Atarashii Gakko!! release their sweets tie-in song, appropriately titled “Sweet Memories”

Atarashii Gakko!! only released their fifth studio album From Tokyo with Love at the end of July. But we know the pace at which J-pop moves. So already they’re moving on with a brand new single, “Sweet Memories”.

I’m not sure if it’s an error on the metadata which has been submitted to DSPs, but the phonographic copyright for this single is not 88 Rising — as has been the case with Atarashiii Gakko’s previous releases. “Sweet Memories” appears to be released under Atarashiii Gakko’s own label / imprint, which is pretty huge if this turns out to be the case.

I’m a sucker for these types of songs.

Despite sounding ripe for the theme of an anime, a J-drama or a Sonic the Hedgehog game, “Sweet Memories” is a tie in with Bourbon’s Fettucine Gummi sweets — which explains the song title and why the first 20 seconds of the video is basically a commercial for the sweets.

Atarashii Gakko!! featuring Aina the End - Sweet Memories | Atarashiii Gakko

As soon as the video started I wanted to know where it was shot, because I like checking out retro, Showa-era looking-ass places in Japan. So shout-outs to whoever’s decision it was to list the location in the credits at the end of the video. “Sweet Memories” was shot in Joyful Minowa, which is a shopping street (or shotengai) in the Arakawa ward of Tokyo.

Unfortunately, many shotengai are dying due to a lack of business, rising rent costs and many of the local store owners being elderly. So, there are shotengai up and down the country which are like ghost towns. And this could well be the reason that Joyful Minowa was featured in the credits, in the hope it’d raise awareness of the location and draw fans to it. The shotengai that continue to thrive (or at least survive) tend to be the ones in hotspots — i.e., Shinsaibashi in Osaka, Ginryu in Tokyo or Osu in Nagoya. Not only do they benefit from always having high footfall from locals and tourists alike, but the stores are a healthy mix of independently owned / local businesses and chains.

Whenever I pass a shotengai and it’s not crazy busy, I’ll almost always walk through. They’re a cool clash of time periods and also cultures, as you’ll usually find non-Japanese folk with stores and restaurants there. I cannot think of a single time I walked through a shotengai and did not see non-Japanese owned restaurants and stores.

HENNYWAY.

This Atarashii Gakko! song and video are cute.