RADWIMPS - Order Made (Made to Order)

One of the best songs I know.

By the j-indie band RADWIMPS.

I'm sure I was probably asked

Before I was born, by someone from somewhere

"I will make it so you can see

Either the past or the future, so

Which do you want?"

100(-ish) Words You Need to Understand a Japanese Pop Song

I've been an avid fan of jpop for quite some time. My first memory of reading Japanese lyrics was in Card Captor Sakura: The Movie's theme song Tooi Kono Machi de (In This Distant Town) in elementary school. As I read through the other lyrics for CCS, and then for InuYasha, I couldn't help but notice that certain words and phrases kept showing up again and again.

As I gradually learned the meanings of these words, I realized that certain ones were present in almost every Japanese song I encountered.

Here are around 100 words you need to get the gist of any jpop song. Tested on Gendou.com, but your mileage may vary.

1.     Sora- sky

2.     Yume- dream

3.     Hana- flower

4.     Tsubasa- wings

5.     Kokoro- heart

6.     Hikari (/akari)- light

7.     Aoi- blue (usually in reference to “the blue sky above” = aoi sora no miagete)

8.     Namida (/naiteru)- tears, cry

9.     Egao- smiling face

10.            Zutto (/itsumo/itsumademo)- always, forever

11.            Doko made mo- no matter how far

12.            Wasurenai- I won’t forget

13.            Omoi (/omoidasu/omoide/oboiteru/etc.)- remember, memory

14.                        Mieru (/Miteru/Mienai/Miageru/miagete/Mitsukeru/Mitsumeru ­etc.)- see/look/can’t see/look up/above/find/notice/gaze at/stare at

15.            Itsuka- someday

16.            Ashita- tomorrow

17.            Sekai- world

18.            Mirai- future

19.            Jidai- age/era (they say this more than you think)

20.            Soba ni iru (yo)- by my side

21.            Yasashii- kind

22.            Tsuyoku- strong

23.            Aruite- walk

24.            Ikite (iru)- live

25.            Michi- road

26.            Futari- the two of us

27.            Tomaranai- don’t stop

28.            Owaranai- never-ending

29.            Tsunaide- connect

30.            Te- hand

31.            Toki- time

32.            Basho- place

33.            Hi- day (e.g. ano hi “that day”)

34.            Kodomo (/ko)- child

35.            Afureru- flow, overflowing, etc.

36.            Chiisa-na- small (They use this one  A LOT…”because I’m such a small person” is common)

37.            Chikara- strength

38.            Hitomi- eyes

39.            Hitori- alone

40.            Kodoku- loneliness

41.            Sabishii- lonely, sad

42.            Onaji- same (something along the lines of “although we had the same type of heart…”)

43.            Hajimete- start

44.            Subete- everything

45.            Kotoba- words

46.            Hitotsu- one (commonly used as “the one [single] thing”)

47.            Mune- chest (heart)

48.            Jibun- self

49.                        Ima- now

50.             Ima sugu- straight away

51.            Kodoku- loneliness

52.            Mitomeru-  accept; admit; acknowledge; attach (importance); award (damages); discern; vindicate

53.            Deau (/deatta)- to meet, (“I met you”), etc.

54.            Atatakai- warm, hot

55.            Nemuru (/nemuite)- sleep

56.            Naka- inside

57.            Kikoeru- hear

58.            Oikakete- hide

59.            Sagashite- searching

60.            Shunkan- moment

61.            Hanasu (/hanashite)- talk/(past tense)

62.            Mamoru- to protect

63.            Kidzuku (/kidzuite)- to notice

64.            Setsuna (/itami/itai)- pain/sorrow; it hurts

65.            Kizutsukeru- to hurt, damage, injure

66.            Hayaku- fast

67.            Keshiki- landscape

68.            Asa- morning

69.            Yoru- night

70.            Koe- voice

71.            Kaze- wind

72.            Hoshi- star

73.            Yuki- snow

74.            Tsuki- moon

75.            Nagareboshi- wishing star

76.            Mainichi- everyday

77.            Tooku (/hanarete)- far away, distant, isolated

78.            Kanjiru (/kanjite/kanjiteru)- feel

79.            Tsuzuku (/tsuzukeru/susumu)- to continue

80.            Hanasanaide- don’t let go

81.            Kotaeru- answer

82.            Kawaru (/kawatta/kawaranai)- to change, changed, do not change/unchanging

83.            Kioku- memory

84.            Kiseki- miracle (“the miracle that I met you…”)

85.            Tatoe (/tatoeba)- for example

86.            Eien (eien ni, eien no)- eternity, eternally/forever, eternal/infinite/undying

87.            Umarete- born

88.            Karada- body

89.            Kao- face

90.                        Eranda- “I chose” (past tense te-form of ‘erabu’)

91.                        Monogatari- narrative, story

92.                        Todoku- reach, come to; come through (news etc.)

93.            Tabi- journey

94.                        Wagamama- selfishness, egoism, willfulness

95.                        Kurikaesu- repeat; echo

96.            Kaeru- to return

97.            Mou ichido- one more time

98.            Yami- darkness

99.            Dakishimete- embrace

100.       Uso- lie

101.       Sotto- softly

102.       Kakera- fragment

103.       Kyo – today

104.       Kinou - yesterday

105.       Kagayaku – shine/glitter/sparkle

Fukai Mori - Do As Infinity

I'm sure that the heart I left behind
Still lies hidden in the heart of the deep, deep forest.

Exhausted, without the strength to search,
People vanish into the infinite darkness.

If it's so small, I wonder
If I can see it even now?

As we live on,
We lose a little bit more.
Shrouded in falsehoods and lies,
We stand frozen to the spot, unable to cry out.

The days pass by and change,
Without us even realizing how blue the sky really is.

Overcoming that made-up scheme, we live the present,
And our rusted hearts begin to beat again.

If we can find the rhythm of time,
We can fly once again.

We live our lives,
Wandering to the ends of the earth.
Believing in you, now I begin my journey with you,
In search of the light.