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This is a Sokyoku piece in the Uta mono style from the Yamada Ryű school . This piece was composed for koto by Yamada Kengyo .

History (from Tsuge Gen'ichi)
Sakarugari ('Cherry Viewing') was composed early in the nineteenth century at the zenith of Yamada Kengyo's career. With its exciting instrumental interludes, it is considered the most brilliant of Yamada's composition. This song is traditionally classified into the naka-yurushi ('intermediate diploma') category.

The text, written by a certain princess of the Echizen clan, describes a peaceful cherry blossom viewing excursion of nobles in past times.

Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)
Peacefully
The Second Month has come
Full upon us.
Mountains, far as the eye can see,
Enshrouded in mist;
The light green filament boughs
Of the willow weaving

A spring brocade
Unknown in the capital.
White clouds?
Blossoms?
Let us follow
The cherry blossoms,
Our hearts full
With anticipation.

Departing from the blue,
Geese fly back
To Koshiji
In the north
To their mates;
Their wings
Fragrant with blossoms,
They vanish in the clouds
Leaving a plaintive cry behind.

We halt for a moment,
Reluctant
That they should leave us.
Carriages in procession,
One after another
To view the first blossoms.
Those who have met
Those who have not met
All are friends of the blossoms.
Acquainted,
Unacquainted -
All sit together
Under the blossoms.
Heedless of passing time
We spend
The long spring days
In listless abandon.
The flowery sleeves
Of our long-loved robes
Are fragrant with cherry blossoms.
The fields, the hills -
Nor valley nor vale
Do the flowers
Not reach.
Tumbling
Down the mountain ledges,
A fall

Of one thousand streams
Like strands puppeted
By the Goddess of Spring.
Were there no falls
We would cross over
And cut the blossomed branches
Before the temple bell
Brings sunset.
Let the mists not hide the blossoms
Even if the wind blows.

Sakura Gari appears on the following albums:

Album	Shakuhachi	Koto	Shamisen
Sokyoku Jiuta Taikei 50  (Listen)		Nakanoshima Kin'ichi
Uehara Masaki - Number 2  (Listen)		Uehara Masaki II
Yamada - 01  (Listen)
Yamada Kengyo o Utao Disk 2  (Listen)