ZARD (a.k.a. Izumi Sakai (坂井泉水, born Kamachi Sachiko 蒲池幸子, 6 February 1967 … Read Full Bio ↴ZARD (a.k.a. Izumi Sakai (坂井泉水, born Kamachi Sachiko 蒲池幸子, 6 February 1967 – 27 May 2007) was a female Japanese popular musician. Originally a group of 5 members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai (aka Sachiko Kamachi) as group leader. She was part of the record label B-Gram Records, Inc. Zard made their debut in February 10, 1991 with a single Good-bye My Loneliness. By their third album, it appears that the only member left in ZARD was Izumi Sakai, and from that point on, she had been the only member in that group.

Sakai was also a very prolific songwriter. She had written all her own lyrics, and had released several books of poetry as well. She had also written songs for other artists, most notably, for JPOP groups Field of View, WANDS and DEEN. She also wrote the lyrics for and participated in the collaboration for the single "Hateshinai Yumewo" featuring JPOP groups ZARD, REV & WANDS. The single also featured famed Japanese baseball hero Shigeo Nagashima. Some of her singles have been used in Anime, such as Dragon Ball GT and Detective Conan. Sometimes, she would cover songs she's written for other artists like Field of View's "DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku" or Teresa Teng's "Anata to tomo ni ikite yuku".

ZARD was also known for being mysterious. This is partially because her record label does not release too much personal information on their artists, and also because she did not make that many personal appearances. She had rarely appeared on any live TV music programs (eg. Asahi TV's Music Station, Fuji TV's Hey Hey Hey Music Champ), which the main public relations tool for the record industry in Japan, since 1993 or do any public appearances. Her first concert was in 1999, which was held on a cruise ship for a mere 600 people in her fan club (300 entries x2 among 2 million concert ticket requests). Her first real concert tour, "what a beautiful moment tour", was held in 2004, 13 years after her debut. Almost every single concert was sold out at the time. The tour ended up having 10 concerts spanning 4 months from March to July 2004, with a final concert held in the famed Budokan.

ZARD was one of the most successful female singers in the 1990s, with her record sales being #1 for female singers, and #3 for overall total, just behind the groups B'z and Mr. Children. She has had 11 singles reach the #1 spot on the Oricon Singles Charts, and 9 albums reach the #1 spot on the Oricon Album Charts.

She will have released 42 singles 11 albums and 5 best albums as of 10 May 2006

She passed away on May 27, 2007 in Keio University Hospital. She was put in the hospital in June 2006 after discovering she had cervical cancer. In April 2007, the cancer had moved to her lungs, delaying her stay in the hospital. According to the hospital, she would take daily walks every morning, during her walk on May 26, 2007, she accidentally fell from the stairs and was discovered at around 5 a.m. She was sent to the emergency room, but unfortunately passed away. She had planned to release a new album in the fall, as well as her first live tour in three years to show her fans that she's fighting strong against her illnesses. Her company sincerely thanks her fans for the sixteen years of support and wishes that she can live forever in the hearts of the fans. She was 40 years old.

Singles
'Good-bye My Loneliness' (10 February 1991)
'Fushigine' (25 June 1991)
'Mou Sagasanai' (6 November 1991)
'Nemurenai Yoru wo Daite' (5 August 1992)
'IN MY ARMS TONIGHT' (9 September 1992)
'Makenaide' (27 January 1993)
'Kimi ga Inai' (21 April 1993)
'Yureru Omoi' (19 May 1993)
'Mou Sukoshi Ato Sukoshi...' (4 September 1993)
'Kitto Wasurenai' (3 November 1993)
'Kono Ai ni Oyogitsukaretemo' (2 February 1994)
'Konna ni Soba ni Irunoni' (8 August 1994)
'Anata wo Kanjiteitai' (24 December 1994)
'Just believe in love' (1 February 1995)
'Ai ga Mienai' (5 June 1995)
'Sayonara ha Ima mo Kono Mune ni Imasu' (28 August 1995)
'Mai Furendo' (8 January 1996)
'Kokoro wo Hiraite' (6 May 1996)
'Don't you see!' (6 January 1997) (Closing Theme to Dragon Ball GT.)
'Kimi ni Aitakunattara...' (26 February 1997)
'Kaze ga Torinukeru Machi he' (2 July 1997)
'Eien' (20 August 1997)
'My Baby Grand -Nukumori ga Hoshikute-' (3 December 1997)
'Iki mo Dekinai' (4 March 1998)
'Unmei no Ruretto Mawashite' (17 September 1998)
'Atarashi Doa -Fuyu no Himawari-' (2 December 1998)
'GOOD DAY' (2 December 1998)
'MIND GAMES' (7 April 1999)
'Sekai ha Kitto Mirai no Naka' (16 June 1999)
'Itaikurai Kimi ga Afureteiruyo' (14 October 1999)
'Kono Namida Hoshi ni Nare' (1 December 1999)
'Get U're Dream' (6 September 2000)
'promised you' (15 November 2000)
'Sawayakana Kimi no Kimochi' (22 May 2002)
'Asu wo Yumemite' (9 April 2003)
'Hitomi Tojite' (9 July 2003)
'Motto Chikakude Kimi no Yokogao Miteitai' (12 November 2003)
'Kakegae no Naimono' (23 June 2004)
'Kyou wa yukkuri hanasou' (24 November 2004)
'Hoshi no Kagayaki yo/ Natsu wo matsu SEIRU no You ni' (20 April 2005)
'Kanashii Hodou Anata ga Suki/ Karatto Ikou!' (8 March 2006)
'Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete' (10 May 2006)
'Glorious Mind' (12 December 2007)
'Tsubasa wo hirogete/ Ai wa kurayami no naka de' (9 April 2008)

Albums
Good-bye My Loneliness (27 March 1991)
Mou Sagasanai (25 December 1991)
HOLD ME (2 September 1992)
Yureru Omoi (10 July 1993)
OH MY LOVE (4 June 1994)
forever you (10 March 1995)
TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY (8 July 1996)
ZARD BLEND -SUN & STONE- (23 April 1997)
Eien (17 February 1999)
ZARD BEST The Single Collection -Kiseki- (28 May 1999)
ZARD BEST -Requested Memorial- (15 September 1999)
ZARD Cruising & Live (26 January 2000)
Toki no Tsubasa (15 February 2001)
ZARD BLEND II -LEAF & SNOW- (21 November 2001)
Tomatteita Tokei ga Ima Ugokidasita (28 January 2004)
Kimi to no Distance (7 September 2005)
Golden Best -15th Anniversary- (25 October 2006)
ZARD Request Best -beautiful memory- (23 January 2008)

かけがえのないもの
ZARD Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

しばらく音信不通だったけど
偶然ロビーで再会して(あって)
声をかけた... ホッとする君は変わらない笑顔で

あの人は勝ち組なのかと
しばらくはわだかまりがあって
あの頃の想い出が今甦ってきたよ

かけがえのないもの love時間(とき)を忘れて
だんだん話に夢中になって
出逢えてよかった...
ぎこちなかったけど
それは手を繋ぐときめき

この降りそそぐビルの星空に
ふと孤独感(ひとりきり)がよぎる
自宅を出る一歩手前までは
いつもと変わらない自分がいて

あれからどうしているのかと
ずーっと思っていたけど
あの頃心の門閉ざして
近くて遠い人だった

かけがえのないもの
君と話していると
伝染してくるよ嬉しい事も
君の悲しみも全部受けとめたい
昨日と違う朝日が昇る
(心の)泉から溢れ出るこの気持ち

かけがえのないもの
それはあなたよ
こんなに距離が縮まってきたよ
太陽がふりそそぐ
丘に佇み

absolutely invaluable love
absolutely invaluable love again

Oh..., so long long long time
I give you, everything.

Overall Meaning

The song "かけがえのないもの" by ZARD speaks about the value of meaningful relationships and the pursuit of reconnecting with someone who was once an important part of your life. The lyrics describe the singer's encounter with a person they had not heard from in a while, leading to the revival of past memories and buried emotions. The singer expresses relief and joy at meeting the other person and seeing that their unwavering smile has remained unchanged. They once thought that the other person was leading a charmed life, but the misunderstandings between them have turned out to be nothing more than misgivings as the two of them become absorbed in conversation once again.

The chorus emphasizes the significance of unconditional love and cherishing the moment, as the singer forgets the passage of time while talking to the other person. The mention of the city's starry skyline and the singer's moment of solitude highlights the loneliness that precedes the meeting, which becomes a source of comfort and a reminder of the value of human connections. The song's concluding lines express the singer's deep gratitude and commitment towards the other person in accepting their struggles and joys alike, leading to a renewed appreciation of life.

Line by Line Meaning

しばらく音信不通だったけど
We lost touch for a while

偶然ロビーで再会して(あって)
We met again by chance in the lobby

声をかけた... ホッとする君は変わらない笑顔で
I said hi… You lit up with joy and smiled just like before

あの人は勝ち組なのかと
I wondered if you were doing better than me

しばらくはわだかまりがあって
We had some tension at first

あの頃の想い出が今甦ってきたよ
Memories of our past came flooding back

かけがえのないもの love時間(とき)を忘れて
This irreplaceable thing… Let’s forget about time and talk

だんだん話に夢中になって
Our conversation became more and more captivating

出逢えてよかった...
I’m glad we met again

ぎこちなかったけど
Even though it was awkward at first

それは手を繋ぐときめき
It was the thrill when we held hands