Kazuyoshi Saito’s masterpieces and popular songs
Let me introduce some songs by the hugely popular singer-songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito.
Kazuyoshi Saito shot to fame when his song “Aruite Kaerou” was used as the opening theme for the TV show Ponkickies.
His appeal undoubtedly lies in his vocals and the gentle atmosphere of his music.
He has moving classics like “Utautai no Ballad” and “Wedding Song.”
Saito is also a big cat lover; for the jacket of “Yawarakana Hi,” he used a photo he took himself of his beloved cat.
Saito Kazuyoshi’s classic and popular songs (1–10)
Angel’s catNEW!Saitō Kazuyoshi
This is a bittersweet ballad that overlays the image of a stray cat living resiliently in a corner of the city with the instincts and freedom we’d forgotten in ourselves.
Featured on singer-songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito’s album “Kazuyoshi,” released in October 2013, this piece was co-written with bassist Hiroo Yamaguchi.
Its lyrical, beautiful melody quietly yet deeply resonates with listeners.
When your heart feels a little weary from busy days, this song has a mysterious power that makes you want to pause and look up at the wide sky.
Some may even be moved to tears by its warm worldview, as if gently guided by a cat.
On a quiet night when you want to regain your true self, why not listen to it slowly and carefully?
cat hairNEW!Saitō Kazuyoshi
Some people might find themselves grinning at a title that smells of everyday life.
Sung by Kazuyoshi Saito, this track—reportedly recorded all at once with his touring band—features a richly groovy band sound that feels great.
It’s included on the album “202020,” released in January 2020, and it was also aired as the opening theme for the TBS TV show “CDTV.” It beautifully portrays the unadorned closeness of two people—so tender that even the cat hair on your clothes feels lovable.
It’s quintessential Kazuyoshi Saito: expressing deep affection not through flashy words but through scenes from daily life, gently warming the heart.
When you want to savor the simple happiness of living with a kitty, give it a listen.
Mirror, mirrorSaitō Kazuyoshi
Have you ever found yourself wanting to question the person reflected back at you when you catch a glimpse in the mirror? This is a powerful rock tune that carries the resolve to keep moving forward, trusting only in one’s own convictions despite doubts and anxieties.
Singer-songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito—known for songs like “Utautai no Ballad”—wrote it as the theme song for the TV Asahi drama “Okome no Onna: National Tax Agency Document Investigation Division, Miscellaneous Nations Office,” which began airing in January 2026.
Its lyrics, which teach the importance of not betraying yourself in an era where right and wrong waver, are deeply in sync with the drama’s worldview and are sure to encourage listeners every time they hear it.
With warm vocals and guitar tones that resonate in the heart, it’s a song you’ll want people to hear precisely when they’re troubled and on the verge of stopping in their tracks.
Sunflower DreamSaitō Kazuyoshi
Overflowing with a sense of openness and carrying a positive message to go big without sweating the small stuff, this is a classic by Kazuyoshi Saito that resonates deeply with adults caught up in the demands of everyday life.
Featured on the concept album “ONE NIGHT ACOUSTIC RECORDING SESSION at NHK CR-509 Studio,” released in September 2012, this track was also used in the Sapporo Hokkaido PREMIUM commercial starring Nanako Matsushima.
The groove unique to its acoustic arrangement pairs perfectly with Saito’s warm vocals, creating a soothing comfort that makes your shoulders naturally relax as you listen.
Perhaps it’s precisely the generation shouldering responsibilities at work and at home that needs the song’s generous worldview.
Give it a listen on a weekend drive, or when you want to pause and take a deep breath!
Ballad of a SingerSaitō Kazuyoshi
Saito Kazuyoshi usually jokes around and says naughty things as an MC, but when he sings a ballad in earnest, it turns into a masterpiece like this.
Just as many artists—such as Kazutoshi Sakurai of Mr.
Children (as Bank Band), Tamio Okuda, and UNCHAIN—have covered it, it’s truly a deeply moving, classic ballad.
moonlightSaitō Kazuyoshi
A medium-tempo 6/8 number with a pleasantly strummed acoustic guitar.
It feels like a “hidden gem” where the singer-songwriter essence shines like the moon—making you think that this kind of song might be the origin of Kazuyoshi Saito, who can charge full-on into rock or deliver a lyrical ballad with equal ease.
I Love MeSaitō Kazuyoshi
A funky, high-energy tune that’s guaranteed to hype up any live show.
I don’t think there are many singer-songwriters who can pull off this kind of groove with an acoustic guitar in a band setup.
It’s neither a rock track that makes you nod along vertically nor a ballad that gently moves your heart, yet he can fire up the audience like this—just how deep is Secchan’s range?
Wedding SongSaitō Kazuyoshi
It’s exactly the kind of song the title suggests—there’s no better way to put it.
It’s actually a wedding staple, too.
If you hear it at the ceremony, the tear rate has to be 100%.
And if you’re already married, you’ll be guaranteed to remember your own wedding when you listen.
There’s no doubt it’s a masterpiece that sinks deep, deep into the heart.
I like your face.Saitō Kazuyoshi
What a shocking title (lol).
Instead of saying “I love you,” it plainly says “I love your face.” In the song, it also says he likes “your hair,” “your shoulders,” and “your fingers,” and that he believes in “things with form.” He even says you can just make up someone’s personality in your head.
But when he says he loves the formless “sound of your voice,” it makes you think, after all, he really is a singer.
Midnight PoolSaitō Kazuyoshi
This song evokes an incredibly nostalgic feeling.
The recorder-like tone and phrases in the intro, the vocal melody, and the lyrics—all of it.
It’s not normal for an elementary schooler to find themselves in a “pool at midnight” situation, but somehow you can imagine it.
And then you hear that the person of the opposite sex with whom you shared that unusual moment is getting married soon.
That would be a deeply nostalgic and sentimental thing.