Hana*Hana -- Sayonara Daisuki na Hito（さよなら大好きな人）

A couple of nights ago, "Uta Kon"（うたコン）was presenting its usual mix of kayo and J-Pop. Actor/singer Kenji Ishimaru（石丸乾二）and former Kome Kome Club（米米ＣＬＵＢ）lead vocalist Tatsuya Ishii（石井竜也）started things off with their rendition of the beloved classic "Mata Au Hi Made" （また逢う日まで）on the grand stage in Osaka, but I was surprised to hear very little applause when they finished up. I mean, I got those "Thanks for that great round of indifference!" vibes.

But it wasn't that the audience was in a foul mood. There was simply no audience! Due to the government announcement earlier in the day that cultural events and sports activities were to not have any audiences to help contain the spread of COVID-19, "Uta Kon" took on a slightly more somber air as NHK followed the new protocol. It was basically a grander version of "Music Fair".

Although it was a good idea to value safety over entertainment, perhaps there were quite a few Hana*Hana（花＊花）fans who would have enjoyed seeing and hearing the duo perform for the first time on "Uta Kon".

Several months ago, my memory brought back Hana*Hana through their big hit "Aah, Yokatta" （あ～よかった）which was released in July 2000. Later in October, Izumi Kojima（こじまいづみ）and Makiko Ono（おのまきこ）introduced another single "Sayonara Daisuki na Hito" (Goodbye to the One I Love), a song that has become the ballad for farewells of any type. Originally, though, Kojima created the song as a tribute to her grandfather who had passed away when she was only 16, according to the J-Wiki article and the brief talk on "Uta Kon".

"Sayonara Daisuki na Hito" became Hana*Hana's biggest hit when it reached No. 6 on Oricon, eventually becoming the 62nd-ranked single for 2001. It's also included on the duo's 2nd album "2souls" which peaked at No. 2.