"Sakura Sakura" (さくら さくら, "Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms"), also known as "Sakura", is a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of cherry blossoms. It is often sung in international settings as a song representative of Japan.[1]

Score of "Sakura"
Score of "Sakura"

Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate in ancient times; it was a popular, urban melody of the Edo period.

Melody

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The "Sakura Sakura" melody has been popular since the Meiji period, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. The tune uses a pentatonic scale known as the in scale.

Expressed as diatonic notes in the major scale, the In scale is 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 (1), 10 (3); or the notes E F A B c e[2] (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, it is ideally suited to instruments that have a limited pitch range, such as the Native American flute (similar to the shakuhachi).[3] 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.[4]

Lyrics

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The original lyrics[5] are listed as the second verse in the table below. In 1941, the Ministry of Education 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.[6] 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".[7] "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)[8][9]

Standard Hiragana Romaji Translation

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[6]

桜 桜
弥生の空は
見渡す限り
霞か雲か
匂いぞ 出ずる
いざや いざや
見に行かん[5]

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

sakura sakura
noyama mo sato mo
mi-watasu kagiri
kasumi ka kumo ka
asahi ni niou
sakura sakura
hana zakari[6]

sakura sakura
yayoi no sora wa
mi-watasu kagiri
kasumi ka kumo ka
nioi zo izuru
izaya izaya
mini yukan[5]

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
In fields, mountains and villages
As far as the eye can see.
Is it mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the rising sun.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Flowers in full bloom.

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Across the spring sky,
As far as the eye can see.
Is it mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the air.
Come now, come now,
Let's go and see them.

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References

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  1. ^ "Pikachus perform classical Japanese dance routine for Japan's most famous cherry blossom song【Vid】". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  2. ^ Lower-case letters are an octave higher; see Helmholtz notation.
  3. ^ Clint Goss (2011). "Sakura Sakura". Flutopedia.com. Sheet music for the Native American Flute. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  4. ^ Tsuge Gen'ichi (2016). "Sakura". komuso.com. International Shakuhachi Society. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2011. who cites

    Ongaku Torishirabe-gakari (arr.) (1888). "桜 Sakura". In 東京音楽学校編 Tōkyō ongaku gakkō hen [Tokyo Academy of Music] (ed.). 「箏曲集」 Sōkyokushū [Collection of Koto Music]. Vol. 1. Tokyo, Japan.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ a b c 東京音楽学校編 Tōkyō ongaku gakkō hen [Tokyo Academy of Music], ed. (1888). 「箏曲集」 Sōkyokushū [Collection of Koto Music]. Tokyo, Japan.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ a b c 東京音楽学校編 Tōkyō ongaku gakkō hen [Tokyo Academy of Music], ed. (1941). 「うたのほん 教師用 下」 Uta no hon, kyōiku-yō, ge [Book of Songs for Educational Use]. Vol. 2. Tokyo, Japan: 文部省 Monbushō.
  7. ^ 藤田圭雄 Fujita tamao (1997). 「日本童謡唱歌大系1」 Nihon dōyō shōka taikei 1 [Compendium of Japanese nursery rhymes 1]. 東京書籍 Tōkyō syoseki.
  8. ^ 「山田流琴のかがみ」 Yamadaryū kotonokagami [Model of The Yamada school of Koto]. 博信堂出版部 Hakushindō shuppanbu. 1948.
  9. ^ Yumi Shimada (2002). ""Sakura, Sakura"- a study of its development and popularisation into a school song". Japanese Journal of Music Education Research. 32 (2). Japan Music Education Society: 1–14. doi:10.20614/jjomer.32.2_1.
  10. ^ "Sakura – Traditional Japanese Song on Koto". LedgerNote. 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  11. ^ Alexander, Kevin (18 June 2013). "8 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!-themed boozy punch recipes, knocked out by the country's top mixologists". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  12. ^ ScarletFlameFlandre (27 June 2012), PCB Staff Roll Theme: Sakura, Sakura ~ Japanize Dream (Re-Extended), archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 3 May 2017
  13. ^ "Sakura Sakura (3 variations) | Marc Edwards". Marcedwards.bandcamp.com. 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  14. ^ Applegate, Grego (17 April 2014). "Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog: avant free psychedelic metal jazz rock". Gapplegateguitar.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  15. ^ "DogAndPanda Records". Dogandpanda.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  16. ^ GameSpot (13 March 2012), Kara – Heavy Rain/Quantic Dream Tech Demo, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 26 June 2018
  17. ^ MooniGaming (3 June 2018), Detroit: Become Human Kara Tech Demo Sakura Easter Egg, retrieved 26 June 2018[dead YouTube link]
  18. ^ Yu-Peng Chen, HOYO-MiX (22 September 2021), Separated Dream, archived from the original on 22 September 2021, retrieved 11 June 2024
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