In June of 1963, Kyu Sakamoto's "Ue wo Muite Aruko" — better known as "Sukiyaki" overseas — became Japan's first, and only, No. 1 hit single in the United States.

Fifty years later, the song is still cherished at home (anyone using Tomobe Station in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, will know it as the departure melody on Platform 1), and its influence can be seen in the name of Japan's premier world music festival, Sukiyaki Meets the World.

Just as Sakamoto's song introduced Japanese popular music to the rest of the globe, Sukiyaki Meets the World aims to bring the world's music to Japan.