Western classic songs covered by Japanese artists. Hit songs rediscovered through Japanese-language covers.
How many examples can you think of where a Western hit song became a massive success in Japan after being covered with Japanese lyrics? In fact, there are more cases than you might expect where that tune you casually hum is actually a Japanese cover of a song by an overseas artist.
While preserving the original melody’s charm, the Japanese lyrics breathe new life into the music, and many of these works continue to be loved across generations.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of especially famous covers, as well as surprising hits that make you think, “Wait, this was originally a Western song?” Enjoy tracing the roots of the songs you know!
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Classic Western songs covered by Japanese artists: Rediscovering hit tracks through Japanese-language covers (91–100)
VENUSKiyoharu
It’s a cover of The Shocking Blue.
There’s a bit of a disconnect when a song with female vocals is sung by a man, but this one feels awkward in a different way (lol).
Rather than a simple cover, it ends up sounding almost like Kiyoharu’s own original.
It’s got a strong, distinctive quirk.
Hole in My ShoeTakahashi Yukihiro
A song covered by Yukihiro Takahashi of “Hole in My Shoe,” originally released in 1967 by the British rock band Traffic.
Dave Mason’s dreamlike lyrics depict a mysterious worldview where the boundary between dream and reality is blurred.
Surreal scenes—such as an elephant’s eye and tin soldiers—unfold one after another, as if tracing the flow of the protagonist’s consciousness.
While preserving this distinctive atmosphere, Takahashi adds arrangements that reflect his own musical sensibility.
Included on his 1996 album “Portrait with No Name,” the track shines with a new brilliance that is uniquely Takahashi’s, despite being a cover.
A piece that will leave you feeling dreamy.
Western pop masterpieces covered by Japanese artists: Hit songs rediscovered through Japanese-language covers (101–110)
Amazing GraceTakehara Pisutoru
Speaking of unexpected cover songs, I recommend Pistol Takehara’s “Amazing Grace”! It’s an old American gospel classic that’s loved and sung around the world.
Takehara added his own original lyrics to “Amazing Grace,” turning it into a prayerful song that shakes the soul.
When he performed it on TV for the first time, his powerful, almost shouting delivery drew rave reactions on social media, with comments like “I was moved” and “I couldn’t stop crying.” It’s a deeply moving performance—please check it out!
Love Can’t Be Stopped (Turn It Into Love)Wink
In 1988, Wink, the duo of Sachiko Suzuki and Shoko Aida, covered Kylie Minogue’s 1988 song “Turn It into Love,” released in Japan as “Ai ga Tomaranai ~Turn It into Love~.” Wink’s cover topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, and around the same time, Kylie Minogue’s original dominated the Oricon Western Music Singles Chart, holding the No.
1 spot for 10 consecutive weeks.
The arrangement makes nostalgic use of poppy 1980s-style synth sounds, so be sure to give it a listen!
Wake Me UpYamashita Ayumu & Sereina An
A track by Avicii, the DJ and producer from Stockholm, Sweden.
It’s a massive hit that has surpassed one billion streams on Spotify.
Singer-songwriter Celéna Anne performs the English lyrics, while Ayumu Yamashita sings the Japanese lyrics, creating an arrangement that lets you enjoy the original words while understanding the song’s story.
The lyrics convey the struggles of a young person a bit lost in life, making it a song that gently stays by your side and gives you a push when times are tough.
Sans toi, mamieRC sakuseshon
This is a cover of Adamo included on the album “COVERS,” which I released in 1988.
I really want you to listen to this album—it’s full of masterpieces.
Fubuki Koshiji had covered this song, but her lyrics were from a woman’s perspective, so I rewrote them from a man’s point of view.
Sentimental and DearTahara Toshihiko
Toshihiko Tahara was one of the quintessential idols of the 1980s.
His popularity surged not only through his own work but also thanks to the “Tanokin Trio,” the unit he formed with Masahiko Kondo and Yoshio Nomura after co-starring on the TV drama Mr.
Kinpachi in Class 3B.
One of Tahara’s signature songs is his debut single, “Aishu de Ito.” The original is Leif Garrett’s “New York City Nights,” noted for lyrics that capture the bittersweet sorrow and frustration felt at the end of a romance.
Tahara skillfully conveys that world in the Japanese version as well, infusing the lyrics with a poignant sense of melancholy.
The song’s unexpectedly mature aura—unusual for an idol—revealed a new facet of him when he was still in his teens.
This youthful ballad about aching love remains as radiant as ever, untouched by time.