Ashita, Haru ga Kitara

"Ashita, Haru ga Kitara"
A woman wearing a red shirt holding her hand against her chin, against a white background. The words "MATSU TAKAKO" are written on top of the image.
Original 1997 8cm single cover
Single by Takako Matsu
from the album Sora no Kagami
B-side"Zutto... Iyō yo"
ReleasedMarch 21, 1997 (1997-03-21)
RecordedJanuary 1997[1][2]
GenreJ-pop[3]
Length4:21
LabelBMG Japan
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Daisuke Hinata
Takako Matsu singles chronology
"Ashita, Haru ga Kitara"
(1997) 		"I Stand Alone"
(1997)

"Ashita, Haru ga Kitara" (明日、春が来たら, "Tomorrow, If Spring Comes") is a song by Japanese entertainer Takako Matsu from her debut album, Sora no Kagami (1997). It was released on March 21, 1997, through BMG Japan as her debut single. The song was written by Yūji Sakamoto and Daisuke Hinata, while Hinata produced the song. Following the wrap-up of the drama Long Vacation, she decided to give singing a try upon the suggestion of one of its directors.

The track was recorded in Santa Monica, California, and is a mid-tempo J-pop song composed in the key of B minor. Its lyrics recite a young girl's memories of her love for a boy in her high school days. It has been praised by critics and associated with the onset of spring in Japan, having re-entered the airplay charts in Japan around that time, even years after its initial release. It has also been covered by many other artists like Namie Amuro, Masaharu Fukuyama, Ayumi Shibata, ClariS, and Hiromi Hirata. The single peaked at number 8 on the Oricon singles chart and spent 20 weeks in the top 20 of the chart. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments exceeding 400,000 copies.[4]

Ten years after its initial release, Matsu released a new version of the song titled "Ashita, Haru ga Kitara 97–07" in March 2007. The re-release contains updated lyrics reflecting changes in the artist's mind. By intermixing her vocals with her vocals from 10 years before, new version contrasts the two. The new version was featured on her album Cherish You (2007) and also on her compilation album Footsteps: 10th Anniversary Complete Best (2008). As of 2014, Matsu has performed the song on all of her concert tours as well as other events, including NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1997.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference zakzak1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference zakzak2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference rs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference RIAJ-jul1997 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).