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 (51–60)
That person’s letterkaguya hime
This is a song by the folk group Kaguyahime that expresses the absurdity of having a loved one sent off to the battlefield.
Despite its simple acoustic arrangement, the sound powerfully conveys a sense of anger.
It portrays the feelings for someone being conscripted and sent far away, and the anger and sorrow at a situation where a single slip of paper could mean a final farewell.
It is a powerful song that conveys how war shatters cherished people and everyday life, and just how unjust and senseless war truly is.
Pathetic.Tonneruzu
This song was created in response to the Gulf War that broke out in 1990.
It’s a work performed by the comedy duo Tunnels, released as a single in 1991.
The two men’s robust vocals shine over a trendy-sounding track.
The straightforward lyrics also leave a strong impression—it’s the kind of song that makes you nod and think, “That’s right.” War is not something happening in a completely different world.
This message song offers a chance to reflect on how we live our own lives.
Strange WorldImawano Kiyoshirō
Kiyoshiro Imawano consistently took an anti-war stance.
His song “Strange World,” which he sings, was released in 2003.
The lyrics contrast a world where ordinary yet irreplaceable everyday moments flow by, with a strange, seemingly unreal world of war.
Perhaps he wanted to say: cherish daily life, and realize quickly that war is wrong and bizarre.
Everyone knows war is pointless.
It’s important to keep that awareness alive.
A world without tomorrowRC sakuseshon
It portrays the feeling that, although various conflicts are occurring around the world, if they aren’t happening nearby, they somehow feel like someone else’s problem.
It also conveys a sense of urgency that war may be approaching before we even realize it.
[Anti-war songs that pierce the heart] Prayers for peace conveyed by Japan’s classic masterpieces (61–70)
Little Fat Man boyLM.C
This is a song called “Little Fat Man Boy” released by the rock unit LM.C.
The lyrics are written in a pop style, but they convey a heartfelt plea to never make atomic bombs again.
Atomic bombs are terrifying weapons that destroy everything.
The Vanished AugustSakushi: Eitani Atsuko / Sakkyoku: Kurosawa Yoshinori (Gasshōkyoku)
There are many choral pieces that take war as their theme, but “The Vanished August” is a choral work about the atomic bomb.
Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki just before the end of the Pacific War, the bombs claimed countless lives and caused immense devastation.
The lyrics of “The Vanished August,” which sing of the moment of the bombing and its aftermath, convey a raw and powerful message.
It is something we must never look away from; we must face it and pass it on to future generations.
If you’re unsure what to choose for a choral competition, I encourage you to sing “The Vanished August.”
Peace and highlightSazan Ōrusutāzu
The song whose lyrics lamenting the state of world affairs drew attention was Southern All Stars’ “Peace and Highlight.” The year it was released, 2013, can be described as a year of heightened global tension, with events such as the civil war in Syria and the deterioration of Japan–South Korea relations.
“Peace and Highlight” carries composer Keisuke Kuwata’s message wishing for peace.
It reached No.
1 on the Oricon singles chart and was used in a commercial for Volkswagen’s New Golf.
With its lavish horn section and pop sound, it’s a track that lifts your spirits.