Anna Ecco -- Hokkaido

I've mentioned before in a past article that I did visit Sapporo on the northernmost island of Hokkaido over a decade ago. That was in June, and I did much appreciate the three days and two nights there just to get away from the pouring humidity in Tokyo. Plus, I still remember my first night when I was at one of the shops in Ramen Yokocho and had this huge bowl of the noodles with a "lid" made of five or six gigantic slabs of cha-siu pork; couldn't see the rest of the ramen without peeling open one of those slabs. It was most definitely a J-Canuck type of dish. This was during the time before I finally got a digital camera so unfortunately, I cannot upload anything here.

Another regret that I have regarding Sapporo is that I never got to travel up there during February when the annual snow festival is held. From what I've seen on TV, it's been quite the thing to see these huge works of art made from materials that will melt or vaporize. Well, perhaps someday I will finally get to see these statues of ice and snow in person.

Anyways, I would like the opportunity since we are on the topic to introduce USA-based singer-songwriter Anna Ecco and her haunting love letter to the great big island itself, "Hokkaido". She does sing the song in English (her lyrics are listed at YouTube under SHOW MORE) but she has also provided the Japanese lyrics via a translator as shown below. If she would be willing, I also invite her to make any comments as to what sparked her interest in writing about Hokkaido.

北海道 
しばらく会ってないけど、どうしてるかしら 
北海道 
しばらく会ってないけど、どうしているかしら 

知事に会ったら 
ご挨拶して、ぎゅっと握手を交わしたい 

こんなに美しい場所をありがとう 
おかげで私達はゆっくり癒されるの 

疲れた日にはあなたを思い出す 

北海道、北海道 
また遊びに来るね 


青い海、緑の森、輝く虹 
素朴な心地良さを教えてくれる大自然 

日本人にアイヌ、他にもたくさんの人が 
ウラジオストクから札幌へやってきた 

私の先祖もここまでたどり着いただろうか 
隅から隅までその痕跡を探す