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.
Playlist
| Masterpieces of Japanese music that delve into various social issues, such as war and environmental problems | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1east | JAMTHE YELLOW MONKEY | play_arrow | Rock band, THE YELLOW MO… |
| 2east | blue skyTHE BLUE HEARTS | play_arrow | A song imbued with scathing criticism of social issues and with hope… |
| 3east | It was a lie all along.Saitō Kazuyoshi | play_arrow | Singer-songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito is abo… |
| 4east | Ryuka of PeaceSazan Ōrusutāzu | play_arrow | Quietly speaking of the pain of war and the wish for peace... |
| 5east | Summertime BluesRC sakuseshon | play_arrow | Eiji Cocoran’s song by Kiyoshiro Imawano hi… |
| 6east | War and PoliticiansZa gojuukaitenzu | play_arrow | Was confined in the Osaka Rock ’n’ Roll Juvenile Detention Center... |
| 7east | Fire the machine gun!Mr.Children | play_arrow | Known by the abbreviation “Misuchiru,” J-POP fans… |
| 8east | Driver’s HighL’Arc〜en〜Ciel | play_arrow | The exhilarating sound and fleeting, ephemeral lyrics leave an impression… |
| 9east | NO ~The Flower That Bloomed in the Wake of Life~sutoreitenaa | play_arrow | A stree… containing a strong anti-war message |
| 10east | 1985THE BLUE HEARTS | play_arrow | The rock band formed in 1985, THE… |
| 11east | Hey HoSEKAI NO OWARI | play_arrow | From minimum to global, a wide range of messages… |
| 12east | Dead girlHajime Chitose | play_arrow | She also has a role as an Amami folk singer, and her appeal that speaks to the heart… |
| 13east | Across timeHY | play_arrow | It’s a song with a theme of war. It’s like HY would... |
| 14east | Island SongTHE BOOM | play_arrow | The beautiful ocean and sky of Okinawa come to mind, THE … |
| 15east | The End of SummerMoriyama Naotaro | play_arrow | Gently enveloping the wistful atmosphere at summer’s end… |
| 16east | No more warGReeeeN | play_arrow | Since their debut with songs like “Ai Uta” and “Kiseki,” they have released numerous... |
| 17east | Love the warzSEKAI NO OWARI | play_arrow | Unique musicality and a gorgeous live perf… |
| 18east | bad peopleBlanky Jet City | play_arrow | Rock band Blanky Jet Cit… |
| 19east | The Slope of KarmaPorunogurafiti | play_arrow | A song that depicts a sad story of a boy and a girl. Life… |
| 20east | Miracle EarthKuwata Keisuke & Mr.Children | play_arrow | Human fragility and strength, and the s... |
| 21east | 2020 DIARYSaitō Kazuyoshi | play_arrow | A singing voice and melody that evokes a certain sense of wistfulness... |
| 22east | Join the Self-Defense ForcesTakada Wataru | play_arrow | Folk singer Wataru Takada, Pete Seeg… |
| 23east | Gaikokujin no Tomodachiyuzu | play_arrow | Folk duo Yuzu, regarding Yasukuni, the national flag, and the singing of the national anthem… |
| 24east | A NEW STYLE WARHamada Shogo | play_arrow | Shogo Hamada, released in September 1986... |
| 25east | Evening of the full moonSōru Furawā Yunion | play_arrow | The Great Hanshin-Awaji [Earthquake] that occurred on January 17, 1995… |
| 26east | CesiumOdotte Bakari no Kuni | play_arrow | The rock band “Odottebakari no Kuni”’s third… |
| 27east | Japanese devilMatsushima Kurosu | play_arrow | Make the derogatory term for Japanese people, “Japanese devils,” tight… |
| 28east | The way homefrom00, Yuki., Misu | play_arrow | A music project that brings together creators born in the Reiwa era… |
| 29east | In the midst of an endless journey…Shunsuke Kiyokiba | play_arrow | Original by Shunsuke Kiyokiba, former vocalist of EXILE |
| 30east | To the most important personTonneruzu | play_arrow | The 19th release by the comedy duo Tunnels... |
| 31east | What the dead man left behindTomotake Masanori | play_arrow | With lyrics by the poet Shuntaro Tanikawa and music composed by Toru Takemitsu… |
| 32east | HINOMARURADWIMPS | play_arrow | RADWIMPS' single “Catharsist… |
| 33east | GuernicaNakamura Kazuyoshi | play_arrow | Pica..., known as an art piece dealing with war, |
| 34east | YES MOM!THE BOOM | play_arrow | The Okinawan band THE B…, known for “Shima Uta” |
| 35east | Da! Da! The Song of Breaking Free from Nuclear Powerseifuku koujou iinkai | play_arrow | The Uniform Improvement Committee of the idol group has Toward the East... |
| 36east | GOD Bless XmexxxxPIERROT | play_arrow | The five-member visual kei rock band PIER… |
| 37east | The North Korea I admireZa Taimāzu | play_arrow | A person who closely resembles Kiyoshiro Imawano, “ZERR… |
| 38east | In the country where Hiroshima isYamamoto Satoshi | play_arrow | Singer-songwriter Yamamoto from Fukushima Prefecture… |
| 39east | Hong Kong, SayonaraKAN | play_arrow | The sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China… |
| 40east | No.9ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION | play_arrow | With a title reminiscent of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Hei… |
| 41east | Rainbow-Colored WarSEKAI NO OWARI | play_arrow | Contrary to its pop yet somehow fantastical sound… |
| 42east | About happinesssadamasashi | ![]() | Masashi Sada, imbued with a strong prayer for peace... |
| 43east | Born in a leap yearSasaguchi Sōon Hāmonika | play_arrow | A once-in-three-hundred-million-years rare musician and… |
| 44east | blood-soaked doveItsutsu no akai fūsen | play_arrow | A folk group that emerged during the dawn of Japanese folk music… |
| 45east | New GodREBEL BLUE | play_arrow | A punk rock ban formed around Ken Kato... |
| 46east | Horse Ridingthe HIATUS | play_arrow | The curtain rises to the majestic tones of an acoustic guitar… |
| 47east | The sky of Hiroshimasadamasashi | play_arrow | Produced in 1987, the commemorative album “Gekko (Moonbow)… |
| 48east | Smiles to the worldUinzu Hirasaka | play_arrow | Beyond borders and language barriers, may the world be filled with kindness and lau... |
| 49east | The bell of peace ringsSazan Ōrusutāzu | play_arrow | In a grand worldview, quietly offering a prayer for peace, an un… |
| 50east | Hiroshima, River of LoveSakushi: Nakazawa Keiji sakushi / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Katsuhiko | play_arrow | Sing of the sorrow of the atomic bomb and the wish for peace |
| 51east | Muddy up to the waistHajime Chitose | play_arrow | A story that slips in quietly yet pierces the heart with sharpness... |
| 52east | THE WAR SONGYamashita Tatsuro | play_arrow | An exhilarating s... woven by funk and soul |
| 53east | The way homeYūki., Misu | play_arrow | “A Reiwa-era anti-war song made by people born in the 2000s” co… |
| 54east | Camphor Tree — Blown by 500 Years of Wind —Fukuyama Masaharu | play_arrow | Vitality of life and a prayer for peace |
| 55east | world peaceSEKAI NO OWARI | play_arrow | SEKAI NO OWARI goes indie... |
| 56east | Younger Brother of the Vast SkyFukurai Suzuko | play_arrow | A song that delicately depicts the feelings of a family during wartime is… |
| 57east | ChernobylKatō Tokiko | play_arrow | Singer-songwriter Tokiko Kato in the Soviet Union... |
| 58east | Sad rain falls on ChernobylDragon Ash | play_arrow | Dragon Ash’s first albu… |
| 59east | chernobyTHE NOVEMBERS | play_arrow | The alternative, known by the abbreviation “Nobenba,”… |
| 60east | rainbowBLUE ENCOUNT | play_arrow | Songs that sharply capture war and social issues have B… |
| 61east | CHILDREN IN THE WARGLAY | play_arrow | A na… imbued with the tragedy of war and a prayer for peace |
| 62east | NO MO’ WARHAN-KUN | play_arrow | A song that carries a strong message opposing war. |
| 63east | Soldier A-kun’s SongNanao Tabito | play_arrow | An anti-war perspective from a single soldier caught up in the flames of war… |
| 64east | Soldiers risk their lives!Dai Nippon Teroru | play_arrow | Today, he enjoys immense support as a “left-leaning writer”... |

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