[Hidden Gem] Japanese Songs You'll Want to Share with Someone Right Now
Beyond the trendy songs you often hear on TV or around town, and the tracks tied in with dramas or anime that everyone knows, there are also hidden gems—songs from before an artist got big or tracks without any tie-ins.
This time, we’ll introduce those hidden masterpieces that are especially popular among the artists’ fans.
Many of these songs don’t get much TV exposure, but they’re well-known among fans—once you listen, you’re sure to get hooked! If you haven’t been exploring or adding new music lately and want something fresh to listen to, this is for you.
I hope you find a new favorite track!
- A hidden gem known only to those in the know. A great J-pop/Japanese song.
- Memorable masterpieces. Recommended popular songs.
- [Classic and Contemporary Hits] Emotionally Stirring, Heart-Touching Songs
- A catchy tune that sounds familiar
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Hidden gems of love songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Hidden gems and lesser-known songs by popular Japanese rock bands
- Hidden gems among tear-jerker songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Hidden gems of inspirational songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Hidden gems of healing songs. Recommended popular tracks
- [Cheer Song] A hidden gem that stirs the soul. A rallying anthem known to those in the know.
- [Must read] Songs with great lyrics. Moving songs you’ll want to listen to while reading the lyrics
- Nothing but masterpieces! Hit songs from the Reiwa era that are perfect for background music
[Hidden Gems] Japanese Masterpieces You’ll Want to Tell Someone About Right Now (161–170)
Christmas Eve RAPKICK THE CAN CREW
A Christmas song by the three-member rap group KICK THE CAN CREW, whose playful track and three distinctly individual rap styles make it especially fun.
Layering the trio’s raps over a Christmas-themed track featuring bells, it transforms the original song’s melancholic Christmas mood into a quietly exhilarating and joyful holiday arrangement.
Shutting from the skyL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
The opening track from L’Arc~en~Ciel’s landmark first album, released in 1993.
With expansive guitar effects and vocals that evoke a floating sensation, it’s a delightfully airy song.
The title means “claustrophobia,” and its worldview perfectly matches the mood of the track.
For longtime fans, it may be a particularly nostalgic piece.
[Hidden Gems] Japanese songs so good you’ll want to tell someone right now (171–180)
Good Luck in Summer and AutumnRA MU
RA MU was a band that delivered a unique sound by blending city pop with idol pop.
Fronted by Momoko Kikuchi, who is active as both an actress and singer, their hidden gem is “Natsu to Aki no Good-Luck.” The track was included on their 1988 album THANKS GIVING.
Centered on bright brass and synth tones, with a sinuous bassline added in, it comes together as a breezy, buoyant sound.
Set against the backdrop of the seaside at summer’s end, it’s an urban, soothing song where her translucent vocals poignantly capture a bittersweet romance.
quagmireZAZEN BOYS
ZAZEN BOYS is an ensemble rock band led by NUMBER GIRL’s guitarist-vocalist Shutoku Mukai.
Their groovy ensemble is so complex and cool that it defies intellectual understanding, and Mukai’s playful wordcraft explodes throughout this irresistibly addictive track.
Packed with a fetishistic, singular worldview, it grips fans’ hearts and never lets go—a truly inescapable, swampy masterpiece.
pinkaiko
The swaying melody seems to reflect the wavering feelings of the song’s protagonist—a buoyant number, “Momoiro,” that makes you want to step out with a spring in your step.
It’s a track released in 2000 by aiko, who began her singing career in 1998.
Known for expressing the psychology of women in love with a one-of-a-kind sensibility, aiko has produced many hits—an abundance of heart-fluttering love songs.
Among them, “Momoiro” is considered a hidden gem that was never released as a single.
Why not experience the feeling of being in love by listening to this catchy song that starts right from the chorus?
Rabbit DASH→Pia-no-jaC←
If you want to revel in phenomenal performance technique, I recommend →Pia-no-jaC←.
They’re a musical duo consisting of HAYATO on piano and HIRO on cajón.
They’ve worked on many famous pieces, but a track that fans quietly champion is “Usagi DASH.” It’s a song from their 2008 album First Contact, and it delivers a driving sound that feels like a rabbit in full sprint.
By the way, a cajón is a percussion instrument that looks a bit like a conga.
Two sides of the same coinyuzu
This song was used as the theme for the film “Hunter × Hunter: The LAST MISSION,” and it carries a grand atmosphere that sets it apart from the tracks typically considered Yuzu’s signature songs.
Although it was released as a single and chosen as an anime movie theme, it was reportedly performed on television only once, making it a fitting pick as a hidden gem.
As the title “Hyouri Ittai” (Two Sides of the Same Coin) suggests, the lyrics revolve around opposites—black and white, light and darkness—exploring the tension of which future the path you’re walking now will lead to.
It’s a song with a gripping, edge-of-your-seat progression.
