[Covers of Japanese Songs] A selection of classic hits where both the original and the arranged versions are popular
You know how musicians sometimes perform covers of other musicians’ songs, right?
Sometimes there’s a single cover track at the end of an album, sometimes it’s performed on a TV show, or it’s part of a tribute album…
Cover songs are fun to listen to because they convey respect for the original artist while showcasing each musician’s own arrangement.
It’s amazing how much the same song can change depending on who’s singing it!
This article will introduce lots of such cover songs.
We’ve got everything from faithful renditions of the originals to arrangements that really highlight the covering musician’s individuality, so take your time and enjoy.
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- Acoustic versions of popular songs: a roundup of arrangements and cover tracks
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- That popular voice actor is doing that song!? A roundup of cover songs by voice actors
- Nagori-yuki: Popular Cover Song
- A classic song covered by major artists: cover versions of Spitz’s “Kaede.”
- [2026 Edition] Songs Loved by People in Their 60s: Classic Hits from Their Youth
- Iconic and popular songs sung by female artists: great cover versions
- [2026 Edition] Youth Anthems for Your 40s! A Roundup of Popular Heart-Pounding × Heartwarming Songs
[Covers of Japanese Songs] A selection of classic hits where both the original and the arranged versions are popular (61–70)
The Future Projection IItsuruno takeshi
This is a song included on DREAMS COME TRUE’s fifth single, “Egao no Yukue,” released in 1990, and it continues to be covered by many artists today.
The rendition of this song performed by Takeshi Tsuruno on the TV special “Owarai Geinin Uta ga Umai Ouza Ketteisen Special” drew significant attention, leading him to cover and include it on his second cover album, “Tsurunoto.”
Miracle EarthKobukuro
Released in 1995 as a charity single by Keisuke Kuwata & Mr.Children.
The song was issued as part of the Act Against AIDS (AAA) fundraising efforts to support patients and achieved double million sales.
It was covered on Kobukuro’s first cover album, ALL COVERS BEST, released in 2010.
The perfectly synchronized harmonies are quintessential Kobukuro.
Other people’s relationshipsHitoto Yo
Yo Hitoto has covered Katsuko Kanai’s “Tanin no Kankei.” The choreography from Kanai’s version is incorporated as-is.
It’s also included on Hitoto’s cover album, but the arrangement differs from the single version.
Look up at the stars in the nightKahara Tomomi
It is Kyu Sakamoto’s 1963 hit song.
The original is the theme song from a musical of the same name that premiered in 1960, and it is one of Sakamoto’s signature songs, for which he won the Japan Record Award for Composition.
The song has been covered by many artists, and Tomomi Kahara included her cover of it on her 2014 cover album “MEMORIES 2 -Kahara All Time Covers-.”
A Good Day to Set Out on a JourneyTanimura Shinji
Released in 1978 as Momoe Yamaguchi’s 24th single.
The song became a major hit as the catchphrase for a travel-promotion campaign by the Japanese National Railways.
Written and composed by Shinji Tanimura, it later led to Tanimura covering the song himself, and his cover was used as the theme song for the film “Yaeko no Humming.”
applauseHitoto Yo
Originally released in 1972 as Naomi Chiaki’s 13th single, the song was covered by Yo Hitoto and included on her 2012 cover album “Kayoko.” Naomi Chiaki won the Grand Prize at the 14th Japan Record Awards in 1972 with this song, and it remains one of her signature works, continuing to be covered by many artists today.
I can’t dance well.Nakamori Akina
Included on the classic album “Utahime,” this piece is a song that fully showcases Akina Nakamori’s vocal prowess.
With lyrics imbued with Yosui Inoue’s profound poetic sensibility, it gently sings of loneliness, solitude, and inner turmoil.
Originally released by Mio Takagi in July 1982 and used as the theme song for TBS’s “Friday Mystery Theater,” the song was covered by Akina Nakamori in 1994.
By adding her own interpretation, she further heightened the work’s sense of melancholy and emotional depth.
It’s a track that seeps into the heart—one you’ll want to listen to alone on a quiet night.