Contents:

1. Listening to “Sakura Sakura” Song After a Long Time
2. The Meaning of the Song “Sakura Sakura”
3. Why Japanese People Have Special Feelings Towards Cherry Blossoms

1. Listening to “Sakura Sakura” Song After a Long Time

Today, after a long time, I watched a long drama. It was the TV drama “Autumn in Warsaw,” broadcast in 2003, featuring actresses Yuko Takeuchi and Keiko Kishi, playing the roles of nurses.

The story seems to be based on a true event where, during World War I, the Japanese Red Cross took in Polish children who had become orphans in Siberia, took care of them in Japan, and later returned them to their home country, Poland. In the interactions with the children, the song “Sakura Sakura” was sung. I noticed that the lyrics were different from the version I sang in elementary school. I panicked, thinking I had forgotten the song, and looked it up.

The lyrics of “Sakura Sakura” that I learned in elementary school are as follows:

Sakura sakura No yama mo sato mo Mi watasu kagiri Kasumi ka kumo ka Asahi ni niou

Sakura sakura Hanazakari

In the drama, the second verse of the song was sung.

Sakura sakura Yayoi no sora wa Mi watasu kagiri Kasumi ka kumo ka Nioi zo izuru

Iza ya iza ya Mi ni yukaan

And here is the complete translation of both verses:

1. First Verse:Sakura sakura All over the fields and mountains As far as you can see Is it mist or clouds? Fragrant in the morning sunSakura sakura In full bloom
2. Second Verse:Sakura sakura The spring sky As far as you can see Is it mist or clouds? The fragrance comes forthCome now, come now Let’s go and see

2. The Meaning of the Song “Sakura Sakura”

When I was in elementary school, I was only taught the lyrics of the first verse and not the second verse. It seems that in the era of the drama, the lyrics now known as the second verse were sung as the first verse.

The current first verse lyrics conjure up a clear image:

Cherry blossoms in the fields and mountains, as well as in the villages with houses, blooming as far as the eye can see, illuminated by the morning sun, creating a beautiful, sparkling scene (my interpretation of the image).

However, the lyrics of “Sakura Sakura” sung in the movie are somewhat unclear in meaning, similar to the national anthem “Kimigayo.”

What is “yayoi no sora”? What does “iza ya iza ya” mean?

“Yayoi” (弥生) in the old calendar refers to March. Since cherry blossoms bloom in March, the lyrics describe the scene of cherry blossoms blooming in the March sky.

“Iza ya iza ya mi ni yukaan” means “Come now, come now, let’s go and see the cherry blossoms.” I happened to associate it with Isaiah from the Bible (though I’m not very familiar with the Bible).

Like “Kimigayo,” there are articles suggesting that these lyrics can also be interpreted in Hebrew.

3. Why Japanese People Have Special Feelings Towards Cherry Blossoms

When it comes to cherry blossoms, we Japanese feel they are a symbolic flower of Japan.

In New Zealand, cherry blossoms also bloom in spring and can often be seen along the roadside. However, the cherry blossoms here are somewhat different from those in Japan. Unlike the Japanese cherry blossoms, which fall quickly, the ones here seem to stay in bloom a little longer.

So, why do Japanese people have special feelings towards cherry blossoms?

As the cold winter season finally comes to an end, the cherry blossoms start to bloom, signaling the arrival of spring, and they fall just as quickly. Around that time, from March to April, the academic and fiscal year changes, marking graduations and enrollments, farewells and new encounters, with shifts in human relationships.

Cherry blossoms, beautifully embellishing the transition of seasons. In spring, the sakura front moves northward across the Japanese archipelago, and cherry blossoms bloom sequentially in various places. Truly, as far as the eye can see, cherry blossoms bloom.

At the same time, cherry blossoms evoke the image of beautiful yet fleeting lives. Encounters with people are also a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Perhaps, I might not be able to see these cherry blossoms next spring.” Those battling incurable diseases shed tears as they think of the cherry blossoms.

In mid-March this year, I temporarily returned to Japan and was able to see Japanese cherry blossoms for the first time in 11 years. During Golden Week, I had the opportunity to visit the highlands of Gifu. Although I had enjoyed the cherry blossoms in Kanto in March, I was able to see them again in the highlands at the end of April, making me feel very fortunate.

In the spring season, Japanese cherry blossoms bloom beautifully in various places. Listening to the song “Sakura Sakura,” I have begun to feel nostalgic for Japan, even though I was just there recently.