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.
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Mottos of Japanese music artists: Words that resonate with the heart (1–10)
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.
What one likes, one will do well; fondness breeds skill.Masayoshi Oishi
This phrase was introduced as his motto during an interview for Masayoshi Oishi’s first album, “Entertainer,” when he was asked, “How do you become a cool adult?” He said his greatest weapon is his singing, and that once he realized that and honed his vocals, he also worked hard at guitar practice and songwriting to make his singing even more compelling.
Perhaps, like him, finding your own weapon and sharpening it is what ultimately powers you up as a whole person.
Do your utmost and leave the rest to fate.Hiroshi Onishi (space/astronaut-related)
The saying “Do your utmost and leave the rest to fate” means to do everything you can now and then entrust the outcome to destiny.
It can also mean, “Since I’ve done all I can, I’ll accept whatever result comes.” Baritone singer Sora Ohnishi has adopted this straightforward, hardworking sentiment as his personal motto.
Even though he hadn’t studied vocal music up through high school, he built his current standing by steadily honing his skills—words that truly capture who he is.
Mottos of Japanese Music Artists: Words That Resonate in the Heart (11–20)
If it’s tough now, it’ll definitely feel great once it’s over.Kazumasa Oda
The motto of singer-songwriter Kazumasa Oda—who has created numerous beloved songs such as “Kirakira” and “Kotoba ni Dekinai”—encapsulates his approach to making music.
He spoke about this motto in Nobuaki Onuki’s book Kazumasa Oda Interview: Tashikana Koto, conveying the message that results follow when you overcome hardship—that it’s precisely by facing difficulties that you can succeed.
Remembering these words when you feel discouraged will surely help you push yourself a little further.
It is precisely because people keep changing that they can remain the same.Yumi Matsutoya
Yumi Matsutoya is a female singer who has remained popular across all eras.
Perhaps the reason she continues to thrive in any era is that she lives by these very words.
There are things that change simply by growing older or repeating the same things, and there are things that must change in order not to change.
Dust of the universe anywayNishina
Nishina is a singer-songwriter who has been active since 2017, known for songs like “Heavy Smoke” and “Seiran Yuuei.” In an interview with the media outlet Droptokyo, she shared her personal motto: “We’re just dust in the universe anyway.” It expresses the idea that one’s existence and worries are tiny when viewed on a cosmic scale, and it carries the feeling of “If we’re just dust anyway, I want to do what I want without worrying and go all out.” It’s something many people living in modern society can probably relate to.
The ripest rice bows its head the lowest.Aya Shimazu
Ayako Shimazu, who has been active as an enka singer since 1986, has a favorite motto that likens the idea of never forgetting humility as one becomes more accomplished to the way rice ears bow as they ripen.
She says this phrase was written in a letter from her grandfather that she received when she moved to Tokyo to pursue a career as an enka singer, and she still cherishes those words today.
The message—no matter how successful you become, never lose your humility—is something we should all value in life.