Jpop Recommend #36 Natsumatsuri by Whiteberry

夏祭り Natsumatsuri

ホワイトベリー Whiteberry


This song is originally made by a Jrock band, JITTERIN'JINN as their 4th single in August 1990.  Then Whiteberry, a band made of 5 primary/middle school girls from Hokkaido covered this song as their 3rd single in August 2000.  Their Yukata-like costume (Yukata is a casual kimono for summer) and powerful performance attracted great popularity.  Although the band is no longer active, this song remains as a "standard summer song".


The lyrics of this song are filled with many keywords of Japanese summer.

夏祭り Natsu matsuri: Summer festival
打ち上げ花火 Uchiage hanabi: skyrocket fireworks 
浴衣 Yukata: Japanese traditional garment (casual kimono for summer)
金魚すくい Kingyo sukui: a game to catch goldfish as much as possible with a scoop
綿菓子 Watagashi: Also called 綿あめ (wataame), a cotton candy
線香花火 Senko hanabi: small toy fireworks (You can see how it looks by google image search)

In traditional summer festival held in local shrines at night, many stalls selling Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Yakisoba, watagashi and grilled corns line up both side of the street.  Local people, especially school children love to go to the festival wearing Yukata.  You can see such scenes in a Japanese drama, "1リットルの涙 (1 litre of tears)".








Any comment about this blog is highly appreciated.  Requests to pick up any singer or song are always welcome!





<Lyrics>
Japanese
Japanese pronunciation
English translation

君    が  いた 夏      は 遠い 夢     の   中

Kimi ga ita    natsu wa tooi yume no naka
The summer with you remains only in a long-past dream now

空  に 消えてった 打ち上げ 花火

Sora ni kietetta    uchiage hanabi
Gone to the sky like skyrocket fireworks

君     の 髪    の  香り  はじけた

Kimi no kami no kaori hajiketa
Fragrance of your hair popped up in the air
浴衣      姿      が  まぶし    すぎて
Yukata sugata ga mabushi sugite
You in yukata look too bright to stare
お祭り      の  夜    は  胸      が 騒いだ    よ
Omatsuri no yoru wa mune ga sawaida yo
On the night of the festival, I felt so uneasy
はぐれ   そうな   人    ごみ の  中
Hagure  souna hito gomi no naka
Trapped in the crowds, in fear of losing each other
「はなれないで」   出しかけた  手  を
"Hanare naide" dashikaketa te wo 
I was about to reach your hand, "Don't leave my side"
ポケット に 入れて 握り   しめて   いた
Pocket ni irete    nigiri shimete ita
But I kept my hand in my pocket and just clenched it tightly

君    が  いた 夏      は 遠い 夢     の   中
Kimi ga ita    natsu wa tooi yume no naka
The summer with you remains only in a long-past dream now

空  に 消えてった 打ち上げ 花火

Sora ni kietetta    uchiage hanabi
Gone to the sky like skyrocket fireworks

子供       みたい  金魚    すくい に

Kodomo mitai    kingyo sukui ni
Like a child you are so into "Kingyo-sukui", a goldfish catching game
夢中     に  なって 袖    が  ぬれてる
Muchuu ni natte sode ga nureteru
You are so caught up as to get your sleeves wet
無邪気  な   横顔      が  とても   可愛いくて
Mujyaki na yokogao ga totemo kawaikute
Innocent face of yours from the side looked so cute
君     は  好きな 綿菓子     買って
Kimi wa sukina watagashi katte
With your favorite cotton candy
ご機嫌    だけど   少し      向こう   に
Gokigen dakedo sukoshi mukou ni
you were having so much fun but just then, over there
友だち         見つけて   離れて    歩いた
Tomodachi mitsukete hanarete aruita
you caught the sight of your friends and then took steps away from me

君    が  いた 夏      は 遠い 夢     の   中

Kimi ga ita    natsu wa tooi yume no naka
The summer with you remains only in a long-past dream now

空  に 消えてった 打ち上げ 花火

Sora ni kietetta    uchiage hanabi
Gone to the sky like skyrocket fireworks

神社   の   中    石段    に 座り
Jinjya no naka ishidan ni suwari
In the shrine, sitting on a stone step
ボヤーッと した   闇     の 中    で
Boyatto   shita yami no naka de
Wrapped around in a dim light
ざわめき    が  少し      遠く    聞こえた
Zawameki ga sukoshi tooku kikoeta
Bubble of voices were only heard from the distance
線香       花火  マッチ   を   つけて
Senkou hanabi match wo tsukete
We lit "Senko-hanabi" fireworks with matches
色んな 事  話した   けれど
Ironna koto hanashita keredo
and talked about many things
好き  だって 事   が  言えなかった
Suki datte koto ga ienakatta
Only the unspoken fact was that I liked you

君    が  いた 夏      は 遠い 夢     の   中

Kimi ga ita    natsu wa tooi yume no naka
The summer with you remains only in a long-past dream now

空  に 消えてった 打ち上げ 花火

Sora ni kietetta    uchiage hanabi
Gone to the sky like skyrocket fireworks

君    が  いた 夏      は 遠い 夢     の   中
Kimi ga ita    natsu wa tooi yume no naka
The summer with you remains only in a long-past dream now

空  に 消えてった 打ち上げ 花火

Sora ni kietetta    uchiage hanabi
Gone to the sky like skyrocket fireworks
空  に 消えてった 打ち上げ 花火
Sora ni kietetta    uchiage hanabi
Gone to the sky like skyrocket fireworks



Any comment about this blog is highly appreciated.  Requests to pick up any singer or song are always welcome!



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