Japanese singers and bands

Some of my readers might know that I have been in love with Japan since I was a child - of course, this love also includes Japanese music, however, not the kind of Japanese music most people might have in mind. Today, I would like to share some of my favourite Japanese music videos with you.


Hikaru Utada - Sakura Drops
Hikaru is one of the best Japanese singers out there, I'd have to say. Her videos are also always very interesting and nice to watch.

My favourite video of her: Colours. She is gorgeous in this video and the lyrics are just great!

"The mirror reflects the illusion of a spirit.

Unnoticed, it picks up speed.

It is said that it's okay to go anywhere.

A broken wish makes everything all grey.

Tonight, a flame flickers and you draw your dream.

Isn't the tip of your brush thirsty?

If there's no blue sky unfold your blue umbrella.

Isn't that good? The canvas is all yours.

That time I that I gave up, I only held a white flag over my head.

Now it's a deep red, like it's inviting the matador [bullfighter]

A fluorescent light in which all colors are faded.

On top of a black and white chessboard, I met you.

In such a short time we grew close.

Do you remember one month from then?

It was good to just watch the setting sun and the orange sky with you.

Even though, an opening is the origin of disaster.

The times that we pray for the dead, we wear black clothes.

A rouge footprint purposely leaves behined a deep red color.

If you say to yourself...

"You can draw only the pictures that don't have dreams."

Keep drawing on that canvas.

That time that I gave up, I only held a white flag over my head.

Now, you don't know my true colors."

(translation from http://www.sweetslyrics.com/)

Another nice song, this time in English. "Apple and Cinnamon". It has some kind of addictive quality to it.

Koda Kumi - 1000 no kotoba & MAZE
Koda Kumi is one of my most favourite Japanese female singers. She's not just extremely good looking (in my opinion anyway) but she also sings very well and has a good mix of songs. I first heard her music when I was playing the game "Final Fantasy X-2". Here is the video in which she lends her singing voice to Yuna. This song is quite sad, esp. in the context of the game - you might want to look up the translation if you feel like it. It's also just a very beautiful video - even if you don't really know the story of the game.

Her song MAZE is another song I like very much, though it is very different from the other one.

Do As Infinity - Fukai Mori

I got to know about this band because of the anime "Inuyasha". They have very nice songs with good lyrics - but of course you won't understand much of them if you don't speak Japanese. Very nice videos as well! Fukai Mori is my favourite.  The first lines are translated as:

"I'm sure that the heart I left behind 

still lies hidden in the heart of the deep, deep forest.

Exhausted, without the strength to search 

people vanish into the infinite darkness."

Another song from the same band is "Shinjitsu no Uta"

Some more might follow sooner or later - there's still many singers I have not yet talked about (e.g. Gackt). 

Do you have any favourite Japanese music videos?