The soul’s cry woven into Japanese elegies: unraveling supreme masterpieces that resonate with the heart.
The world of Japanese laments that sublimate sorrow and wistfulness into beautiful melodies.
From the desolate scenes woven by RC Succession led by Kiyoshiro Imawano, to the soul-stirring poetic realm of Agata Morio, and even the transparent feelings sung by the VOCALOID GUMI.
Timeless masterpieces that have continued to stay close to people’s hearts speak of heartbreak, loneliness, farewells.
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They carry the cries of the soul felt in many moments of life.
Alongside vocals that quietly seep into the heart, they invite you into a deeply moving world.
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The soul’s cry embodied in Japanese elegies: Unraveling supreme masterpieces that resonate with the heart (41–50)
Ending themeamazarashi
An exquisite masterpiece ballad by the rock band amazarashi.
The lyrics read like a will—a final message—from a man facing death.
As he looks back on what has happened, he shares so much about what truly matters in life and his own understanding of the essence of happiness; you can’t help but be deeply moved.
The music video, crafted with a distinctive worldview to match the song’s concept, is also incredibly powerful and draws you in more and more as you watch.
By the time you realize it, this is a song that will likely have you in tears.
The soul’s cry woven into Japanese elegies: Unraveling supreme, heart-stirring masterpieces (51–60)
NautilusYorushika
Currently gaining popularity especially among young people, Yorushika.
“Nautilus” is the story of a girl who struggles to live through the darkness of life.
Two people chasing their dreams tried to walk together, but “you” disappeared.
I can’t forget, and I don’t want to forget.
This song stays close to the sorrow of losing someone precious.
It also portrays the depth and delicacy of love, making it a song that pierces the heart.
Only a single voicegood-for-nothing
With a heartrending voice and lyrics that resonate deeply, this song has struck a chord with many listeners.
It delicately portrays the struggles of living, inner conflicts, and the glimmers of love and hope we try to find within them.
Released in December 2021, it became a major talking point both in Japan and abroad, garnering over 55 million streams on Spotify.
It also reached No.
1 on Hong Kong’s Spotify Viral 50 chart, marking the highest position achieved by a Japanese artist and drawing further attention.
For those who want to express their true feelings but end up suppressing their emotions to keep harmony with others, this is a song that stands by your side and gives you courage.
willMika Nakashima
This is a famous song by Mika Nakashima, who paints beautiful scenes with her distinctive husky voice as her weapon.
It’s a grand, sentimental piece that lets you sink into the emotions, depicting the heart of someone who, like in their boyhood searching the sky for stars, was looking for something without knowing what it was, and then channeling that into the unfolding of a romance.
why,or why notKei Ōshima
It was Rekka Katakiri’s major-label debut song and was used as the ending theme for the TV anime Higurashi When They Cry.
The clear, beautiful melody and lyrics written entirely in English can only be described as exquisite.
If you’d like, please read the translation of the lyrics.
Then, with the feelings embedded in them in mind, listen to the song once more.
Sansho ElegyPrincess Kaguya
This is the B-side of the single Seishun, released when Kaguya-hime, led by Kosetsu Minami, debuted in 1971.
Sung in the first person, it conveys the feelings of a girl in a tragic situation who must sell herself to survive.
It’s a song characteristic of mid-Showa Japan, when a gloomy mood hung over the country as a backlash to the economic boom.
Lament of Lake BiwaTaro Shoji, Mitsuko Ogasawara
It is one of Taro Shoji’s signature songs, which he sang with Mitsuko Ogasawara in 1941.
It is said to have been written to commemorate a university student who died in a boating accident on Lake Biwa in April of the same year, but there is also a view that the timing merely happened to coincide with its release.