Up till now, 'Sukiyaki' is the only Japanese-language song to top the US Billboard chart. Its proper title is 'Ue O Muite Arukō"'('I shall walk looking up'), but the issuing label, Pye, felt it would be too difficult
for English-speaking folk to pronounce. Sukiyaki, a Japanese
food dish, has nothing to do with the meaning of the song.
'Sukiyaki' also got to number two in Australia, and six in the
UK, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide since its
release almost 50 years ago.
Sadly, Kyu was killed along with 519 other passengers and
crew on Japan Airlines Flight 123 (the second-biggest plane
crash in history) on 12th August 1985.
A Taste Of Honey's version was rewritten with (unrelated) English lyrics by member Janice Marie Johnson, on the understanding that she would receive no money or credit for doing so. It reached number three in the US, and 24 in Australia. Here they are on the much-missed Solid Gold.
4PM (which stands for 'For Positive Music')'s version, using Janice Marie Johnson's lyrics, was released in 1995. It got to number eight in the US, three in Australia and five in New Zealand.
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