Oh To Love Japan

[Verse 1]
Kanji on the station sign
Tiny map drawn on my hand
Old shrine in the taxi window
Red gate
Wet stone
Quiet sand
Slurp broth in a midnight ramen
Steam fogs up my tired eyes
Strangers laughing
Bowing
Talking
I feel like I’ve known their lives
[Chorus]
Oh to love Japan
From neon rain to mountain dawn
From bento trains to temple songs
I’m learning how to say “I belong”
Oh to love Japan
Every syllable against my tongue
Every season like a different song
どうしてこんなに好きなの (why do I love you this much)
Oh to love Japan
[Verse 2]
Polite words
Puzzle pieces
「すみません」 when I lose my way
Tiny “arigatou” at the market
Old woman smiles
“it’s okay”
Ink lines on a paperback
History in black and white
Samurai and fiber cables
Past and future sharing light
[Chorus]
Oh to love Japan
From paper doors to tower glass
From summer drums to falling grass
I chase it but it always runs so fast
Oh to love Japan
Cherry petals on my phone
Narrow streets that feel like home
こころはここにいる (my heart lives here)
Oh to love Japan
[Bridge]
Lanterns swinging in the river wind
Kids in uniforms
Tired office men
Different lives on the same last train
I’m a stranger singing your name (your name)
[Chorus]
Oh to love Japan
From wrestling rings to crowded bars
Fox masks
Festivals
Hidden stars
You hold your scars like tiny works of art
Oh to love Japan
In every bow
In every glance
You teach my clumsy heart to dance
いつかちゃんと言えるよ (one day I’ll say it right)
Oh to love Japan

Emo J-rock ballad with female vocals over koto and shamisen arpeggios, airy pads, and a steady mid-tempo drum groove; verses stay intimate and close-mic, chorus blooms with distorted guitars, taiko hits, and stacked harmonies, bridge strips back to voice and plucked strings before a final full-band surge, emo