👑Top 5 Japanese Karaoke Songs Chosen by Non-Japanese Living in Japan

YOLO JAPAN conducts surveys on its "Short-term Job / Survey" targeting non-Japanese residents in Japan.
This time, let's take a look at the top 5 popular Japanese songs based on the results of a survey "What do you usually sing?".

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Check out the Top 3 Popular International Karaoke Songs here!

Respondents: 369 YOLO JAPAN members residing in Japan (from 62 countries, including the Philippines, Brazil, United States, Indonesia, and Nepal)

■Ranking List


#1 "First Love" by Hikaru Utada
"First Love," released in 1999, remains a timeless classic. Over two decades later, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity when it was featured in the 2022 Netflix series "First Love: Hatsukoi." This led to the series topping Netflix's global rankings and sparked a worldwide social media sensation.

#2 "ドライフラワー (Dried Flower)" by Yuuri
"Dried Flower," a song by singer-songwriter Yuuri, was released in 2020. Within a year, it had racked up an astounding 500 million streams. The song gained global popularity due to Yuuri's English cover version and its three-year reign at the top of karaoke charts.

#3 "上を向いて歩こう (Sukiyaki)" by Kyu Sakamoto
Released by Kyu Sakamoto in 1961, "上を向いて歩こう (Sukiyaki)" remains a beloved song across generations. It topped the US Billboard charts in 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian singer to achieve this feat. With over 13 million copies sold worldwide, it's a truly global hit.

#4 "ウィーアー！ (We Are!)" by Hiroshi Kitadani
This iconic opening theme song for the hit anime series "One Piece" has been a fan favorite since 1999. "One Piece" holds the Guinness World Record "The Most Copies Published For The Same Comic Book Series By A Single Author". 

#5 "真夜中のドア (Midnight Door ~ Stay With Me)" by Miki Matsubara
Miki Matsubara's debut single, "真夜中のドア (Midnight Door ~ Stay With Me)", was released in 1979. With the global popularity of of 80s and 90s Japanese city pop, this track has captured the hearts of new listeners.

"雪の華 (Yuki No Hana)" by Mika Nakashima also claimed the #5th spot
Released in 2003, "雪の華 (Yuki No Hana)" remains a beloved winter ballad. In 2019, a film inspired by the song was released under the same title. The song also gained popularity in South Korea after being used as the theme song for the drama "Sorry, I Love You."


《Who are the most frequently sung artists?》
1. Hikaru Utada
2. YOASOBI
3. ONE OK ROCK
4. Yuuri

Hikaru Utada is well-known for "First Love," and Yuuri for "ドライフラワー (Dry Flower)," so both songs ranked high on the music charts. YOASOBI and ONE OK ROCK have a variety of popular songs, but their individual tracks didn't make it to the top of the music charts. However, as artists, they both ranked in the top three.


■Summary
 It seems that songs from globally famous dramas and anime are very popular at karaoke. And it’s interesting to see that non-Japanese people enjoy a wide range of songs, from the newest hits to ones that are over 60 years old!

YOLO JAPAN will continue to share the thoughts of non-Japanese living in Japan in the form of rankings and columns.
We also have various surveys available, so please take a look and participate!
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