One of the biggest smash hit songs of the year, bellowed in karaoke rooms across the nation, is "Ashita ga Arusa."
Not one but three artists recorded cover versions of the song. First came a rock version from the super-genki rock band Ulfuls, which has sold 700,000 copies to date since its February release. Then came the mass singalong by Re:Japan, made up of 11 popular comedians who star in the salaryman TV drama of the same name, and a light pop version, sung by former pop princess Chisato Moritaka.
In times darkened by an ailing economy, the song's optimistic chorus -- "There's always tomorrow" -- has obviously struck a chord with the populace. What might surprise many people, though, is that this salaryman anthem was first sung in the early 1960s by the late Kyu Sakamoto.