On June 15, 1963, Kyu Sakamoto accomplished something never achieved before or since when he earned a #1 hit on the American pop charts with a song sung entirely in Japanese—a song originally written and recorded under the title “Ue O Muite Aruk?.” This was not the title under which it climbed the U.S. pop charts, however. Instead of a faithfully translated title like “I Look Up When I Walk,” Sakamoto’s ballad was called, for no particular reason:  

“Sukiyaki.”

Az első, és eddig egyetlen japán dal, ami Amerikában a slágerlista élére került, és világszerte ismert lett!


Az eredeti, és néhány jellegzetes feldolgozás:

Kyu Sakamoto (English Translation and Lyrics)
 Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
 A taste of honey - Sukiyaki (classic) 1981
 4 P.M. - Sukiyaki (Live)

Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh - La Di Da Di (Full Version): felidéz egy részletet a dalból.