National Cherry Blossom Festival's video: 2020 Opening Ceremony: Naotato Moriyama

Naotaro Moriyama is a songwriter and J-pop singer who has appeared in numerous music scenes, TV programs and on radio programs since his debut in 2002. Mr. Moriyama’s lyrics represent his own distinct worldview that is firmly rooted in Japanese cultural tradition, and his clear and impressive singing voice along with his guitar techniques have attracted a wide range of fans, spanning generations. His second major single, “Sakura (Cherry Blossom)”, was a smash hit and has been considered by many Japanese to be the song most emblematic of the spring season in Japan, and remains extremely popular at karaoke and high school graduation ceremonies. Mr. Moriyama has been featured three times in NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen (NHK Red & White Year-End Song Festival), a prestigious music TV program with almost 70 years of history that is aired at New Year’s Eve by Japanese public broadcaster, NHK, both nationally and internationally. In recent years, he has been undertaking new challenges by writing for a wider range of music genres, such as anime theme songs, as well as creating a new style of music performance showcasing his own music. SAKURA Lyrics: Naotaro Moriyama, Kite Okachimachi I promise you I’ll be waiting for you Till the day that I can see you Once again You see the cherry blossoms blooming all around It’s time for us to say goodbye You stayed so strong even when the times were hard I remember you were there smiling for me When I was so close to giving up all my dreams You gave me hope to stand on my feet As I look around everything just fades away Whenever I close my eyes, I hear that song SAKURA SAKURA Now they are blooming all around Even though they know that sooner they are coming to the end Say goodbye, all my friends, and I see you once again I promise you that you will always be in my heart Hope I can say how I really feel inside All the things I tried to tell you way before I wanna cherish your future and your dreams With the words coming from my true heart The times are changing now The seasons come and go Sometimes I feel like the world is rushing us SAKURA SAKURA Now I see them falling down Just believing that someday they will be coming back to life Don’t you cry, all my friends, it’s time to say goodbye I wanna see you smiling once again oh SAKURA SAKURA Now I see them flying away See the sunlight shedding on them as they’re dancing in the air Say goodbye, all my friends I will see you once again right here Place where flowers keep blooming every year Place where flowers keep blooming every year Our place Producer : Masashi Kaneko Director : Yuuki Ishikawa Production Manager : Satoshi Furuya Assistant Producer : Mikuna Oouchi Cameraman : Masato Muroi, Eri Shiranita Sound Recording : Satoshi Furuya MA Mixer : Hiroaki Matsuoka Special Thanks : Gongendo Park Produced by Monkey Wrench