Anti-war songs that pierce the heart: Japan’s masterpieces conveying prayers for peace
Music sometimes has the power to move people’s hearts and exert a great influence on society.
Among such works, anti-war songs imbued with wishes for peace have appealed across generations, conveying both the horrors of war and the preciousness of peace to many.
The anti-war songs etched into Japan’s musical history contain profound messages that we who live today must never forget.
In this article, we highlight Japanese anti-war songs—focusing mainly on popular Japanese music—and explain the backgrounds of the tracks and the sentiments embedded in their lyrics.
We invite you to take this opportunity to reflect anew on war and peace.
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Antiwar Songs That Pierce the Heart: Japanese Classics Conveying Prayers for Peace (71–80)
Suzukake Street, 3-chomeTaniyama Hiroko
Hiroko Taniyama, a singer-songwriter known for her fantastical worldbuilding.
“Suzukake-dori 3-chome,” included on her 1977 album I Can’t Return to the Cats’ Forest, appears to have been inspired by Kimiko Aman’s children’s story The Color of the Car Is the Color of the Sky.
It’s a gently seeping song whose melody accompanies a parent’s thoughts of a deceased child, as memories vividly revive in a place of remembrance and are wrapped in a bittersweet ache.
Though never stated outright, the inclusion of wartime radio audio evokes an antiwar message.
Precisely because the scars carved by war can never be erased, the song also prompts us to reflect on the importance of caution.
fireflySazan Ōrusutāzu
A five-piece rock band, Southern All Stars, whose arrangements are refreshing yet tinged with melancholy and wistfulness, creating a truly unique sound.
This track, included on their 54th single “Peace and Highlight,” was newly written as the theme song for the film The Eternal Zero.
Its lyrics, which evoke the preciousness and fragility of lives lost to war and the prayers of those left behind, may remind listeners of the strength of humanity that endures even the deepest tragedies.
Featuring piano and strings, the spacious sound offers healing for the heart—a timeless masterpiece destined to be sung into the future.
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Released in 1971 amid the global climate of the Vietnam War, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” was created by John Lennon of The Beatles and his wife, Yoko Ono.
While it’s known as a classic Christmas song, it is also a prayer for the arrival of peace.
Its classical melodic lines and choral arrangements resonate deeply.
It is a masterpiece that makes you feel that once the war ends, a radiant future awaits.
[Anti-War Songs That Pierce the Heart] Prayers for Peace Conveyed by Japan’s Beloved Classics (81–90)
Hey Kazuyuzu
As a leading example of musicians who got their start on the streets, the folk duo Yuzu has risen to become top artists known by all, and this is their 33rd single.
Chosen as the campaign song for the Japanese Red Cross Society’s “Hatachi no Ketsueki” (Blood Donation at Twenty), the track features a sound highlighted by pipe organ and chorus, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
The lyrics portray the folly of repeating the same mistakes over and over, while also capturing the undeniable happiness found in everyday life—sentiments that, alongside a prayer for peace, likely moved many listeners.
With its gentle melody that inspires a sense of tranquility, it’s a catchy yet majestic number.
Children Who Don’t Know WarJirōzu
Jiros was a folk band active from the 1960s to the 1970s.
Their signature song, “Children Who Don’t Know War,” was released in 1971.
Its melody, reminiscent of sparkling pop music, is striking and underscores lyrics laden with irony and a strong message.
Their superb mid-tempo choral work resonates deeply.
As the generation that has no direct experience of war continues to grow, this number reminds us of feelings we must not forget.
Prayersadamasashi
A song by singer-songwriter Masashi Sada, who made his major debut as part of the folk duo Grape and has captivated fans for many years with his lyrical compositions and witty talk.
Included on his 8th album, “Kaze no Omokage” (“Traces of the Wind”), this number is a prayer for Nagasaki Prefecture—his hometown and also a city devastated by the atomic bombing.
Carried by his clear, transparent vocals, the message of peace is filled with the authentic feelings of someone who was born and raised in a place once sacrificed to war.
It is an anti-war song that only a Japanese artist could sing, prompting reflection on the precious futures that war steals away.
INORI ~Prayer~Kumiko
Kumiko made her debut as a chanson singer.
Chanson is a genre that values lyrics and is said to express stories much like theater.
The song she sings here is about Sadako, who was the model for the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
Praying for recovery, she kept folding a thousand paper cranes using the wrappers of her bitter medicine, but she passed away at the young age of twelve.
Kumiko says she wants to continue singing this song with great care.
