Tuesday August 16, 2022 “Sukiyaki” Kyo Sakamoto
As we continue with rock & roll food we have “Sukiyaki” which is dish consisting of meat which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin and today’s song “Sukiyaki” has absolutely nothing to do with that.
The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears will not fall, expressing his frustration and dejection perhaps over a lost love. “Sukiyaki” was used only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to English speakers. A Newsweek columnist compared this re-titling to issuing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew".
Kyo Sakamoto had a significant acting and singing career in Japan after his remarkable success with “Sukiyaki” but unfortunately died in the crash of American Airlines flight 123 in 1985, at that time the deadliest airline accident in history.
Stay safe and well…and this 1960 number one song would go on to become one of the best selling singles of all time.