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Episode 2: Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto

Sukiyaki sleeve
This is the sleeve for the Danish release of the record.

Click here for a transcript of this episode. 

For Episode 2, we take a journey to Japan and look into an international hit from a day when I was about four months old. I’ll tell you about:

  • What ALL the lyrics to the song mean
  • The political turmoil that led to a song about lost love
  • Whatever happened to Kyu Sakamoto, anyway?
  • Why I need to apologize to my wife

Your favorite podcatcher should have this song by now, but just in case, you can listen to, or download it, right here:

Incidentally, I recorded this show about two weeks ago, and I made a brief mention of the song “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. At that time it was pretty much the Song of the Summer, but according to Billboard Magazine, it’s reaching a new streaming record and about to tie with Mariah Carey & Boys II Men’s “One Sweet Day” for the Most Weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 (that’d be 15 weeks at Number One). If it remains #1 for another two weeks, it’ll be the sole record-holder. Get that story here. 


Some of the sources for today’s show:

The article from the Washington Post that I cited appears here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/06/02/americas-number-one-song-isnt-in-english-that-doesnt-happen-often/?utm_term=.18bbe4fba452   retrieved 7/24/17

Most of the song’s background came from this article:
https://formeinfullbloom.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/a-brief-history-of-i-look-up-as-i-walk-in-anime/  retrieved 7/25/17

Most of the translation I got from this YouTube video. Some of it came from Songfacts.com, but this one seemed a little more reliable.

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