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Sakura (folk song)
Encyclopedia
, also known as "Sakura", is a traditional Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese folk song
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
depicting spring, the season of cherry blossom. Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate from ancient times, not from the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
or prior. It was an urban popular melody of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
which was adopted as a piece for beginning koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
students in the Tokyo Academy of Music Collection of Japanese Koto Music issued 1888 (in English) by the Department of Education. The song has been popular since the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. It is often sung in international settings as a song representative of Japan.
Variations
Dream of the Cherry Blossoms by Keiko AbeKeiko 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 musical instrument company, developed the modern five-octave concert marimba.- Biography...
, a virtuoso percussionist, is a 5 minute long piece for marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
based on the tune of Sakura Sakura, and has become a popular piece in the marimba repertoire.
Yukihiro Yoko, a classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
ist, made an arrangement for his instrument, a theme with variations, in which he uses different guitar techniques to imitate the sound of the koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
.
Alfred Reed
Alfred Reed
Alfred Reed was one of North America's most prolific and frequently performed composers, with more than two hundred published works for concert band, wind ensemble, orchestra, chorus, and chamber ensemble to his name...
's Fifth Symphony "Sakura" is based on this folk song.
Because the melody spans a modest range, it is ideally suited to instruments that have a limited pitch range, such as the Native American Flute
Native American flute
The Native American flute has achieved some measure of fame for its distinctive sound, used in a variety of New Age and world music recordings. The instrument was originally very personal; its music was played without accompaniment in courtship, healing, meditation, and spiritual rituals. Now it...
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Standard
- 桜 桜
- 野山も里も
- 見渡す限り
- 霞か雲か
- 朝日に匂う
- 桜 桜
- 花ざかり
- 桜 桜
- 弥生の空は
- 見渡す限り
- 霞か雲か
- 匂いぞ 出づる
- いざや いざや
- 見に行かん
Hiragana
さくら さくらのやま も さと も
みわたす かぎり
かすみ か くも か
あさひ に におう
さくら さくら
はな ざかり
さくら さくら
やよい の そら は
みわたす かぎり
かすみ か くも か
におい ぞ いずる
いざや いざや
みに ゆかん
Romaji
- sakura sakura
- noyama mo sato mo
- mi-watasu kagiri
- kasumi ka kumo ka
- asahi ni niou
- sakura sakura
- hanazakari
- sakura sakura
- yayoi no sorawa
- mi-watasu kagiri
- kasumi ka kumo ka
- nioi zo izuru
- izaya izaya
- mini yukan
Translation
- Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
- On Meadow-hills and mountains
- As far as you can see.
- Is it a mist, or clouds?
- Fragrant in the morning sun.
- Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
- Flowers in full bloom.
- Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
- Across the Spring sky,
- As far as you can see.
- Is it a mist, or clouds?
- Fragrant in the air.
- Come now, come now,
- Let’s look, at last!
In popular culture
- Cat StevensCat StevensYusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
used the melody of "Sakura Sakura" at the intro in the live version of his "Hard Headed Woman" song, during his 1976 Earth Tour that was later released on his album and DVD entitled MajikatMajikatMajikat is a live album and DVD by British singer/songwriter Cat Stevens. It was recorded during the US leg of Stevens' Earth Tour 1976, but was not released until 2004, by which time the artist was known as Yusuf Islam.-Track listing:...
. - Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
sampledSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
"Sakura Sakura" at the opening of their song "Tokyo Road," featured on their 1985 7800° Fahrenheit7800° Fahrenheit-Personnel:Band* Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, guitar* Richie Sambora – guitar, background vocals* Alec John Such – bass, background vocals* Tico Torres – drums, percussion* David Bryan – keyboards, background vocals...
album. - Sakura Sakura is used as TokugawaTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
's diplomacy theme in the 2005 game, Civilization IVCivilization IVSid Meier's Civilization IV is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game released in 2005 and developed by lead designer Soren Johnson under the direction of Sid Meier and Meier's studio Firaxis Games. It is the fourth installment of the Civilization series...
. - Led Zeppelin's John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
performed a version of "Sakura" in his organ solo at the Nagoya, Japan October 5, 1972 show. - In The Legend of The Five RingsLegend of the Five RingsLegend of the Five Rings is a fictional setting created by the John Wick and published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 1995. The setting primarily involves the fictional country of Rokugan, though some additional areas and cultures have been discussed. Rokugan is based roughly on feudal Japan...
, Muramasa Ando played this song only days before he was infected and couldn't pass the Kaiu Wall. - A techno dance remix of "Sakura Sakura", titled simply 桜 ("Sakura"), was created for the KonamiKonamiis a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
game Beatmania IIDXBeatmania IIDXis a series of rhythm video games and the sequel to Beatmania that was first introduced by Konami in Japan on February 26, 1999. IIDX has since spawned over 19 arcade releases and over 13 console releases on the Sony PlayStation 2...
and later appeared in the DDR seriesDance Dance RevolutionDance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
from Dance Dance Revolution ExtremeDance Dance Revolution ExtremeDance Dance Revolution Extreme is a music video game by Konami and is the eighth release in the main Dance Dance Revolution series. It was released on December 25, 2002 for Japanese arcades and on October 9, 2003 for the Japanese PlayStation 2...
onwards. It was attributed to RevenG, a psudonym used by Konami composer Naoki Maeda for songs with an ethnic Asian feel. - The rock band ThriceThriceThrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school....
used an altered version of the melody of Sakura Sakura in their song 'Music Box' which appeared in their fourth album VheissuVheissuVheissu is the fourth studio album by Thrice. It was released on October 17, 2005 by Island Records and peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 chart...
, released in 2005.