Music is an amusing way to learn a language quickly. To learn a language, reading and writing are not enough to master it. You may need to be more fluent in listening to music in your targeted language. Still, it can help you spell the correct pronunciation of that language and learn the vocabulary and grammatical structure, which is adequate for your expertise in speaking in that language.
Why Learn Japanese Languages through Songs?
The Japanese language is considered a complex language to learn as a foreigner. Taking a Japanese language class can help you understand the language with the expert’s guidance, but listening to Japanese music for learning the language in your regular work can smoothen your practice and increase your chances of learning Japanese vocabulary and its pronunciation effortlessly.
How Listening Songs Helps to Learn Japanese?
There are many ways music can help to learn Japanese. One can follow the theme of the famous J-pop, Japanese popstar, or karaoke hits. According to studies, the Japanese language can be understood easily through karaoke songs. In Japan, Karaoke (empty orchestra) is the most popular culture. It allows a person to sing the song by reading the lyrics on the screen of the karaoke box. It is a common practice in Japan to a get-together and has fun with friends.
If you are in Japan, there are Karaoke bars everywhere where you can practice with a partner or solo. Research shows sing along with reading the lyrics can help you to improve your utterances. If you are not going to practice in a karaoke bar, you can listen to songs or podcasts through your headphones. Lyrics of songs have repetition, which is effective in memorising the words and listening to Japanese music repeatedly can improve your Japanese pronunciation.
Curiotory arranged for you the top Japanese karaoke hits by which you can learn the Japanese words quickly.
The Best Songs to learn Japanese according to your level
- The best Songs to learn Japanese for beginners
The best Songs to learn Japanese for beginners. If you are a beginner who has no idea of the Japanese language, then you should try the following amazing Japanese songs that are very easy to learn and understand the lyrics:
- “Tonari no Totoro” by Joe Hisaishi (1988)
Tonari no Totoro by Joe Hisaishi is the best Japanese song to learn Japanese vocabulary. This song is derived from the animated movie Tonari no Totoro (my neighbour Totoro), centred around two children. Children’s language is easy to understand as they are clear. It is one of the best songs to learn Japanese for beginners. If you need to know about the Japanese word, try this song, which you can get on YouTube. You can play it with subtitles so you better understand the terms. For listening through headphones, the best way is to repeat it repeatedly, which way you will learn to pronounce the sentences correctly.
- “PonPonPon” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (2011)
Learn Japanese through the song PonPonPon by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It is a very famous song that was released in the year 2011 and went viral. It is one of the easy Japanese songs to learn Japanese. It has fun lyrics that will make you understand different Japanese phrases. The words in this song are straightforward and familiar, which will help you learn Japanese vocabulary quickly. You have to practice only a little with this song, and you will enjoy the fun and learn new Japanese words. This song is available online on YouTube or Spotify. You can repeat the song until you get it on your mind completely.
- “Himawari no Yakusoku (the sunflower’s promise)” by Motohiro Hata (2014)
Himawari no Yakusoku is a straightforward Japanese song to learn Japanese. You will hear this song before if you are a fan of Doraemon. This song was featured in the movie “stand by me Doraemon”. It is a lovely song, and the tones are so clear that you will easily catch the lyrics. It can be the best song that will help you learn the Japanese vocabulary more efficiently and understand the essential meaning when you know a language. You can get it on YouTube with subtitles.
- “Karate” by Baby metal (2016)
The famous baby metal band’s best creation is ‘Karate’, which was released in 2016. This song can benefit you in learning Japanese because of the fun and easy words used in the music. It’s effortless to follow the lyrics of this song as they are so simple and more precise in tone. It is helpful for primary practice that you can get on YouTube to watch the music video for a better understanding of the lyrics.
2. The best Songs to learn Japanese for intermediate level
If you have a basic understanding of the Japanese language, you can try the following songs so that you can improve your basic level:
- “Marigold” by Aimyon (2018)
Released in 2018, Marigold is a viral J-pop hit song by Aimyon which can be the best song to practice Japanese. It is a beautiful song, and the lyrics are fascinating. You will love to learn the lyrics because of their mind-soothing vibes. If you consider the lines of the music for only half an hour, you will understand the sentence structure and various modes of using the words.
- “Linda Linda” by the Blue hearts (1987)
Learn Japanese through music that will rock your mind. Linda Linda, the famous song by the Japanese rock band the blue heart, is our recommendation for a Japanese karaoke hit that will help you learn the language quickly. The best thing you will learn from this song is grammar, such as; nouns, verbs etc. It is available on YouTube; you can watch the video anytime and many times. You can play the music in the background while practising, making it learn the lyrics quickly.
- “Heavy rotation” by AKB48 (2010)
We all hear about the famous Japanese song “Heavy rotation” by the Japanese band AKB48. It has straightforward lyrics that can be learnt quickly. The words used in the lyrics are clear, and you don’t have to work hard to understand the lyrics. The best part of this song is you will find many repetitions of the exact words that will be useful for memorising them easily. Find it on Spotify or YouTube for better practising the song with subtitles.
3. The best Songs to learn Japanese for Advanced level
Smoothen your Japanese accent with the following Japanese karaoke hits:
- “Forever Love” by X Japan (1996)
The next one is Forever Love, one of the best Japanese songs to help learn Japanese. Released in 1996 by the Japanese rock band X Japan, Forever Love is trendy music among the Japanese. It is a sad song filled with heart-touching emotions. You will learn some great sentences with deep meaning, and it’s effortless to grasp the words used in the lyrics. To better understand the lyrics and the tones, play it on YouTube, where you can get the English translation and the subtitles.
- Shima Uta by the Boom (1992)
Japanese music for learning the language is the best way where you don’t have to spend your money or attend classes that will take your time. All you have to do is tune the music in your ears and memorise what you just heard. Our next song is Shima Uta by the 90’s famous Japanese band ‘The Boom’. It is the most popular song you can use to increase your Japanese vocabulary level.
In the lyrics, you will find many words derived from the old Japanese language that gives this song a nostalgic feeling. Apart from emotions, you will learn to pronounce some problematic Japanese terms used in the lyrics. It may be challenging but not impossible to understand the lyrics, and it’s also attractive so that you can try this fantastic song. You can find it online on YouTube or Spotify.
- “Winding Road” by Ayaka and Kobukuru (2007)
The “winding road” is another best Japanese song to learn more efficiently. This song was released in 2007 by Ayaka and Kobukuru. Through this song, you will get an idea about the different phrases of the Japanese language and the sentence structure and, of course, the pronunciation. Repeating the music will help you to learn how the words are spelt, the accent of Japanese etc. get this song on YouTube to practice with the subtitles.
Tips on Learning Japanese through Songs
Listening to songs in your targeted language can be beneficiary for you to learn the language effectively. But how to use the music? Here are some tips:
- Hear the music with the headphones without reading the lyrics to focus on the sound. In this way, you can improve your pronunciation.
- Choose a song that can be played repeatedly and is catchy enough so that you can understand the lyrics.
- Watch the online music video where you can read the subtitles. Subtitles help you to catch the lyrics quickly.
- Get help from an app or dictionary if any complicated words you get.
- Try to sing aloud along with reading the lyrics. In this way, you can improve your speaking ability in Japanese.
Advantages of Learning Japanese through Songs
You can learn your Japanese lesson by taking a relative course or classes. But the words you will learn from listening music of a native Japanese singer, you will get nowhere. Because books will teach you the formal language, but a song has casual lyrics, informal phrases, and sentences used for casual talks. Lyrics have repetitions that are easy to remember the words. Also, you don’t have to waste your money on extra classes. You can self-learn at home or office or listen to your favourite tunes anytime and anywhere.
FAQs
Q. Are songs an easy way to learn Japanese?
A. Yes. Listening to music in your targeted language can improve your reading skills, vocabulary and grammar. Nothing is better than tuning your favourite J-pop song and playing it on a loop to learn the lyrics.
Q. Is it beneficial to learn Japanese songs?
A. Absolutely. Learning Japanese songs can help you to learn lots of new words, even a complete sentence. It is also helpful to memorise the terms, as songs have the repetition of lyrics.
Q. Is the Japanese language hard to learn?
A. Japanese is considered a complex language for its different grammatical structures. But it’s not impossible. You can learn through better focus and practice. Japanese songs can help you in this regard, as there is nothing better than listening to the voice of a native speaker that can direct you to pronounce the language correctly.
Q. How to find out the most accessible Japanese songs to learn?
A. Look for Disney music and songs used in children’s movies. They are the easiest and most effective for beginners as children’s language is clear and easy to catch.
Q. Is listening to Japanese songs the fastest way to learn Japanese? A. It depends on your practice and concentration. How well are you doing with learning the lyrics? But it’s the easiest. There is no hard work or extra cost, and also time-saving. You just need to listen to the music and sing it along so that your utterances match the lyrics. It improves your speaking ability in Japanese.