Hey Everyone! Nostalgia here! I wrote the 250+ Common Words in Japanese Music Lyrics early on in this blog’s existence. As a Jpop fan, it became very apparent that even though I studied Japanese for 3 years (2 years on my own and 1 year in University), these daily life words don’t cover the range of words used in their music, thus, I still relied on translations to understand the music I listened to.
I kept coming across more and more words that I felt were useful to know if you wanted to understand the music you heard, so I created the Japanese Lyric Dictionary that contained over 600 common words.
But after coming back to my Christian faith with conviction and power, I didn’t care to listen to Jpop anymore, or any secular music for that fact. While I thought Jpop and anime had some good themes, such as courage, kindness, fighting for what’s right even if you’re alone, and striving to better yourself, Japan is not a Christian country.
I can’t deny that anime taught me a lot of valuable life lessons, and some anime tropes made me a better Christian. However, now that my spiritual eyes are open, I acknowledge that anime really isn’t that safe for Christians, as it promotes lust/fornication, pride, greed, violence, witchcraft, demons, false gods, and rebellion against sovereignty.
Everything we expose ourselves to can impact or influence us, so we need to be careful, more so if you’re someone who binges anime and is exposed to it for hours everyday. The bible tells us to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and to avoid all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22-24) for a reason. As empowering as the shows and songs can be, it can give us a god-complex, making us feel like we could do anything with our own power, and that’s something I personally saw in my own life.
So anyways, I took a loooong break from blogging in 2023. I just didn’t have anything to write about cause my niche was Jpop/Anime, and even my guitar career was focused on that niche. I prayed a lot about it and decided to consecrate my blog. I’ve put so much time, energy, and money into building it, so I was attached to it, scared to lose it, but I wanted to trust God with everything in my life.
To my relief, He allowed me to keep this blog, but I wanted to keep my mind focused on God so I started thinking of ways to help spread the gospel or support my brothers and sisters in Christ. The first thing I did was share my faith publicly on my home page and bios. I was a little worried about being cancelled or views going down, but it really had no effect on my traffic. Thus, I felt encouraged to do more to share the gospel.
Before this blog, as a long-time Jpop fan, I did try to find Japanese Christian music. I really love the chord progressions, instrumentations, emotions, and storytelling aspects of Jmusic, so I would have loved to find stuff I could listen to even on Sabbath (I grew up Seventh-Day Adventist. I no longer agree with their doctrine, and consider them false teachers, but I still keep the Sabbath to rest and avoid workaholism). However, when I searched, I only found like 2-3 artists, and some clips of very old songs.
After playing at a Japanese festival in summer 2023, I told God I wouldn’t play guitar again unless for Him, and I really didn’t play anything besides some exercises here and there. That was until a church plant reached out to me, desperate for musicians, and I wanted to help. I grew up with gospel greats like Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin, and was warned since high school that Hillsong and Bethel were unbiblical, so it was my first real exposure to CCM music. I have opened my mind to that genre, but I am still on guard for questionable lyrics and doctrine.
Western songs can certainly have the vocals and emotions to move you (I won’t say I haven’t cried to their songs or been blessed by their lyrics), but I think anyone who listens to Jpop can attest that they just have something special, they just do things differently when it comes to song creation. I believe it’s because their music is based more on jazz instead of the blues. Students not only learn to play instruments, but actually learn music theory in school. All kinds of genres are accepted and loved in their country, thus why they are the 2nd biggest music industry in the world!
Back to my story, while I served that church well, the songs were quite easy for me. Compared to anime songs that I covered which would take me days to learn to play all the new chords, memorize the progressions, and actually put everything together with ease, these 3-5 chord CCM songs could be learned and memorized in 10 minutes max. I wouldn’t even attempt to get familiar with a Jpop song the night before as it’s not very repetitive nor predictable, but I found myself doing that with church songs. I wasn’t wasn’t being challenged, so I was eager to find some Japanese Christian songs to play and cover.
So, I started my Ultimate Japanese Christian Artists article, hoping to find at least 10, and thinking myself lucky to find 15…..but thanks to recommended sections on Youtube and Spotify, along with some playlists, I quickly found at least 25 my first night. I then reached out to a couple Japanese Christian ministry groups on Facebook to see if they knew anyone that I was missing, and they probably shared another 25! Since then, I’ve been keeping an eye out, and the list currently has over 100 artists!!
As I was sampling some of these artists and reading their bios, I managed to even find some Japanese Christian artists that make music in the jpop, hip hop, rock, jazz, and funk genres! I know people have been looking for alternatives to the Japanese music they already love, so more recently, I created the article Japanese Christian Alterntives for Jpop and Anime Music Fans.
But that leads us here. With this new sphere of music, there are once again going to be many words that you will almost never hear in conversational or business Japanese, but you’re going to hear them over and over in certain songs. If you plan to sing along or make your own, dictionaries like this are vital. Even if you aren’t a performer, music is a wonderful way to learn and familiarize yourself with new words, and in this case, it can be a wonderful ministry tool as well.
I have found other resources that list general Japanese Christian words like Erich & Emi’s Japanese Christianese article OR Japanese for Missionaries’ Christian Vocabulary flashcards, so this list is really focused on Japanese Christian music and terminology used within it.
As I have mentioned above, I have another list with common Japanese lyric words, so super general words like “do”, “sing” or “want” won’t appear here; however, I have included general words like “day”, “mountain”, “love” and “dance” as they regularly occur in these songs, in the bible, and among the Christian community. I have yet to hear/see Christianese words like “Pastor”, “Trinity”, “Baptism”, “The 10 Commandments” or “Sermon” in their songs, thus they won’t appear on this list.
Japan still has less than a 2% Christian population, so I pray that through my efforts to make these articles and resources, the rest of the world will be equipped and empowered to reach the Japanese population through the ministry of music, and for anime and Jpop fans to feel emboldened and empowered to share their faith among their peers as well. If you’re interested in discovering more Japanese music and resources, and to connect with others, join the Chromatic Saints Facebook Group.
English | Romaji | Hiragana | Kanji |
Redeemed | Aganawareta | あがなわれた | 贖われた |
Loved One/Person | Aisuru mono | あいするもの | 愛する者 |
Testimony | Akashi | あかし | 証し |
Let’s Prove It | Akashi shiyou | あかししよう | 証しよう |
Evil | Aku / Warui | あく/ わるい | 悪 / 悪い |
Storm | Arashi | あらし | 嵐 |
Can’t Express | Arawasenai | あらわせない | 表せない |
Raging/Storm | Arekuruu | あれくるう | 荒れ狂う |
To Walk | Aruku | あるく | 歩く |
Sunrise | Asahinobo | あさひのぼ | 朝日昇 |
Bad | Ashiki | あしき | 悪しき |
Is Given | Ataerarete iru | あたえられている | 与えられている |
Give | Ataeru | あたえる | 与える |
New | Atarashii | あたらしい | 新しい |
Hit | Atari | あたり | 当たり |
Matching | Awase | あわせ | 合わせ |
To Walk/Follow/Lead | Ayumu | あゆむ | 歩む |
Walk | Ayunde | あゆんで | 歩んで |
All Armies/Hosts | Bangun | ばんぐん | 万軍 |
Place | Basho | ばしょ | 場所 |
Blood | Chi | ち | 血 |
Earth | Chi | ち | 地 |
Approach | Chika | ちか | 近づ |
Power | Chikara | ちから | 力 |
Blood (Stream) | Chishio | ちしお | 血潮 |
Bold | Daitan | だいたん | 大胆 |
One Seed | Dane hitotsubu | だねひとつぶ | 種一粒 |
Glory | Eikou | えいこう | 栄光 |
Unrighteousness | Fugi | ふぎ | 不義 |
Take a Step Forward | Fumidashi | ふみだし | 踏み出し |
Boat | Fune | ふね | 舟 |
Prone | Fushi | ふし | 伏し |
Righteousness | Gi | ぎ | 義 |
Worship | Haishi | はいし | 拝し |
Beginning | Hajime | はじめ | 始め |
Beginning | Hajime | はじめ | 始め |
Measure | Hakari | はかり | 計り |
Husband | Hanamuko | はなむこ | 花婿 |
Never Let (You) Go | Hanasanai | はなさない | 離さない |
Bride | Hanayome | はなよめ | 花嫁 |
Torn Apart | Harisakete | はりさけて | 張り裂けて |
Flag | Hata | はた | 旗 |
Peace | Heian | へいあん | 平安 |
Peace | Heiwa | へいわ | 平和 |
Strange/Weird | Hen | へん | 変 |
Sound | Hibike | ひびけ | 響け |
East | Higashi | ひがし | 東 |
Light | Hikari | ひかり | 光 |
Let’s Open It | Hirakou | ひらこう | 開こう |
Prostrate/Bow Down | Hirefushi | ひれふし | ひれ伏し |
Spread | Hirogaru | ひろがる | 広がる |
One Word | Hitokoto | ひとこと | 一言 |
Sheep | Hitsuji | ひつじ | 羊 |
Shephard | Hitsujikai | ひつじかい | 羊飼い |
Creation | Hizoubutsu | ひぞうぶつ | 被造物 |
Pride | Hokori | ほこり | 誇り |
Honour | Homare | ほまれ | 誉れ |
Blessed | Homubeki | ほむべき | ほむべき |
Blessed One | Homubeki okata | ほむべきおかた | ほむべきお方 |
Bone | Hone | ほね | 骨 |
Star | Hoshi | ほし | 星 |
Gushing | Hotobashiri | ほとばしり | ほとばしり |
Shore | Hotori | ほとり | ほとり |
Hail | Hyou | ひょう | 雹 |
Dedicated One | Ichidosasa | いちどささ | 一度捧 |
Great | Idai | いだい | 偉大 |
Greatness | Idaisa | いだいさ | 偉大さ |
Eternal | Iesukirisutotowa | いえすきりすととわ | 永久 |
Breath | Iki | いき | 息 |
Bring Back To Life | Ikikaerasu | いきかえらす | 生き返らす |
Living things | Ikimono | いきもの | 生き物よ |
Live | Ikiru | いきる | 生きる |
Good/Cool (ie Water) | Ikoi | いこい | いこい |
Lightening | Inazuma | いなずま | 稲妻 |
Life | Inochi | いのち | 命 |
Prayer | Inori | いのり | 祈り |
A Step | Ippo | いっぽ | 一歩 |
To Put In/Put It In | Irete | いれて | 入れて |
Pain | Itami | いたみ | 痛み |
Imperfect/Inadequant | Itaranasa | いたらなさ | 至らなさ |
Mercy/Compassion | Itsukushimi | いつくしみ | 慈しみ |
Time | Jikan | じかん | 時間 |
Life | Jinsei | じんせい | 人生 |
Freedom | Jiyuu | じゆう | 自由 |
Cross | Juujika | じゅうじか | 十字架 |
Changed | Kaerarete | かえられて | 変えられて |
Shine | Kagayake | かがやけ | 輝け |
Shining | Kagayaku | かがやく | 輝く |
As Long As | Kagiri | かぎり | 限り |
Limitless | Kagirinai | かぎりない | 限りない |
Release | Kaihou | かいほう | 解放 |
Released | Kaihou Sareta | かいほうされた | 解放された |
Raise It Up | Kakagete | かかげて | 掲げて |
Hidden | Kakure | かくれ | 隠れ |
Hiding Place | Kakureba | かくれば | 隠れ場 |
Let Me Hide | Kakuresasete | かくれさせて | 隠れさせて |
God | Kami | かみ | 神 |
To Feel/Impression | Kanjite | かんじて | 感じて |
Crown | Kanmuri | かんむり | 冠 |
Thanks | Kansha | かんしゃ | 感謝 |
Complete | Kanzen | かんぜん | 完全 |
Face | Kao | かお | 顔 |
Direction | Kata | かた | 方 |
Story | Katari | かたり | 語り |
Switch | Kawari | かわり | 代わり |
Family | Kazoku | かぞく | 家族 |
Numerous | Kazukazu | かずかず | 数々 |
Plan | Keikaku | けいかく | 計画 |
Never/By No Means | Kesshite | けっして | 決して |
Arrival | Ki | き | 着 |
Hope | Kibou | きぼう | 希望 |
Christ | Kirisuto | きりすと | キリスト |
Miracle | Kiseki | きせき | 奇跡 |
Season | Kisetsu | きせつ | 季節 |
Holy (Holy Holy) | Kiyoi | きよい | 聖い |
Voice | Koe | こえ | 声 |
Beyond | Koete | こえて | 越えて |
Lamb | Kohitsuji | こひつじ | 小羊 |
Heart | Kokoro | こころ | 心 |
Breaks (My) Heart | Kokoro kudaite | こころくだいて | 心砕いて |
With All My Heart | Kokorotsukushi | こころつくし | 心尽くし |
Coming | Korareru | こられる | 来られる |
Word | Kotoba | ことば | 言葉 |
Never Happens | Kotoganai | ことがない | ことがない |
Wilderness | Koya/Areno | あれの | 荒野 |
Cloud | Kumo | くも | 雲 |
People | Kunitami | くにたみ | 国民 |
Dark | Kurai | くらい | 暗い |
Darkness | Kurayami | くらやみ | 暗やみ |
Chain | Kusari | くさり | 鎖 |
Church | Kyoukai | きょうかい | 教会 |
Town | Machi | まち | 町 |
Ambush (Waiting+Hiding) | Machibuse | まちぶせ | 待ち伏せ |
Every Morning | Maiasa | まいあさ | 毎朝 |
True, Sincerity | Makoto | まこと | まこと |
True Light | Makoto no Hikari | まことのひかり | まことの光 |
To Be Protected | Mamorareru | まもられる | 守られる |
To Protect | Mamoru | まもる | 守る |
Is Waiting | Matteru | まってる | 待ってる |
Turn Around | Maware | まわれ | 回れ |
Grace | Megumi | めぐみ | 恵み |
Fruit | Mi | み | 実 |
Full | Michi | みち | 満ち |
Road | Michi | みち | 道 |
Full of | Michi afurete iru | みちあふれている | 満ちあふれている |
Lead Me | Michibi ite | みちびいて | 導いて |
I Will Guide You | Michibi ite iku | みちびいていく | 導いていく |
Be Guided | Michibikaremasu | みちびかれます | 導かれます |
Be Full | Michiru | みちる | 満ちる |
Don’t Give Up | Mihanasazu | みはなさず | 見放さず |
Find It | Miidashite | みいだして | 見出して |
God | Mikami | みかみ | 御神 |
Seek Your Face | Mikaomotomeru | みかおもとめる | 御顔求める |
Your Voice | Mikoe | みこえ | 御声 |
God’s Will | Mikokoro | みこころ | 御心 |
Kingdom | Mikuni | みくに | 御国 |
To Go Before | Mimimae / Gozen | みみまえ | 御前 |
To Stand Before You | Mimimae ni Tachi | みみまえにたち | 御前に立ち |
Body and Soul | Mimoko | みもこ | 身もこ |
Source | Minamoto | みなもと | 源 |
Lord of All | Minashu | みなしゅ | 皆主 |
Appearance | Misugata | みすがた | 御姿 |
I Won’t Abandon You | Misutenai | みすてない | 見捨てない |
Abandoned | Misuteta | (お)みすて | 見捨てた |
Spirit | Mitama | みたま | 御霊 |
Satisfaction | Mitashi | みたし | 満たし |
Fill (It) Up | Mitashite | みたして | 満たして |
Your Hand | Mite | みて | 御手 |
Your Wings | Mitsubasa | みつばさ | 御翼 |
Angels/Messengers | Mitsukai | みつかい | 御使い |
Palace | Miya | みや | 宮 |
Throne | Miza | みざ | 御座 |
Infinite | Mugen | むげん | 無限 |
Direction | Mukai | むかい | 向かい |
Chest | Mune | むね | 胸 |
Washed Away | Nagasareta | ながされた | 流された |
Wave | Nami | なみ | 波 |
Tears | Namida | なみだ | 涙 |
How Many Times | Nando | なんど | 何度 |
As Many Times As You Like/Want | Nando demo | なんどでも | 何度でも |
Who | Nanimono | なにもの | 何者 |
Wish | Negai | ねがい | 願い |
Not A Wish/Not What I Want | Negaidenaku | ねがいでなく | 願いでなく |
Aim | Neratte | ねらって | 狙って |
West | Niji | にし | 西 |
Preach | Nobe | のべ | 宣べ |
Rise | Noboru | のぼる | 昇る |
Ride | Nora | のら | 乗られ |
Ridden | Norare | のられ | 乗られ |
Curse | Noroi | のろい | 呪い |
Hope/Wish | Nozomi | のぞみ / のぞむ | 望み / 望む |
Presence | Nozomu/rin zai | りんざい | 臨在 |
Dance | Odori | おどり | 踊り |
Dance | Odoru | おどる | 踊る |
Hill | Oka | おか | 丘 |
Cover | Oou | おおう | 覆う |
Contained | Osame | おさめ | 収め |
Collection/To Dedicate | Osamu | おさむ | 収 |
Fear | Osore | おそれ | 恐れ |
Not Afraid | Osorenai | おそれない | 恐れない |
Follow | Otte | おって | 追って |
King | Ounaru | おうなる | 王なる |
End | Owari | おわり | 終わり |
Extend | Oyobu | およぶ | 及ぶ |
Worship | Reihai | れいはい | 礼拝 |
Open Arms | Ryoute hiroge | りょうてひろげ | 両手広げ |
Desert | Sabaku | さばく | 砂漠 |
Scream | Sakebi | さけび | 叫び |
Praise (Noun) | Sanbi | さんび | 賛美 |
Offering | Sasage | ささげ | 捧げ |
Dedication | Sasageru | ささげる | 捧げる |
To Offer | Sasageru | ささげる | ささげる |
Holy | Sei | せい | 聖 |
Consecration | Seibetsu | せいべつ | 聖別 |
Holy | Seinaru | せいなる | 聖なる |
Holy Spirit | Seirei | せいれい | 聖霊 |
Sanctuary | Seisho | せいしょ | 聖所 |
Saint | Seito | せいと | 聖徒 |
Saints | Seitora | せいとら | 聖徒ら |
World | Sekai | せかい | 世界 |
Declaration | Sen | せん | 宣 |
Declaration | Sengen | せんげん | 宣言 |
Death | Shi | し | 死 |
Defeat Death | Shi o uchiyaburi | しをうちやぶり | 死を打ち破り |
Control (ie Satan) | Shihai | しはい | 支配 |
Shut Out | Shimedashi | しめだし | 締め出し |
True | Shin | しん | 真 |
Truth | Shinjitsu | しんじつ | 真実 |
Faith | Shinkou | しんこう | 信仰 |
Trust | Shinrai | しんらい | 信頼 |
Truth | Shinri | しんり | 真理 |
Zion | Shion | しおん | シオン |
King of Zion | Shion no Ou | しおんのおう | シオンの王 |
Admire/Loves | Shitau | したう | 慕う |
Endearing | Shitawashi | したわしい | 慕わしい |
Disappointment | Shitsubou | しつぼう | 失望 |
Sinking/Setting (Sun) | Shizumunomo | しずむのも | 沈むの |
Victory | Shouri | しょうり | 勝利 |
Lord Jesus | Shu Iesu | しゅいえす | 主イエス |
Before the Lord (Presence of King) | Shu no mimae | しゅのみまえ | 主の御前 |
Name of the Lord | Shu no Mina | しゅのみな | 主の御名 |
God’s Spirit/Presence | Shu no Rei | しゅのれい | 主の霊 |
Blessing | Shukufuku | しゅくふく | 祝福 |
Poured | Sosogareta | そそがれた | 注がれた |
Wonderful | Subarashii | すばらしい | 素晴らしい |
All | Subete | すべて | 全 |
Too Much | Sugite | すぎて | 過ぎて |
Spend Time | Sugoshite | すごして | 過ごして |
Salvation | Sukui | すくい | 救い |
Be Saved | Sukuwareru | すくわれる | 救われる |
Residence | Sumai | すまい | 住まい |
Let’s Move Forward | Susumou | すすもう | 進もう |
Correct | Tadashi | ただし | 正しい |
Constantly | Taezu | たえず | 絶えず |
In The Womb | Tainai | たいない | 胎内 |
Sun | Taiyou | たいよう | 太陽 |
Sun Never Sets | Taiyou Shizumazu | たいようしずまず | 太陽沈まず |
Save | Takuwae | たくわえ | たくわえ |
Gift | Tamamono | たまもの | 賜 |
Soul | Tamashi | たましい | 魂 |
Given | Tamawatta | たまわった | 賜った |
People | Tami/Min | たみ | 民 |
Valley | Tanima | たにま | 谷間 |
Fun | Tanoshi | たのし | 楽し |
Praise (Verb) | Tataeru | たたえる | 称える |
Built (Like building) | Tate | たて | 建て |
Sound The Harp | Tategotonarase | たてご とならせ | 竪琴鳴らせ |
Exterminate/To Run Out | Tayasazu | たやさず | 絶やさず |
Person to Rely on | Tayorumono | たよるもの | 頼る者 |
Enemy | Teki | てき | 敵 |
Heaven | Ten | てん | 天 |
Heaven | Tengoku | てんごく | 天国 |
Shine On | Terase | てらせ | 照らせ |
Illumination | Terashi | てらし | 照らし |
Door | Tobira | とびら | 扉 |
Poor | Toboshii | とぼしい | 乏しい |
Deliver | Todokeru | とどける | 届ける |
Release/Solving | Tokihanatsu | ときはなつ | 解き放つ |
Be Fastened | Tomerareru | とめられる | 留められる |
Together | Tomo | とも | 共 |
Accompanying | Tomonawa | ともなわ | 伴わ |
Light Up | Tomoru | ともる | 灯る |
Captive | Toraware | とらわれ | 囚われ |
Old Person | Toshioitamono | としおいたもの | 年老いた者 |
Governance | Touchi | とうち | 統治 |
Precious | Toutoi | とうとい | 尊い |
Eternity | Towa / Eien | とわ / えいえん | 永遠 |
Tell | Tsugeru | つげる | 告げる |
Created | Tsukurareta | つくられた | 創られた |
Built | Tsukurareta | つくられた | 造られた |
Sin | Tsumi | つみ | 罪 |
Pardon | Tsumiyuru | つみゆる | 罪赦 |
Sound The Horn (Trumpet) | Tsuno buenarashi | つのぶえならし | 角 笛鳴らし |
Legend | Tsutae | つたえ | 伝え |
Tell | Tsutaeru | つたえる | 伝える |
Wrap Up | Tsutsunde | つつんで | 包んで |
Continue | Tsuzu | つづ | 続け |
Overcome | Uchikatemasu | うちかてます | 打ち勝てます |
Breakthrough/Defeat | Uchiyaburi | うちやぶり | 打ち破り |
Move | Ugoka | うごか | 動かされる |
Move | Ugoke | うごけ | 動け |
Received | Uke(ta) | うけ(た) | 受け(た) |
Born | Umareta | うまれた | 生まれた |
Sea | Umi | うみ | 海 |
Sing | Utau | うたう | 歌う |
I/Me | Wa | わ | 我 |
My Protection | Wagamamori | わがまもり | 我守り |
Young Person | Wakaimono | わかいもの | 若い者 |
We | Warera | われら | 我ら |
Eagle | Washi | わし | 鷲 |
Promise | Yakusoku | やくそく | 約束 |
World | Yo | よ | 世 |
Called | Yobareta | よばれた | 呼ばれた |
Call | Yobu | よぶ | 呼ぶ |
Joy | Yorokobi | よろこび | 喜び |
Weak | Yowai | よわい | 弱い |
Weakness | Yowasa | よわさ | 弱さ |
Finger | Yubi | ゆび | 指 |
Snow | Yuki | ゆき | 雪 |
Dream | Yume | ゆめ | 夢 |
Shake/Vibrate | Yuri | ゆり | 揺り |
Forgiveness | Yurusa | ゆるさ | 赦さ |
Forgiven | Yurusare | ゆるされ | 赦され |
Please Forgive Me | Yurushite kudasai | ゆるしてください | 赦してください |
All The Earth | Zenchi | ぜんち | 全地 |
Pith | Zui | ずい | 髄 |