With sakura in bloom, a trio of dancing Pokémon give us a moment of beauty, something to smile about, and a Japanese language lesson.

If you’ve got even a passing interest in Japanese culture, odds are you’ve heard the song “Sakura Sakura.” It’s used as audio representation of Japan in countless documentaries and travelogues, and it even shows up in the NES Punch-Out!! video game.

Since sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossoms, the song is especially popular song in springtime, and that combination of timeless and timely appeal has inspired a troupe of three dancers to release a “Sakura Sakura” video.

Oh, and those dancers happen to be Pikachus.

Like the cherry blossoms themselves, there’s a bittersweet beauty to “Sakura Sakura,” and the Pikachus’ graceful movements are evocative of Nihon-buyo, classical Japanese dance, particularly in the arm movement of the lead dancer with a sakura accessory on her forehead.

However, these are Pikachus, and eventually their innate exuberance comes bubbling to the surface. Between verses, the beat picks up, some extra instruments get added to the arrangement, and the Pikachus’ steps show a burst of extra energy.

If you feel like not only dancing along, but singing along too, the lyrics to “Sakura Sakura” are:

Sakura sakura
(Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms)
No yama mo sato mo
(In the mountains, in the villages)
Miwatasu kagiri
(As far as I can see)
Kasumi ka kumo ka
(Is it the mist? Is it the clouds?)
Asahi ni niou
(I can smell them at the morning sun)
Sakura sakura
(Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms)
Hanazakari
(In full bloom)

Sakura sakura
(Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms)
Yayoi no sora wa
(In the spring sky)
Miwatasu kagiri
(As far as I can see)
Kasumi ka kumo ka
(Is it the mist? Is it the clouds?)
Nioi zo izuru
(Their scent comes to me)
Iza ya iza ya
(Come, come now!)
Mi ni yukan
(Let us go to see them)

With the cherry blossoms just starting to bloom in Tokyo, plenty of people will have “Sakura Sakura” playing in their heads over the next few weeks. Thanks for yet another dance and language lesson, Pikachus!

Source, images: YouTube/ポケモン Kids TV
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