ZARD and Sakai Izumi are the best symbol for my childhood memory with Japanese Culture.
ZARD
Zard (ザード, Zādo) were a Japanese pop rock group. Originally a group of five members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai as its only constant member. Zard’s work was sold under the record label B-Gram Records, Inc. Their most popular and successful songs are “Makenaide” (1993) (負けないで), “Yureru Omoi” (1993) (揺れる想い), and “My Friend” (1996). As of 2014, Zard has sold over 37 million records, making them one of the best-selling music artists in Japan.
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Sakai Izumi
Sachiko Kamachi (蒲池 幸子, Kamachi Sachiko, February 6, 1967 – May 27, 2007), known professionally as Izumi Sakai (坂井 泉水, Sakai Izumi), was a female Japanese pop singer, songwriter, and member of the group Zard. As Sakai was the only member who stayed in the group while others joined and left regularly, Zard and Sakai may be referred to interchangeably. She was the best-selling female recording artist of the 1990s and has sold over 37 million copies of sales, making her one of the best-selling music artists in Japan of all time.
