Sakura “Cherry Blossoms”;Traditional Music of Japan, Classical Koto Music 日本の伝統音楽 – YouTube

Sakura “Cherry Blossoms” is a traditional folk song that originates from the country of Japan and sings about the country’s national flower: the cherry blossom, and it is sung to celebrate the national flower.  Its melody and text date back to nearly to Medieval times, and the song has been popular in Japan since at least the eighteenth century.  The melody is simple and well-known to Westerners from various commercial incarnations, even if they recognize it only as some generic far Eastern tune.  The melody is charming in its sweet melancholy and sense of innocence.  Its rising, opening phrases lead to a gentle but lovely fall, after which sonorities remain mired in lower ranges until the theme is heard again.