Ikusaburo Yamazaki brings warmth with ‘Niji’ from the album Harukakeru. The song is written by Hirotaka Nakagawa and Toshihiko Shinzawa, who also collaborate on the melody alongside Eisuke Kumon and Mitsuyasu Abe. The lyrics mix simple moments like a garden shovel soaking in rain with a hopeful tune.
Hirotaka Nakagawa writes about everyday scenes, from laundry drying in the breeze to a child’s postponed field trip. The line ‘La-la-la, a rainbow, a rainbow is stretching across the sky’ captures the shift from gloom to hope. The tune mirrors this change, with sunlight breaking through the clouds.
Niwa no shaberu ga ichinichi nureteThe garden shovel sat soaking all day,
Ame ga agatte kushami o hitotsuthe rain finally stops, and then a little sneeze,
Kumo ga nagarete hikari ga sashiteas clouds drift away and the sunlight breaks through,
Miagete mirebaif you just look up.
Rarara niji ga niji gaLa-la-la, a rainbow, a rainbow
Sora ni kakatteis stretching across the sky,
Kimi no kimi no kibun mo hareteand your, your heart’s clearing up too,
Kitto ashita wa ii tenkitomorrow’s gonna be a beautiful day.
Sentakumono ga ichinichi nureteThe laundry was out soaking all day,
Kaze ni fukarete kushami o hitotsucaught in the breeze, and then a little sneeze,
Kumo ga nagarete hikari ga sashiteas clouds drift away and the sunlight breaks through,
Miagete mirebaif you just look up.
Rarara niji ga niji gaLa-la-la, a rainbow, a rainbow
Sora ni kakatteis stretching across the sky,
Kimi no kimi no kibun mo hareteand your, your heart’s clearing up too,
Kitto ashita wa ii tenkitomorrow’s gonna be a beautiful day.
Ano ko no ensoku ichinichi nobiteThat kid’s field trip was pushed back another day,
Namida kawaite kushami o hitotsuthe tears have dried, and then a little sneeze,
Kumo ga nagarete hikari ga sashiteas clouds drift away and the sunlight breaks through,
Miagete mirebaif you just look up.
Rarara niji ga niji gaLa-la-la, a rainbow, a rainbow
Sora ni kakatteis stretching across the sky,
Kimi no kimi no kibun mo hareteand your, your heart’s clearing up too,
Kitto ashita wa ii tenkitomorrow’s gonna be a beautiful day.
Rarara niji ga niji gaLa-la-la, a rainbow, a rainbow
Sora ni kakatteis stretching across the sky,
Kimi no kimi no kibun mo hareteand your, your heart’s clearing up too,
Kitto ashita wa ii tenkitomorrow’s gonna be a beautiful day.
‘Niji’ lyrics are about finding hope in small moments. The song from Ikusaburo Yamazaki offers a touching reminder to look up and see the beauty ahead.
