Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou) - Kyu Sakamoto (English Translation and Lyrics)
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- I uploaded this video a few years ago, because it's one of my father's favourite songs and it reminds me of my childhood when he would play it on the cassette player. It's wonderful to read the daily comments people leave on how they are connected to this song. It's no wonder that this song is played every single day by so many people.
Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou)- Kyu Sakamoto (English Translation and Lyrics)
About the Lyrics
The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears won't fall. The verses of the song describe his memories and feelings. The English-language lyrics of the version recorded by A Taste of Honey are not a translation of the original Japanese lyrics but a completely different set of lyrics set to the same basic melody.
The title Sukiyaki, a Japanese hot pot dish, has nothing to do with the lyrics or the meaning of the song; the word served the purpose only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to most English speakers. A Newsweek columnist noted that the re-titling was like issuing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew."
About the song:
"Ue o Muite Arukō" (上を向いて歩こう?, literally "[I] shall walk looking up") is a Japanese-language song that was performed by Japanese crooner Kyu Sakamoto, and written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and composer Hachidai Nakamura. It is best known under the alternative title "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking parts of the world. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the United States in 1963, and was the only Japanese-language song to do so. In total it sold over 13 million copies internationally. The original Kyu Sakamoto recording also went to number eighteen on the R&B chart.[3] In addition, the single spent five weeks at number one on the Middle of the Road charts. The recording was originally released in Japan by Toshiba in 1961. It topped the Popular Music Selling Record chart in the Japanese magazine Music Life for three months, and was ranked as the number one song of 1961 in Japan.
Well-known English-language cover versions include a 1981 cover under the title "Sukiyaki" by A Taste of Honey and a 1995 cover by 4 P.M.. There is also an English language version with altogether different lyrics by Jewel Akens under the title "My First Lonely Night" recorded in 1966. There are many other language versions of the song as well.
About Kyu Sakamoto:
Kyu Sakamoto (坂本 九 Sakamoto Kyū?, born Hisashi Oshima (大島 九 Ōshima Hisashi?), 10 December 1941 -- 12 August 1985) was a Japanese singer and actor, best known outside of Japan for his international hit song "Sukiyaki", which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963.
en.wikipedia.or...
Rest In Peace Kyu Sakamoto . You made the world a better place with this beautiful song.
❤
For sure!
Amen beautiful. I love it songs. How are you doing beautiful. I hope your day is going well?
That is beautiful ❤❤❤❤
The problem is Devil runs the world. He is lier and murderer. That's why we've got the Gospel about the God's kingdom.
Jehovah would put everything in order. The dead will be resurected and we'll meet our beloved ones again! :-)
A few months ago, I went back home to Washington from Missouri so I could take care of my Dad who was fighting brain cancer. One night, this song was played on the station we're on. My Dad, who was already very sick at this moment, suddenly sang along with perfect lyrics, I kid you not. He does not even know Japanese, so my Mom and I were so puzzled and touched at the same time. I cried every time I hear this song because I remember him.
My late sister in law loved this song, my now late brother, who was thought of as a bit of a tough guy and a diamond in the rough, learned all the Japanese words so he could sing her to sleep when she wasn't well. Miss them both so much
@@jackycarter4909 They have gone to a better place.
@@sacerdosj very touching!!
I'm glad you and your mom have that beautiful mysterious memory of him to share. I'm so sorry for your loss .
Now I'm crying reading your comment
May he and your family find peace
As an American sailor I had a wonderful experience while in Japan. i had been drinking and got lost while trying to find my way back to the landing for the boat to the ship which was anchored in the harbor of a small traditional Japanese town. At about 2AM I was walking down a road under a full moon through a beautiful landscape right out of a woodblock painting. It was summer and I could have walked all night :) A very old Japanese man putted up on his motorbike on this empty road and stopped and spoke to me in Japanese. I don't speak Japanese and so he motioned to get on the bike behind him and we putted off at about 10 mph. Eventually we came to a kiosk where he made a phone call. While we waited I offered him a cigarette and he happily accepted. We stood there smoking and smiling and police car pulled up. The two police officers, who spoke English, introduced themselves and explained that the old man had called and said that he thought i might need some help. They politely asked me to come with them and I gave the old man some cigarettes while thanking him. His smile is still with me today. At the police station the officers took their shoes off, relaxed and made tea for us, I shared my cigarettes with them and we talked and laughed for a couple of hours. I was treated very nicely and really enjoyed speaking with them. When I got tired, they showed me a couch where I slept until the shore patrol from my ship arrived the next morning to take me back. I will always remember how kindly i was treated and how nice that old man and the two police officers were
Beautiful story (despite the cigarettes).
This was in 1975 and the cigarettes are part of the story....the way it was. Why does everything have to offend someone today ? Life is life and not everything always defers to your taste
It was the norm in those days
Loved the story thank you for sharing. ; )
Thank you :)
My mom was Japanese - married my dad who was in the marines. If this song hit the charts in the US in 1963, I would have been 4 years old but I can distinctly remember hearing her whistling this song! Mom passed in 2019 and this song reminds me of her!!
I'm commenting on my wife's account. I saw Kyu Sakamoto in person at the Tachikawa Air Base in Japan in 1963 or 1964. All of us Airmen who saw his "promotional tour" were in agreement that the song would be a mega hit even though few would understand the lyrics. Whenever I hear the song I feel privileged that I got to hear it before most of the world did.
Kyu Sakamoto owes me $20.
That's a lovely statement. Good health to you/family. Take care.
@@usaneebeilles9510/
So cool!
cool story
My mom married an American service man in Japan. When my father brought her to the States she was so homesick. As A kid I remember my mom singing this song. So now seeing what the song says makes me sad…especially after losing my mom on 4/28/23. She was 95. I MISS YOU MOM!❤
My condolences 😢❤
Blessings to you and her - my Mom is having heart problems and I love her dearly .
It is sad but there's also something beautiful about this song being comforting and reminding her of home. I'm so sorry for your loss. 💙
@SeeBrake yes it is comforting & I know it did for her as well.
@@VIRGONOMICS My heart is with you & your mom. Tell her all the things that you need to tell your mom while she’s here. I did & I left nothing unsaid. My mom is whole again.
Is anyone else loving this song in 2024. I used to listen to it when I was a little girl. I loved it then and I love it now.❤
Boyfriend and I on 990 oldies that had to close down. They were on AM radio. Real good music that should have been on FM!😁📻🎵
I actually spent two hours today looking for this song without knowing the title or the artist. I ended up humming it into Google to find it. My grandmother used to play this when I was a little girl as well... It haunted me. It is now 2024
Yep. I heard this when I was maybe 10 and love it still.
I was looking for this song and just found it 2024❤
Heard it when I was a little kid in the 60's.
My mother was from Kyoto. She was born in 1930 & loved Kyu. She sang this song to us growing up. It only brings beautiful memories back to me.
💘 Liebe Grüsse aus Deutschland,ich höre es heute❤23.6.2024🎉🎉🎉
Very pleasant expose' !
My grandpa tried for so long to learn this song on the piano, but I guess he never got to it, and his several illnesses prevented him from doing so, so I want to surprise him by playing this song for him on the piano. Wish me luck :)
I wish you a good luck.
It will be amazing! I know you can do it.
Let us know what happened of it, if you can remember :D
Good luck 😋
Good luck
Good luck
If a song can touch a person’s heart and soul despite a language barrier, then it’s sure as hell a damn good song.
well said.
素晴らしい
I've always loved this song and used to make me cry without even knowing the meaning up until today that I saw the translation, now I know there's a reason why It made me cry...
Beautiful!❤❤
I've known this song most of life, but never knew the meaning until today. I always thought it was a happy song because of its chirpy, lilting melody. Now I know, and it is gut-wrenchingly relatable.
Kyu died in Japan's worst air disaster. The 747 he was in lost all hydraulics and crashed into a mountain.They later found a letter he wrote to his wife on a napkin telling her how much he loved her.
Omg
Actually, it is the world's worst single aircraft disaster. The pressure bulkhead had been damaged in a tail-strike (the tail hitting the ground due to a hard landing) and the repair was not to Boeing's recommendations but was done by Boeing mechanics. When the pressure bulkhead gave way, it ruptured the hydraulic lines, and the vertical stabilizer (rudder) broke off. A similar thing happened to United 232 at Sioux City, Iowa, but the crew was able to use differential power to control the aircraft and land with minimal casualties.
@@MaxEPR Thanks for sharing.
The passengers had time to think about what was going to happen, there was no controlling the plane. The crash was not instant, from reading they had like 30 min. or longer before impacting mountain on Flight 123
@@MaxEPR😢
In 1966, when I was a high school senior, my friends used to play this song on the cafeteria jukebox when I walked in. This is special nostalgia for me, as those friends are probably all in eternity. But they live on in my memory whenever this song is played.
I'm a 20-y-o Japanese woman.
I don't know a song that's more painful and full of hope than this one.
This was my grandfather's favorite song that passed away last month.
When I was a child, I often sat on my grandfather's lap and asked my grandfather to sing this song.
It's a very sad and tender memory.
That is so lovely. I love this song also. I think the early 60s was a time of real hope for young people after the terrible times their parents had to go through in World War Two. Kyu Sakamoto god bless you
ふゆこ I’m sorry about your grandfather. He’s with Kyu and they’re singing the song together 🙂
I relate kind of
I pray you find peace and harmony throughout your days.
Bless you
I am so honored to have read your story. It's only today that I even knew this song existed--other than the version I heard in the early 80s by A Taste Of Honey. Thank you for sharing your lovely memory...I cried as I read your words.
I am 63 years old now... years ago I was a service brat of a black family. I lived in Japan where my father was stationed in the military. When this song came out it was enchanting to me. Whenever I hear it now, I am 7 years old again with fond memories of childhood in Japan and the feeling of enchantment comes over me like seeing an old friend.
I am 65 years old and remember this song as well. I always wondered what he was singing, as it was a favorite of my cousin's. She bought the record and played it over and over again. By the way, that's an interesting name you have.........
@@donalddixon6541 :-) Yes! it is an interesting name (Wink)
What's a service brat ? If you don't mind me asking . Brat means brother in polish
@@liscatcat8756 Oh it's just a slang word meaning "a Military man's kids"
beautiful testimonial
I was a toddler when this came out in Spring 1963. I remember hearing Sukiyaki on a jukebox in Anchorage, Alaska where we lived, the first song I ever remember.
By the 1980s I was in college when I heard about the Japanese plane crash that killed 519 people, including Kyu Sakamoto.
A decade later, working as a radio broadcaster at an Easy Listening station, I heard Sukiyaki again, the first time in decades. During my shifts on the air, I would occasionally play it and tell my own personal story related to it. Things have a way of coming full circle.
I think this song went to No. 2. Less than 20 years after WW2 ended against Japan. Great song.
@williamchen5915 It actually topped the Billboard charts, hitting #1 in the USA for one week in the Spring of 1963. It topped the charts in numerous countries. And like you said, less than 20 years after World War II ended.
My grandfather sang this to me as a child. He was American, knew no Japanese at all except for this song. He sang it with incredible pronunciation.
It was him singing this song that first sparked my interest in Japan and Japanese culture.
When he played the actual doing for me, I thought as a child, "A man who can sing so beautifully must come from a beautiful country."
I lived in Japan for three years. And childhood me was right. Japan, her culture, and her people, are beautiful. I feel so grateful that I got to live there.
I've dreamed of Japan since I read Shogun 35 years ago. Another place I'll never see...
maybe you will someday @@mademily5270
Kyu Sakamoto unfortunately died in '85 in the worst single plane accident in history (JAL Flight 123 with 520 dead and only 4 survivors). He was 43 at the time. The aircraft had lost hydraulics and the pilots managed to keep it afloat for about 30 minutes, after which it collided against the side of a mountain northwest of Tokyo. Kyu had written out a farewell letter to his family on a cocktail napkin before the end came. The napkin was later recovered from the wreckage and given to his wife. She still lives to this day all these years later carrying that memory inside
How sad and awful may his soul RIP
Those pilots were amazingly skilled and tried to the very end
32 minute actually..
Nunca entendí de que se trate a pero me emocionaba mucho escecharla bella bellal
And the tail which is why they couldn’t turn back to Haneda airport
My girlfriend used to sing this to me. She has been my wife for 55 years as a result!
You're lucky! For some, the song is Supercalifradulisticexpealidocius
special god bless
Thank you for your comment. I am 69 y.o. and have been memorizing this song for 2 weeks now so I can sing it to my wife on our 37th anniversary in September.
May God continue to bless you and your wife Mr. Finley.
❤️
I'm 70 and I listen to this song all the time i still love it 👍
Moi, je vais en avoir 76 et ça m'enchante toujours !
Me too.
九ちゃんが世界中の人に愛されたと知ってとても嬉しく思うと同時に、彼と彼が歌った歌を誇りに思います。
He is loved by a lot of people in the world and I'm so happy to know that and so proud of him and his songs.
My father received a gold record for “discovering” this record. He was a disc jockey in a small Washington state radio station in the early 1960’s. Something about this record haunted him, and he kept playing it every chance he got. Long haul truckers passed through that town and heard it, and kept requesting it and passing the word. Dad got a free trip to be presented with the record and met Kyu, but sadly they could not speak each other’s language so they smiled a nodded a lot. He was so sad to hear of Kyu’s death in that horrible crash, and a Japanese documentary crew came and interviewed him a few years later. Dad is still alive and enjoys knowing people in the US still enjoy that beautiful song in a small part due to his good ear, lol!
Thank you for sharing this story. Now that the song is uploaded on youtube, people from many countries and of many ages are listening to this song and enjoying it very much. Please forward our collective "thank you" to your father, we're all very happy he played his part.
Sincerely, a Bulgarian friend. :)
Even in little Belgium ( Europe) we enjoyed this song and it reached the hitparade. The always smiling Kyu with his talented whistle. This song remains eternally attractive for those who are touched by the melodie. Greetings from Flanders to your Dad and all reading and hearing Kyu Sakamoto's Sukiyaki.
Thank you so much for sharing that story and please tell your father thank you from Colorado. Your comment seriously choked me up...tried to read it to my roommate but couldn't get the last part out without my voice quivering. This always brings back memories of my uncle who had a string of juke boxes on the western slope and gave me the 45's he switched out. I went through at least 3 of this one...mom and dad always had it on the spindle for their cocktail parties.
I heard this on the radio today and as always, it made me smile.
I know you are proud of him.
Was it Yakima, Wa?
I am 71 years old and i believe i was about 12 when this song came out. i loved it then and still do. Many memories from back then. RIP Kyu Sakamoto.
He died way too young
Sounds about right. I just turned 67 and was playing this song on a record player almost daily when I first heard it, around six years of age.
発達障害で貧乏で男に騙されて、仕事は続かなくて、話せる人はいなくて、家具家電の揃わない部屋で夜1人この曲を聞いて救われました。死のうとしていました。
今は子ども2人が私の両手を握ってくれていて、決して寂しくありません。
❤🎉😊
October 4, 2023. I was 11 when this song came out. Now I'm 73. I remember singing along and how much people loved it. It is a wonderful memory
this guy achieved the first asian act to hit billboard hot 100 no.1 in his early twenties.. how amazing is that
It was a Number One hit worldwide.
How many countries was. It a hit
@@steveboy7302 USA, Canada, Australia, Britain, South America...to name a few.
@@nickismith4787 don’t forget mexico :D
@@isaiahcrvz Oh of course. I've just never talked to anyone from Mexico about this song but of course. Thanks Isaiah for correcting me.
my mom and i used to sing this when i was little, we didn’t know japanese but we learned how to correctly pronounce the beautiful lyrics to this song, she passed away from cancer when i was 13 and i’m now 16, i love you forever mama i miss you everyday 🤍
She is with you always!
Strenght and love for you
Im sure you've had some hard times and even times where you smile as you cry. But focus it all into whatever you're passionate about or what she would push you towards. It may not make you feel 100% better at first. But I guarantee you it will make you feel closer to her. You got this man!❣
Keep the tradition going.
thank you all so much for the kind words, i really do appreciate it ❤️
Anyone from 2024 still listening to this master piece?!😁
Absolutely!!!
Me too great
I am 63 years old I whistle and sing this song all and my kids age 41,38 and 26 al know this song by❤.
You bet it makes me feel young again I loved it then aqnd still do great post
yes yes yes. makes me happy now as it did in 1963!
Anyone listening to this masterpiece in 2024?
Yes I do a Beautiful Song love ot❤
Love this iconic song ❤
Yup, sure am.
Yes, love this... Sad song with Happy Notes... Rare piece
Yes!
I adored this song when I was 14... I'm 70, I still adore it. It made me emotional even as a 14 year old when I didn't know what the words meant. It makes me emotional now... a very emotive song in any language. A talented man with a beautiful smile. Such a sad death.
EXACTLY the same for me. I felt so emotionally moved by the music and the singers voice. If I'd known what the lyrics were I think I'd have cried. Beautiful song.
I'm 14 finding this , your comment makes me have smiles :)) sorry english is not my first
@@m4cbookshawtyofficial871 I am also 14. The correct way to say that is "Your comment makes me smile" although everyone can understand what you meant by what you wrote, it is very good. :)
I'm 71 and I used to make up words for this song. It was always a sad song to me but I never knew why. Discovering the translation was a revelation. Like when I first heard Edith Piaf sing MiLord. Another great foreign song that spoke to me.
@@mikeyh0 beautiful
I’m Japanese
I’m proud of him and I’m so happy that you guys like Japan!
Please come to Japan after the pandemic has subsided
Let's beat the pandemic together🔥
Thank you everyone for the warm messages! and more than 1000likes 👍
I hope everyone is happy and well...
Amen♥️
🥰🇯🇲🏴🕊️🔥✝️
Nice country and nice people..
It will be done.
Bet.
Japanese people have all my respect!
You can to support and survive the WWII (2nd. World War) with Atomic Bomb enclosed.
You can go further like the Phoenix
You can resist earthquakes and tsunamis
And I'm sure you'll go further during this pandemia.
All my respect from Mexico. You're an example for me
My cousin first introduced this song to me in 1963 when I was 10 in Taiwan. Though I didn't understand a word of it, the melody was so fascinating that I immediately fell in love with it and it has been one of my all time favorites for the last 60 years. The song also became a smash hit in Taiwan in 1963. Kyu, thank you for such a beautiful song.
I was also 10 in 1963. I remember hearing this song on a local radio station while growing up in southern California. Loved it then and love it now.
I remember listening to it as a little kid, and really liking it! I’m 65, and have had it pop into my head a number of times over the years! I shared it with my granddaughter.
Hello Susan, How are you doing today? I hope you are feeling alright?
I was a young italian merchant marine officer. The vessel called japanese ports. I fell in love forever with Japan. I am 85 years old still in love. Arigato.
when did you travel to japan? my son went 2019 place was clean, safe, and beautiful
Ur 85 damn
You got respect sir 👏
weaboo activity
@@jpg963 before weanoo was a thing
I’m from Ethiopia 🇪🇹 I found this song on TikTok last night and I just fall in love right away ♥️but no one deserves to die in that kind of tragedy! It’s so sad 💔RIP 🕊️
I am from Eritrea and love as well !
My dad loved this song his anniversary tomorrow when he passed love you dad ❤
I was a boy in the South Bronx when I first heard this song in the early sixties on 77 WABC am radio . I never understood a single word. But, it never mattered. It is truly a lovely song. Now I am in my early 60's and every time I hear it, I get emotional. I reminisce about my childhood . I almost come to to the point of tears.. God bless you all..
Hi Edward, me too! I was around 9 years old when I heard this beautiful heartfelt song! I actually felt and could relate to the emotions that the writers deliberately coerced out of us. And just as you said,, tears well up in my eyes because of the memories that this song helped "capture",, because of it's effect emotionally at the time we first heard it! Cheers brother!!!!
Congratulations God bless, have a great time and return safe. p.s. don't forget to bring me back a suvinere . like a geisha guirl
Me too, Edward. I remember listening to Cousin Brucie announce this song, and I fell in love with. Great memories of that time...
Hello Edward. I am currently 14 years old and I adore this song. I am learning Japanese and found it last week. Thank you for sharing your story about the song.
It still hits me the same way! After it made its rounds in the US as a big hit, I was stationed in Okinawa from the fall of 1969 till the spring of 1971. In all the gift shops, almost every music box you opened up played this song. Of course, it's lyrics have nothing to do with Sukiyaki! That just happened to be a Japanese word Americans were familiar with, and the recording company used that. It is truly a beautiful song, and one of my favorites ever, even still, in 2016, and I am 71 years old. I don't speak Japanese, but I love the sound of the language, and do know a few words.
Dad passed away tonite (he was 91) He loved this song and would whistle it so perfectly. Dads whistle was strong, steady and pitch perfect.
This is what is on my mind tonite.
Dad working around the house or yard whistling this beautiful tune. 🎶💕
sorry for your loss. But, am happy to hear of your wonderful memories of your Father
Sorry for your loss.I lost my dad in May 2018...this song reminds me of him! May they rest in peace
I hope you have many good memories of your dad, I lost my younger brother in June last year / I got a picture of him laughing and smelling - biggest smile and I enlarged it and keep it in the lounge - I haven’t hung it ❤️🩹but when I look at his face smiling and making a kissy face I smile it hurts but I smile back every time - this helps me ?? I don’t know why but it does- I hope you are not so very sad anymore
Vila i frid.
Sorry for your loss.He is still whistling it just in a much better place
RIP
Kyu Sakamoto
(1941-1985)
A victim onboard Japan Air Lines Flight 123 which crashed on Mount Takamagahara, Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, Japan due to an in-flight structural failure.
This Japanese young man has become a legend and, with this beautiful song, has stolen the hearts of people all over the world, including mine.
I was 8 when this song came out in the US. It was my 1st exposure to a foreign language. I had no idea what he was saying, but I knew it was sad, & I instantly loved it. Now I'm 70, & enjoy it even more, now that I found the translation. I'm so sorry that the singer met an horrific end in that JAL crash in 1985. RIP, Kyu.
安らかに眠る坂本キュウ。あなたはこの美しい歌で世界をより良い場所にしました。
yasuraka ni nemuru sakamoto cua .anata wa kono utsukushii uta de sekai wa yori yoi basho ni shi mashi ta .
I was about 18, just loved the song, it was number one on the charts. We knew it was a love song, didn’t know what it meant in English, but it didn’t matter, the whole world loved it
your comment had touch my heart🥺
Love it!! ❤
Me too I was 8 & will be 70 in May. Love this song❤️
この歌を聴きながら皆さんの書いたコメントを読むと心が穏やかになりますね。
日本人以外の人にも沢山の思い出と繋がっているこの歌は素晴らしいです。
Yes , you are totally correct ! This song has an universal appeal ❤
Happy birthday Sakamoto Kyu. This played regularly on the Chinese radio station my mother in law listened to. She died over a year ago, radio long gone, and I missed hearing this beautiful song. Found it here this morning and have played it many times today, not realising today is his birthday.
I'm 71. My Mother was Japanese. I did not know the words, but could tell it was a love song. Gave me chills listening to it again.:)
It's actually quite beautiful that so many of us from all around the world, and from so many different generations, are familiar with this timeless masterpiece.
that's so very true. 👍👍👍 from London
True!! From the Netherlands🤗🙏🏻
That is what music is all about, crafting songs that speak to the human condition in such a way that they can mean whatever the listener needs them to mean to carry the listener through their hardships, or to help them revel in & appreciate the good times. I hate to be one of those aging people (I’m actually only 32), who complains that music today isn’t as good as it was back in my day, and so forth. However, while there is plenty of great music today, the art of crafting timeless songs that really speak to the human condition at such a basic level that they can mean many things to many people, and be interpreted in a variety of ways. I think the mid 70s is when that really started to end, and since then music has become such a commodity that it says almost nothing, and songs either speak to highly specific aspects of the human condition, ie breakups, or else just mindless nonsense like partying, that the works simply do not hold the timeless value of this. Most people don’t realize that this is actually a very political almost protest song dedicated to the student movements in Japan during the 50s & 60s, and lamenting the way they sort of fizzled out. However, the writing is so brilliant, and the feeling of lament for the past, but also hope for the future that it conveys is so universal & applicable to so many situations in our lives that the song became a massive world wide hit, and touched the lives of hundreds of millions of people, and that really just doesn’t happen anymore. I’m not an old boomer who thinks everything new is garbage, there’s plenty of new music that has a great deal of artistic value both in the music itself, and in the lyrics. However, none of it has the power of songs like this, and it really does feel as if compositions like this are a thing of the past, and that music today falls into one of two categories. It’s either made by musician’s musicians that are crafting highly complex songs, like Polyphia, or Animal Collective that come off as almost discouraging to non-musicians, and people who don’t know much about music, as if it isn’t for them, and with lyrics that are highly specific, and which may not be relatable to a lot of people; or else commodity music, stuff that has very little going on musically, is very simple & just follows all the current trends which will only be dated in a few years anyway, and with lyrics that may be relatable to wider audience, but which frequently amount to little more than party songs which glorify drinking, partying, and sex. That’s all fine & good, I personally rather enjoy drinking, partying & sex. However, all of those things can be rather empty, and void of emotional depth. In fact sex is the only one that can have any emotional depth, and only in the context of an emotional relationship, which is rarely the kind of sex being sung about. It feels like songs such as this, which speak to a feeling that pretty much every single person on Earth will experience at one point or another, just don’t really exist anymore. I find that extremely sad, because it is music that speaks to those feelings that all humans, whether 30-something Americans living in the 2020s who grew up living very privileged lives comparatively speaking, or young Japanese people in the 50s & 60s, or people living in the Central Asian steppes in the 2010s, have or will experience, that has the power to bring us together, unite us, and make us realize that we are more alike than different, and help us all become a little closer & a little less divided by forcing us all to recognize our common humanity. I think we need that now more than ever, we live in some of the most divided & polarized times in modern history, and it is scary. I mean left-leaning people such as myself have no decided that all conservatives are evil, and that their evil outweighs their humanity. Likewise, conservatives have decided that we are evil, and anti-american just because we reject the notion that there is something wrong with being LGBTQIA+, and we believe that people should be free to live & love as they see fit, and we as a society should accept & respect their identities, and we reject the notion that religion should influence public policy because it should be a personal matter. Likewise, our side decided that they are evil because they are religious, and they believe in biblical morality, and because they don’t see racism around every single corner, nor in every word spoken, and because they do not wish to have hateful people censored, etc. When in reality, the vast majority of us on both sides are not evil, we just have disagreements about the direction our society should go, and while yes, I believe they are the ones who should yield to reason, and simply refrain from doing things like entering into a same-sex relationship, or changing their gender identity, or having an abortion themselves if they believe those things are immoral, rather than forcing the rest of us to conform to their moral standards, I’d also be happy to agree with them that no one should be censored, and that people on my side have gone way too far with accusing every aspect of our society & culture of being racist, sexist, homophobic, etc, and that in fact our side also needs to yield to reason & accept the fact that people are all individuals, and treating them as groups rather than individuals is how we ended up with all the injustices in the world today, and if we try to fix them by treating people as groups rather than individuals we will only make more injustices, but we will not make a more free, fair & equal world. I realize that some of that was way out of left field, but my point was that we need things to make us recognize our common humanity, and take a break from demonizing each other to realize that at the end of the day the people we disagree with so strongly are human being just like us, who feel the same pain, the same fear, the same hope, and the same love that we do, and that we are all in this life together, and we only get one life on this planet, so we should be trying to share it, not control each other. We need music like this that speaks to all of us, and makes us confront the fact that no matter how different we think we are, we are also so, so much the same, and that should be a source of hope. We should be able to come together, bridge our differences & work together to preserve this beautiful world, and all the amazing knowledge, culture, and art past generations have left to us, because if all we do is tear ourselves apart because we all think we know better than each other who, what, and how we should be, we won’t pass much of anything along to the generations that come after us. My side will destroy a wealth of knowledge, art, and culture on the basis that it is racist & imperialistic, and the conservatives will destroy a wealth of knowledge, art, and culture on the basis that it is perverted, degenerate, and immoral, and once we finish struggling for power, there will be nothing left. That is really sad. We need to learn how to empathize with each other, and respect each other again so we can leave the world in better shape than we found it when we all die off & leave it to our descendants. We are all human, we all feel the same feelings, and music like this which touches us all makes that fact impossible to ignore, and that is what we need now, perhaps more than ever, to teach us how to coexist & live together, lest we cause a tragedy in which none of us get to live anymore at all. But that’s just my leftist idiot opinion.
Still love it here in Canada 🇨🇦 it's on my playlist.
Don't even know what he is saying and know it's good
Isn't it amazing he could evoke so much emotion without you knowing a single word? May he rest in eternal peace.
I've collected music from lots of cultures between 1910 to 1960. What a journey! This is beautiful, thank you. (I'm Argentinian)
The song has such beautiful lyrics, and I love that it can be interpreted in at least two ways: (1) he is remembering a love that is now lost, reminiscing on the seasons in order, spring, summer, fall; or (2) he is speaking to the human life cycle, remembering his own personal spring, summer, and fall, and now finding himself at the end, in winter. Yet he is not hopeless. He sees that there is happiness above the clouds, above the sky. Absolutely beautiful song.
This song makes me nostalgic for a time I’ve never lived in.
Easy 8 I feel the same way man and I barely found out about this song from Malcolm in the middle 😂 but I’m already in love with this song
Saudades do que eu não vivi ainda kkkkkkk (Lol)
Ikr. I really just broke out in snoop dog. Oh wrong song
Same it's weired ;dont you think
I think that in a previous life, I was a member of the Japanese empire during the Meiji era. Perhaps the lyrics gave a sense of the sorrow of the Japanese people after losing WWII, and no longer having the emperor viewed as a deity.
My father was sent to Vietnam after being drafted into the war in the 1960s. While there, he sent my mother a black-lacquered, wind-up music-box that played this song. I loved listening to this song as a child and would repeatedly wind the music-box up to listen to it over and over again.
Later on in life, the song always stuck with me, so I searched and found the original version. A few years ago, I came across the song again on this video and read the lyrics for the first time.
The 1961 song's title means, "I Look Up as I Walk", but it's more often known as "Sukiyaki" in the west.
The singer, Kyu Sakamoto, later tragically became yet another musician to die in an aviation accident, perishing along with 519 others in the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history.
Of course, my childhood self didn't know any of this when I was repeatedly listening to the song on that little wind-up music-box.
A truly beautiful, heartbreaking, yet hopeful song, "Ue o Muite Arukō", sung by Kyu Sakamoto, is still one of my all-time favorites. It still pops up in my head often, after all these years, and is even more meaningful now that I know what the original Japanese lyrics mean.
A true masterpiece in my humble opinion, no other song can both bring a tear to my eye, while also giving me the courage to brave forward, tough it out, all while looking up as I walk.
R.I.P. Kyu Sakamoto
As a kid I loved this song. I'm 70 now and still love it.
It's taken 60 years for me to find out what the Japanese lyrics really meant. All this time I thought it was such a happy song only to realize how profoundly heartbreaking it is. So glad I discovered this.
Kyu Sakamoto sadly died in a plane crash in 1985. For me, it gives a deeper meaning to the song when it says that he is sad but "happiness lies beyond the clouds... happiness lies up above the sky..." with God in Heaven.
Flight 123... The deadliest single plane crash in world history. 520 people died.
@@alexfriedman2047
And complete senseless. Not only was the plane's repair down crude by Boeing;; the Americans had already found the plane, wanted to rescue the survivors, but Japan said: "...naaaa. *WE WANT DO DO IT ALONE! GET OFF!* ", _then_ started the search, which had already been done by the Americans, found them when night sank in, said:"... oh well...suppose there are no survivers... let's go sleep and come back tomorrow!'
They came back. And they still found five survivors. And these told how the air was filled with screams and mourning, and how the voices disappeared one by one over night. They succumbed their injuries, and they froze to death. They had written letters to their beloved ones while the plane fell down, but coroners said nearly all had sirvived and could had been rescued, simce the plane sank mostly and not fell like a stone.
_WHY?_
It haunts me forever. They all count the same, but of course, the name with a face for me is Mr. Sakamoto, and I see him all alone in the darkness, having pain, freezing and longing for help. I hope his wife and daughters and whole family could find peace though. I send them my dearest greetings, and wish, according to his religion, him a peaceful soft comfort in the afterlife 🙇 May you be blessed.
@@winterweiboh my God, this is just unthinkable. The idea of all those people needing help and their government just writing them off as they suffered and died through the night. I am sadder for knowing this, and had hoped that Mr. Sakamoto's death was quick and painless as much as possible. Of course all of their lives mattered, but he touched so many hearts, and is the only one that we "knew." Thank you for this info. I don't know that I'm glad to know it but in a way I am. The truth is harsh but necessary in this world and the world to come. As you said, I hope his family found peace and that he is in the arms of the Lord. 🌹
@@Eidann63 The impact registered on a seismometer located in the Shin-Etsu Earthquake Observatory at Tokyo University at 6:56:27 p.m JST. as a small shock, to 6:56:32 p.m JST. as a larger shock, believed to have been caused by the final crash. The shockwaves took an estimated 2.0-2.3 seconds to reach the seismometer, making the estimated time of the final crash 6:56:30 p.m JST.
One of the four survivors, off-duty Japan Airlines flight purser Yumi Ochiai, recounted from her hospital bed that she recalled bright lights and the sound of helicopter rotors shortly after she awoke amid the wreckage, and while she could hear screaming and moaning from other survivors, these sounds gradually died away during the night" - Wikipedia
Japanese authorities found the wreckage at night, but deemed that nobody could survive such a crash and therefore decided to dispatch rescue efforts the following day. When they arrived at the scene, only 4 survivors were found. It was later confirmed that at least 50 people had survived the crash but died due to no medical treatment, blood loss or hypothermia. It's most likely Kyu Sakamoto either died instantly on impact or he was subjected to a slow, painful death out on Mount Takamagahara.
If the Americans had been allowed to help rescue survivors, we would've had at least 54+ survivors in total (providing they all survived by the time Americans found the crash site) and probably, Kyu Sakamoto here with us today. But unfortunately, that never happened. It's been 13,375 days, which amounts to 439.7 months or 36.6 years since JAL flight 123 crashed. RIP to all that died on that horrible day.
@@winterweib .....Wow...sad
When I heard this today on the Tokyo Olympics closing it is bitter sweet for me. I am 70 now. It brings back all the precious memories of my late
Mom. We would listen to it together on the radio and she’ll sing along with her lovely voice . It’s bitter sweet because today is the 35th anniversary of her passing. Listening to this song brings back all my memories of my dear mom as though I am re-living my life with her singing close to me. Thank you for the memories.
This reminds me of my Mom too. She had a music box that played this tune.
She had soul and great musical taste, bless be her soul @}}>---->---------------
อยากให้ช่วยแปลเพลงสุกี้ยากิ้ให้ได้มั้ยค่ะ
OMG I know every word to this song growing up in the 60s my best friend's parents met at a Japanese concentration camp in Pima Arizona. Going to their house quite often in the 60s his parents would be playing this Album. I know every single word to this song and never knew what they meant. Thank you so much. Now I can sing this song in two different languages. You just made this 63 year old mans Day!
As a japanese, im proud this song reach outside japan. Mr.Kyu also my grandfather close friend. They used to hangout together.
What a life!, Kyu as your grandfather's friend
❤ from indonesia
Such a good song. My tour guide in Japan played this song for us as we drove to Takayama
I loved this song since I was a little girl. I remember being so sad when I heard that Kyu died from lung cancer many years ago, however....one night while watching MayDay, there he was, gettin on the flight, but it crashed into a mountain, and the Americans were not allowed to help with the rescue operation, and many people died from laying there injured for too long. Kyu's beautiful wife did the narration for that episode. I was very sorry that he died with all those innocent people, and that he was so young. Just thought I'd share that with you.
お前嘘つくなよw
I FINALLY FOUND THIS SONG! It took me 21 years. I was in first grade in 1999, ready to go to school. My grandma's friend, who we would call "Grandpa Andy" would take all of us neighborhood kids in a carpool to go to school and every other week he would play this song and hum to it. Everytime this happens, we would bob our heads from side to side in the back of the van and it was such a wholesome moment.
He's probably no longer with us, and we're now full fledged adults who are working and/or finishing our education. But I JUST found this song yesterday and I felt a whole bunch of emotions. I also know a tiny bit of Japanese, so it was easy to start singing along.
Thank you, Grandpa Andy - for taking us to school.
heartwarming
☠ very nice story.
You can to watch this song a version cover comedy "Warkop DKI" - nyanyian kode from indonesian. So funny lirycs ..
Nice story
Hey bro are you from Canada???
I grow up with this song, it was one of my favorite songs. I had forgotten it for a while and brought back my memories when my husband passed away two years ago. He loved this song too and miss him dearly.❣️
My Father Lived in Japan for 2 years in 1996 and 1997 this was his favorite song. Even when me and my brother were younger our Father would always put on this song. Vivid memories of my brother and i in the car and him playing this . I would fall asleep It's so relaxing and holds many nostalgic memories. He would usually play it in the car after our swimming lessons and it would be around 8:00P.m we would just fall asleep. ❤
I just want to add (while I'm typing through tears) that as a young boy in the 60's traveling cross country with my family, every time we stopped to eat where they had those juke boxes at every booth, I asked my dad to play this song...and I was only 10 years old. This song makes me cry today remembering my dad.
Me too. I have always loved this song.
I am 74 now.
I remember, this song from my childhood. Everybody in Atlantic City trying to sing it though no one understood a word of it, nor did anyone speak Japanese. It was June, my younger brother was about a month old, I was five.
I was stationed at Camp Kinser, Okinawa, when I heard my father died. 😪 I was encouraged to hear that, a father wants their child to become better than they were. By honoring your father's memory, you strive to become better and teach your kids that lesson, while you're still alive. (I'm still sad though) I'm sorry for your loss. But do honor your father's legacy by you being that ripple in the pond. Make that difference and pass it on. GOD bless.
I'm so old, I remember when this was a big hit on the radio in the U.S. I didn't understand the words back then, but it was just beautiful sounding song.
I am 83 and I feel sick most of the time. I really feel sick mentally and physically. I wake up every morning and wonder why but I believe in Jesus Christ so I know He has a reason. I looked at my email and my son sent me this link, he knows how much I love this song and how I would try to sing along with it. I read what you all wrote and I got my mind off myself. I made up my own words to this beautiful song and they do not make any sense but I have always sang it the same way. God bless you all.
@@rubycantrell4627 English lyrics, if you want to sing along 😊:
I look up as I walk
So that the tears won’t fall
Remembering those spring days
And tonight, I am all alone
I look up as I walk
Counting the stars with tearful eyes
Remembering those summer days
And tonight, I am all alone
Happiness lies beyond the clouds
Happiness lies above the sky
I look up as I walk
So that the tears won’t fall
But the tears well up as I walk
For tonight, I am all alone
In France too
I was 12 in 1963 when this hit big & didn't like it then when came on the radio but now I love it & brings tears to my eyes thinking of my Mom& Dad & what a nice life I had back then.
@@rubycantrell4627 I hope you are doing ok
I discovered this song when I was 14, it was around the time when my cat recently passed away. It was what made me cry the hardest at the time. I found this song a few months later, it made me remember my cat, and how it felt when she was still around. To this day I still sing this song from time to time and remember my cat.
I am an old guy. This song from my youth popped into my head this AM - not sure why but things from the past are still in there. I really enjoyed listening to this song again!
RIP to him and all the other victims of Japan Airlines Flight 123.
God bless yous all 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💕🌹💕🌹
@fiona swann Did you see the UA-cam by Alec Joshua Ibay on the crash? Two JAL workers committed suicide because of the crash, and did you know the USA military offered to go to the crash site asp and were told to stand down and it took the japanese i think 9 hours to get there and many suffered and died because of the delay :(
@fiona swann Are you born-again Fiona?
Bill Morgan I actually did know about that. I saw the episode on Air Crash Investigation.
He had never wanted to board JAL(Japan Airline) until then.
ANA( All Nippon Airline )was his favorite..
The song is immortal because
1) it is sung perfectly,
and
2) it is a haunting melody about bravely walking through the deep sadness of love lost & gone.
It is at once upbeat and yet very sad.
So true
I'm 74 and I sing this song to myself when I feel sad. It is a beautiful classic with a bittersweetness that raises my spirits. When it was popular, I was a surfer girl at Huntington Beach, CA waiting to start university in September. It was bittersweet because even then we were saying goodbye to so many of our friends heading to Viet Nam. It is an immortal song for sure.
@@urbanmusicgal9075 thank you for that.
We are the same age, 74. This song and the 1967-68 hit, "WHO WILL ANSWER"? are the two songs that most stay with me.
I have it twice uploaded on my main Len Hummel channel.
I was deeply grieved & outraged over Vietnam and ALL our wars after WW2. 😥😢🤕😷🤕😥
Also the singer tragically died in a plane crash in 1985, gone far too early. Not just any crash but the single biggest plane crash involving one aircraft (JAL 123). Makes the tune all the more haunting to me…
How very poignant.🥲
This song was taught to me when I was a boy by a Japanese teacher. 30 years later, I somehow still remember this like it was yesterday that I had learned it.
Nothing like songs of yesteryears. I was suddenly feeling nostalgic & this beautiful song came into my mind. I like Kyu Sakamoto's serene smile .. filled with warmth & at peace! 😊
❤
Hello Shannon. How are you doing? I hope you’re having a wonderful day. Are you having a wonderful day?
In 1968-69 serving in the military in Japan... i bought my girlfriend a lacquered music box that p[layed this melody. She's now my wife of 47 yrs.
WOW! Great story!
Thank you..... so happy & blessed that i'm still living it.
Yes you are truly blessed...
ooohhh...so sweet...
Congrats...you're a lucky Man!
It's very tragic that Kyu Sakamoto died on Japan Airlines Flight 123 on August 12, 1985. 520 people perished that day. RIP, Mr. Sakamoto - your song will live forever.
celestial1933 I remember this terrible crash.
What an amazing and heart wrenching piece of trivia. Thanks for sharing that with us.
I was reading up on the event and it feels like foreshadowing when he says "I'm all alone tonight"
Reading about the plane crash is what brought me here.
ty
I was in Prague sort of near the Charles bridge around Christmas time in 2019 and there was a kid singing this song with a ton of heart. He had a sign that said something along the lines of "I am a college student on holiday." I wanted so badly to sing with him because I love this song, but I guess I chickened out. The chance of you reading this is probably as close to zero as possible, but you did an incredible job, and I will remember it the rest of my days. Thanks for the memory.
Still love him singing this version 😊 xxx
The strength of this singer to have grown up in occupied Japan & remained so optimistic. Such a credit to humanity. So sorry…
I can hear my father whistling … RIP POP.
I heard this from watching From Up On Poppy Hill years ago, even though it wasnt that long in the movie. It was always so catchy, and since then I've listened to it all the time. It's sad, but also very comforting. When I have hard times, I'll listen to this and itll help me feel a whole better. I recommended it to a certain friend of mine named Juik because he had to move back to Korea for military service, and I told him what this song meant and now its his go to song when he's having a tough time too. He's now happily engaged and I hope he's doing well (:
i also heard it in From Up on Poppy Hill and i recently noticed it was also in Charlie's angels from the 2000s, it is really catchy :)
I love From Up on Poppy Hill! I didn’t remember this song was in it, that’s awesome!
Omg!!! I knew I've heard this song before! I also heard this song from that movie. I came here after knowing about the JAL tragic crash. Sad to know about the singer this way
Same!
Same for me. Heard the song from From Up On Poppy Hill and they animated him singing on the TV in the movie. It was great. The song caught my attention and I looked it up on UA-cam. Great song. Fun and sad tone at the same time which is kind of strange. Also learned about the tragic incident that happened to the singer as well. May him rest in peace.
I’m Japanese and I was soooo surprised many foreigner know this song🤣
what a great song!!!
It's globally the 16th best selling single of all time.
Song is a great Ambassador.
I am Japanese, is this song famous in other countries too?
In all countries that enjoy a good song.
As you probably well know, it was a huge hit in the USA in 1963. Someone said it topped out at as a #2. Even not understanding any of it, one can appreciate a lovely voice and pretty music.
Yes, very much so.
My father used to listen to this in the ‘50’s and tune and the melody was haunting enough to ‘stick.’
Memories …
Grandma and mom came to the states from Japan in 1957…April 2013, I sang this to grandma the day she died….mom asked why I chose that song, I said I don’t know I’ve always liked the song…she cried so hard, she told me that this song was playing on base when they got to California….2 months later I was singing again, this time to my mom. They say mom died of a massive heart attack, I say it was a massive heartbreak. It was always mom and grandma from day one, there were 3 other siblings…but it was ALWAYS mom and grandma…and like an old married couple, one can’t live without the other. It’s been almost 10 years without them, yet it still feels like yesterday, but when I play this song my heart fills with joy knowing they aren’t suffering anymore. Rest easy my Japanese beauties, rest easy❤
Requiestcat In Pace🙏🏻
Powerful story. Thanks for sharing.
I hope they found peace and togetherness in the after life. As long as you live they'll be alive in your heart. May their legacy and the memory of their fight against a tough world carry on through you and the future generations of your family.
I am in tears.
😢that got me, sorry for your losses.
On this very day June 15, 1963 this beautiful song hit #1 on the U.S. Pop Chart. I was just 11 years old and was awestruck. RIP Rokusuke Ei.
Me too! I was 10. ❤️🎵
I was nine and still remember fondly.
I was 17 at a bbq with my parents and grand parents this beautiful song has stuck in my head since 1963
Thats pretty cool, do you know the reason this song was a hit in the US and reached number 1?
We're the same age, so it hit number one in the US as well as the UK.
Good memory of old days. Beautiful song. RIP
I hadn't heard it in years. My dad was in Korea war and spent time in Japan. When the song came out, he would sing this song while we were riding in the car. My dad was in the American Graves Registration, that is, he was a mortician and picked up bodies from the battle fields. I never realized whey he was so bad until, years later, I realized he had PTSD. How unfortunate he had such a hard time getting past the horrors he had seen. God Bless all those Americans from all the wars.
Lovely song Terry
Hello Terry . How are you doing? I hope you’re having a wonderful day. Are you having a wonderful day?
My spouse left this world on May 12, 2019. We were married for 24 years. Though I have heard this song many times, I learned the translated lyrics recently on this video. A few days ago, I visited the park lagoon where Barb and I posed for some wedding photos. This time, I was alone. And I played this song; it describes exactly how I feel.
I am so sorry for you. Hope you don't feel alone. Your wife is watching you in the heaven. Be strong and happy always
I am very sorry for your loss..We walk the same path..
Sorry for your loss. Life is full of them. God bless you.
Sorry for your loss. All we can do is be thankful for the blessing of having had that one wonderful person in our lives.
I'm sorry to hear about that, I'm sure she was a wonderful person :') but as Dr. Seuss would say, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
This song is the first Asian song to reach billboard number one. In 1963, there was still no Internet, and the war had ended, and anti-Japanese sentiment was still strong in US. just played a song on the radio without any publicity.
In that state, it would be dozens of times more difficult than it is now to become number one in USA. It's different from kpop, where fans worked together to force it to number one. The power of the internet, Advertising expense and the cooperation of fans is tremendous.
❤ Japan is still making great bands especially on the rock scene band maid is one of them.
My dad sent this record to my mom when he was on leave in Japan during his 5 years in Vietnam. They divorced many decades ago but I still remember them dancing to it when I was very young. Will always love this song.
May 22nd 2024. I've heard this song from my papa. He opened my eyes to the beauty of foreign and classic American songs. Thank you
I grew up on this song.
Anyone from 2023? Still listening to this master piece 😖💞
Yes listening in Australia ❤
@@philipdenham8908 Yes, I carry it in my heart
Yes
October 20th, 2023
Yes, listening while having my breakfast at Indian coffeshop
I first heard this son on a military air base where my father was stationed in California (Travis AFB). I thought it was very lovely although I did not know the translation. It stayed with me through the years and it is obviously something very unique. The American audiences loved it.
You're NOT alone here! I was maybe 10, 11 years old when I first heard this wonderful song. It has an immediate appeal to the soul,, the heart! And the splendid use of major to minor, and back,,,, well,,,, it goes right to the heart!
I grew up with this song as well. Still enjoy it after all these years. Talented artists it seems pass tragically though. Mr. Sakamoto was on Japan Airlines flight 123. It crashed on August 12, 1985. I was in my mid-twenties. Terrible incident in history.
My cousin was in Japan when that happened and I was going nuts wondering his fate as we thought he was flying that day..... he was not on that plane. Remember this song well when I was in Jr high.
...yep....doing KP at Keesler AFB.......fond memories...
Gerry, it is absolutely lovely. I was probably about 10 when it came out and I loved it then, too. BTW, my husband retired from Travis, after we lived on the base for 10 years. We're still up here.
My father (RIP) brought this song to our home in the Netherlands in the sixties. He sailed across the world. Very beautiful song.
I was in the USAF going to Tech School at Amarillo AFB, Texas, in the summer of 1963. We used to listen to a radio station out of Oklahoma City and this was one of our favorites. When I listen to this today, I think of those days a little over 60 years ago when we were 19 year old kids having the time of our lives. Thank you, Kyu Sakamoto san for that beautiful song and all the wonderful memories. RIP, my friend.
I was born in 1959. I am not Japanese. I vividly remember the tune to this song and it has haunted me. It’s was the most exotic song I had ever heard. I just found it today. It brings back beautiful memories.
Me too, born in 1960 and this brings me back to my earliest memories.
I just discovered this song a few days ago. Since then it lives in my head rent free. How beautiful
I was only a few weeks old when this song hit the top of the US charts. Perhaps this was when my love of Japan actually started. Have been fortunate to visit a couple of times and highly recommend it. Japan is a wonderful place!
Rest in Peace Sakamoto San.
Back in the Spring of 1963 I used to ride from Baltimore to Philadelphia with my older sister and BIL on Saturday mornings as he had a morning class at Drexel. This song is one that we'd hear on the radio every trip. I was 12 years old at the time and loved hearing this song.
I am Japanese and I was born in 1986, after the plane crash in which Mr. Sakamoto died. My dad loves rock'n’roll, like me (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and others) but sometimes he hears that song. He told me that this song was inspired by anti-war sentiments, perhaps by hope, perhaps by typical Japanese resilience. I like that but I think it's a little sad ... I was very surprised and glad that so many people around the world heard and liked this song, and I was moved by the comments. Thank you very much to all!
.
Marcia, I was about 9 when this song came out. It was VERY popular, played on many radio stations in the U.S. I remember Mr. Sakamoto on the Ed Sullivan show on Sunday night. It was THE big variety show for years. Mr. Sakamoto was great. It was a sad thing when the plane crashed. The world lost someone special. Mr. Sakamoto and this song would be perfect now.
Mark W Thank you for your kind words. I talked to my dad about this song, he told me that the success of this song was really amazing, the only Japanese song that achieved that fame. I listened carefully and was touched, it's a beautiful song!
That is a delightful memory and so wonderful that you shared it with all of us. Thank you.
Marcia, And this songs its very famous in indonesia and then once made a soundtrack"Warkop DKI" and the song is good to hear. R.I.P Sakamoto
I like this song in second place . I like namidaniwa the best Song i ever heard in my whole life , i love Japan
I first heard this song in 1962 when I was 7 on my mother's His Master's Voice (HMV) portable radio. It had a popup antenna that you could rotate to get the best signal. The song made me very sad and my mother cried. Many years later, we met a Japanese man in Carnarvon and he explained what the song was saying ad both my mum and I cried again! Today, I am 67 1/2 yrs old and when I heard this again, I cried again because I lost a wonderful Japanese girlfriend in 2007. I will always remember you Noriko, when I hear this song.
I am here from wikipedia. How did this reach No.1 Billboard 100? It was quite an achievement for himself, 13 million physical sold in the 60's is actually a staggering amount
Please look!
sukiyaki (song) by Wikipedia!
Jan 11 2024. Still in LOVE with this song and how Kyu sang it. A massage for the soul. Hard to explain. Wonderful. ❤
No way this should get a thumbs down. One of the most beautiful songs ever recorded.
Yep. It's hauntingly beautiful.
Who ever gave this beautiful song a thumbs down should be put in a barrel and rolled down the hill.
bohemian rhapsody numba 1
@@JulietRobin b
@@JulietRobin Don't worry, they are out numbered by 50 to 1.
Before my Mother met my Father she had met and fallen in love with a soldier during WWII and he was killed in the war. Both my Mom and Dad were very patriotic WWII vets, and my Mom had even enlisted in the US Army (as a WAC) during that time. While I was growing up I always heard racial slurs from them against the Japanese (and German) people seeming to blame them for all the atrocities that occurred. When I heard this song in the early sixties on the radio as a ten-year-old boy, I loved it, and I also noticed it had a calming effect on both of my parents. I recall that my Dad was even stationed with the military in Okinawa at one point for one of his assignments, but that Mom would not go with him so that the rest of our family stayed in the states. When I visited Hawaii with both Mom and Dad in the 1980's and went to the Arizona Memorial with them, I knew that the ill feelings they both still harbored toward the Japanese had resurfaced.
Years and decades passed and my Dad died, and Mom grew old without him. When we were not able to take care of Mom at home any longer, she went to a Nursing facility and had a roommate in the bed next to hers: an elderly Japanese woman named Yaeko. This woman was not able to speak at all nor move without being assisted due to her medical condition, and Alzheimer's was having a similar effect on my Mom so that they were virtually unable to communicate with each other. Oh, but they most certainly did commnicate. One day after Mom had been at the facility for nearly two years, my brother and I came into her room to find both her and Yaeko looking at each other and both starring up at the ceiling in the corner of the room and smiling. Nurses Assistants said they couldn't believe Yaeko was actually speaking in her Japanese language, since she had not spoken in years. The Assistants told me my Mom had also been talking for hours and was steadily looking up toward the same corner of the room where Yaeko was now pointing at. My brother (who videotaped part of this scene) asked Mom if she was looking at "Angels," and she just looked at Yaeko and back up in the corner again; and both of them kept smiling.
We could only guess what the two of them were looking at that day, or how they were somehow able to communicate with each other, and both of them seeing the same thing. The next morning when I came to visit I found out sadly that Yaeko had died during the night, and within one month, my beautiful Mom had also passed away. It is strange how Karma, Destiny or whatever you want to call it, seems to point toward Eternity. That was nearly five years ago, and now whenever I hear this song, I always think of my Mother, and of Yaeko, RIP.
A lovely story, thank you.
Thanks for sharing that story! :)
I loved this story, thanks for telling us about it.
I also have loved this song since I was a kid in the 70s. But I never knew a thing about it. It was just one of those "oddball" songs that I never really knew anything about as I was growing up. It would just grace the radio for three minutes, and then be gone for weeks or months and I would forget all about it. I wonder how many other wonderful songs like this are hiding in some forgotten corner of UA-cam?
What a beautiful story. I always associate this song with the Tokyo Olympics of 1964, now with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the horizon, perhaps it will get another lease of life. I loved this song as a small child, and still do.
Thank you for this beautiful story, you are a great storyteller.
Lost too soon He was on the plane (which had over 500 passeners on board) in 1985 when the plane crashed into Mount Tagamahara. He will be forever cherished for this song that made so many happy world-wide.
July 20,1963 my first eclipse in Chicago, on the WLS radio top 40 , the # 1 song was playing … Today I’m watching another eclipse and playing the same song … RIP my friend.❤
I fell in love with this song when I was in my 20s. I am now 79. It popped into My head when I awakened this morning, 10 11 2022. It is a powerful song that reminds me that I'm a widow who had two good marriages. I'm alone but not lonely.
♥
We have our memories to keep our hearts warm.
And you're only 7 years older than I! I also remember this song, it awakened my seeking mind to learn another language. I was shocked in 1985 when I heard about the plane crash in Japan, I was living in Hawaii at the time, & many of my friends (who are now deceased) cried when they heard the news. HIS SONG WILL LIVE ON FOR ALL ETERNITY, his words that powerful. REST IN POWER, KYU 🙏🏿
I’m from Japan.
The most inspiring part about this song is the “universal emotions” and you can see in lyrics also.
It’s about holding your tears when you’re heart is broken.
It can be about split with your girlfriend , or it can be about the
tough life with poverty, or being lonely, or suffered discrimination, or for elder people reminisce the past,,,,
Just hold your tears and lookup to the sky and hold your tears.
This era in Japan was rising again from damage of WW2.There was many poor but had hope.
a bravo insperation ofJapan!!
I feel that automatically when I hear this song, glad there is a translation, which confirms my feelings. I remember this well from the sixties - I was just a child but really loved this song. Thank you for your comment!
Thank you for explaining :)
I'm an American and when I was a little girl I think I was around nine years old I love that song it just brought out your right emotions beautiful emotions of all the different things you mentioned
I had this 45 as a child, I absolutely loved it & played it over & over. Somehow the translation wasn't surprising, it was exactly how that song felt.
my mom loved this song, she told me how beautiful it was. 2 days ago she died. i couldnt listen to this song, i did but in return i started crying like a baby. 52 years young, gone too early. ill miss you mom