SAKURAドロップス [SAKURA Doroppusu]
宇多田ヒカル [UTADA Hikaru]
Words & Music : 宇多田ヒカル [UTADA Hikaru]
“Sakura Drops” is one of the songs from Hikaru Utada‘s 11th single, released in May 2002. It is a song related to Japan’s symbolic flower, “sakura” (=cherry blossoms).
The explanation of the title will be provided at the end.
恋をして 終わりを告げ
koi o shite owari o tsuge
誓うことは: これが最後のHeartbreak
chikau koto wa: kore ga saigo no Heartbreak
桜さえ風の中で揺れて
sakura sae kaze no naka de yurete
やがて花を咲かすよ
yagate hana o sakasu yo
- 恋 （こい）[koi] : love
- 終わり （おわり）[owari] : end
- 告げる（つげる） [tsugeru] : tell, announce
- 誓う（ちかう） [chikau] : vow
- これ [kore] : this
- 最後（さいご） [saigo] : last
- 桜 （さくら）[sakura] : cherry blossom
- 風（かぜ） [kaze] : wind
- 揺れる（ゆれる） [yureru] : sway
- やがて [yagate] : eventually
- 花（はな） [hana] : flower
- 咲かす（さかす） [sakasu] : bloom
(translation) “Falling in love, bringing it to an end,
The vow is: this will be the last heartbreak.
Even the cherry blossoms sway in the wind,
And eventually, they bloom again.”
降り出した夏の雨が
furidashita natsu no ame ga
涙の横を通った すーっと
namida no yoko o tōtta sūtto
思い出とダブる映像
omoide to daburu eizō
秋のドラマ再放送
aki no dorama saihōsō
- 降り出す（ふりだす） [furidasu] : start raining
- 夏（なつ） [natsu] : summer
- 雨（あめ） [ame] : rain
- 涙（なみだ） [namida] : tears
- 横（よこ） [yoko] : side
- 通る（とおる） [tōru] : pass
- すうっと [sūtto] : smoothly (onomatopoeia)
- 思い出（おもいで） [omoide] : memories
- ダブる （だぶる）[daburu] : overlap
- 映像（えいぞう） [eizō] : images
- 秋（あき） [aki] : autumn
- ドラマ （どらま）[dorama] : drama
- 再放送（さいほうそう） [saihōsō] : rerun
(translation) “The summer rain that started falling,
Smoothly passed by my tears.
The images overlap with my memories,
Like the rerun of an autumn drama.”
“すうっと / sūtto” is an onomatopoeia representing something moving quickly and smoothly.
“ダブる / daburu” comes from the English word “double” and is used as a verb meaning to overlap.
どうして同じようなパンチ
dōshite onaji yō na panchi
何度もくらっちゃうんだ
nando mo kuracchau n da
それでもまた戦うんだろう
sore demo mata tatakau n darō
それが命の不思議
sore ga inochi no fushigi
- どうして [dōshite] : why
- 同じ（おなじ） [onaji] : same
- パンチ（ぱんち）[panchi] : punch
- 何度も（なんども） [nando mo] : many times
- くらう [kurau] : receive (a hit)
- それ [sore] : that
- でも [demo] : but
- また [mata] : again
- 戦う（たたかう） [tatakau] : fight
- だろう [darō] : probably
- 命（いのち） [inochi] : life
- 不思議（ふしぎ） [fushigi] : mystery
(translation) “Why do I keep getting hit by the same punches?
I’ll probably keep fighting again.
That’s the mystery of life.”
恋をして 全て捧げ
koi o shite subete sasage
願うことは: これが最後のHeartbreak
negau koto wa: kore ga saigo no Heartbreak
桜さえ時の中で揺れて
sakura sae toki no naka de yurete
やがて花を咲かすよ
yagate hana o sakasu yo
- 全て（すべて） [subete] : everything
- 捧げる（ささげる） [sasageru] : dedicate
- 願う（ねがう） [negau] : wish
- 時（とき） [toki] : time
(translation) “Falling in love, dedicating everything,
I wish: this will be the last heartbreak.
Even the cherry blossoms sway in time,
And eventually, they bloom again.”
繰り返す季節の中で
kurikaesu kisetsu no naka de
くつが擦り減ってく
kutsu ga surihetteku
- くり返す（くりかえす） [kurikaesu] : repeat
- 季節（きせつ） [kisetsu] : season
- くつ [kutsu] : shoes
- すり減る（すりへる） [surikeru] : wear down
(translation) “In the repeating seasons,
My shoes keep wearing down.”
もっと肩の力抜いて
motto kata no chikara nuite
過去はどこかにしまっておけ
kako wa doko ka ni shimatte oke
ここからそう遠くないだろう
koko kara sō tōkunai darō
観たこともない景色
mita koto mo nai keshiki
(translation) “Relax your shoulders more.
Put the past away somewhere.
It’s probably not far from here,
The scenery you’ve never seen before.”
止まらない胸の痛み超えて
tomaranai mune no itami koete
もっと君に近づきたいよ
motto kimi ni chikazukitai yo
一周りしては戻り
hito mawari shite wa modori
青い空をずっと手探り
aoi sora o zutto tesaguri
- 止まる（とまる） [tomaru] : stop
- 胸（むね） [mune] : chest
- 痛み（いたみ） [itami] : pain
- 超える（こえる） [koeru] : overcome
- 君（きみ） [kimi] : you
- 近づく（ちかづく） [chikazuku] : approach
- 戻る（もどる） [modoru] : return
- 青い（あおい） [aoi] : blue
- 空（そら） [sora] : sky
- ずっと [zutto] : forever
- 手探り（てさぐり） [tesaguri] : groping
(translation) “Overcoming the unstoppable pain in my chest,
I want to get closer to you.
I go around and come back,
Always groping through the blue sky.”
恋をして 終わりを告げ
koi o shite owari o tsuge
誓うことは: 今日が最初のgood day
chikau koto wa: kyō ga saisho no good day
桜まで風の中で揺れて
sakura made kaze no naka de yurete
そっと君に手を伸ばすよ
sotto kimi ni te o nobasu yo
- 最初（さいしょ） [saisho] : first
- そっと [sotto] : gently
- 手（て） [te] : hand
- 伸ばす（のばす） [nobasu] : stretch out
(translation) “Falling in love, bringing it to an end,
The vow is: today will be the first good day.
Even the cherry blossoms sway in the wind,
And gently, I’ll reach out my hand to you.”
好きで好きでどうしようもない
suki de suki de dōshiyō mo nai
それとこれとは関係ない
sore to kore to wa kankei nai
- 好き（すき） [suki] : love
- どうしようもない [dōshiyō mo nai] : helpless
- それ [sore] : that
- これ [kore] : this
- 関係ない（かんけいない） [kankei nai] : unrelated
(translation) “I love you so much, I can’t help it.
But that and this are unrelated.”
The title “SAKURAドロップス / Sakura Drops” was inspired by the name of a long-established candy called “サクマドロップス / Sakuma Drops.” This candy also appears in the Studio Ghibli anime film Grave of the Fireflies google.
That aside, “Sakura Drops” likely refers to falling cherry blossom petals. Perhaps it also carries the meaning of teardrops.
In Japanese, the expression “桜が散る / sakura ga chiru” (sakura fall) is used metaphorically to signify the end of something. Although it has a negative connotation, it is beautifully expressed. Cherry blossoms fall quickly, but that fleetingness is part of their beauty.
You might also want to check out Kimigayo (in contrast, a song about longevity) and Sakura Sakura (a joyful song about cherry blossoms).
This song was used as the theme song for the TV drama First Love. An English version was also used in Disney on Ice.
The music video was directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, who was married to Utada from 2002 for several years. It incorporates works by the famous traditional Japanese painter Jakuchū Itō wiki.
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