RAG Music
Lovely music

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_chartTitlePlaylistReview
1eastJAMTHE YELLOW MONKEY
JAMTHE YELLOW MONKEYplay_arrow
Rock band, THE YELLOW MO…
2eastblue skyTHE BLUE HEARTS
blue skyTHE BLUE HEARTSplay_arrow
A song imbued with scathing criticism of social issues and with hope…
3north_eastIt was a lie all along.Saitō Kazuyoshi
It was a lie all along.Saitō Kazuyoshiplay_arrow
Singer-songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito is abo…
4south_eastRyuka of PeaceSazan Ōrusutāzu
Ryuka of PeaceSazan Ōrusutāzuplay_arrow
Quietly speaking of the pain of war and the wish for peace...
5eastWar and PoliticiansZa gojuukaitenzu
War and PoliticiansZa gojuukaitenzuplay_arrow
Was confined in the Osaka Rock ’n’ Roll Juvenile Detention Center...
6eastSummertime BluesRC sakuseshon
Summertime BluesRC sakuseshonplay_arrow
Eiji Cocoran’s song by Kiyoshiro Imawano hi…
7eastFire the machine gun!Mr.Children
Fire the machine gun!Mr.Childrenplay_arrow
Known by the abbreviation “Misuchiru,” J-POP fans…
8eastDriver’s HighL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
Driver's HighL'Arc〜en〜Cielplay_arrow
The exhilarating sound and fleeting, ephemeral lyrics leave an impression…
9eastHey HoSEKAI NO OWARI
Hey HoSEKAI NO OWARIplay_arrow
From minimum to global, a wide range of messages…
10east1985THE BLUE HEARTS
1985THE BLUE HEARTSplay_arrow
The rock band formed in 1985, THE…
11eastNO ~The Flower That Bloomed in the Wake of Life~sutoreitenaa
NO ~The Flower That Bloomed in the Wake of Life~sutoreitenaaplay_arrow
A stree… containing a strong anti-war message
12eastDead girlHajime Chitose
Dead girlHajime Chitoseplay_arrow
She also has a role as an Amami folk singer, and her appeal that speaks to the heart…
13eastThe End of SummerMoriyama Naotaro
The End of SummerMoriyama Naotaroplay_arrow
Gently enveloping the wistful atmosphere at summer’s end…
14eastAcross timeHY
Across timeHYplay_arrow
It’s a song with a theme of war. It’s like HY would...
15eastNo more warGReeeeN
No more warGReeeeNplay_arrow
Since their debut with songs like “Ai Uta” and “Kiseki,” they have released numerous...
16eastLove the warzSEKAI NO OWARI
Love the warzSEKAI NO OWARIplay_arrow
Unique musicality and a gorgeous live perf…
17eastThe Slope of KarmaPorunogurafiti
The Slope of KarmaPorunogurafitiplay_arrow
A song that depicts a sad story of a boy and a girl. Life…
18eastIsland SongTHE BOOM
Island SongTHE BOOMplay_arrow
The beautiful ocean and sky of Okinawa come to mind, THE …
19eastMiracle EarthKuwata Keisuke & Mr.Children
Miracle EarthKuwata Keisuke & Mr.Childrenplay_arrow
Human fragility and strength, and the s...
20eastbad peopleBlanky Jet City
bad peopleBlanky Jet Cityplay_arrow
Rock band Blanky Jet Cit…
21eastJoin the Self-Defense ForcesTakada Wataru
Join the Self-Defense ForcesTakada Wataruplay_arrow
Folk singer Wataru Takada, Pete Seeg…
22eastEvening of the full moonSōru Furawā Yunion
Evening of the full moonSōru Furawā Yunionplay_arrow
The Great Hanshin-Awaji [Earthquake] that occurred on January 17, 1995…
23north_eastGaikokujin no Tomodachiyuzu
Gaikokujin no Tomodachiyuzuplay_arrow
Folk duo Yuzu, regarding Yasukuni, the national flag, and the singing of the national anthem…
24south_east2020 DIARYSaitō Kazuyoshi
2020 DIARYSaitō Kazuyoshiplay_arrow
A singing voice and melody that evokes a certain sense of wistfulness...
25eastJapanese devilMatsushima Kurosu
Japanese devilMatsushima Kurosuplay_arrow
Make the derogatory term for Japanese people, “Japanese devils,” tight…
26eastGOD Bless XmexxxxPIERROT
GOD Bless XmexxxxPIERROTplay_arrow
The five-member visual kei rock band PIER…
27eastIn the midst of an endless journey…Shunsuke Kiyokiba
In the midst of an endless journey... Shunsuke Kiyokibaplay_arrow
Original by Shunsuke Kiyokiba, former vocalist of EXILE
28eastThe North Korea I admireZa Taimāzu
The North Korea I admireZa Taimāzuplay_arrow
A person who closely resembles Kiyoshiro Imawano, “ZERR…
29eastDa! Da! The Song of Breaking Free from Nuclear Powerseifuku koujou iinkai
Da! Da! The Song of Breaking Free from Nuclear Powerseifuku koujou iinkaiplay_arrow
The Uniform Improvement Committee of the idol group has Toward the East...
30eastWhat the dead man left behindTomotake Masanori
What the dead man left behindTomotake Masanoriplay_arrow
With lyrics by the poet Shuntaro Tanikawa and music composed by Toru Takemitsu…
31eastCesiumOdotte Bakari no Kuni
CesiumOdotte Bakari no Kuniplay_arrow
The rock band “Odottebakari no Kuni”’s third…
32eastGuernicaNakamura Kazuyoshi
GuernicaNakamura Kazuyoshiplay_arrow
Pica..., known as an art piece dealing with war,
33eastA NEW STYLE WARHamada Shogo
A NEW STYLE WARHamada Shogoplay_arrow
Shogo Hamada, released in September 1986...
34eastHINOMARURADWIMPS
HINOMARURADWIMPSplay_arrow
RADWIMPS' single “Catharsist…
35eastYES MOM!THE BOOM
YES MOM!THE BOOMplay_arrow
The Okinawan band THE B…, known for “Shima Uta”
36eastTo the most important personTonneruzu
To the most important personTonneruzuplay_arrow
The 19th release by the comedy duo Tunnels...
37eastIn the country where Hiroshima isYamamoto Satoshi
In the country where Hiroshima isYamamoto Satoshiplay_arrow
Singer-songwriter Yamamoto from Fukushima Prefecture…
38eastHong Kong, SayonaraKAN
Hong Kong, SayonaraKANplay_arrow
The sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China…
39eastThe way homefrom00, Yuki., Misu
The way homefrom00, Yūki., Mitsusuplay_arrow
A music project that brings together creators born in the Reiwa era…
40eastblood-soaked doveItsutsu no akai fūsen
blood-soaked doveItsutsu no akai fūsenplay_arrow
A folk group that emerged during the dawn of Japanese folk music…
41eastRainbow-Colored WarSEKAI NO OWARI
Rainbow-Colored WarSEKAI NO OWARIplay_arrow
Contrary to its pop yet somehow fantastical sound…
42eastTHE WAR SONGYamashita Tatsuro
THE WAR SONGYamashita Tatsuroplay_arrow
An exhilarating s... woven by funk and soul
43eastNew GodREBEL BLUE
New GodREBEL BLUEplay_arrow
A punk rock ban formed around Ken Kato...
44eastSad rain falls on ChernobylDragon Ash
Sad rain falls on ChernobylDragon Ashplay_arrow
Dragon Ash’s first albu…
45eastBorn in a leap yearSasaguchi Sōon Hāmonika
Born in a leap yearSasaguchi Sōon Hāmonikaplay_arrow
A once-in-three-hundred-million-years rare musician and…
46eastYounger Brother of the Vast SkyFukurai Suzuko
Younger Brother of the Vast SkyFukurai Suzukoplay_arrow
A song that delicately depicts the feelings of a family during wartime is…
47eastChernobylKatō Tokiko
ChernobylKatō Tokikoplay_arrow
Singer-songwriter Tokiko Kato in the Soviet Union...
48eastHorse Ridingthe HIATUS
Horse Ridingthe HIATUSplay_arrow
The curtain rises to the majestic tones of an acoustic guitar…
49eastThe sky of Hiroshimasadamasashi
The sky of Hiroshimasadamasashiplay_arrow
Produced in 1987, the commemorative album “Gekko (Moonbow)…
50eastSmiles to the worldUinzu Hirasaka
Smiles to the worldUinzu Hirasakaplay_arrow
Beyond borders and language barriers, may the world be filled with kindness and lau...
51eastThe bell of peace ringsSazan Ōrusutāzu
The bell of peace ringsSazan Ōrusutāzuplay_arrow
In a grand worldview, quietly offering a prayer for peace, an un…
52eastHiroshima, River of LoveSakushi: Nakazawa Keiji sakushi / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Katsuhiko
Hiroshima, River of LoveSakushi: Nakazawa Keiji sakushi / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Katsuhikoplay_arrow
Sing of the sorrow of the atomic bomb and the wish for peace
53eastMuddy up to the waistHajime Chitose
Muddy up to the waistHajime Chitoseplay_arrow
A story that slips in quietly yet pierces the heart with sharpness...
54eastThe way homeYūki., Misu
The way homeYūki., Misuplay_arrow
“A Reiwa-era anti-war song made by people born in the 2000s” co…
55eastAbout happinesssadamasashi
About happinesssadamasashi
Masashi Sada, imbued with a strong prayer for peace...
56eastCamphor Tree — Blown by 500 Years of Wind —Fukuyama Masaharu
Camphor Tree — Blown by 500 Years of Wind —Fukuyama Masaharuplay_arrow
Vitality of life and a prayer for peace
57eastNo.9ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
No.9ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATIONplay_arrow
With a title reminiscent of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Hei…
58eastworld peaceSEKAI NO OWARI
world peaceSEKAI NO OWARIplay_arrow
SEKAI NO OWARI goes indie...
59eastNO MO’ WARHAN-KUN
NO MO' WARHAN-KUNplay_arrow
A song that carries a strong message opposing war.
60eastCHILDREN IN THE WARGLAY
CHILDREN IN THE WARGLAYplay_arrow
A na… imbued with the tragedy of war and a prayer for peace
61eastSoldier A-kun’s SongNanao Tabito
Soldier A-kun’s SongNanao Tabitoplay_arrow
An anti-war perspective from a single soldier caught up in the flames of war…
62eastrainbowBLUE ENCOUNT
rainbowBLUE ENCOUNTplay_arrow
Songs that sharply capture war and social issues have B…
63eastSoldiers risk their lives!Dai Nippon Teroru
Soldiers risk their lives!Dai Nippon Teroruplay_arrow
Today, he enjoys immense support as a “left-leaning writer”...
64eastchernobyTHE NOVEMBERS
chernobyTHE NOVEMBERSplay_arrow
The alternative, known by the abbreviation “Nobenba,”…