Song Introduction (Ano Hi ni Kaeritai)

Song Title: “Ano hi ni kaeritai” (Title Meaning: Those Were The Days)
Artist: Yumi Arai (currently: Yumi Matsutoya)
Lyrics and Composition: Yumi Arai (currently: Matsutoya)
Label: EMI Music Japan
Overview:

Released in October 1975 as her sixth single, the song was later included in her first best album “YUMING BRAND,” released in June 1976.
It became a major hit, selling over one million copies within three months of its release and reaching number one on the Oricon charts.

Source of Article:
・Anohi Ni Kaeritai – Wikipedia
・Yumi Matsutoya – Wikipedia

About the Song

This song was created as the theme song for the 1975 TV drama “Katei no Himitsu” (Family Secrets).

The lyrics depict the protagonist holding the pieces of a torn photo in their hands, which was torn when they parted ways with their lover.

In the photo, they can see a happy, smiling face that now seems irritatingly carefree and without worries.
Memories of the lover swirl like wind in the city at dusk, and the protagonist wishes to return to that day.

The song evokes bittersweet and sad memories of youth that many people can relate to.

Yumi Arai’s quiet and deeply moving voice stirs up nostalgia and a longing for the days one wishes to return to, awakening a quiet emotion in the heart, making it a masterpiece.

This song has been covered by many artists, and on this site, we feature covers by Junko Ohashi and Lisa Ono.

Song Video

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Artist Introduction (Yumi Matsutoya)

Artist: Yumi Matsutoya (Formerly: Yumi Arai)
Date of Birth: January 19, 1954
Place of Birth: Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan
Official Website: Yumi Matsutoya Official Website

Artist Trails

Yumi Matsutoya (Formerly: Yumi Arai) is a female singer-songwriter who has been active in the Japanese music scene since the 1970s.

Her music portrays the joys and sorrows of youth, the pleasures and pains of love, and resonates deeply with listeners.

She started playing the piano at the age of six, growing up in an environment where she was surrounded by music.
This early musical experience greatly influenced her later career.

During high school, she was strongly influenced by music such as pipe organ and Procol Harum.
She was also deeply impressed by the works of poets like Arthur Rimbaud and Jacques Prévert, which refined her artistic sensibilities.

In 1971, a demo tape she made as a high school senior attracted attention in the music industry, leading her to start her career as a composer at the age of 17.

She debuted in 1972 under the name Yumi Arai with the single “Henji wa Iranai,” but her early works did not receive much attention.

Her first album, “Hikouki Gumo,” released in 1973, gradually gained recognition, and her name started to become known.

The album’s title track “Hikōki Gumo” and the following year’s single “Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara” became hits and established themselves as her signature songs.

Her music had a unique world view, setting it apart from the folk and rock music of the time.

In 1975, the song “Ichigo Hakusho o Mō Ichido,” which she provided for the folk group BanBan, became a huge hit, and her own single “Ano Hi ni Kaeritai” also topped the Oricon charts in Japan.
This solidified Yumi Arai’s position as a leading singer-songwriter of the era.

In 1976, she married Masataka Matsutoya and changed her stage name to Yumi Matsutoya, continuing her musical activities.
After the name change, she faced a temporary slump, but her 1981 single “Mamotte Agetai” was a big hit, marking the start of her second wave of popularity.

Subsequently, her albums consistently topped the Oricon charts, and her popularity soared again.

Her 1988 album “Delight Slight Light KISS” sold 1.58 million copies, becoming her first album to rank number one in the annual album rankings.

Following this, her albums “LOVE WARS” (1989) and “Tengoku no Door” (1990) also consecutively topped the annual rankings, making her music representative of the so-called bubble era in Japan.

During this period, hit songs such as “Koibito ga Santa Claus,” “Shinju no Pierisu,” and “Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo” were born, and she also established a new style of concerts held in resort areas.

Her concerts were always innovative, featuring large-scale productions with elephants, fountains, and giant dragons, which became a talking point.

Even in the 1990s, her music remained popular.
In 1993, her single “Manatsu no Yo no Yume” became her first million-seller, followed by consecutive million-sellers “Hello, my friend” and “Haru yo, Koi” in 1994.

Her 1998 best-of album “Neue Musik” sold 3.8 million copies, becoming the biggest hit of her career.
In 1999, she held a concert titled “Shangri-La” in collaboration with a Russian circus team, and this grand project continued until 2007.

Even in the 2000s, she continued to revolutionize the Japanese music scene, influencing many people, and her music remains timeless, loved by many listeners.