[2026] Japanese music that sings wishes: A collection of J-POP masterpieces

Start AgainNornis

[Original Song MV] Nornis – Start Again [Inui Toko / Machita Chima]

This song, released to mark the significant milestone of their 3rd anniversary, embodies the determination to take a new step forward.

It’s a work unveiled in June 2025 by Nornis, a women’s vocal unit from NIJISANJI, featuring an evocative, floating sound arrangement.

The lyrics convey a warm message of overcoming doubt and anxiety together and journeying far.

If you listen when you’re diving into a new environment or starting to chase a goal, the duo’s beautiful harmonies are sure to give you strength.

A single petal of cherry blossomMISIA

MISIA – One Petal of Cherry Blossom

This work is imbued with a wish for peace.

By overlapping the fleeting nature of cherry blossoms with the passage of time, it prays for and vows to an eternity without sorrow precisely because of that transience.

With lyrics also written by MISIA, this song carries those feelings strongly and is sung with great power.

dogwood (flowering dogwood)Hitoto Yo

Hitoto Yo – Hanamizuki

Speaking of Yo Hitoto, this song—Hanamizuki—has become her signature.

It’s been covered by many artists.

I couldn’t protect you, as delicate as the dogwood blossom, but I pray that your happiness, and the happiness you share with the one you cherish, will last forever.

my wishAI

AI「my wish」（Official Music Video）

A heartwarming gospel ballad filled with hope and prayer.

Released in April 2025, this work serves as the image song for the film “Hana Manma.” The lyrics gently tell us that “wishes do come true,” and AI’s husky yet powerful vocals layer over them to moving effect.

It beautifully captures the world of the film, in which Ryohei Suzuki and Kasumi Arimura play a brother and sister.

This song gently supports those on the verge of giving up on the future or whose dreams have been denied, making it a perfect listen when you need strength to persevere or the courage to take the next step.

Message — kotodute —Porunogurafiti

Message — Kotodute (oral message)

It’s a song with a gentle rock sound imbued with deep prayers and wishes.

The 55th single by Porno Graffitti, created with Hiroshima—marking 80 years since the atomic bombing—as its theme, it was released digitally in April 2025.

The track was used as the ending theme for NHK Hiroshima’s documentary program “Connect: Messages to the Future — Porno Graffitti Connects Through ‘Song.’” The program featured the background of the song’s production and conversations with atomic bomb survivors.

Give it a listen when you want to feel a commitment to peace or to quietly calm your mind.

Give me a gentle kiss.DREAMS COME TRUE

DREAMS COME TRUE – “Give Me a Gentle Kiss”

Among DREAMS COME TRUE’s songs—often called DCT—one I especially recommend is “Yasashii Kiss o Shite” (“Give Me a Gentle Kiss”).

This ballad portrays a woman confronting unrequited love, set to a tender, emotionally rich melody, and it’s also known as the theme song for the drama “Suna no Utsuwa” (“The Sand Vessel”).

Its beautiful melodic line doesn’t have large pitch changes, making it relatively easy for anyone to sing.

Naturally, it’s also a great pick for karaoke, so if you’re looking for something to sing, why not choose this classic?

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What I wish for in the spring-dancing skyFANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE

What I wish for in the spring-dancing sky

This piece was written as the theme song for the film “We Can Use Magic Only Once in Our Lives.” It’s a track by FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE, released in December 2024.

It expresses the hope for a future with a loved one as spring arrives.

Within our finite lives, it conveys the preciousness of time spent with someone important—lyrics themed around transience and love that truly resonate.

Please give this poignant, heart-wrenching love ballad a listen.