Mottos of Japanese music artists: words that resonate with the heart
A personal motto is something you keep in mind as you go through life.
People use all kinds of phrases—four-character idioms and quotes from famous figures, for example.
Some of you may be looking for the personal mottos of Japanese pop artists who share their music through singing and instrumental performance.
In this article, we’ll introduce a collection of personal mottos from Japanese music artists.
We’ve gathered heartwarming words mainly from magazine and TV interviews.
Check out these messages that can support your heart when you’re striving toward dreams and goals or when you’re feeling down.
Mottos of Japanese music artists: Words that resonate with the heart (1–10)
If you only choose the things that influence you, you can become nothing more than a version of yourself that’s convenient for you.Ichiro Yamaguchi
These are the words of Ichiro Yamaguchi, the guitarist and vocalist of the rock band Sakanaction.
The world has become convenient, making it easy to pursue only what you like to the fullest, but we shouldn’t narrow our possibilities there.
We should keep diving into worlds we don’t yet know—that’s the message his words convey.
I don’t like the word “Do your best.” You’re such a hard worker. You don’t need to push yourself too hard—doing your best sincerely is enough.Motoo Fujiwara
A famous quote by Motoo Fujiwara, the vocalist and guitarist of BUMP OF CHICKEN who writes and composes most of their songs.
True to these words, the word “ganbare” (“do your best” or “hang in there”) hardly ever appears in BUMP OF CHICKEN’s lyrics.
The message is that you should live earnestly as your true self, just as you are.
Pain is beautyCHANMINA
Chanmina, a leading figure among female rappers, has been active at the forefront.
The phrase she holds as her motto is also the title of a song she released at the milestone age of 20.
She says this phrase is something her mother instilled in her from a young age, and that her mother, in turn, often heard it from her own mother.
The word “Pain” here encompasses not only literal pain but also effort and hardship, carrying the message that the accumulation of such “pain” will one day blossom into something beautiful.
Give it everything you’ve got, like your life depends on it — you won’t die.hide
These are the words of hide, who was active as X JAPAN’s guitarist from 1987 to 1997 and also pursued a successful solo career.
If you truly want to do what you want, then try doing it as if your life depends on it.
People don’t die that easily, and unless you go that far, you won’t gain anything—that’s what he teaches us.
Lifelong youthHideki Saijo
A book with the same title has also been published, collecting Hiroki Saijō’s motto and words of encouragement for life excerpted from his past interviews.
He was inspired by a line in a poem by Samuel Ullman: “Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind.
As long as you have curiosity, you are young,” and he adopted the phrase “A lifetime of youth” as his personal motto.
It’s a sentiment that seems to capture the way he lived—battling illness, repeatedly getting back up and returning to the stage.
Many people will aspire to live that way themselves.
A single flower, standing with dignified grace.Leo Ieiri
These are words that singer-songwriter Leo Ieiri introduced on her blog as her personal motto.
She once noticed a tiny flower not the kind sold at florists, but one growing out of a crack in the asphalt.
To some it might look like a flower, while to others it might just be a weed, yet no matter how it was seen by those around it, it seemed to stand with quiet dignity.
With that in mind, she cherishes this phrase as her motto, holding on to the desire to remain dignified in any adversity.
“The good old days were better,” huh? That just means you’re the one who’s stuck.Hisashi Yoshino
These are the words of Hisashi Yoshino, who is active as the guitarist and vocalist of eastern youth.
It’s probably something that tends to be said more often about artists who have been active for a long time.
It can be heard as a rebuttal to that, but it also sounds like a desire to grow together with the fans.