Remembering Zard

Izumi Sakai’s artistry and impact

May 27 marks the anniversary of the death of a Japanese musician who is still fondly remembered. Izumi Sakai, better known as Zard, was the voice of a struggling generation.

In the early 1990s, the Japanese stock market crashed, which marked the beginning of the so-called “lost decade” of economic stagnation for the country.

In 1993 pop group Zard released the song Makenaide, which translates to something along the lines of “don’t lose”; encouraging people not to give up.