power of corporate song
発信箱：社歌＝落合博

An executive of a world-renowned company once told me: "We all sing our company's song when our baseball team wins a game. That feels so good. It brings us a sense of unity with the players and the company, and makes us proud of our company."
　「世界の」を冠して呼ばれる企業の男性役員は真顔で言った。「うちの野球部が試合で勝った時、みんなで社歌を歌う。あれは気持ちいい。選手や会社との一体感があり、いい会社に勤めているなと思う」。

As I nodded, he asked me, "Does the Mainichi Newspapers have a company song?"
うなずいていたら、「毎日新聞には（社歌）ありますか」と質問された。

At another major company, employees sing their corporate song and recite the founder's creed at their workplace and factories every morning. One employee in his 30s said it felt strange when he first joined the company, but now he's fully used to it.
　別の大企業では毎朝、職場や工場ごとに社歌を斉唱し、創業者の信条などを唱和する。３０代の男性社員は入社当時、戸惑ったそうだが、今ではすっかり慣れた。

"There's some invisible effect in it," he says.
「見えない効果がありますね」

When newcomers were asked what they thought the most unnecessary thing at their company was, the most common answer was the corporate song, described variously as "embarrassing" and "old-fashioned." However, the situation has changed of late.
　会社の中で要らないものを新入社員に尋ねると、十数年前までワーストワンは社歌だった。「気恥ずかしい」「時代遅れ」が理由だろう。最近は事情が違うようだ。

In a book titled "Shaka" (Corporate songs, published by Bungei Shunju), corporate songs of about 40 major Japanese companies are listed, along with the history and episodes of each song. Since the lyrics of corporate songs reflect the spirit of the founders and management principles, they may be revised with the change of the times or corporate names.
　「社歌」（文芸春秋）には、日本を代表する企業約４０社の社歌と制作事情などが紹介されている。歌詞には創業の精神、経営の理念などが込められていて、時代や社名変更に併せて改定されることもある。

"It's a philosophy etched in a musical score," says author Masazumi Yugari.
著者の弓狩匡純（ゆがりまさずみ）氏は「五線譜に刻み込まれたフィロソフィー」と書いている。

I listened to a CD titled "Shaka," released by King Records under Yugari's supervision, and was amazed by the diversity of corporate songs today -- ranging in style from J-pop, comic songs to rock. The image of corporate songs has changed.
　弓狩氏が監修したＣＤ「社歌」（キングレコード）を聴いてみた。Ｊポップ風、コミックソング、ロック系などさまざま。イメージは変わった。

There's even a company that has embarked on a corporate song-making business. President Ryuichi Nishio says, "During a recession, everyone wants to get uplifted. Corporate songs help them improve their motivation."
社歌制作ビジネスに乗り出した会社もある。西尾竜一社長は「不況の時代、みんな元気になりたいと思っている。社歌はモチベーションアップにつながる」と話す。

The Mainichi Newspapers does have a corporate song. Kyukin Susukida, a prominent poet in the late Meiji Era and a Mainichi employee, wrote the lyrics: "The light shines from the eastern sky, we stand raising the star as our banner." Unfortunately, the song is not sung at our initiation ceremony for newcomers or other occasions, and it's left languishing on the shelf. (By Hiroshi Ochiai, Sports News Department)
　毎日新聞にも社歌がある。明治後期を代表する詩人で、社員でもあった薄田泣菫（すすきだきゅうきん）が作詞を担当した。「光は東の空よりと　かかぐる星の旗じるし……」と格調高い。残念ながら、入社式などで歌われることはなく、宝の持ち腐れになっている。（運動部）

毎日新聞　2009年4月11日　東京朝刊