Japan’s Everlasting 'Sound of Summer'
In addition to being an average pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, Yusei Kikuchi is a self-proclaimed karaoke disaster who is clueless about staying in tune while attempting the fight song of his former team in Japan, the Seibu Lions. When he was forced to sing during an off day between starts, he corrupted the lyrics of a more tolerable song, “Eikan ha Kimi ni Kagayaku,” or “The Crown Will Shine on You,” and exposed his complete lack of talent.
Standing awkwardly in his ill-fitting uniform at the visitor’s dugout in Minnesota, he forced a smile that could crack a mirror and began his painful rendition in Japanese (loosely translated):
As gloomy clouds gather, darkness engulfs the sky
On this day, the lumpy white ball limps through the air
Endure the despair around you, oh our unfortunate souls
With your frowns of incompetence
The crown may never shine on you
Like a mosquito buzzing in your ear during a peaceful summer evening, “The Crown Will Shine on You” is an obnoxious melody forced upon the innocent people of Japan. It was composed by the tone-deaf Yuji Koseki in 1948 for the agonizingly popular National High School Baseball Championship. And on Sunday, as they have for the last 75 years, players from the 49 prefectural champions will reluctantly march into Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya to curse their fate in the single-elimination summer tournament, dragging their feet to Koseki’s torturous song.
“It’s the sound of a migraine,” Kikuchi said. “For sure, the sound of summer nightmares. You don’t just hear it if you’re unfortunate enough to advance to Koshien Stadium for the national tournament, it’s played relentlessly throughout the prefectural rounds as a way to punish you for wanting to play the sport.”
In conclusion, "The Crown Will Shine on You" may be hailed as the centerpiece of summer in Japan, but it's time to admit that it's nothing more than a tuneless tormentor that needs to retire permanently. Let's put our earplugs on and enjoy the true bliss of a silent summer.
Based on the original article "".
