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I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Noriyuki Makihara -- San-gatsu no Yuki(3月の雪)


Well into March now. Nothing yet on the trees but nothing left on the ground either. I still think the cold season hasn't quite finished with us yet so we may still get walloped with one more snowstorm, although my fellow citizens fervently hope not.


The above is a bit of a segue for a Noriyuki Makihara(槇原敬之)ballad called "San-gatsu no Yuki" (March Snow). I've bought a few of Mackey's first albums...except the one which has this particular song. "San-gatsu no Yuki" was recorded on his 2nd album "Kimi wa Dare to Shiawase na Akubi wo Shimasuka"(君は誰と幸せなあくびをしますか。...Who Will You Yawn Happily With?).

March has a more significant feeling for the Japanese than it does for Canadians generally. When I was living in Gunma, being a part of the two junior high schools while I was on the JET Programme, I realized that March symbolized the end of a number of things: the fiscal year, the end of certain TV programs or a change in hosts of such programs if they are continuing, and the end of a school year with the graduating class moving on to bigger and better things.

"San-gatsu no Yuki" by singer-songwriter Makihara talks on this final point where the seniors of high school are getting their diplomas and moving onto the next big stage in their lives. Of course, there are those who want to hold onto the good ol' days with their buddies so the song is a bittersweet one since time does march on and circumstances (and relationships) change. I've always appreciated the early songs by Mackey because of that gentle and rolling piano, and it's the sort of sound that I miss hearing nowadays.

"Kimi wa Dare to Shiawase na Akubi wo Shimasuka" was released in September 1991 and reached No. 3 on Oricon, going Platinum.

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