Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni
1989 Song by Hibari Misora
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni" (川の流れのように; "Like the Flow of the River") is song recorded by Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora, released on January 11, 1989.[1] It was the last single that Misora released as she died soon after its release in June 1989. It was composed by Akira Mitake, with lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto.[2]
| "Kawa no Nagare no yō ni (川の流れのように)" | |
|---|---|
Single cover | |
| Single by Hibari Misora | |
| Language | Japanese |
| Released | January 11, 1989 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 4:54 |
| Label | Nippon Columbia |
| Songwriter | Yasushi Akimoto |
| Composer | Akira Mitake |
| Audio | |
| Kawa no Nagare no yō ni "川の流れのように" on YouTube | |
Regarded as one of the most influential songs in Japan, "Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni" was voted the greatest Japanese song of all time during a national poll in 1997 by NHK,[3] with more than 10 million votes.
Reception
Covers
It is also covered by various singers, including Teresa Teng, The Three Tenors, Masami Okui[6] and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.[3][7][8]
Legacy
"Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni" inspired the Kawa model used in occupational therapy.[9] In 2023, the Korea Federation of Copyright Societies inducted the song into the Korea World Music Culture Hall of Fame.[10]
In May 2026, 36 years after the initial release of the song, Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni was awarded the Silver Award for the second-highest earned royalties during the musical year 2025 at the JASRAC Awards. According to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, the song garnered new success after being used in a Suntory advertisement.[11][12]
Charts
Literature
- Tomonori Shiba (2021), 平成のヒット曲 ((Heisei no hitto-kyoku, „Heisei-Hits“)), 新潮新書 Shinchō shinsho, 929 (in Japanese), Shinjuku: Shinchōsha, 18–26, ISBN 978-4-10-610929-4
