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

play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow
play_arrow