[hanabiwings]

YUZU - 栄光の架橋(Eiko no Kakehashi)/The Bridge to Glory

This was the NHK/Japanese news theme for the Olympics of 2004. Its lyrics are very emotional. I guess they're hopeful yet about the turbulence/turmoil of young life.

YUZU - 桜木町Sakuragi-chou/Sakuragi-Town

This song is really near to me because I spend most of my time in Japan in Yokohama and this is one of my favourite places in the world. It's about the singer going to visit the place (Sakuragi-chou) where he and his girlfriend used to meet and his sentiments upon realizing that she will never be waiting to meet him there again.

BUMP OF CHICKEN - 車輪の唄/Song of the Wheels

This song REALLY gets to me. It's about a guy who is taking his good friend, who is a girl, to the train station because she is headed off to a far-away city he doesn't know well. And the tires of his bike and the wheels of the train seem to be crying out in sorrow. And he knows they'll never be the same again, but he has hope they'll meet again.

BUMP OF CHICKEN - 天体観測 - Stargazing

BUMP really has a knack for getting to me. This one, too, is about young and inexperienced kids unable to communicate their feelings. So the guy just stands there in the cold, unable to hold the girl he wants to tell about his feelings.

Begin/Natsukawa Rimi - 涙そうそう/Nada Sousou

This one, I really think everyone in Japan agrees with me on. All the old people seem to cry when they hear this one. I dunno. It's a natsumero. Not necessarily 'sad' as much as... I guess reflecting on the difficulties of staying in touch/staying together in life. And how short-lived everything is.

Ayumi Hamasaki - For My Dear

This one's another one about not being able to say the words that mean the most to you. (Do we sense a pattern here?) It's really an emotionally-charged song for me. I think Ayu had very lonely teenage years.

Ayumi Hamasaki - End roll

Saying good-bye. Nuff said. I'm sure you have all read the lyrics. This is a song that gave me a swift kick when I was going through a tough time.

PORNO GRAFFITI - 音の無い森・Oto no nai mori/Soundless Forest

It's a song that really moves me and spurs me on. I don't think it's necessarily natsumero for me, but definitely makes me feel like "hey, I"m alive"

Cocco - 雲の果路へKumo no Hateji e/To the Edge of the Clouds
Cocco - ポロメリア Polomeria

Cocco really has a talent for cutting through my emotions and getting down to the knitty-gritty. Her lyrics are so straight forward and completely unapologetic. Polomeria, especially, with its references to not being able to smile straight and running beyond a wired fence, really speaks to me.