A spine-chilling, terrifying song. Japanese music that evokes madness and horror.
Don’t you ever feel like listening to scary songs? That sensation where curiosity about scary things wins out—like with horror movies, haunted houses, or famous ghost spots.
In this article, I’ll introduce tracks with chilling themes: horror-inspired worlds, madness and hidden psychology, twisted love, and more.
If you’re a horror-song freak, this is a must-read.
It might also help when you’re thinking, “There was a scary song I heard once long ago, but I don’t remember the title.”
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Chilling, spine-tingling scary songs: Japanese tracks that evoke madness and horror (41–50)
sweet fruitSuga Shikao
Shikao Suga is a singer-songwriter with a large fan base in Japan, known for creating many classic songs.
One of his slightly unsettling tracks is “Amai Kajitsu” (“Sweet Fruit”).
It portrays someone who is controlling in a relationship—so much so that they even suspect there might be someone else just from the sounds on the other end of a phone call.
What’s even scarier is that the person doesn’t realize how controlling they’re being.
The song captures the reality of possessiveness in romance very vividly, so even if you haven’t experienced it yourself, it might be interesting to give it a listen out of curiosity.
GeGeGe no KitaroKumakura Kazuo
It’s scary, yet somehow you can feel a sense of humor in the song—that’s GeGeGe no Kitaro.
Many of you may already know it as the theme song of the TV anime GeGeGe no Kitaro.
It’s sung by Kazuo Kumakura, who was active as both an actor and a voice actor.
His distinctive, flavorful voice matches the world of the anime, and it’s also well known that Kiyoshi Hikawa covered it in recent times.
It’s a little scary, but it was made to appeal to children as well, so the scariness is softened.
Please enjoy the theme song along with the anime.
Wax MuseumSeikima II
Seikima-II is a rock band that has led Japan’s metal scene with their striking looks and top-tier musicianship.
Their debut single “Rakunin Gyō no Yakata” (“The House of Wax”) is often dismissed as a novelty due to the band’s unique worldbuilding, but even today it offers a meticulously crafted metal ensemble that doesn’t feel dated.
If you’re in your 50s—the generation that grew up with it—just hearing the intro might bring back the shock of its first impact.
It’s a rare metal hit in the J-pop sphere, and one you should definitely try to honor the original when singing at karaoke.
clatter-clatterIssei
The dark sound that begins by slicing through the silence seizes the listener’s heart.
Released in June 2025, this track by Issei was chosen as the theme song for the film “Kisaragi Station Re:”.
The lyrics vividly depict the psyche of a person losing their sanity amid an inescapable terror.
The vocal work—where even the breathing becomes part of the music—is stunning.
I think it’s perfect for fans of urban legends and horror who want to immerse themselves in that atmosphere.
Nozomi, Kanae, TamaeKinniku Shoujo Tai
The title of Kinniku Shōjo-tai’s last indie album was also Nozomi Kanae Tamae.
Seeing that the back cover is captioned “The Dark Side of the Force, so-called Nozomi Kanae Tamae,” it might be a track the band themselves are particularly fond of.
The story that begins with “A girl sank into a swamp; a god of reticles was watching” feels like both a church mass and a black magic ritual, and as you listen, it inevitably becomes frightening.
The switch into the metal-mode chorus is a must-hear.
It’s a song of despair I want not only metal fans but everyone to listen to.