Once again, the end of the year has arrived in the blink of an eye. As I look back on the many moments of this year, one that stands out is the hugely popular film Kokuhō. Have you seen it?

I’m someone who experiences films quite intensely and doesn’t do well watching them in a crowd, so I usually refrain from going to movie theaters. But this time, I really wanted to see it on the big screen, so for the first time in years, I went to the cinema.

My impression in a single word: Beautiful!
I found myself lingering in the afterglow of its dazzling scenes for quite a while.
Kabuki truly is a magnificent traditional art—something Japan can be proud to share with the world.

When I was in high school, we once went to see a Kabuki performance as part of a school trip. But I was far too young at the time, and I don’t remember anything about the performance itself. What a shame.

Years later, when I was chatting with my former classmates, I asked if anyone remembered that Kabuki outing.
That’s when… a rather shocking truth came to light.

Even after the scheduled start time, the performance didn’t begin, and—as you might expect from a group of high school girls—the chatter just wouldn’t stop. After some time, an actor appeared on stage and said,
“Because you will not stop talking, we cannot begin the performance!”
It turned into a serious scolding—and the speaker was a Living National Treasure.

The fact that I had completely erased this entire incident from my memory makes me truly ashamed. I sincerely apologize.
That said, being personally scolded by a Living National Treasure is actually an incredibly rare experience! (Even though I had forgotten all about it.)

Thank you for indulging me in this completely music-unrelated story at the very end of 2025.
Wishing you all a truly wonderful New Year.

It’s already September. And when I hear “September,” of course this song comes to mind—Earth, Wind & Fire’s September (1978).

Such a masterpiece, it feels like it plays all year round, and no matter when you listen, it always lifts your spirits.

I used to think of it as a refreshing song for the transition from summer to autumn, but then I was shocked to realize the lyrics are actually about remembering September 21st during the Christmas season in December!

The performance is dazzling—not only the incredible vocals but also the fun costumes. And the way the many band members appear even more numerous on screen makes the whole vibe lively and joyful. 🎶

This season, Sarawear’s theme is “A Parisienne Goes to New York.”

The collection is a joyful expression of Sarawear’s unique style, inspired by a Parisienne enjoying a shopping spree at vintage stores in New York.

In keeping with the theme of the collection, I’ve chosen this particular song from among the many iconic New York-themed tracks:

Elbow Bones & The Racketeers – “A Night in New York” (1983)

With its glamorous big band sound, charming vocals, and lovely melody, I’m absolutely smitten.

The dazzling world of nightclubs… I used to dance to this song at home, completely entranced.

It’s been a while since I last listened to it, but no matter how much time passes, it always lifts my spirits.

I’ve never been to New York, but I truly love this song!

March has arrived in the blink of an eye窶ｦ

As the days pass by so quickly, are you taking time to rest your mind, heart, and body? To everyone working hard窶杯hank you for all that you do.

I know it窶冱 not always easy to find time to sit down and listen to music, but I have a song recommendation that will help you unwind instantly. I discovered this beautiful track while editing the SarraWear Instagram page. With its gentle melody, soothing hand claps, and harmonious chorus, it窶冱 the perfect song to surrender yourself to and take a deep breath.

Kolektivo 窶 窶弃our Toi窶

Kolektivo is an international group of songwriters, musicians, and producers with incredibly diverse musical backgrounds. They create world music for use on digital platforms like Facebook (Instagram, Watch, Oculus), as well as for major record labels, films, and television.

I looked them up on YouTube and found more wonderful songs窶巴e sure to check them out!

This year’s summer weather has lasted a long time, and the end of the year is already here, even though we were talking about hot weather until recently.

 What was the year 2024 like for you?

 Looking back, many events come to mind.

 One of them was the Olympic Games in Paris. I am not good at sports and don’t know the rules of most of the events, but I enjoyed the success of the Japanese athletes.

 And I will never forget Celine Dion, who appeared at the finale of the opening ceremony. I couldn’t believe that it had been four years since she took a break from singing to recuperate, and her stunning voice brought tears to my eyes. This year’s grand finale will be Celine’s soulful “Hymn to Love”.

 Thank you very much for your continued support for this year’s music column.

 I hope you all have a wonderful New Year.

Lately, there have been several tributes to prominent figures in the music world, and while it feels lonely, it also brings me back to their music and fills me with gratitude for the incredible music they left us with.

Quincy Jones. When we think of Quincy, his song “Ai no Corrida” (1981) comes to mind, but I’ll set that aside for now. As a music producer, he worked for many years, and most notably, he brought together a group of unique, star musicians for the charity single “We Are the World” (1985) by USA for Africa, all within the limited time of a few hours—a well-known story.

Today, I chose a song from Michael Jackson’s album Off the Wall (1979), the first album Quincy produced for Michael. So cool! I wonder if the two of them are having a great reunion up there in heaven.

Sergio Mendes, a great Brazilian musician who was active for a long time since the 1960s and taught us many famous songs with his bossa nova covers, recently passed away.

Sergio Mendes is particularly famous for his Brazil 66 Mash Que Nada, and many of his songs are pleasant to listen to with Latin rhythms and a lovely chorus. I first heard it when I was probably around 18 years old.

This one! It woke me up to the fact that I like this kind of thing – ‼︎. Thank you for the wonderful music.

I had a hard time deciding which song to choose this time, but this is the one I’m in the mood for. This song, which means ‘sadness’ in Portuguese, has the subtitle ‘Goodbye Sadness’. It has also been sung by many artists, but the Brazil 66 version is lively and carnival-like from the start.

It’s a song that will cheer you up if you listen to it when you’re feeling down.

Françoise Hardy, a representative singer of French pop music who was active since the 1960s. Besides her musical career, she also showcased her talents in various fields such as appearing in movies and gracing magazine covers as a fashion model. However, she was originally a literary girl who loved solitude and was uncomfortable with the glamorous world. That melancholic charm seems to have been an innate part of her allure.

This time, I had a hard time choosing a song, but when it comes to Françoise Hardy, it has to be this song: “Comment te dire adieu”. Released in 1968 in France and 1973 in Japan, it became a huge hit. Interestingly, the original song is an English track titled “It Hurts to Say Goodbye”, with Serge Gainsbourg writing the French lyrics for the cover version. Additionally, the arrangement, full of melancholy from the intro, is wonderful.

In a past column (July 2020), I also introduced Hardy’s lonely and beautiful songs that perfectly suit this season. I would be delighted if you could look back at it.

Early summer has passed, and the rainy season is just around the corner. Before I realized it, hydrangeas of various kinds, though I’m not familiar with them, have started blooming along the roadside. They’re so pretty. I hope to enjoy the upcoming gloomy rainy season as if it were a special event.

So, even though the rainy season hasn’t started yet, I want to immerse myself in some rain songs.

“Love’s Theme” is a sweet song that begins and ends with the sound of rain, perfect for spending a serene and dreamy rainy day. It’s a 1972 hit by Love Unlimited, a female vocal group produced by singer-songwriter and producer Barry White. The repeated beautiful chorus and the pleasant sound of a phone dialing in the middle are delightful! And of course, Barry’s beautiful voice too!

In January, I was very shocked by the news that came out of the blue. The reason why I was so shocked is because I had seen her live on stage and felt selfishly close to her.

 It was a mini live performance at the 2018 Jiyugaoka Goddess Festival. After the shop closed, I put my closing duties on the back burner and headed straight for the venue. The square in front of Jiyugaoka station was filled with people, people, people. I never thought I would be able to see the great singer Aki Yashiro with my own eyes… and quite close to her.

 She performed several songs and the one that left the biggest impression on me was “Funauta” (1979).

 His unique husky voice, it was wonderful. I thought I was brazen enough to take a video, but… I didn’t press the start button, so I didn’t get a shot. But it was firmly etched in my mind’s eye and I will never forget it. Thank you very much.