[Songs Praying for Peace] To Prevent Repeating Tragic History | A Collection of Peace Songs That Resonate with the Heart
Songs of peace that resonate in our hearts in every era.
Many timeless classics that wish for a world without war or conflict and embody the preciousness of peace in song have long continued to stay close to people’s hearts.
In this article, we introduce songs—mainly from Japanese music—that are imbued with prayers and hopes for peace.
Powerful messages like “Don’t forget the painful history,” and warm sentiments such as “Let’s build a Japan and a world without conflict together.” You’re sure to find a message of peace that resonates with your heart.
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[Songs Praying for Peace] To Prevent Repeating Tragic History | A Collection of Heart-Touching Peace Songs (21–30)
We won’t fightAKB48
Released in 2015, this is AKB48’s first song themed around peace.
In the music video, members dressed in white as “non-fighting” angels and members dressed in black as “fighting” demons appear alternately, and in the end they choose not to fight.
In a conflict where hatred breeds hatred, it’s important that someone breaks the cycle, isn’t it? It seems very meaningful for a nationally recognized group like AKB48 to release a song like this.
Message — kotodute —Porunogurafiti
It’s a song with a gentle rock sound imbued with deep prayers and wishes.
The 55th single by Porno Graffitti, created with Hiroshima—marking 80 years since the atomic bombing—as its theme, it was released digitally in April 2025.
The track was used as the ending theme for NHK Hiroshima’s documentary program “Connect: Messages to the Future — Porno Graffitti Connects Through ‘Song.’” The program featured the background of the song’s production and conversations with atomic bomb survivors.
Give it a listen when you want to feel a commitment to peace or to quietly calm your mind.
[Songs Wishing for Peace] To Prevent Repeating Tragic History | A Collection of Moving Peace Songs (31–40)
The End of SummerMoriyama Naotaro
A summer song performed with Naotaro Moriyama’s literary lyrics and stunning vocal prowess.
The feelings imbued in this piece are woven throughout the words, singing of beautiful landscapes, human connections, and an irreplaceable, peaceful everyday life.
It is a track that powerfully conveys a lyrical mood, as if lamenting the end of summer.
We Are The WorldUSA For Africa
Many people can probably sing it.
The iconic song “We Are the World,” performed by a lineup of globally renowned artists, was released in 1985.
It was originally created as a charity single to support people in Africa suffering from hunger and poverty.
It later spread as a song praying for world peace and continues to be loved across borders to this day.
Many of you may have learned it in music class.
The sentiment expressed in the lyrics—“Let’s make a better tomorrow than today”—is truly moving.
The Bell of PeaceNakasato Yukihiro
Yukihiro Nakazato’s wish for peace resounds beautifully in “HEIWA no Kane” (The Bell of Peace).
It’s a song of peace imbued with the message of how foolish conflict is, featuring a strikingly straightforward melodic line.
The breeze-like melody gently resonates in the heart, renewing hope for the future each time you listen.
Since it is widely loved as a choral piece at schools across Japan, why not sing it at warm, friendly events like school festivals?
INORI ~Prayer~Kumiko
This song, released by Kumiko in 2010, was written by Yuji Sasaki—Sadako Sasaki’s nephew—expressing Sadako’s feelings and hopes for peace.
The piece carries a powerful wish to pass on the terror and sorrow of the atomic bombing to future generations.
In 2010, Kumiko made her first appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen, where she performed this song.
Ryukyu Love SongMONGOL800
This is a song by the rock band MONGOL800 that portrays their deep feelings for their hometown of Okinawa.
It expresses profound love for Okinawa’s rich natural environment, while also powerfully conveying the tragedies of war that must never be forgotten and a fervent wish for peace.
The song hopes for the preservation of abundant nature and peace, and expresses a desire for mutual support and harmony across the world.
It sends a message encouraging a spirit of helping one another globally and prompts listeners to consider what they can do themselves in the pursuit of peace.
