Izumi Kato -- Sakamichi（坂道）

 

Over five years ago, I wrote about Izumi Kato（加藤いづみ）, a singer whose voice I first heard in the main Tower Records in Shibuya and likened to Chisato Moritaka（森高千里）, although Kato's music tended toward more into the dreamy pop vein.

As I also mentioned, Kato's discography probably consists of songs that I would like to listen in a small but stylish café in one of the many neighbourhoods in Tokyo. One such song is her 9th single from March 1994, "Sakamichi" (The Street on the Hill).

I think there probably have been many kayo with that title or titles which contain that word of sakamichi since pop music was a thing in Japan. Obviously, Japan being a mountainous nation, hilly streets there are about as common as ants on an abandoned sugar cube, but I think pop culture has imbued those sloping roads with a certain amount of emotion whether it be wistful nostalgia or grand pride about seeing an overview of the ol' hometown.

In Kato's "Sakamichi", I believe it's the former. Ken Takahashi（高橋研）wrote and composed this sweet ballad about a woman returning to her hometown and taking a walk on one of those hilly streets. As she does so, she sees the street where a former flame used to live and starts reminiscing about the past romance (and perhaps regretting the breakup). From the mention of trams in the lyrics, I wonder if Takahashi had written them specifically for Kato since she was born and raised in the city of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture, a place where trams do exist. To add to the tenderness is some poignant piano and a cello.

"Sakamichi" was also included in Kato's 4th album "skinny" which came out a couple of months after the single. In my time in Gunma, my town of Tsukiyono (now part of Minakami City) was in a rather hilly area as a hub point for the number of ski resorts in the region. I didn't particularly catch the feelings associated with a hilly street back then but if I ever do return to Tsukiyono, I will appreciate the sentiment far more now since time has flown at the speed of a starship.