My favorite japanese song

"Uji no mori de Chiyo ni sayoonara"

My favorite Japanese singers are from Okinawa - Rimi Natsukawa, Kiroro and The Boom to name a few. All of them have wonderful singing voices and great hits that have springboarded them to stardom. They have also brought Okinawan folk music to foreign shores like China, Korea and Russia.

I love to listen to Japanese traditional music, especially the genre that the Okinawans are famous for. They combine the soothing sound of the shamisen with contemporary music. Their songs though are mostly about heartaches and goodbyes and the lyrics are just bluer than midnight blue. But nevertheless, the songs have helped me understand and embrace the Japanese culture.

The song that will definitely ring in my ears forever and bring so many happy memories of my stay here is Shima Uta or "Song of the Islands" by the hitmaker duo The Boom. It tells of a pure and enduring friendship between two people who were separated from each other. But even if the rugged seas physically separate them, their songs are carried by the wind and by the fallen petals travelling across the ocean waves to touch each other's heart. This song is usually the last song that we play everytime there is a farewell party for a friend who is leaving Japan for good.

You can hear the song by choosing it from the "What's Playing" list at the right sidebar of this blog. The lyrics are here.I hope you would love the song too. Enjoy!