Sakura folk song

"Sakura Sakura" (さくら さくら ?), also known as "Sakura", is a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of cherry blossom. Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate from ancient times, not from the Heian period or prior. It was first composed during the Edo period for children learning to play the koto.

Originally, the lyrics "Blooming cherry blossoms" were attached to the melody. The song has been popular since the Meiji period, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. It is often sung in international settings as a song representative of Japan.

Throughout the ages there have been many rearrangements of the song, but Michio Miyagi's rendition is often regarded to be the best of them all.[citation needed] 'Dream of the Cherry Blossoms' by Keiko Abe, a Japanese virtuoso percussionist, is a 5 minute long piece for marimba based on an improvisation on the tune of 'Sakura sakura', and has become one of the most played pieces in the marimba repertoire.

Also, Yukijiro Yokoh, a Japanese classical guitarist made an arrangement for the instrument. Which is, like Keiko Abe's version, a theme with variations in which he uses different guitar techniques to imitate the sound of the Koto.