is the 15th single by
Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements b ...
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
AKB48
AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...
; it was released on February 17, 2010.
The title track is a school graduation song. The song was used as the theme song to the AKB48-related drama ''
Majisuka Gakuen
(lit. "Majisuka Academy") is a Japanese television drama series about high school delinquents, starring members of idol group AKB48.
The first season aired in 2010 on TV Tokyo. A second season Majisuka Gakuen 2 was aired the following year.
Th ...
'', which stars
Atsuko Maeda
is a Japanese actress and singer. She is a former member of the idol girl group AKB48, and was one of the most prominent members in the group at the time, regarded as the group's "absolute ace", "immovable center", and the "Face of AKB." After ...
and many members from AKB48 and its sister groups.
In its first week, the song sold 318,000 copies - the biggest opening sales for a female group single since
Morning Musume
, formerly simply and colloquially referred to as , are a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles ...
's "
Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)" in July 2001. The song has been certified platinum for physical sales by the
RIAJ
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include p ...
.
Composition
The song is composed by Hiroshi Uesugi and written by Yasushi Akimoto.
It is sung with AKB48 members singing together in a school choir.
The song is a graduation song, with a theme of cherry blossoms.
Tie-in
"Sakura no Shiori" was used not only as the theme song for the drama ''
Majisuka Gakuen
(lit. "Majisuka Academy") is a Japanese television drama series about high school delinquents, starring members of idol group AKB48.
The first season aired in 2010 on TV Tokyo. A second season Majisuka Gakuen 2 was aired the following year.
Th ...
'', but also in commercials for Aoki and
Recochoku
is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi Hamasaki and internet sensation PikoTaro. It has also shifted into other bus ...
.
The B-side "Majisuka Rock 'n Roll" was used as the opening theme song for the same drama.
Track listing
Personnel
Sakura no Shiori
"Sakura no Shiori" was performed by the following members:
* Team A:
Haruna Kojima
is a Japanese actress, model, and former singer. From 2005 to 2017, she was a member of idol group AKB48 under Team A.
Career
Kojima was born in Urawa-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, and started her career as a member of Angel Eyes, an idol ...
,
Mariko Shinoda
is a Japanese singer, actress, fashion model, and former member of the Japanese idol group AKB48, in which she was the captain of Team A.
Career
In October 2005, she auditioned for AKB48's first generation roster but failed the audition. Short ...
,
Minami Takahashi
is a Japanese idol, singer, tarento and a former member of the Japanese girl idol group AKB48. She is in Team A of AKB48. She became the first of AKB48 and its sister groups. In an interview with Nippon Television in June 2010, AKB48 produc ...
,
Atsuko Maeda
is a Japanese actress and singer. She is a former member of the idol girl group AKB48, and was one of the most prominent members in the group at the time, regarded as the group's "absolute ace", "immovable center", and the "Face of AKB." After ...
,
Miho Miyazaki
* Team K:
Tomomi Itano
is a Japanese recording artist, songwriter, dancer, model, and actress. She is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In 2011 she debuted solo with a single titled " Dear J", which wa ...
,
Yuko Oshima
is a Japanese actress and former member of Japanese idol girl group AKB48, of which she was the captain of Team K. She was also a member of the AKB48 subunit Not Yet. In addition to the singles that involved the rock-paper-scissors tournaments ...
,
Sae Miyazawa
is a Japanese actress, television personality and former singer, signed under the entertainment agency Horipro. She is best known for her affiliations with AKB48 and its various sister- and subgroups. Between 2006 and 2016, she was a part of th ...
* Team B:
Mayu Watanabe
is a Japanese former idol, singer, actress, and former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 under Team B. In the annual AKB48 General Elections event, she had consistently been voted by fans to rank among the group's top members. She has ...
,
Rie Kitahara
is a Japanese singer and actress formerly associated with the Japanese idol girl group NGT48 and former member of AKB48 and SKE48. She debuted in 2008 in Team A and was later co-captain of Team K (2014). In March 2015, it was announced Kitahara wo ...
,
Yuki Kashiwagi
is a Japanese idol and singer. She is a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and a former member of NMB48 and NGT48. She auditioned for AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and is now a member of AKB48's Team B. She was previously the captain of T ...
* SKE48:
Jurina Matsui
is a Japanese TV personality, singer, actress, and YouTuber. She is a former member of Japanese idol girl group SKE48 and former concurrent member of AKB48 (in 2012–2015). She is recognized as SKE48's absolute "ace", having placed in the top ...
The center for the track was Atsuko Maeda.
Majisuka Rock 'n Roll
The song centred on Atsuko Maeda.
*Team A:
Haruna Kojima
is a Japanese actress, model, and former singer. From 2005 to 2017, she was a member of idol group AKB48 under Team A.
Career
Kojima was born in Urawa-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, and started her career as a member of Angel Eyes, an idol ...
,
Mariko Shinoda
is a Japanese singer, actress, fashion model, and former member of the Japanese idol group AKB48, in which she was the captain of Team A.
Career
In October 2005, she auditioned for AKB48's first generation roster but failed the audition. Short ...
,
Minami Takahashi
is a Japanese idol, singer, tarento and a former member of the Japanese girl idol group AKB48. She is in Team A of AKB48. She became the first of AKB48 and its sister groups. In an interview with Nippon Television in June 2010, AKB48 produc ...
,
Atsuko Maeda
is a Japanese actress and singer. She is a former member of the idol girl group AKB48, and was one of the most prominent members in the group at the time, regarded as the group's "absolute ace", "immovable center", and the "Face of AKB." After ...
.
*Team K:
Tomomi Itano
is a Japanese recording artist, songwriter, dancer, model, and actress. She is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In 2011 she debuted solo with a single titled " Dear J", which wa ...
,
Sayaka Akimoto
is a Filipino-Japanese actress and singer. She was a member of Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and its spin-off unit Diva.
As an actress, Akimoto has appeared in both Japanese and American productions, and made her Hollywood debut in '' Sniper: ...
,
Erena Ono
, is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She was in "Team K" and her talent agency was Ohta Production. She was also part of AKB48 subgroups "Honegumi from AKB48", "AKBIdoling !! " and "ICE from AKB48".
Career
Ono was born ...
,
Yuko Oshima
is a Japanese actress and former member of Japanese idol girl group AKB48, of which she was the captain of Team K. She was also a member of the AKB48 subunit Not Yet. In addition to the singles that involved the rock-paper-scissors tournaments ...
*Team B:
Yuki Kashiwagi
is a Japanese idol and singer. She is a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and a former member of NMB48 and NGT48. She auditioned for AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and is now a member of AKB48's Team B. She was previously the captain of T ...
,
Mayu Watanabe
is a Japanese former idol, singer, actress, and former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 under Team B. In the annual AKB48 General Elections event, she had consistently been voted by fans to rank among the group's top members. She has ...
Enkyori Poster
The unit of girls who sung this song performed under the name "Team Play-Boy." The song centred on Yuki Kashiwagi.
*Team A:
Aki Takajō
is a Japanese tarento who is a former member of the idol groups AKB48 and JKT48. She auditioned for AKB48's sixth generation and was promoted to member of Team A. Her talent agency is Is.Field (she was previously affiliated with Watanabe Produ ...
,
Aika Oota
, is a former member of the Japanese idol group HKT48, the captain of its Team KIV. She has also been a member of AKB48 and Watarirouka Hashiritai, and portrayed Kazue Kae in ''Tomie Unlimited
is a 2011 Japanese psychological-body horror film d ...
, Ami Maeda
*Team K:
Sae Miyazawa
is a Japanese actress, television personality and former singer, signed under the entertainment agency Horipro. She is best known for her affiliations with AKB48 and its various sister- and subgroups. Between 2006 and 2016, she was a part of th ...
, Moeno Nito
*Team B:
Yuki Kashiwagi
is a Japanese idol and singer. She is a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and a former member of NMB48 and NGT48. She auditioned for AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and is now a member of AKB48's Team B. She was previously the captain of T ...
,
Miho Miyazaki
Choose Me!
The unit of girls who sung this song performed under the name "Team Young Jump." The song centred on
Rie Kitahara
is a Japanese singer and actress formerly associated with the Japanese idol girl group NGT48 and former member of AKB48 and SKE48. She debuted in 2008 in Team A and was later co-captain of Team K (2014). In March 2015, it was announced Kitahara wo ...
.
*Team A:
Haruka Nakagawa
, is a Japanese media personality based in Indonesia. She is a former member of the Japanese idol group AKB48 and its sub-unit Watarirouka Hashiritai, as well as its Indonesian sister group JKT48, all produced by Yasushi Akimoto.
Career
At t ...
,
Rino Sashihara
is a Japanese tarento, singer, producer and actress. She is best known as a former member of idol groups HKT48, AKB48 and STU48, and was the theater manager for HKT48 and STU48. She was also a member of AKB48's unit Not Yet (band), Not Yet and i ...
,
Asuka Kuramochi
is a singer, actress, and a former member of the idol group AKB48 under Team K.
Career
2007
* On May 27, she passed AKB48 first trainee audition (AKB48 第一回研究生(4期生)オーディション).
2008
* On March 4, it was a ...
*Team K:
Minami Minegishi
is a Japanese singer and actress, represented by Production Ogi. She was a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48, and its subunit no3b. She is noted for having the longest tenure among the group's original members from 2005 to 2021.
Ca ...
,
Ayaka Kikuchi
*Team B:
Tomomi Kasai
is a Japanese singer, actress and a former member of the idol group AKB48, belonging to Team A. She had a recurring role on ''Kamen Rider W'' as Elizabeth, alongside group member Tomomi Itano. Together, they make up the sub-unit Queen & Elizab ...
,
Rie Kitahara
is a Japanese singer and actress formerly associated with the Japanese idol girl group NGT48 and former member of AKB48 and SKE48. She debuted in 2008 in Team A and was later co-captain of Team K (2014). In March 2015, it was announced Kitahara wo ...
Chart rankings
Reported sales
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakura No Shiori
Songs about school
AKB48 songs
2010 singles
Songs with lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto
Oricon Weekly number-one singles
Billboard Japan Hot 100 number-one singles
King Records (Japan) singles
2010 songs
Songs about cherry blossom
Japanese television drama theme songs