[2026] A Collection of Iconic J-Pop Songs About Hotels [Japanese Music]

Truth, Love, HotelReemondo Matsuya

Raymond Matsuya’s latest single “Truth/Love Hotel”

In this modern take on a mood kayōkyoku (Japanese sentimental pop), the lyrics feature Sakae, a nightlife district that spans a wide area of Nagoya City, and portray a woman’s strong feelings set in one of its hotels.

For some reason, Junretsu, the public-bathhouse idols, appear as backup dancers, but I suppose the shared connection to mood kayōkyoku ties it together.

My SummerMoritaka Chisato

Chisato Moritaka “My Summer” (PV)

If you’re a woman, there may come a time when you feel this way at least once.

Instead of just imagining the blue sea, the lovely resort hotels, and the delicious food, take action—go and enjoy them.

After refreshing yourself, you may find new hope for tomorrow.

Hotel Without TimeMatsutoya Yumi

Yumi Matsutoya – Hotel Without Time (YUMING SPECTACLE SHANGRILA III ~ A Dream of Dolphin)

This song is one of the tracks from a 1985 album, and in the first place, all the songs on that album are heavy, with themes like human death and war.

Even in A Hotel Without Time, it conjures images like a scene from a spy movie.

Speaking of Yuming, she recently made headlines for providing 20,000-yen boxed lunches to 200 staff members at the Imperial Theatre.

The stage set is so extravagant that even the actors were stunned, but according to her husband, Masataka Matsutoya, that’s why their pay is low, apparently.

Step-by-stepShimada Kaho

Drama: HOTEL Theme OP & ED

It’s the theme song of a drama that aired in 1990.

The cast included the late Hiroki Matsukata, who appeared as the manager, and it might have been a breakout role for Masanobu Takashima, the second son of Tadao Takashima, a second-generation celebrity.

He said that playing a hotel staff member and bowing dozens of times a day left him with a stiff neck, like a sudden neck strain.

Hotel NegrescoBORO

BORO Negresco Hotel

Released in 1983, “Negresco Hotel” was also used as a jingle for a soft drink commercial.

The Negresco Hotel is a historic luxury hotel in Nice, France, and its sophisticated furnishings and design are breathtaking.

The feelings of the man trying to reach such a hotel may stem from the hope that something within him will be healed at this high-end hotel.

DesperadoHoney L Days

Honey L Days ♫ Desperado

It’s the theme song for “Hotel Concierge,” starring Mariya Nishiuchi.

The meaning of “desperado” in English is “outlaw, desperado, daredevil,” so it might seem ill-suited as a hotel name.

However, it’s the Japanese version of the 1973 song by the American band the Eagles, and despite the title, it’s a delicate piece.

TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTELtricot

tricot “TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTEL” MV

It’s the opening song of the drama Tokyo Vampire Hotel.

The song is performed by a three-woman band active since 2010, and the intense rock sound conveys the drama’s eerie, occult atmosphere of vampires versus humans.