Seiko Matsuda (Matsuda Seiko, 松田聖子, born Kamachi Noriko, 蒲池法子, on March 10,… Read Full Bio ↴Seiko Matsuda (Matsuda Seiko, 松田聖子, born Kamachi Noriko, 蒲池法子, on March 10, 1962) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter. Born in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, she rose to fame in 1980 as a teen idol, making her debut with the song "Hadashi no Kisetsu". Later in the same year, "Kaze wa Aki-iro" became the first of her 24 consecutive #1 hits in Japan.

Seiko used to hold the record for the most number 1 singles by a female singer until March 2006 when Ayumi Hamasaki's Startin' / Born To Be... reached number 1, making it her 26th single to top the charts. Nevertheless Seiko still holds the record of the most consecutive No.1 singles for a female artist, a record that she has been holding for two decades and not likely to be broken anytime soon (Ayumi has 23 consecutive number 1 singles as of July 2010).

Seiko is also on the Top 3 list of Most No.1 albums, Most Top 10 singles and Most Top 10 albums. Widely recognised as one of the most influential artists in J-pop history, HMV Japan ranked her No. 10 Top Japanese Artist of All Time, and No. 7 Top Singer of All Time. Her unusual staying power gives her the title of 'Forever Idol'.

Nobody in Japanese history (including royalty, politicians and sports stars) got more news coverage than Seiko. Controversial news about her personal life, as well as her resilient ability to bounce back from any scandals or set-backs, garnered extensive media attention.

She attempted to break into the North American market with an English-language, self-titled album in 1990. She scored a hit with "The Right Combination", a duet with boy band New Kids on the Block singer Donnie Wahlberg. Album sales were mediocre, however, and her follow-up Was it the Future failed to generate any significant sales.

Sony will be releasing a deluxe box set for Seiko in July 2006 that will set another record. This box set will contain 55 CDs, 860 songs costs 100,000 yen and has a play time of over 80 hours. It is definitely a tribute to Seiko's amazing music career.

Seiko still holds annual concerts, Christmas dinner shows and New Year's Eve Countdown shows. Despite of the high ticket price (her dinner show tickets are the most expensive among female artists), she always performs to a sold out crowd.

Married to actor Masaki Kanda from 1985 to 1997, she has a daughter, herself a singer, who performs under the name SAYAKA.

In addition to music, her career includes appearances in television, film, commercials, and radio. Two books of photos of Matsuda, and two books about her, have been published.

あの輝いた季節
松田聖子 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

あなたとつないだ指の
ぬくもりだけ抱きしめてた
会えない日々は優しい笑顔
心の中に描いた
想いならいつの日か
届くこと信じて
あなたと過ごした輝いた季節は
私の心に今もまだ息づいてるの

あなたのいない世界で
生きることはむずかしくて
思い出だけ見つめながら
過ぎてく時間(とき)を送った
偶然があるのなら
出会うこと願った
くちづけ目覚めたあの朝の光は
私の心に今もまだきらめいてるの

あなたと過ごした輝いた季節は
私の心に今もまだ息づいてるの

Overall Meaning

In 松田聖子's song あの輝いた季節, the singer is reminiscing about a past relationship with someone special, and how the memories of the time they spent together continue to live on in her heart. She longs for the warmth of holding hands with that person and cherishing the memories of the days they spent together. Even though they cannot be together physically anymore, the singer still feels the connection she had with the person and holds onto the hope that their feelings will eventually reach each other.

The second verse speaks to the singer's struggle of living in a world without the person she loves. She finds it difficult to go on without them, and spends time looking back on their memories. She wishes for a chance to meet them again and relive the happiness they once shared. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the lasting impact that the person had on the singer's life.

Line by Line Meaning

あなたとつないだ指の
I only held onto the warmth of the fingers we intertwined

ぬくもりだけ抱きしめてた
I embraced only the warmth

会えない日々は優しい笑顔
The days I couldn't meet you, I painted them with gentle smiles in my mind

心の中に描いた
I drew in my heart

想いならいつの日か
If it's my feelings, I believe they will reach you someday

届くこと信じて
I believe in it reaching you

あなたと過ごした輝いた季節は
The shining season I spent with you

私の心に今もまだ息づいてるの
Still alive in my heart even now

あなたのいない世界で
Living in a world without you

生きることはむずかしくて
It's difficult to keep living

思い出だけ見つめながら
While gazing only at memories