“Song of War”: A classic that sings of the tragedy and folly of war
Songs of war that are etched deeply into the human heart.
Within those voices lie prayers for peace, love for family, and memories that should be passed down across generations.
Living in the present, we can reflect anew on the horrors of war and the preciousness of peace through these songs.
In this article, we introduce moving songs themed around “war” that have left their mark on the history of Japanese music.
Shall we take a fresh look—through music—at the importance of a peaceful, conflict-free everyday life that we must protect?
Playlist
| “Song of War”: A classic that sings of the tragedy and folly of war | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1east | Island SongTHE BOOM |  play_arrow | THE BOOM’s big hit from 1992… |
| 2east | Sugarcane fieldMoriyama Ryoko |  play_arrow | In the Battle of Okinawa at the end of World War II, not only soldiers but also… |
| 3east | world peaceSEKAI NO OWARI |  play_arrow | SEKAI NO OWARI goes indie... |
| 4east | Message — Kotodute (oral message)Porunogurafiti |  play_arrow | A ballad by Porno Graffitti imbued with a prayer for peace |
| 5east | fireflySazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | A masterpiece that sings of the horrors of war and the preciousness of life... |
| 6east | Horse Ridingthe HIATUS |  play_arrow | the HIATUS began in July 2013… |
| 7east | Song of AugustHamada Shogo |  play_arrow | From the impact of my father's experience of the atomic bombing to war, politics, … |
| 8east | Love the warzSEKAI NO OWARI |  play_arrow | Ironically, the noble cause of protecting peace leads to conflict... |
| 9east | The bell of peace ringsSazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | In a grand worldview, quietly offering a prayer for peace, an un… |
| 10east | What the dead man left behindSakushi: Tanikawa Shuntarō / Sakkyoku: Takemitsu Tōru |  play_arrow | The a cappella piece with lyrics by Shuntaro Tanikawa and music by Toru Takemitsu… |
| 11east | TriangleSMAP |  play_arrow | SMAP’s single “Triangle” is… |
| 12east | THE WAR SONGYamashita Tatsuro |  play_arrow | An exhilarating s... woven by funk and soul |
| 13east | Rainbow-Colored WarSEKAI NO OWARI |  play_arrow | Contrary to its pop yet somehow fantastical sound… |
| 14east | Soldier A-kun’s SongNanao Tabito |  play_arrow | Tavito Nanao’s “Soldier A-kun’s Song” is a war… |
| 15east | Himeyuri ~Poem of the Lily~MONGOL800 |  play_arrow | This song, released on June 23, 2015, ... |
| 16east | A NEW STYLE WARHamada Shogo |  play_arrow | Shogo Hamada, released in September 1986... |
| 17east | Lesson 1Kagawa Ryo |  play_arrow | A gentle, conversational singing voice and a simple, rustic guitar… |
| 18east | blue skyTHE BLUE HEARTS |  play_arrow | Released in 1989, member Masatoshi Mashima… |
| 19east | The way homeYūki., Misu |  play_arrow | “A Reiwa-era anti-war song made by people born in the 2000s” co… |
| 20east | dogwood (flowering dogwood)Hitoto Yo |  play_arrow | A signature work by singer-songwriter Yo Hitoto… |
| 21east | Song of the Uzikariyushi 58 |  play_arrow | From Okinawa, known for the signature song “Anma,”… |
| 22east | For Whom the Alchemist ExistsMr.Children |  play_arrow | Mr.Children's 11th album… |
| 23east | Across timeHY |  play_arrow | A wish for peace from HY, a band from Okinawa... |
| 24east | Before the Generation of LoveHamada Shogo |  play_arrow | A powerful anti-... by Shogo Hamada from Hiroshima Prefecture |
| 25east | Peace and highlightSazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | In response to the ugly conflicts erupting between nations around the world… |
| 26east | Happy Xmas (War Is Over)John Lennon & Yoko Ono |  play_arrow | A song released in 1971, with lyrics and music by Ji… |
| 27east | For it is the sky that makes me sorrowful.HoneyWorks feat. Tomin Rion & Hatsune Miku |  play_arrow | A boy going off to war and the aching feelings of the girl who thinks of him... |
| 28east | One more milesadamasashi |  play_arrow | From the very first line of the song, Masashi Sada’s stance against war... |
| 29east | Child of the devilHiguchi Ai |  play_arrow | A wistful yet straightforward response to an unending conflict… |
| 30east | Fight the nightONE OK ROCK |  play_arrow | ONE ... conveys both the misery of war and the strength to keep fighting. |
| 31east | camphor treeFukuyama Masaharu |  play_arrow | Masaharu Fukuyama, in his hometown and also the atomic-bombed city... |
| 32east | Distant Christmassadamasashi |  play_arrow | Even at Christmas, which should originally be wrapped in happiness, … |
| 33east | The End of SummerMoriyama Naotaro |  play_arrow | Little by little, the sun is setting earlier, and the mornings and evenings are cool... |
| 34east | Rain of Time, The Final WarOrangestar |  play_arrow | A song that sharply captures the misery and folly of war… |
| 35east | Ryukyu Love SongMONGOL800 |  play_arrow | A signature work of MONGOL800 and a landmark of Japanese music... |
| 36east | Song of the Four Seasonswataame |  play_arrow | A fleeting love set against the transition from spring to summer… |
| 37east | Children Who Don’t Know WarJirōzu |  play_arrow | Written by Osamu Kitayama and released in 1970... |
| 38east | cobalt blueThe Back Horn |  play_arrow | Delivering music that moves the hearts of listeners… |
| 39east | wishHayashi Asuka |  play_arrow | The poignant singing voice appealing the tragedy of war grips my heart... |
| 40east | No more warGReeeeN |  play_arrow | Since their debut with songs like “Ai Uta” and “Kiseki,” they have released numerous... |
| 41east | Dead girlHajime Chitose |  play_arrow | In response to the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima City, … |
| 42east | War and PeaceALI PROJECT |  play_arrow | Known for its original sound and literary lyrics… |
| 43east | DON’T CRY HIROSHIMATEE |  play_arrow | Singer-songwriter TEE from Hiroshima City… |
| 44east | A single petal of cherry blossomMISIA |  play_arrow | We must never forget “war” in any era, te… |
| 45east | A flower blooming atop contradictionsMONGOL800 |  play_arrow | MONGOL800, a band from Okinawa. 1… |
| 46east | Heaven’s hellCocco |  play_arrow | At the time of their debut, with lyrics of striking impact and la... |
| 47east | A war broke out.Anarogu Fisshu |  play_arrow | The three-piece band, Analogfish’s… |
| 48east | Whenever I’m sadMatsuda Hiroyuki |  play_arrow | Singer Hiroyuki Matsuda’s thoughts on war, sung… |
| 49east | In the midst of an endless journey…Shunsuke Kiyokiba |  play_arrow | The tragedy of war, expressed with the kind of powerful style characteristic of Shunsuke Kiyokiba… |
| 50east | BeginnersSogabe Keiichi |  play_arrow | Keiichi Sokabe BAND, named after himself, and Sani… |
| 51east | DAYBREAK’S BELLL’Arc〜en〜Ciel |  play_arrow | Hit songs by every member as a composer… |
| 52east | Down by the RiversideMahalia Jackson |  play_arrow | ...and also took part in movements calling for the elimination of racial discrimination. |
| 53east | Relay of Lifesango |  play_arrow | Expressing the connection and value of life, and a wish for peace… |
| 54east | 8.6HUSKING BEE |  play_arrow | At 8:15 a.m. on August 6, in Hiroshima, for the first time in human history… |
| 55east | Outdated Rock ’n’ Roll BandKuwata Keisuke feat. Sano Motoharu, Sera Masanori, Char, Noguchi Goro |  play_arrow | Mr. Keisuke Kuwata, Mr. Motoharu Sano, Mr. Masanori Sera… |
| 56east | War & PeaceSakamoto Ryuichi |  play_arrow | In March 2023, they sadly passed away… |
| 57east | In the country where Hiroshima isYamamoto Satoshi |  play_arrow | In the country where Hiroshima is, this song at school... |
| 58east | A world without tomorrowRC sakuseshon |  play_arrow | RC Succession’s “A World Without Tomorrow” is, war… |
| 59east | The crested ibis cries.Porunogurafiti |  play_arrow | A duo band that has garnered popularity across a wide range of audiences… |
| 60east | Heaven Help Us AllStevie Wonder |  play_arrow | When it comes to Stevie Wonder, the nation… |
| 61east | aspiration; longing; ardent desireFukuyama Masaharu |  play_arrow | Masaharu Fukuyama’s movie theme song that depicts love and parting in wartime |
| 62east | Army DreamersKate Bush |  play_arrow | The Engli... who received the Order of the British Empire in 2013 |
| 63east | Muddy up to the waistHajime Chitose |  play_arrow | A story that slips in quietly yet pierces the heart with sharpness... |
| 64east | Pathetic.Tonneruzu |  play_arrow | Having created numerous legendary variety shows, songs… |
| 65east | War and PoliticiansZa gojuukaitenzu |  play_arrow | Was confined in the Osaka Rock ’n’ Roll Juvenile Detention Center... |
| 66east | INORI ~Prayer~Kumiko |  play_arrow | The “Children’s Peace Monument” in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park... |
| 67east | Far from Kyivsadamasashi |  play_arrow | At the horrific scenes from Ukraine coming through the television... |
| 68east | Strange WorldImawano Kiyoshirō |  play_arrow | Often called a legend in the Japanese music scene… |
| 69east | PrayJustin Bieber |  play_arrow | A powerful desire for peace is depicted, Justi… |
| 70east | We must not forgive the atomic bomb.Kinoshita Koji |  play_arrow | Every August, my thoughts turn to the war and the atomic bomb... |
| 71east | AGO!GO!7188 |  play_arrow | A dark sky within an up-tempo, lighthearted sound... |
| 72east | a pencilMisora Hibari |  play_arrow | Please, the fact that an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima... |
| 73east | Silent AfghanistanNagabuchi Tsuyoshi |  play_arrow | The terrorist attacks that occurred simultaneously in the United States in 2001… |
| 74east | NO ~The Flower That Bloomed in the Aftermath of Life~sutoreitenaa |  play_arrow | A band name meaning “one who straightens things out”… |
| 75east | Upon the boundless earthKatō Tokiko |  play_arrow | Tokiko Kato’s “On the Boundless Earth” is… |
| 76east | Where Have All the Flowers Gone?Katō Tokiko |  play_arrow | In 2022, with thoughts of anti-war and peace in mind, Ka… |
| 77east | What’s Going OnMarvin Gaye |  play_arrow | Marvin Gaye released in 1971… |
| 78east | Only One,Only YouGLAY |  play_arrow | GLAY’s 60… released in 2022 |
| 79east | War and MeSambomasutā |  play_arrow | Based on straight punk rock, varie… |
| 80east | No.9ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION |  play_arrow | With a title reminiscent of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Hei… |
| 81east | The War SongCulture Club |  play_arrow | Saying things like, “War is absurd, it’s wrong!”… |
| 82east | CHILDREN IN THE WARGLAY |  play_arrow | Poignantly expressing the misery of war and the feelings of the people… |
| 83east | NO WAR in the futureKeyakizaka 46 |  play_arrow | Keyakizaka46’s ... released in 2018 |
| 84east | The way homefrom00, Yuki., Misu |  play_arrow | A music project that brings together creators born in the Reiwa era… |
| 85east | The sky of Hiroshimasadamasashi |  play_arrow | Produced in 1987, the commemorative album “Gekko (Moonbow)… |
| 86east | Poem of the Frontier Guardssadamasashi |  play_arrow | The eternity of nature and the transience of human existence... |
| 87east | HanahikariRīgaru Rirī |  play_arrow | A floating, alternative rock soun... |
| 88east | 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 |
| 89east | decoy (sacrificial pawn)THE BLUE HEARTS |  play_arrow | ...war in which individuals are disposable under power |
| 90east | Blowin’ in the WindBob Dylan |  play_arrow | A world-famous ... who has been active since the 1960s |
| 91east | Cross of SorrowHAWAIIAN 6 |  play_arrow | Whether far away or close by, in every era war never ends… |
| 92east | Younger Brother of the Vast SkyFukurai Suzuko |  play_arrow | A song composed in memory of Ms. Shizuko Kasagi’s younger brother... |
| 93east | Peace TrainCat Stevens |  play_arrow | Peace is something that brings happiness, so why do we fight? |