There may have been times when you heard J-pop music playing in the background and liked it. Or you are already a fan of some Japanese groups and artists.
Whatever your motivation for learning Japanese, songs and music from Japan have become a global phenomenon in recent years, thanks to the catchy melodies of various singers and composers.
If you wish to improve your Japanese, you’re in luck. Using the right path, you can learn the language more efficiently with J-Pop. After all, music and songs are an amusing way to study while having fun.
But how does it work? What are the most effective methods and steps for listening to songs to achieve Japanese fluency?
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about using songs, J-pop, and music to teach yourself the lovely Japanese language. Then, you can become a fan of Japan’s pop and music industry and speak more Japanese.
Let’s begin.
Informal learning through songs and music
Informal learning is a far less organized method of acquiring knowledge. It can happen at any moment and in any location.
This kind of education can happen on a bus, at a restaurant, or even at a karaoke bar. There is no book or set of precise rules to follow. That’s why we often call it accidental learning since it is random and unplanned.
When learning a foreign language for the first time, the focus is on being familiar with the language. Examples include grammar structure, pronunciation, and remembering large amounts of new vocabulary.
To do this, students are urged to “study hard” by completing all necessary textbook exercises and practicing speaking and reading.
According to evolutionary experts, our ancestors may have evolved a reliance on music to communicate. They came from arboreal creatures—tree-dwellers who communicated over the canopy.
Listening to music is an excellent way to stimulate your brain. Scientists have claimed that they can see the active parts of the brain light up in MRI images when people listen to music.
Constantly evolving, always with new music and albums to explore. But did you know it’s also an excellent method for learning a new language?
Your favorite band may help you pass language exams like the Japanese Nihongo Achievement Test (NAT-TEST). As a result, you will become proficient much more quickly!
As a language student, pay attention to the importance of music in your studies. Music can help you learn pronunciation, memorize complex words, and pick up slang, terms, and phrases.
There are several ways that music may benefit your language learning. Of course, you may also listen to anything you want, for as long as you like!
Will Japanese songs help you improve your language skills?
Music is an effective way to learn about culture. You can learn much about a place by listening to its music; Japanese music is no different!
Besides practicing Kanji by writing it down many times in notebooks, you can explore many audio resources. For example: podcasts, audio lessons, Karaoke, learning through Japanese Anime, TV shows, and movies.
Do you know Japan has the world’s second-largest music market?
Japan boasts a diverse spectrum of traditional and contemporary musical styles. Listening to Japanese music is a terrific and pleasant way to learn more about this mesmerizing country’s culture, traditions, and history.
How exactly can Japanese music help?
Considering that Japanese is a hard language, Music may help you learn a language in various ways. This includes speaking, listening, reading, writing, new words, and understanding grammar.
Let’s find it all.
(i) Enhancing Japanese listening and speaking skills
First, there are listening and pronunciation skills —you can hear authentic Japanese. It can help you become used to the language’s varied sounds.
If you’re a beginner, it helps you pick up on the little riffs between Japanese sounds. Then, with each song, you’ll notice your listening abilities sweeten!
You’ll grow better at creating these noises as your listening skills develop. As a result, your accent and pronunciation will also improve.
Pay attention, and you will learn more. Acquainting yourself with the natural rhythm and tempo of spoken Japanese will also help you say it.
Overall, it aids in developing speaking skills, which is necessary if you intend to pursue a Japanese language career. For instance, when you sing along to your favorite Japanese music, your tongue and mouth grow accustomed to making noises they’ve never made before.
Keeping up with the beat and rhythm of music helps you speak more quickly and naturally in conversation. You strengthen memory through repetition. What better way to remember something than to hear it repeatedly?
No matter where you live, listening to songs helps you adapt to spoken Japanese pronunciation and intonation.
Music can help you enhance your listening skills. However, depending on where you live, regularly speaking Japanese may require significant effort.
(ii) Improves Japanese reading and writing ability
Many Japanese language learners feel at ease with the language’s written form but struggle with auditory comprehension.
The vocabulary — learning new Japanese words through music is much more likable and faster.
Music is more uncomplicated to recall, and tunes are appealing and easy. Furthermore, repetition helps retain new words. You may learn many new terms by reviewing the lyrics.
Particularly, informal words and casual wording that you won’t discover in your Japanese classes.
You may also learn regional terms, which will help you quickly improve your language talents. So, it can help you pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). All the while having a good time!
Grammar is reinforced by music. The lyrics support an understanding of the structure. So, a song title or verse may help you identify where to position the particle when expressing possession.
For example, the new word or grammar structures will remain in your memory after hearing a song’s chorus several times.
There are more opportunities to practice reading. For instance, when viewing music videos for study, you may use subtitles to read the Japanese you hear. It helps you recall the language more effectively and improves your mastery.
For some beginner-level tracks below, an image of the object identified by the written word will also be provided. First, check whether the text is in Kanji, Hiragana, or Katakana.
Depending on your reading capability, you can read the word aloud as you pronounce it. You may pause the videos to improve your Japanese and sound out the words in the 3 Japanese writing systems.
Tips and tricks to learn Japanese from songs
One technique for using music is to examine Japanese song lyrics more closely. When picking a theme, the more catchy it is to you, the better. Try taking notes on what you find. Are there any new terms or phrases?
From Reddit to Google to language forums, use the internet to get solutions to your questions. Plus, other online dictionaries can be found – have a look!
Also, list the new terms you’ve learned and try incorporating them into your writing.
If you’re a more serious fan, the internet may also help you connect with people who share your interests. Because Japanese popular culture has such a large global following, it’s pretty simple to become immersed in it.
Let’s start by listening to Japanese versions of familiar music.
Even children’s songs, films, or TV shows for Japanese learners are perfect places to start. These versions are readily available online and help them acclimate to Japanese music.
Repetition helps; you can focus on different parts of the song every time. This can be the bridge, chorus, and any other repeated elements. You can finally master all the sounds and syllables by reciting songs like this.
It’s a practical approach for improving listening and reading skills. So feel free to sing along and enjoy yourself.
Don’t worry if you need to comprehend every word when you first listen. Instead, concentrate on getting the song’s general meaning. Then, you may go back and listen again or print off lyrics to hear and improve your understanding.
As they say, practice makes perfect, and immersing oneself in Japanese music, songs, and J-pop will pay off in the long run.
It is also beneficial to listen to your favorite tunes in the background. After you’ve gotten into the swing, you can do this while cooking, traveling, or doing housework.
3-Steps to use songs to improve Japanese
First, pick a song you like that is easy enough to sing. While it may seem like a no-brainer, you can learn much more from the music you’ll enjoy listening to.
Finding a favorite genre or artist among various Japanese music styles shouldn’t be challenging.
As a beginner, it is best to start with slower-paced music. Children’s music is a superb resource for learning basic vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation.
YouTube or apps for Japanese learners with a “slow playback” feature can help. This feature is helpful if you prefer listening to fast tracks, rap, or modern pop music.
Last but not least, look up the words. Make sure you understand a song before listening to it repeatedly.
Initially, this is fine, so you get used to the singer’s voice and diction. Later, it will be necessary to look up the meaning of the words.
The world of J-pop and how it can help
Although J-Pop refers to Japanese pop music, it encompasses a wide range of genres that aren’t usually classified as “pop.” Examples include rock, R&B, and hip-hop.
The phrase “J-Pop” became popular around the late 1980s and early 1990s. Yet the music that inspires J-Pop singers arrived in Japan through Western influences, particularly during World Wars I and II.
J-pop music reflects all the characteristics of the Japanese language. It is for optimal intelligible information. You have a basic melody that is repetitive, catchy, and easy to remember.
The songs’ meanings aren’t overly convoluted; you can interpret them because they all include lyrics and English translations.
J-pop songs are also more approachable for learners because of the fun piece.
While learning Japanese takes time and effort, having some humorous, lively, and dramatic music may make it much more satisfying. Listening to Japanese pop music is also an enjoyable and relaxing pastime.
Further, karaoke establishments are well known for providing on-screen lyrics that participants may use as a guide if they are unfamiliar with a song’s lyrics.
You’ll often see unfamiliar Kanji with the Hiragana and Katakana added on top. This serves as a learning function (also referred to as Furigana).
Most J-pop songs have been turned into karaoke videos. So you can learn to sing along to or hold your at-home karaoke party on YouTube or elsewhere.
The choruses repeat themselves, and the characters appear on the screen repeatedly until you recall what they look like.
You’ll likely know Kanji the next time you see them in the wild. You may not recognize them from memory, but you will remember them.
Listening to J-pop is very beneficial for Japanese language learners because it uses slang, metaphors, unique grammatical points you may or may not have learned in class, everyday language use, and much more.
Those are valuable skills, and you won’t discover them in a textbook.
Singing J-pop aloud helps you learn lyrics and improves your speech’s fluidity. With each song you master, you’ll grow closer to fluency.
This sing-along period reinforces your speaking practice. It means your lips are rehearsing the movements required to say those words.
The more you practice, the simpler it will be to utter the terms, and the faster you can remove them from your lexicon. Thus, exposure to these linguistic patterns is essential to learn Japanese thoroughly.
Top songs and bands in Jpop
You probably already know Hikaru Utada, Arashi, Namie Amuro, and GACKT.
But what about other famous artists like AKB48, BabyMetal, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Hatsune Miku, Kenshi Yonezu, Official Hige Dandism, and many more?
You’re about to discover a lot more impressive stuff. Here are some great JPop songs to learn Japanese:
(i) Hikaru Utada
Hikaru Utada, born in the USA, is one of modern Japanese pop music’s most well-known and enduring figures. She has also achieved international success as a renowned, best-selling musical artist in Japan.
Her debut album, First Love, released in 1999, remains the best-selling album in Japan. Her music is influenced by Western pop and R&B.
(ii) Arashi
This boy band debuted in 1999 and has a long list of songs under its credit. It is another long-standing powerhouse in the current J-Pop.
Their most incredible hits compilation CD became the world’s best-selling album in 2019, surpassing Taylor Swift and BTS. Their music is primarily pop-oriented.
(iii) Namie Amuro
If you had to name one, Namie Amuro would be a Japanese counterpart to Madonna. Her meteoric ascent to stardom in the early 1990s earned her the moniker “Queen of Japanese Pop” and “Japanese Madonna.”
Despite retiring from the music industry in 2018, she is one of Japan’s best-selling musicians. She has also been recognized as a recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress, and entrepreneur.
(iv) Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki’s career gained momentum after her 1998 debut. With her self-written songs and trend-setting aesthetic, she earned a dedicated following. She is a songwriter, singer, and former actress.
She has over 30 albums and is the subject of a biographical television drama. By 2019, Hamasaki had sold over 60.94 million units. This makes her an all-time best-selling Japanese solo artist.
(v) GACKT
Gakuto Oshiro, sometimes known as Gackt, is a well-known Japanese artist who has been active since the early 1990s. He’s a rocker, yet he’s not afraid to sing in various styles.
His music has been featured in video games, anime, and television shows. In 2007, he reached the top of the Oricon charts with his first and only single, “Returner.” As a solo artist, he sold more than 10 million albums.
(vi) AKB48
Akihabara is the Tokyo area where the group’s theater is located, and the AKB48 term originated there. This female idol trio is one of the highest-earning performers in Japanese music.
Since its inception in 2005, AKB48 has sold millions of albums. Their music is primarily pop. Between 2010 and 2020, AKB48 occupied at least two top spots on the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart.
(vii) Babymetal
Not everyone is a fan of heavy metal. Yet Babymetal has introduced metal music to audiences who would never have heard it. This Japanese kawaii metal band comprises Moa Kikuchi as “Moametal” and Suzuka Nakamoto as “Su-metal.”
It has gained international popularity for its distinctive theme and style, which combine kawaii and metal. This J-band has undertaken several tours; most of its musical trips have taken place outside Asia.
Final Words on Learning Japanese with Music
This is only the beginning of learning Japanese with music. You can explore an endless world of songs and J-pop more and more to find your best playlist.
These Japanese songs will have you dancing and singing, give you a glimpse of Japan’s culture, and help you learn and improve your language.
Don’t forget that you only need to understand some parts of the song the first time you listen to it! First, understand the rhythm and beat. Then, after listening to it a few times, you can easily decipher its meaning.
They will help you learn unfamiliar words and Japanese characters, and improve your understanding of sentence formation. Plus, you become more articulate with pronunciation and improve your speaking ability.
There you have it — a simple, entertaining, textbook-free way to study Japanese. Begin singing along and engage with the enchanting world of Japanese music and culture.
Do you have any questions, or would you like to share your appreciation for J-pop and Japanese songs? Write in the comment section below!
