, also known as "Sakura", is a traditional Japanese
folk song
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
depicting spring, the season of
cherry blossom
The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...
s. It is often sung in international settings as a song representative of Japan.
Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate in ancient times; it was a popular, urban melody of the
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
.
Melody
The "Sakura Sakura" melody has been popular since the
Meiji period
The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. The tune uses a
pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to heptatonic scales, which have seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale).
Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many ancient ci ...
known as the
''in'' scale (''miyako-bushi'' pentatonic scale) and is played in quadruple meter and has three parts (ABBAC) which stretch over 14 bars (2 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 2).
Expressed as diatonic notes in the
major scale
The major scale (or Ionian mode) is one of the most commonly used musical scales, especially in Western music. It is one of the diatonic scales. Like many musical scales, it is made up of seven notes: the eighth duplicates the first at doubl ...
, the
In scale
IN, In or in may refer to:
Dans
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Independen ...
is 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 (1), 10 (3); or the notes E F A B c e (nominally A minor); or in solfège Mi Fa La Si Do Mi. The melodic scale can either be represented in older Western musical theory by the
Phrygian minor or the
Phrygian major mode, with the 3rd and 7th notes in the scale omitted.
Because the melody spans a modest
range
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
, it is ideally suited to instruments that have a limited pitch range, such as the
Native American flute
The Native American flute is a musical instrument and flute that is held in front of the player, has open finger holes,
and has two chambers: one for collecting the breath of the player and a second chamber which creates sound.
The player breat ...
(similar to the ''
shakuhachi
A is a Japanese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the . '').
The melody arranged by Ongaku Torishirabe-gakari was included in ''Collection of Japanese Koto Music'' issued in 1888, for beginning
koto students in the Tokyo Academy of Music.
Often, It is the first piece that koto beginners learn because they can play any phrase by picking closer strings without skipping to distant strings.
There are several adjustment methods suitable for the ''in scale'' in Koto. Among them, hira-joshi is used for "Sakura".
Lyrics
The original lyrics are listed as the second verse in the table below. In 1941, the
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
published a new verse in ''Uta no hon'' (うたのほん 教師用 下) which was listed first, with the original verse listed second.
However, there are various theories about the original lyrics. According to one theory, it is said that "Sakura Sakura" is a parody of "Saita sakura". "Saita sakura" is thought to have been made as a Japanese koto song in during the Edo period. (Lyrics: さいた桜 花見て戻る 吉野は桜 龍田は紅葉 唐崎の松 常盤常盤 深みどり)
Symbolism of Sakura (cherry blossom) is deeply rooted in the culture of Japan. This is because it symbolizes the transience of life and impermanence. For Buddhists, the five petals of Prunus yedoensis represent the five skandas that traditionally make up a human being; they arise, are beautiful for a brief time, and fall too soon. They are a primary example of the concept of "mono no aware", the beauty of passing things. 'Falling flowers' is a metaphor to represent the warriors who died in battles and souls of the dead.
In popular culture
* The first lines of the original verse ('sakura sakura yayoi no sora wa mi-watasu kagiri') serve as a prelude to
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
's song "Tokyo Road" from their second album ' (released in 1985).
* In the ''
Punch-Out!!
is a boxing video game series created by Genyo Takeda, and published by Nintendo. The player controls Little Mac, a boxer who aims to become the World Video Boxing Association (W.V.B.A.) champion.
The original '' Punch-Out!!'' arcade game w ...
'' games, an instrumental rendition is used for Piston Hondo's opening theme.
* Japanese band
Buck-Tick
Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The classic lineup of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Higuchi and drum ...
used this melody in live versions of their "Victims of Love" song in the early 1990s.
*
Alfred Reed
Alfred Reed (born as Alfred Friedman) (January 25, 1921 – September 17, 2005) was an American Neoclassicism (music), neoclassical composer, with more than two hundred published works for concert band, orchestra, choir, chorus, and chamber e ...
's ''Fifth Symphony'' "Sakura" (1994) is based on this folk song.
* British cellist
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber (born 14 April 1951) is a British solo cellist, conductor and broadcaster, a former principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the founder of the In Harmony music education programme.
Early years and education
Julia ...
and French pianist
Jason Kouchak
Jason Kouchak is a French pianist, composer and singer-songwriter.
Early life
Jason Mariano Kouchak was born in Lyon, France. He was educated at Westminster School and studied classical piano at the Royal College of Music and the University of E ...
recorded Sakura on Lloyd's album ''
Cello Moods
''Cello Moods'' is an album recorded by the British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and, principally, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under James Judd in 1998 for Philips. It is a collection of classical pieces either originally written for or ad ...
'' (1998) and presented by Olympic ice skater
Yuka Sato
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater and choreographer. She is the 1994 World champion, the 1990 World Junior champion and the 1993 & 1994 Japanese national champion. She placed 7th at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 5th at the 19 ...
in 1999. Kouchak performed his interpretation of ''
Sakura
The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...
'' at the
Kobe earthquake charity event in 1995 and for
Emperor Akihito
Akihito (born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 1989 until 2019 Japanese imperial transition, his abdication in 2019. The era of his rule was named the Heisei era, Hei ...
at London's
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...
in 1998.
* In 2003,
Ōta Jun'ya composed "Sakura, Sakura ~ Japanize Dream" as part of the credits theme for the video game ''
Perfect Cherry Blossom
is a 2003 vertically scrolling shooter bullet hell video game developed by Team Shanghai Alice. It is the seventh game in the ''Touhou Project'' series. Playable characters include returning protagonists Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, with S ...
''.
* ''Dream of the Cherry Blossoms'' by
Keiko Abe
is a Japanese composer and marimba player. She has been a primary figure in the development of the marimba, in terms of expanding both technique and repertoire, and through her collaboration with the Yamaha Corporation, developed the modern fiv ...
, a virtuoso percussionist, is a five-minute piece for
marimba
The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...
that is based on "Sakura Sakura" that has become popular in the marimba repertoire.
* In 2007, it was selected for
Nihon no Uta Hyakusen is a selection of songs and nursery rhymes widely beloved in Japan, sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Parents-Teachers Association#Japan, Parents-Teachers Association of Japan. A poll was held in 2006 choosing the songs from a li ...
, a collection of songs and nursery rhymes widely beloved in Japan.
* In the early 2010s, Japanese singer
Kiyoshi Hikawa
is a Japanese enka singer who was born on September 6, 1977, in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.[Hikawa Kiyoshi: Pr ...](_blank)
performed the second of the two verses of "Sakura Sakura" – the first and (so far) only
Enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...
singer to do so.
* Yukihiro Yoko, a classical guitarist, made an arrangement for his instrument, a theme with variations, in which he uses different guitar techniques to imitate the sound of the
koto.
*
Babymetal
(stylized in all caps as BABYMETAL) is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal" and Momoko Okazaki as "Momometal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse Inc., Amuse talent a ...
used this melody in their song "
Megitsune
is the second major label music single, single by the Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal. It was released in Japan on June 19, 2013 as the fifth single from the album ''Babymetal (album), Babymetal''. It is also the first single released indepe ...
" (2013).
* In 2013,
Marc Edwards recorded an album featuring three 20-minute versions of "Sakura Sakura", in a free jazz electric guitar style.
* Many electronic crosswalks in Japan play the melody as "guidance music".
*
Headhunterz
Willem Rebergen (born 12 September 1985), better known by his stage name ''Headhunterz'', is a Dutch Disc jockey, DJ and Record producer, music producer. Rebergen is also a Voice acting, voice actor. He has done Dubbing (filmmaking), dubbing for ...
sampled part of this song for his song "Path of the Hunter" (2017).
* In ''Kara'', a short film/tech demo created by
David Cage and his company
Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream SA is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in 1997, the company has developed five video games: '' The Nomad Soul'' (1999), ''Fahrenheit'' (2005), '' Heavy Rain'' (2010), '' Beyond: Two Souls'' (201 ...
about a robot who is built to serve humanity, the robot is asked to "sing something in Japanese", after which she sings this song. Eventually, this short film was adapted into a video game, ''
Detroit: Become Human''. In the game, one of the main characters, Markus – an android, is trying to put himself together in a junkyard. This references the short film when Markus stumbles upon a dying Kara model, the one from the film, that is still singing the song.
* The song appears in the soundtrack of the video game ''
Total War: Shogun 2'', playing during the game's campaign map mode.
* Flutist
Jean-Pierre Rampal
Jean-Pierre Louis Rampal (7 January 1922 – 20 May 2000) was a French flautist. Rampal popularised the flute in the post–World War II years, recovering flute compositions from the Baroque era, and spurring contemporary composers, ...
and harpist
Lily Laskine Lily Laskine (31 August 1893 – 4 January 1988) was one of the most prominent harpists of the twentieth century who was born and died in Paris. Born Lily Aimée Laskine to Jewish parents in Paris, she studied at the Conservatoire de Paris with Alp ...
recorded a version for their album ''Japanese Melodies for Flute and Harp''.
* ''
Sakura-Variationen'' (Sakura Variations) is a 2000 trio composition scored for saxophone, piano, and percussion by
Helmut Lachenmann
Helmut Friedrich Lachenmann (; born 27 November 1935) is a German composer of contemporary classical music and pianist. Associated with the "instrumental musique concrète" style, Lachenmann is alongside Wolfgang Rihm as among the leading Germa ...
.
* "Sakura Sakura" appeared on ''
Wii Music
''Wii Music'' is a music video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released in Japan and North America in October 2008, and in Europe and Australia in the following month. ''Wii Music'' is part o ...
'' as one of the song selections in the Jam Mode.
* In the Tokyo area, each train station has its own distinctive jingle used to signal train departures. The jingles for the
Komagome and
Musashi-Koganei stations are both based on "Sakura Sakura".
*
Hololive Production
(; stylized in lowercase) is a virtual YouTuber agency owned by Japanese tech entertainment company Cover Corporation. In addition to acting as a multi-channel network, Hololive Production also handles licensing, merchandising, music product ...
virtual youtuber Akai Haato used this melody in a scary version of the song, jokingly talking about herself.
* In the video game ''
Genshin Impact
''Genshin Impact'' is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by MiHoYo, MiHoYo/HoYoverse. The game features an anime-style open world environment and an action-based Role-playing battle systems, battle system using Classical element, element ...
'', the background music (tracks such as "Separated Dream" among others) of Inazuma – an in-game world region inspired by Japan, uses musical arrangements that reference Sakura Sakura.
*
''Canis Canem Edit'' uses a melody based on Sakura Sakura for the ConSumo minigame.
* In
Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures
''Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures'' is an American animated children's television series that was broadcast on Disney Junior. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series is the successor to ''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse''. Originally airing ...
episode, "Hanami Hijinks!",
Minnie Mouse
Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. The longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, blue (or pink or red) polka-dotted dress, w ...
sings "Sakura Sakura".
Notes and references
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
External links
Sakura Sakura played in 1959 by three artists from Tokyo's University of Art on three different Koto's (17 string, 13 string and 9 string)
Link to mp3 recording of Sakura, Sakura, the Japanese lyrics with another verse, an English translation and sheet music*
{{Authority control
Japanese folk songs
Songs in Japanese
Japanese songs
Year of song unknown
Songs about cherry blossom
de:Japanische Kirschblüte#Das Sakura-Lied