津軽海峡・冬景色 by 石川さゆり

"Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki" (津軽海峡・冬景色 Tsugaru Strait - Winter Scene) is the 15th single and signature song by Japanese singer Sayuri Ishikawa. The song is written by Yu Aku as lyricist and Takashi Miki (三木たかし) as composer and arranger. The song sold over 727,000 units.The single was released on 1 January 1977 by Nippon Columbia. Together with “Amagi-goe”, the song is Ishikawa's most popular from her career. The hit of this song resulted in Ishikawa's first nomination for the Nippon Record Taisho Award (Japan Record Award 日本レコード大賞) in 1977 but she did not win the award. In the same year, she appeared as a contestant to the annual NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the first time in her career. As of 2018, Ishikawa has sung Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki ten times at the NHK Kōhaku Uta gassen. Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki originally appeared as the song representing the month of December in Ishikawa's concept album titled Hana Kuyou –Sanbyaku Rokuju Go Nichi Koi Moyou and was not intended for single release. Prior to the release of the album, Ishikawa sang the song on stage at her recital in Osaka. This first presentation of the song received critical acclaim, which led to the song's subsequent release as a single in the following year.There is a monument commemorating the song at the Aomori Port in Aomori Prefecture alongside one of the retired Seikan Renraku-sen (青函連絡船) ferry ships Hakkoda-maru (八甲田丸), which is now converted into a Seikan Ferry museum. “Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki” is referred to as the Ryojo Sanbu-saku (旅情三部作 Itinerary Song Trilogy) together with “Noto Hanto” (能登半島) and “Danryu” (暖流), the two other songs written by Yu Aku and Takashi Miki and released as singles in the same year 1977.