I’ve been learning the Japanese language, Nihongo, for the last few months. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been watching Japanese anime and reading manga, which made learning a little bit easier. Those are my primary hobbies. On the other hand, Japan’s music is one of the things I cherish most about this country.
I love music in general, but Japanese songs have a special place in my heart. I’ve heard many Japanese songs with excellent chord progressions and a solid structure. Even if I can’t understand what they’re saying without the subtitles, they always elicit an emotional response from me. And when I finally learned what the song was about, it all started making sense as to why I felt that way when I listened to that song.
Yoasobi, Yorushika, Kenshi Yonezu, Supercell, and Higedan – these are the artists I’ve been listening to the most these days. Their music inspired me so much that I decided to take up the study of Nihongo. In my opinion, deciphering lyrics simply by listening to music is a more rewarding experience than just reading the subtitles. There are times when meaning gets lost in translation.
I never had confidence in my looks. As a result, I was apprehensive about posing for photographs. Nearly everyone has taken images to relive memories from their past. I use music to do this.
Music has a unique place in my heart because of the people and memories it conjures up. When I want to reminisce, I listen to music. The recollections might be upsetting and even painful at times. You might wonder, “Why bother listening to it if it’s so painful?” It makes sense, yet music is the only thing that I have.
Despite the fact that I’ve lost innumerable people I previously cherished, I don’t have anything to serve as a constant reminder of their existence. All I have left are the songs I associated with them.
Music evokes all of the emotions I experienced while spending time with them: joy, sorrow, gratitude, and even grief.
I haven’t figured out what I want to do with my life yet, but if there’s anything I can see myself doing until my last day, it would be listening to Japanese music.
What a powerful tool music is for evoking strong emotions within us.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all Japanese musicians.
