Kono Machi

"Kono Machi"
Song by Chisato Moritaka
from the album Kokon Tozai
LanguageJapanese
English titleThis Town
ReleasedOctober 17, 1990 (1990-10-17)
Recorded1990
Genre
Length4:35
LabelWarner Pioneer
Composer(s)Hideo Saitō
Lyricist(s)Chisato Moritaka
Producer(s)Yukio Seto
Music videos
"Kono Machi" (Home Mix) on YouTube

"Kono Machi" (この街, lit. "This Town") is a song by Japanese singer/songwriter Chisato Moritaka, from her 1990 studio album Kokon Tozai. The lyrics were written by Moritaka and the music was composed by Hideo Saitō. The "Home Version" of the song was released as the double A-side of Moritaka's 1991 single "Benkyō no Uta". The song was used in a Glico Pocky commercial featuring Moritaka.[1][2]

Background

Moritaka wrote the song as an homage to her home town of Kumamoto; hence the use of the Kumamoto dialect in the lyrics. The song mentions the Tomari River (泊川, Tomarikawa), which is not in the Kumamoto Prefecture. During her 1998 Sava Sava tour, Moritaka explained that Tomari River is a reference to Tomari, Hokkaido, the hometown of songwriter and collaborator Yuichi Takahashi.[3][2]

The song introduced the "Kono Machi wave", with Moritaka directing the audience to raise their right arms in a clockwise motion with their index fingers pointing upwards before waving them left to right.[3] During the Kumamoto show of the Kono Machi Tour 2019, Kumamon made a guest appearance to do the "Kono Machi wave" with the crowd.[4]

Other versions

Aside from the album and Home Version mixes, a third version was included in the 1991 remix album The Moritaka.

Moritaka re-recorded the song and uploaded the video on her YouTube channel on November 1, 2013.[5] This version is also included in Moritaka's 2014 self-covers DVD album Love Vol. 6.[6]

Cute version

"Kono Machi"
Regular Edition cover
Single by Cute
from the album 8 Queen of J-pop
LanguageJapanese
English titleThis Town
B-side
  • "Kono Machi (Dance Groove Ver.)" (Regular)
  • "Ame" (Limited A, B)
  • "Hae Otoko" (Limited C, D)
ReleasedFebruary 6, 2013 (2013-02-06) (Japan)
Recorded2013
GenreJ-pop
LabelZetima
Composer(s)Hideo Saitō
Lyricist(s)Chisato Moritaka
Producer(s)Tsunku
Cute singles chronology
"Aitai Aitai Aitai na"
(2012) 		"Kono Machi"
(2013) 		"Crazy Kanzen na Otona"
(2013)
Music videos
"Kono Machi" on YouTube
"Maimi Yajima (Cute) "Ame" (Close-up Ver.)" on YouTube
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Billboard JapanFavorable[7]

The Japanese female idol group Cute released their cover of "Kono Machi" as their 20th major single on February 6, 2013.[8][9]

Background

The single was released in five versions: Regular Edition and Limited Editions A, B, C, and D. The Regular Edition and the limited edition B and D are CD-only. The limited editions A and C include a DVD and feature covers of other Moritaka songs. All the limited editions were shipped sealed and included a serial-numbered entry card for the lottery to win a ticket to one of the single's launch events.[10]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Chisato Moritaka.

Regular Edition

All music is composed by Hideo Saitō

CD
No.TitleArrangementLength
1."Kono Machi" ((この街, "This Town"))Shōichirō Hirata5:14
2."Kono Machi (Dance Groove Ver.)" (この街（Dance Groove Ver.）)Hirata3:53
3."Kono Machi (Instrumental)" (この街（Instrumental）)Hirata 

Limited Editions A, B

All music is composed by Hideo Saitō, except where indicated

CD
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
1."Kono Machi" (この街)SaitōHirata 
2."Ame" ((雨, "Rain") (Vocals: Maimi Yajima))Seiji MatsuuraYūsuke Itagaki 
3."Kono Machi (Instrumental)" (この街（Instrumental）)   
Limited Edition A DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Kono Machi (Another Ver.)" (この街（Another Edition）) 
2."Kono Machi (Close-up Ver.)" (この街（Close-up Ver.）) 

Limited Editions C, D

All music is composed by Hideo Saitō, except where indicated

CD
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
1."Kono Machi" (この街)   
2."Hae Otoko" ((ハエ男, "Fly Man"))Chisato MoritakaYoshimasa Fujisawa 
3."Kono Machi (Instrumental)" (この街（Instrumental）)   
Limited Edition C DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Kono Machi (Another Ver.)" (この街（Another Edition）) 
2."Kono Machi (5shot Ver.)" (この街（5shot Ver.）) 

Bonus

Sealed into all the limited editions:

  • Event ticket lottery card with a serial number

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Oricon Daily Singles Chart[11] 3
Oricon Weekly Singles Chart*[12][13] 4
Oricon Monthly Singles Chart[14] 17
Billboard Japan Hot 100[15] 12
Billboard Japan Hot 100 Airplay[16] 98
Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales[17] 4

* First week sales according to Oricon: 24,361 copies

References

  1. ^ "｢勉強の歌／この街｣(CT/CD)". Chisato Moritaka Official Website. Up-Front Group. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  2. ^ a b "熊本にいる人へも、熊本を離れた人へも 森高千里「この街」". NHK. 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  3. ^ a b "FAQ". Moritaka no Heya. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  4. ^ "森高千里、くまモンとの共演も果たした地元凱旋ライブ映像化". Yahoo! Japan. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  5. ^ Moritaka, Chisato (2013-11-01). 森高千里 『この街』 【セルフカヴァー】. YouTube. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  6. ^ "「デビュー25周年企画 森高千里 セルフカバーシリーズ "LOVE" Vol.6」". Chisato Moritaka Official Website. Up-Front Group. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  7. ^ Kan Tanahashi (2013). "°C－ｕｔｅ「この街」 | HotShotDiscs | Billboard JAPAN". Billboard Japan. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  8. ^ "°C-uteニューシングル「この街」は全曲森高千里カバー". Natalie. 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  9. ^ "新年のあいさつ＝°C‐ｕｔｅ編". Jiji Press. 2013-01-01. Archived from the original on 2015-12-11. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  10. ^ "【°C-ute 20thシングル発売決定のお知らせ】". Hello! Project. 2012-12-17. Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  11. ^ "2013年02月08日のCDシングルデイリーランキング（2013年02月08日付）" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2013-02-09. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
  12. ^ "CDシングル 週間ランキング-ORICON STYLE ランキング / 2013年02月04日〜2013年02月10日のCDシングル週間ランキング（2013年02月18日付）" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2013-02-13. Archived from the original on 2013-04-13. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  13. ^ "°C-uteが20作連続のTOP10入り、森高千里のカバー曲が初登場4位に。". Narinari.com (in Japanese). 2013-02-12. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
  14. ^ "CDシングル 月間ランキング-ORICON STYLE ランキング / 2013年02月のCDシングル月間ランキング（2013年02月度）" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
  15. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  16. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 2013-01-13. Archived from the original on 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  17. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
Chisato Moritaka
Cute