ASKA -- Asa wo Arigato (朝をありがとう)

What a nice picture.

One thing's for sure, I am NOT a morning person. I am not a fan of having to wake up early, by that I mean waking up before the sun is out, and my alertness and general productivity usually increase the higher the sun is up in the sky with the help of a cup of Joe or when it disappears below the horizon. However, I have to admit that there are some things that make me thankful for mornings. A prime example is breakfast - breakfast food appeals to me. Depending on the time of year, it can be much cooler than afternoons, and on some rare days, I would be able to write well.

So that brings me to the song I'm writing about today, ASKA's "Asa wo Arigato" (Thank you for the morning). Although I'm able to comprehend its title, most of the singer-songwriter's lyrics are still quite arcane to me as usual - too poetic, perhaps, and for one who hasn't yet learnt the language good and proper, it's difficult to decipher - but I think the main idea of it is to always be thankful for mornings as it's the start to a new day. 

The melody to "Asa wo Arigato" is a jaunty one with what I think is a bit of techno mixed into it, making it very appropriate for groggy mornings - I know from experience. What I enjoy most from it is the piano refrain, which at the start of the song I liken it to the sun rising and our main character getting out of bed, and then setting when hearing it when the song comes to a close.

"Asa wo Arigato" was released as a track in ASKA's latest album, "SCRAMBLE", from 2012. The album itself did well on the Oricon charts, peaking at 4th place. There's a picture book included too, and some of the photos show the guy in the midst of filming MVs for a couple of tunes that are in the album. The one that you see at the top of the article is one from the making of the MV of "Asa wo Arigato"... I suppose if you're lucky to have the view of the sun rising over the metropolitan cityscape as seen in the video, it wouldn't make waking up early that much of a chore.