Top 10 Sakura Songs: The Reason for the Many Songs of Cherry Blossoms in Japan

The sakura, or cherry blossoms are a representative flower of Japan. There are a countless number of songs that have been released about the sakura. Today, we have compiled a Top 10 list of Sakura songs among the many songs sung about cherry blossoms. These are songs that almost every Japanese person has heard of at least once. Here we go!

*This is a ranking that is determined by GJ from a comprehensive perspective based on album sales, reaction of the Japanese people, how compatible it is with sakura, etc.

Why does Japan have so many songs about sakura?

Spring, the time of cherry blossoms is a season with a deep emotional connection to the Japanese. There is of course the fun times of hanami spent under the cherry trees as well as entrance ceremonies, graduations, a new start of a career… hellos and goodbyes occur all over Japan and it is a time for many big changes. For Japanese, the cherry blossoms coincide with many of life’s milestones.

Perhaps due to this background, for example “cherry blossoming” evokes a sense of new meetings, and “petals of cherry blossoms falling” evokes a sense of sad goodbyes. Because the phrases alone bring about many memories in the Japanese minds, it is easy to incorporate in lyrics to portray a story. The word sakura can convey beauty, strength, enjoyment, sadness, melancholy… it is a magical word that can be associated with many scenes.

10. Senbon-zakura (Thousand Cherry Trees)

By White Flame featuring Hatsune Miku (2011)

9. SAKURA Drops

By Hikaru Utada (2002)

8. Cherry

By Spitz (1996)

7. Sakura

By Kawaguchi Kyogo (2003)

6. Sakura Sake (Bloom, Cherry Blossoms)

By Arashi (2005)

5. SAKURA

By Ikimonogakari (2006)

4. Sakura

By Ketsumeishi (2005)

3. Sakura

By Kobukuro (2005)

2. Sakurazaka (Sakura Hill)

By Masaharu Fukuyama (2000)

1. Sakura (Solo)

By Naotaro Moriyama (2003)

So what do you think? You see that even though they are all songs about sakura, some are fun, some are melancholic… there’s a whole variety. It may be difficult to convey all the emotions that are associated with sakura due to the language or the cultural differences, but it would make us happy if you feel like you get a sense of this sentiment.