[Masterpieces That Sing of Dawn] A curated selection of moving hit songs and hidden gems

dawnto shiki

Dawn

This song is packed with singer-songwriter Toshi’s story.

It’s like a warm beam of light filtering through the trees, found at last after wandering alone in a dark forest.

The piece overlays that beautiful daybreak scene with his own heart moving from suffering toward renewal.

He poured all of his experiences—especially those times when he couldn’t create as he wished—into a melody that gently stays beside anyone through any night.

Released in June 2025, the track is a quiet, warm pop ballad.

When you face a morning with a heavy heart, it will surely give you the courage to say, “I’ll try again,” and take a new step forward.

Before morning comesHata Motohiro

Motohiro Hata / Before the Morning Comes -Avant l’aube- (Réparer les vivants Ver.) Official Image Song for the film “Heal the Living”

Motohiro Hata’s “Before Morning Comes” was written as the theme song for the film “Before Dawn Breaks.” When we think of songs about morning, we tend to imagine something refreshing and bright, but this track evokes a dim, nostalgic atmosphere just before daybreak.

The sound and rhythm are relaxed as well, so listening to it as an alarm might make for a pleasantly gentle wake-up.

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Saitō Ayumu

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My DawnSHISHAMO

SHISHAMO “My Dawn”

Sung by SHISHAMO, this song gently stays by the side of hearts that feel on the verge of being crushed by the harshness of society and the weight of loneliness.

Knowing that living means getting hurt, we can’t help but see our own experiences in the image of someone desperately struggling in the darkness just before dawn.

This track is the lead song from the acclaimed album “SHISHAMO 5,” released in June 2018, and the album reached No.

3 on the Oricon charts.

If you listen to it on a night when you’re overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, it might just give you the courage to believe that “dawn will surely come” and take a step toward tomorrow.

dawnLiSA

LiSA 『dawn』 -MUSiC CLiP-

With a powerful voice that seems to cut through the darkness, LiSA captivates countless hearts.

Penned by LiSA herself, this song is a hope-filled rock number that feels like it captures the very moment of dawn.

Even in the depths of despair, a strong will to stand up on one’s own feet and seize the future is sung over a driving, exhilarating melody.

Released in January 2021 as her 18th single, the track was chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime Back Arrow.

It’s the kind of song that might kindle a fierce light in your heart when you face a new challenge in the morning or need the courage to confront adversity.

You don’t have to put on a brave face until dawn.Nogizaka 46

Nogizaka46 “You Don’t Have to Pretend to Be Strong Until Dawn”

It’s a warm song that embraces your fragility, telling you there’s no need to put on a brave face.

Released in September 2019 as Nogizaka46’s 24th single, it sold over one million copies in its first week on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

You may find yourself acting tough, but inside you’re overwhelmed with anxiety.

This work gently stays by the side of those spending such lonely nights, kindly telling them it’s okay to be honest with themselves until dawn breaks.

When you’re worn out from trying too hard, listening to it might give you a small dose of courage to accept yourself as you are and take another step forward.

Breath of DawnChekkāzu

The Checkers “Breath of Dawn” MV

This is the 23rd single by The Checkers, released in June 1990.

It was used as the campaign song for the film “Tasmania Story” and reached No.

2 on the Oricon weekly chart.

The gentle vocals resonate as if slowly soaking into a wounded heart.

You can picture a lone seagull separated from its flock gazing at the dawn sea, and the image of taking a new step forward from loneliness is deeply moving.

Listening to it at a major turning point in life, while thinking of gratitude for someone important, can leave you feeling purified.

Dawn of SolitudeShiina Ringo

Kodoku No Akatsuki -La Solitude de l’aube-

This is a piece that colors a time of intellectual dialogue, where professionals from different fields quietly connect heart to heart.

It’s a track included on a single released in May 2013—a milestone marking Ringo Sheena’s 15th anniversary debut—and later featured on the acclaimed album “Hi Izuru Tokoro.” The song depicts a dawn scene in which an encounter with someone lights up a lonely heart.

It was chosen as the theme song for NHK E-Tele’s “SWITCH Interview: Masters.” On a morning when you want to take a new step forward, listening to this track may ease the anxieties you’ve been carrying alone and help you feel the preciousness of connecting with others.