Masterpieces of Japanese music that delve into various social issues, such as war and environmental problems
Around the world, we are confronted daily with a wide range of social issues, from war to environmental problems.
Some people work tirelessly to address these issues, while others are left frustrated by policies that feel unacceptable.
In this article, we introduce songs that express feelings toward various social problems.
We’ve gathered tracks that delve into all kinds of issues—opposition to war, the horrors of the atomic bomb, children exposed to conflict, nature lost to environmental destruction, animal welfare, and more.
Through music, let’s take another look at the social challenges the world is facing today.
- “Song of War”: A classic that sings of the tragedy and folly of war
- Songs with strong messages. Classic J-Pop masterpieces and recommended popular tracks.
- Classic Japanese songs about Earth: songs that include the word “Earth” in their lyrics
- Anti-war songs that pierce the heart: Japan’s masterpieces conveying prayers for peace
- Masterpieces that sing of despair. Recommended popular songs.
- A classic Japanese song about life. A track that gives you energy.
- A spine-chilling scary song: masterful tracks that evoke fear and eerie recommended songs
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- Masterpieces that sing about various lives. Recommended popular songs.
- [Songs of Worries] Listening will gently lighten your heart. Masterpieces that speak for your feelings
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- A collection of classic songs about friends: friendship songs for children
Japanese masterpieces that delve into various social issues such as war and environmental problems (41–50)
Born in a leap yearSasaguchi Sōon Hāmonika
A song by Sasaguchi So-on Harmonica, known as a once-in-300-million-years rare musician.
It’s a folk song with a profound thematic depth that makes you reflect on how the present exists through various histories.
The fact that Sasaguchi wrote this song even before the Great East Japan Earthquake speaks to his talent.
blood-soaked doveItsutsu no akai fūsen
The third single by the folk group The Five Red Balloons, who emerged during the dawn of Japanese folk.
It is a song that wishes for peace, but its expressive power is so strong that it leaves you feeling terribly depressed.
It’s an exceptionally heavy and dark folk song.
New GodREBEL BLUE
This is a politically charged song by the punk rock band REBEL BLUE, formed around Ken Kato.
It became the theme song for director Yutaka Tsuchiya’s film “Atarashii Kamisama” (The New God).
Although it’s very rock-oriented, it’s also easy to listen to, so I’d like to recommend it to everyone.
Horse Ridingthe HIATUS
Opening with a majestic acoustic guitar tone, this piece is a sweeping epic that feels as if it’s racing through the great currents of history.
The earnest wish to “break the cycle of repeated conflict and protect peaceful days” comes through vividly in both the music and the visuals.
Released in July 2013 by the HIATUS, this track is the title song of an EP that reached No.
10 on the Oricon charts.
The addition of new member Ichiyo Izawa enriches the sound with the timbre of piano.
Even as your heart aches at the world’s injustice, this song is sure to kindle a strong light within you as you take a step toward tomorrow.
The sky of Hiroshimasadamasashi
Created in 1987 and included on commemorative albums such as “Gekko,” this work is imbued with a prayer for peace.
Masashi Sada, a native of Nagasaki, composed the song based on his aunt’s experience as a Hiroshima bombing survivor, rendering the tragedy through quiet acoustic sounds and a poignantly transparent vocal that leaves a strong impression.
It is performed without fail at the annual concert held in Nagasaki on August 6.
You can sense Sada’s characteristic sense of mission to pass historical truth on to future generations.
Precisely because memories of war are fading in the present day, this is a masterpiece to which we should listen closely.
Take a moment to reflect quietly on the preciousness of peace.
Smiles to the worldUinzu Hirasaka
It’s a grand message song that wishes to transcend borders and language barriers, filling the world with kindness and smiles.
Released as a single in September 1993, it was featured in a Yoshinoya TV commercial and became widely beloved across Japan.
Rejecting conflict and embracing the universal theme that those who share the same Earth can love one another, it stands as a fitting anti-war song imbued with a prayer for peace.
The clear, pure voice of Yoshihisa Hirasaka and the beautifully hopeful strings weave a sound that seems to gently embrace the world.
When the daily news weighs heavy on your heart, this song may once again remind you of the preciousness of peace.
The bell of peace ringsSazan Ōrusutāzu
This is a song by Southern All Stars that, within a grand worldview, quietly yet powerfully sings a prayer for peace.
Its sound, combining warmth and stillness, gently embraces the listener’s heart.
Written and composed by Keisuke Kuwata, who was inspired by an NHK documentary program, the song uses words born from the color of a sky reflecting sorrow as a clue to depict the preciousness of life and dreams for the future.
Included on the album “Budou,” released in March 2015—the milestone year marking 70 years since the end of the war—it also became familiar as NHK’s 90th anniversary image song.