The actual title of this song was "Ue O Muite Arukou", which means "I Look Up When I Walk." This title was too difficult for English-speaking people to pronounce, so when the song was promoted in the USA, the title was arbitrarily changed to "Sukiyaki", a Japanese word easy to pronounce and familiar to most Americans. The song became very popular in the USA and was played extensively on radio stations when it was first introduced in 1963.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
|
ue o muite arukou |
I look up when I walk so the tears won't fall |
|
ue o muite arukou |
I look up when I walk, counting the stars with tearful eyes |
|
shiawase wa kumo no ueni |
Happiness lies beyond the clouds |
|
ue o muite arukou |
I look up when I walk so the tears won't fall |
|
(whistling) |
(whistling) |
|
omoidasu akinohi |
Remembering those happy autumn days |
|
kanashimi wa hosino kageni |
Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars |
|
ue o muite arukou |
I look up when I walk so the tears won't fall |
|
(whistling) |
(whistling) |