Skip to main content

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?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kenny Wizz vs Navi vs Ben - Can there be only one #1 Michael Jackson tribute artist?

Last night, I have been to a place called Stevenage to watch a Michael Jackson tribute artist called Ben . He was one of only two UK tribute artists I found interesting and promising enough to spend money on a ticket, transport, and accommodation (it's too difficult to travel back home with public transport at night). Now that I have seen three different Michael Jackson tribute artists in person, I would like to write about what they have in common, what made each of them stand out, and then answer the question: Is there really a number one? Did one of the two UK tributes manage to do something Kenny did not do? If you have read my old writings about Kenny, you know that he's very special (at least to me). I will have a look at their looks, their energy during the performance, the song selection, the costumes, the singing (or lack of it), the moves, the band & the dancers, the overall feel of the concert, and the meet & greet after the shows. In

Seeking and finding motivation - It needs to come from within

I have known for a long time that motivation is something that needs to come from within yourself. At least genuine motivation needs to come from within your own soul - it is the only kind of motivation that will last. Even though I have known this, I found (and still find) it very hard to keep myself motivated, to keep the spark within alive, to not let the world and the people in it kill my dreams. As a writer, I also read a lot. Most books are dedicated to other people, or have some sort of acknowledgment page where authors thank people who support them, people who keep them going, people who motivate them, and so on. For a very long time, I have wished I would have people I could use for these pages. I was wondering whom I would dedicate my books to, whom I would thank. But I could only ever think of fictional and/or famous characters. In real life, there is nobody who supports me with my writing and shows a genuine interest in my ideas or progress (of which there isn't that

Why work harder when there's no reward at all?

I am rather demotivated at the moment. Why work harder than other people if other people in the end get more for less work? Two volunteers who work a lot less than I do (also as a volunteer) get taken to see a castle this weekend, while I have to work. One of those two is being taken to the second castle. He's been taken on a day trip before. While I have been here since November and haven't been taken anywhere once. Usually, volunteers work five hours a day. But because I am really committed to the animals, I usually work six hours, often seven or eight (as a volunteer, so it's not like I get any money for extra hours). So I work more, but get less in return. How is that fair? It's just my life. I often put in so much effort into things, but get nothing in return. I feel like giving up. Why be reliable and hard working if it's just taken for granted? Why put in more effort when people who slack get all the rewards and extra attention?