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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Youth songs that were hits in the ’90s. Classic and popular Japanese songs (41–50)
EveOkui Masami
It’s a song that, when you listen to it at summer’s end, evokes a bittersweet resonance deep in your chest.
Sung by Masami Okui, the track takes Adam and Eve as its theme, portraying loneliness and the weight of a love that’s anything but straightforward.
Included on the album “Do-can,” released in September 1998, this piece is written and composed by Okui herself.
It’s one I’d especially recommend for quiet summer nights when you want to get lost in thought or immerse yourself in the song’s profound lyrical world.
Coming-of-age songs that were hits in the ’90s: Classic and popular J-pop tracks (51–60)
WOW WAR TONIGHT ~Sometimes You Gotta Start a Movement~H Jungle with T
It’s a compelling song that embodies the strength of its time and carries a timeless, universal message.
The single released in February 1995 by H Jungle with t, the unit formed by Masatoshi Hamada and Tetsuya Komuro, became a massive hit, selling over 2.13 million copies.
Filled with empathy and encouragement for people living in an era of stagnation, the piece is infused throughout with the will to keep looking forward and moving ahead even in difficult circumstances.
Amid hectic days and moments of confusion, it conveys a powerful desire to seek change, rally oneself, and take a step forward together with friends.
It’s a heartfelt anthem that gently supports those who feel worn out by society or who want to change something, resonating deeply as a song of encouragement.
LA LA LA Love SongKubota Toshinobu
It’s a sweet and heartrending love song that’s vivid enough to wake you up.
Like a carousel, it spins with ever-turning feelings of love, expressed through a catchy melody that lingers in your ears.
Beginning with the two taking shelter from the rain in the city, this sweet romance paints their memories with cinematic clarity and gently sings of their deepening love.
It’s a wonderful classic that leaves listeners with an impression of eternal romance.
Released as a single in May 1996, it drew attention as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Long Vacation.” As one of Toshinobu Kubota’s signature works, featuring Naomi Campbell, it’s a refined track with a strong R&B flavor.
Many listeners may find it brings back memories of their youth.
Broken RadioTokunaga Hideaki
Like music flowing from a nostalgic radio, a timeless song that seeps into the heart along with memories was created by Hideaki Tokunaga in July 1990.
The track, which overlays the feelings of a boy transitioning from adolescence to adulthood with the image of a broken radio, was used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Tokai no Mori” (“Urban Forest”) and reached No.
5 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
Featuring a grand arrangement by Ichizo Seo and beautifully harmonized with Tokunaga’s delicate vocals, the song artfully blends elements of pop and ballad into a moving piece.
It was also included on the album “JUSTICE” and performed at NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 2006 and 2009.
Conveying the transience and passion of youth, as well as a yearning for self-renewal, this work gently embraces the emotional fluctuations everyone experiences while growing up—a resonant song that speaks to the heart.
For the momentEvery Little Thing
A gem of a ballad woven from transparent, graceful vocals and a sophisticated arrangement.
It tenderly sings of aching feelings for a lover, carried by a lyrical melody.
As one of Every Little Thing’s signature songs, it has left a deep imprint on many listeners’ hearts.
Released as a single in June 1997, it became a massive hit, topping the Oricon charts.
It was also featured in Morinaga’s ICE BOX commercial and as the ending theme for TBS’s COUNT DOWN TV, earning wide support across generations.
This song resonates with those who carry the pain and uncertainty of love, inviting empathy.
The music video, filmed in the Australian desert, is also striking, creating a distinctive world of its own.
Kujira No. 12JUDY AND MARY
A pop-rock tune with a powerful, bouncing bassline and guitar riffs, evoking the momentum of soccer.
It’s a cheer song for Japan that JUDY AND MARY created with a passionate love for sports.
YUKI’s clear, transparent vocals and TAKUYA’s memorable ending vocals leave a lasting impression.
Released in February 1997 as the lead single from the album “THE POWER SOURCE,” the song was also used in a commercial for Honda’s Live Dio scooter and reached No.
5 on the Oricon charts.
Its exhilarating melody and sense of speed make it a track you’ll want to play when you’re taking a new step forward or cheering someone on.
Soulmatesupittsu
A gem of a song whose delicate lyricism finds the meaning of life in everyday moments and whose universal message questions the nature of love in modern society.
Released as a single in November 1997, it is known as a work that symbolizes Spitz’s musical evolution.
Its striking sound—harmonizing the warmth of acoustic guitar with fresh experiments like breakbeats—reached No.
3 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It also drew attention as the theme song for the 1999 film Whisper of the Moon.
Highly recommended for those who want to listen alone on a calm night, or who are seeking support for the heart while standing at a crossroads in life.