In this article, we’ll introduce many memorable quotes from artists active in Japan.
When you’re going through something difficult or dealing with worries, many people lift their spirits by listening to their favorite music.
But musicians don’t just leave us with great songs—they also leave us with many wonderful words.
The quotes we’re about to share are all words that can serve as support in life.
I’m sure you’ll find something that resonates with your heart, so please take your time and enjoy.
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Quotes from artists. Wonderful words from Japanese musicians (1–10)
I’ll create a place for you, so don’t cry.Satoshi Fukase (SEKAI NO OWARI)
These are words that Fukase said to Saori from SEKAI NO OWARI when they were students.
In a 2010 interview with ROCKIN’ON JAPAN, Saori revealed that she didn’t have many friends as a student and often cried, and she said Fukase told her this at the time.
A few years after those words, they welcomed Saori as a member of SEKAI NO OWARI and, just as he’d said, created a place where she belonged.
It’s an episode that really shows the strong bond between the members.
They say the weaker the dog, the more it barks—but it’s better than doing nothing.Yutaka Ozaki
These are words imbued with the message, so characteristic of singer-songwriter Yutaka Ozaki—who electrified Japan’s music scene from the ’80s through the ’90s—urging us to shout what’s in our hearts.
He spoke these words during the MC segment while performing “Scrambling Rock ’n’ Roll” live.
They connect with the song’s lyrics about how “rock ’n’ roll is raising your voice in pursuit of something,” and they resonate deeply with modern people who so often feel compelled to swallow their true feelings after looking around at those around them.
Stagnation is almost the same as decline.Kenshi Yonezu
After starting out as a Vocaloid producer, Kenshi Yonezu began his career as a singer-songwriter and has now become an indispensable figure in the J-pop scene.
These are some of the words he once posted on his X account: to gain something, you have to let something go, and it’s better to take action in pursuit of something new than to remain as you are.
They’re words that give you strength when you want to act but can’t take the first step, or when you’re stuck and struggling—moments when you feel like you might come to a halt.
If something like talent exists, then maybe talent is not seeing effort as effort.Kazutoshi Sakurai (Mr.Children)
Kazutoshi Sakurai, the lead vocalist of Mr.
Children, who has remained at the forefront of the J-POP scene since the 1990s.
Many people have surely been encouraged by the lyrics he writes.
This is a remark that reflects his attitude toward hard work.
Preceding these words is a statement along the lines of “I don’t have any talent,” in which he says that although he lacks talent, he simply put in a tremendous amount of effort.
For him, hard work is a given, and it shows that he has put in far more effort than most to get where he is today.
You only live once, so if you’re going to be reborn, do it while you’re still alive.Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi
Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, who debuted in 1977, has created many classic songs.
One of the great appeals of his music is the deeply evocative lyrics.
In the song “Jinsei wa La La La” included on his fifth album, Keep On Fighting, there’s a famous quote that appears.
While “rebirth” usually refers to losing one’s life and being born again as something else, this quote conveys the importance of living the present without regrets.
Be sure to check it out together with the surrounding lyrics.
Regretting the past won’t change anything, and worrying about the future won’t help.Mariya Takeuchi
These are words spoken by singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi in a 2019 interview with the magazine Kateigaho.
She cited two sayings that serve as her mottos—“Today is the first day of the rest of your life” and “Live today as if it were the last day of your life”—and then explained that the common message in both is to cherish the present moment.
Perhaps the reason she continues to shine so wonderfully is because she lives with this mindset.
Relax, but don’t let your guard down.Tamio Okuda
Tamio Okuda, the vocalist of Unicorn who also thrives as a solo singer-songwriter.
These words capture the distinctive laid-back vibe—“let’s go at our own pace”—that you can feel in his songs.
There’s a breezy, quintessentially him message of “don’t try too hard.” At the same time, he says that while it’s fine to relax your shoulders, you mustn’t let your guard down—you still have to tighten up where it counts.
It’s a sentiment worth keeping in a corner of your mind when facing things in life.