Today's song is 'Hanaya No Musume' ('A Young Lady Of A Florist's), one of the most popular songs of Fujifabric's.
There are two versions of the song - one in mini-album called 'A la Mode' released on 21st Jun 2003, and another one in 'A la Molto' released on 18th February 2004. Please enjoy listening to both versions and make a comparison! You will notice slight differences, especially sounds of keyboards.
The words by Komaki Doi written on the paper wrapper of the CD is a good expression of the song - "So Cool! Too much of fevered imagination!". The lyrics is full of unique imagination.
The song begins from the scene of 'me' on a tram at dusk.
Please let me introduce you that a tram is not so familiar with people in Yamanashi Prefecture as there has been no tram service since 1962 in my hometown. (Here is a photo of the tram called 'Boro-den' which used to run in the town. Minami Alps - Photo Magazine) Trams are popular public transportation, especially in Europe such as Germany, from the view of environmental issues, but not much appreciated in many provincial cities in Japan.
'I' am standing in a tram - nobody is aboard but 'I' am not sitting and looking outside. For the purpose of killing time, 'I' fall in love little bit with a lady in a florist's.
A florist is often ranked as one of the most popular prospective jobs among young children in Japan - as popular as chefs, child carers, and nurses. At a flower shop, same as the ones in other countires, mainly cut flowers are sold. But in Japan, the skills required for a florist is not only flower arrangement and a good taste of arrangement, and knowledge of plants, but also common rules of ceremonial occasions, such as a wedding and a funeral, and the Japanese art of flower arrangement. This is the reason why not many part-time job is offered at a florist's in Japan.
'she disappeared before long she is like a wild flower I have named her Sumire'
'Sumire' is a Japanese word for a violet in English (please refer to this information viola).
Violets are widely found not only in Japan, but in other countries in North Hemisphere, Australia, etc, and they are commonly known as wild flowers bloomed in spring for Japanese. They are pretty strong, so they live in mountains, in a town where humans live, and sometimes in a crack on a pavement in a city.
Violets are written in the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, Manyoshu, compiled some time after 759 AD. Yamabe No Akahito's poem writing on violets are well known.
In a song called 'Haru No Oagawa' (literally meaning 'A Spring Stream'), which is widely known in Japan since 1912, violets are one of the wild flowers in spring in the lyrics.
The common impression of violets for Japanese are 'pretty', 'little', 'pure'.
In a wedding held in early spring, spring wild flowers are embroidered on sleeves of Japanese black kimono for a bride appealing her innocence.
Violets are loved very much by Japanese as seen above.
In a next post, I will take a look at 'love' in the lyrics. 'Falling in love little bit with a lady in a florist's for killing time'. What does it mean!?
There are two words meaning 'love' in Japanese - 'koi' and 'ai'.
Enjoy listening to 'Hanaya No Musume' now!
This is the first Fujifabric's official music video shown on TV. Shimura kun said, "I'll never do this kind of acting video.".
You can see Takayuki Watanabe, the former drummer of Fujifabric. He is Shimura kun's closest friend from his hometown Fujiyoshida City. Shimura kun fighting with Watanabe kun, Kanazawa kun practicing Kendo stroke, Kato san suddenly appearing with a girl, Shimura kun being slapped on the face...
By the way, Yamauchi kun, the guitarist, had not yet joined the band at that time.
Enjoy!!
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