"Sakura" is the 45th single by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on February 25, 2015 under their record label J Storm. "Sakura" was used as the theme song for the television drama Ouroborous, starring actors Toma Ikuta and Shun Oguri. The single was released in two editions: a first press/limited edition and a regular edition. The first press/limited edition contains the B-side "Rise and Shine" and the music video and making-of for "Sakura" while the regular edition contains two B-sides. The single sold 465,381 copies in its first week and topped the weekly Oricon Singles Chart. With over 520,000 copies sold, the single was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). The single placed 11th on Oricon's 2015 yearly singles ranking.
Single information The first press/limited edition contains the music video and making-of for "Sakura", the B-side "Rise and Shine" and its instrumental, and a 16-page lyrics booklet while the regular edition contains the B-sides "Onaji Sora no Shita de" and "more and more", and the instrumentals for all three tracks. The album jacket covers for both versions are different.
"Sakura" was used as the theme song for the television drama Ouroborous, starring actors Toma Ikuta and Shun Oguri. This marks the first time Arashi has provided a theme song for a drama that did not star one of its members.
Track listing
Chart performance The single debuted at number one on the Oricon daily singles chart selling 239,867 copies upon its release and selling 465,381 copies by the end of the week, topping the Oricon and Billboard Japan weekly singles charts. The single sold 30,490 copies in its second week and stayed in the top ten for three consecutive weeks. With 521,067 copies sold, the single placed 11th on Oricon's 2015 yearly singles ranking and third on Billboard Japan's top singles year-end list.
Charts and certifications
Charts Chart (2015)PeakpositionJapan Oricon single Daily Chart1Japan Oricon single Weekly Chart1Japan Oricon single Yearly Chart11Billboard Japan Hot 1001Billboard Japan Top Single Sales Year End3
Sales and certifications Country Provider Sales Certification Japan RIAJ 521,067 Double Platinum
Release history Country Release date Label Format Catalog Japan February 25, 2015 J Storm CD+DVD JACA-5451-5452 CD JACA-5453 South Korea March 18, 2015 S.M. Entertainment CD SMKJT0505 Taiwan March 20, 2015 Avex Asia CD+DVD JAJSG27064/A CD JAJSG27064
References
External links Sakura product information February 2015 Hard Copy Sales Certifications 2015 Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ)