黒い赤旗 - The Blackened Red Flag (Japanese Railway Worker Song)
A song from workers of the Japanese National Railways, the state-owned company which operated the national railway network in postwar Japan. The JNR was extensively unionised and was a centre of union activity in the country during the Cold War, until it was forcefully split up and privatised by the government in 1987.
Notes:
• Coal cinders (フラン) — Remains of burned coal. Workers would often inhale this while working, and their saliva and phlegm would turn black. Hence why the song says their bellies are "filled" with it.
• Nappa suits (ナッパ服) — The uniform used by workers of the JNR. It is well-known for its blue colour.
• Stoker (釜焚き) — The person who tends to the furnace by feeding more coal, stoking it, adding air to it, etc.
• Clinkers (アメカス) — Waste that forms when burning coal is allowed to cool and harden. Regular stoking is needed to prevent them from forming.
• Rationalisation (合理化) — Refers to the business practice of reorganising a company to boost profits, usually by cutting corners and laying off workers.
Performers: Hideo Nakayama (中山英雄), Japan National Railways Yokohama Singing Group (国鉄横浜うたう会), Sendai D51 Choir (仙台Ｄ５１合唱団)
Year recorded: 1974
Composition/Lyrics: 1st Hokkaido Creative Workers' Seminar (第1回北海道創作活動者講習会)
Source: Vinyl record "鉄路よひびけ" OPS-1003
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