21 Famous Japanese Songs
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12. “Winding Road” by Ayaka
Song Year: 2007
Ayaka’s “Winding Road” is the first collaboration between Japanese singer-songwriter Ayaka and the pop-rock duo Kobukuro. Commercially, the track was used to help promote the Nissan Cube in 2007. This platform helped the song reach incredible popularity, including 2nd on the Oricon Singles Chart of 2007.
The physical copy of the single included only the lyrical and instrumental versions of “Winding Road” and sold for just over 500 yen, with the price justified for having two songs instead of the standard four on a single.
13. “Michi” by Exile
Song Year: 2007
The pop band Exile makes its second appearance on the list of famous Japanese songs with one of their landmark tracks, “Michi.” Translated as “Road,” the track was released in February of 2007, and while it was limited to 100,000 physical copies, the song achieved online success with over 250,000 downloads. It also became a popular late-2000s ringtone with more than one million downloads.
The song’s CD includes instrumental and piano versions of the single, with the latter clocking a few seconds longer than the original pop track.
14. “LIFE” by Kimaguren
Song Year: 2008
The Japanese pop and reggae duo Kimaguren comes in next on our list with the single “Life.” The song is a mix of English and Japanese lyrics, and the athletic brand au Smart Sports used the single in a 2009 commercial, where it quickly gained popularity.
Selling more than 3.5 million copies, “Life” is one of 2008’s top songs. The acoustic rhythms of the guitar max with a beachy, reggae feel for a motivational hit.
15. “Koko Ni Iru Yo” by SoulJa
Song Year: 2007
Japanese hip-hop singer-songwriter SoulJa released “Koko ni Iru yo,” meaning “My Dear Friend,” in 2007. This song is the counterpart to “I’m By Your Side,” one of Aoyama’s tracks (and first on our list).
It is challenging to disconnect the success of the two songs as they are frequently linked, but “Koko Ni Iru Yo” remained on Oricon’s list of top 10 singles for five weeks. This B-side track was utilized as the conclusion theme for the Japanese television program Japan Countdown.
16. “Yasashiku Naritai” by Kazuyoshi Saito
Song Year: 2011
Japanese singer-songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito’s love song “Yasashiku Naritai” was originally written as the ending theme song to the Japanese television drama Kaseifu no Mita. The song has sold over 2.5 million copies, but it is difficult to find outside Japan due to strong copyright laws.
The romance song tells the story of wanting to find love in a world that seems to fight against such things. Promising to be gentle, kind, and strong, the narrator insists they can find love. A thumping bass line and addictive guitars accompany the touching lyrics and earned Saito the Excelle