Overwhelmed by the lyrical world! Shiina Ringo’s masterpiece

Iroha nihohetoShiina Ringo

Sheena Ringo – Iroha ni Hoheto

The theme song for Fuji TV’s drama “Kamo, Kyoto e Iku: The Innkeeper’s Diary of a Long-Established Ryokan.” It was the first single released after Tokyo Jihen disbanded.

It presents a unique world that admires nature from a consciousness melded into the great outdoors—but it’s a bit challenging to grasp.

Then again, that’s Shiina Ringo for you.

If you get a chance, definitely watch the music video.

I’m sure it’ll be a song you’ll want to recommend to someone!

NIPPONShiina Ringo

Ringo Sheena – “NIPPON”

It was used as the theme song for NHK’s soccer broadcasts.

I think it’s a piece most people have heard at least once.

For Shiina Ringo, it’s a surprisingly pop-sounding track with a lot of drive.

Since it was written specifically for this, the lyrics use many words that evoke supporting Japan.

However, straightforward phrases like “Do your best” or “Don’t lose” don’t appear in the lyrics.

That’s Ringo’s style, too.

Partners on the road to freedomShiina Ringo

Ringo Sheena – Companion on the Road to Freedom

The theme song for the TV drama ATARU.

A fast-paced track that puts rock front and center.

It portrays the wavering feelings between adulthood and childhood using Shiina Ringo’s distinctive metaphors and turns of phrase.

It lines up one unexpected contrast after another, and rhyming “missile” with “future plan” is just wonderful!

carnationShiina Ringo

Sheena Ringo – Carnation

The theme song for the NHK morning drama series Carnation.

The piece begins calmly, like a lullaby, then unfolds into a grand arrangement with an orchestra partway through.

The lyrics seem to be about a baby, written gently from a mother’s perspective.

It’s a track that reveals a new side of Ringo Sheena.

Though the road home is lit by the glow of madder red…Shiina Ringo

[Day 152] Even as the Road Home Glows with Madder Light... (Sheena Ringo) / Mai Ujiie

These lyrics depict only the scene of breaking up with a boyfriend and going back home.

A girl who wants a promise for tomorrow—just that, nothing more.

It uses fewer of Shiina Ringo’s characteristic tricky turns of phrase or vocabulary, and gently traces the aching feelings of a young girl.

The chorus swells musically, but somehow that only makes it feel all the more heartbreaking.

an open secretShiina Ringo

Shiina Ringo – Public Secret

The theme song for the drama “Jikou Keisatsu: Hajimemashita.” As a proper theme song, it’s a light and poppy track.

The lyrics are sprinkled with plenty of aromas—pheromones, flavors, cinnamon, and more.

The content suggests a proactive woman determined to somehow make a one-sided crush of hers into something real.

It’s a track that makes you want to immerse yourself in its slightly suspicious, bewitching lyrical world.

The Correct CityShiina Ringo

[Full/Lyrics] Correct City — Ringo Sheena Cover / NAADA

You could call it an early hidden gem that’s been covered by many different artists.

If you listen closely to the hard-to-catch lyrics, you’ll feel yourself drawn even deeper into its world.

The lyrics are a tribute to a former lover—there’s something curious about offering praise to someone you’ve parted ways with.

Also, take note of the real locations that appear in the lyrics: Momochihama and the Muro River.