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The story of "Sukiyaki" is a perfect example of how Japanese popular culture can find a market in America, but as a novelty instead of as a serious cultural export, or at least as a respectable cultural export with credible staying power: Kyu Sakamoto hit number one June 15, 1963, with "Sukiyaki." (It replaced Leslie Gore's "It's My Party" at the top of the charts.)

Sakamoto, born in Kawasaki, started playing clubs while still in high school. He signed as a "boy-next-door" by a talent company in 1959, and recorded for Toshiba Records. By the time "Sukiyaki" was released in the U.S., he had 15 best-selling singles and eight albums in Japan, and had appeared in 10 movies.

Here's the story of how the song was called "Sukiyaki" in the West.

The song that made his reputation in America (though it would be difficult to find any American who remembers his name) was actually called "Ue O Muite Aruko," Louis Benjamin, the head of Britain's Pye Records (the label that would a few years later be the first to record The Who), was visiting Japan on business in 1962, and brought the song back for jazzman Kenny Ball to record.

For the simple - and condescending if not somewhat racist - reason that British radio DJs might find the Japanese title hard to pronounce, the song was renamed "Sukiyaki," one of the few Japanese words most Westerners were already familiar with. Unfortunately it didn't have anything to do with the original title or the sad story in the song, but perhaps that wasn't taken into consideration because it was intended to be recorded as a jazz instrumental, not in its original version. Newsweek magazine at the time described the situation thus: "It is like releasing 'Moon River' in Japan with the title 'Beef Stew.'"

Ball's instrumental "Sukiyaki" went to number 10 in England in January 1963. Meanwhile in America, a DJ for station KORD in Pasco, Washington, got hold of Sakamoto's original and found listeners liked the song. The regional airplay caught the attention of Capitol Records, which re-released it with the British title, again for the convenience of radio DJs and listeners who might buy the record. It was the first song sung in a foreign language to top the Top 100.

Country singer Clyde Beavers later recorded an English version, but his recording wasn't successful. A new generation of U.S. pop music fans know the song best from A Taste of Honey's 1981 release, which reached #3 on the charts with its silky, soulful translation.

Maybe Louis Benjamin did Ryu Sakamoto a favor by changing the name of the song to "Sukiyaki." It's possible that even though it's a great song, Westerners wouldn't have given it a chance if they had to stumble through its real title. But the choice of the new title was so arbitrary that it comes across as cavalier.

Unfortunately for Japanese pop culture, the language barrier still exists.

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