A coming-of-age song that was a hit in the ’90s. A classic and popular track in Japanese music.
“SAY YES,” “Tomorrow never knows,” and “Nani mo Ienakute… Natsu”—
The youth songs of the ’90s hold treasured memories hidden in everyone’s heart.
The bittersweet love of CHAGE and ASKA, the hope for the future from Mr.Children, the summertime melancholy of THE JAYWALK.
It’s as if we’ve boarded a time machine, and those shining memories of back then come flooding back.
Shall we look back on that page of youth engraved in our hearts, together with those nostalgic songs?
Ah.
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Coming-of-age songs that were hits in the 90s. Classic and popular J-pop tracks (21–30)
Give it some guts!!Urufuruzu
A powerful song by Ulfuls.
It’s a perfect track for those fearless, headlong days of youth.
The positive lyrics and catchy melody and sound lift you up, encouraging you to push through with guts even when you feel like you’re about to lose or give up.
Love Story Comes SuddenlyOda Kazumasa
While it’s a classic love song, this track also evokes gently bittersweet, nostalgic days.
The lyrics “that day, that time, that place” pull up from deep within your heart the feelings of a youth spent swept up in love.
Youth songs that were hits in the ’90s. Classic and popular J-Pop tracks (31–40)
I want to take only you away just like this.DEEN
Romance in adulthood gets tangled up with various constraints and appearances.
But I feel that in my youth, I charged ahead with a straightforward heart, without overthinking.
This one song makes me feel as if it speaks on behalf of that pure, straightforward feeling.
Christmas EveYamashita Tatsuro
The Christmas song by Tatsuro Yamashita that needs no introduction.
His high, sultry voice adds color to the holiday season.
For many, it’s a song that brings back memories of Christmases from their youth.
A wonderful piece that has been sung and cherished for many years.
In the Sun and the DustCHAGE and ASKA
Released in January 1991, this is a single cut from the album SEE YA.
ASKA wrote and composed it with the desire to create an anthem to youth, expressing the struggles of young people chasing dreams and hopes through a dramatic melody.
It was used as the CM song for Nissin Cup Noodles Red Zone and as the ending theme for Fuji TV’s TIME3, reaching No.
3 on the Oricon weekly chart and selling over 500,000 copies.
Blending exhilaration with a touch of poignancy, this song will gently give you a push forward when you want to keep moving ahead despite hitting walls.
Boy in the WindHikaru GENJI
This is the 12th single released in February 1991 by Hikaru GENJI, the group that gained popularity with their style of singing and dancing on roller skates.
As the title suggests, the lyrics vividly depict the sparkle of a fleeting moment shining in the wind and the bittersweetness of youth.
It expresses the emotions of a boy torn between friendship and budding romance, set to a refreshing melody.
It reached No.
2 on the weekly Oricon chart and was also included on the album “(333) Thank You.” Taking a step beyond their early, high-speed performances, this work attempts a more emotionally rich expression, making it a song that showcases Hikaru GENJI’s growing maturity.
It’s a great pick when you want to revisit memories of your youth.
Goodbye, Summer DaysYamashita Tatsuro
Tatsuro Yamashita’s 21st single, released in May 1991, is a classic inspired by his own high school experience of being caught in a sudden shower at an amusement park pool and seeing a rainbow after the rain.
It beautifully captures the bittersweet feeling at summer’s end and the tender emotions of first love before adulthood.
The song was also used in a commercial for Dai-ichi Life and released as an advance single from the album “ARTISAN.” It reached No.
12 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and was certified Gold.
It’s a quintessential summer ballad recommended for those who want to relive their youthful memories or nostalgically revisit the delicate romances of those days.