明日への扉 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 川嶋あい

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the tender world of Japanese pop with Ai Kawashima's iconic '明日への扉.' This beloved ballad, known for its pure lyrics and emotional melody, offers a beautiful way to explore themes of love, courage, and new beginnings in Japanese. Learning the language through such a poignant and nationally cherished song allows you to grasp not only vocabulary but also cultural nuances of romance and personal growth, making it an excellent choice for language learners.

[English]

So, I'm counting on you.

Shining sweat, a T-shirt, the love we found, seeing you shine brighter than anyone.

I found feelings I'd never felt before, a new journey is beginning.

After the rain, a fickle blue breeze, strong sunlight.

Someday, I'll surpass them.

The color of love I'll paint from now on will color the beginning page.

In a fortune-telling magazine, on two stars,

I try to overlap our future.

A scarred heart that won't heal,

Will be mended by your kindness.

Before I knew it, the empty space in my heart is being filled.

Your casual gestures in unexpected moments,

Someday, I want to keep gazing at your face,

Always smiling, as you talk about your dreams.

When protecting something precious, if the step you take is courage,

Escaping from getting hurt, I always just took detours.

My habit of pretending to be strong, now lost and without a place,

Is feeling lost within my heart.

To your feelings I learned for the first time,

Tears overflow more than words can express.

With our slightly different paces, let's walk one step at a time.

The path we walk together, a bumpy path.

The small resolution I write on this folded white map,

Let me honestly tell you now.

The melody of us, heard close to my ear,

Holding back overflowing tears,

I'll say these simple words to you:

"We'll be together forever, won't we..."

These uncontrollable feelings, from the 1 AM sky,

Poured down as shining drops.

Before I knew it, a gentle breeze was blowing within my heart,

And the door to tomorrow gently opens.

Words now cross time, piercing through eternity.

Passing through many seasons,

The place we arrived at, after a journey that was too long,

Let's nurture the love we vowed.

[Japanese]

じゃあ　よろしくお願い致します

光る汗、Tシャツ、出会った恋 誰よりも輝く君を見て

初めての気持ちを見つけたよ 新たな旅が始まる

雨上がり、気まぐれ、蒼い風 強い日差し

いつか追い越して

これから描いて行く恋の色 始まりのページ彩るよ

占い雑誌 ふたつの星に

二人の未来を重ねてみるの

かさぶただらけ とれない心

あなたの優しさでふさがる

いつの間にか すきま空いた 心が満たされて行く

ふとした瞬間の さり気ない仕草

いつの日にか 夢を語る あなたの顔をずっと

見つめていたい 微笑んでいたい

大切な何かを守るとき 踏み出せる一歩が勇気なら

傷つくことから逃げ出して いつもただ遠回りばかり

行き場なくした強がりのクセが

心の中で戸惑っているよ

初めて知ったあなたの想いに

言葉より涙あふれてくる

少し幅の違う足で 一歩ずつ歩こうね

二人で歩む道 でこぼこの道

二つ折りの白い地図に 記す小さな決意を

正直に今 伝えよう

耳元で聞こえる二人のメロディー

溢れ出す涙こらえて

ありきたりの言葉 あなたに言うよ

「これからもずっと一緒だよね…」

抑えきれない この気持ちが 25時の空から

光る滴として 降り注いだ

気がついたら 心の中 やさしい風が吹いて

明日への扉 そっと開く

言葉が今 時を越えて 永遠を突き抜ける

幾つもの季節を通り過ぎて

たどり着いた 二人の場所 長すぎた旅のあと

誓った愛を育てよう

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
明日 /ashita/ A1	noun - tomorrow
扉 /tobira/ A2	noun - door
光る /hikaru/ A2	verb - to shine, to glitter
汗 /ase/ A1	noun - sweat
気持ち /kimochi/ A2	noun - feeling, mood
恋 /koi/ A2	noun - love, romance
風 /kaze/ A1	noun - wind
日差し /hizashi/ B1	noun - sunlight
未来 /mirai/ A2	noun - future
心 /kokoro/ A1	noun - heart, mind, spirit
優しさ /yasashisa/ B1	noun - kindness
夢 /yume/ A1	noun - dream
勇気 /yuuki/ A2	noun - courage
涙 /namida/ A1	noun - tear
道 /michi/ A1	noun - road, path
決意 /ketsui/ B1	noun - determination, resolution
言葉 /kotoba/ A1	noun - word, language
永遠 /eien/ B1	noun - eternity
季節 /kisetsu/ A2	noun - season
愛 /ai/ A2	noun - love

Key Grammar Structures

• じゃあ　よろしくお願い致します

  ➔ Polite Imperative/Request Form

  ➔ This is a polite expression often used at the beginning of a meeting or when entrusting someone with a task. It translates roughly to "Please take care of this" or "I'm counting on you."

• 誰よりも輝く君を見て

  ➔ Particle 「より」 for Comparison; Verb+て

  ➔ 「より」 indicates "than", creating a comparison. The sentence structure is verb + て, indicating the action of seeing someone shining more than anyone else and then implies a subsequent action or feeling.

• いつか追い越して

  ➔ Adverb + Verb

  ➔ "いつか" (itsuka) means "someday", acting as an adverb modifying the verb "追い越して" (oikoshite), which means "to overtake".

• あなたの優しさでふさがる

  ➔ Particle 「で」 indicating the cause or means of an action.

  ➔ Here, 「で」 indicates that your kindness is the reason/means for something (presumably the heart) to be filled/blocked. The kindness is the *cause*.

• いつの日にか 夢を語る あなたの顔をずっと

  ➔ Relative Clause Modifying a Noun; particle 「を」

  ➔ "夢を語る あなたの顔" (yume wo kataru anata no kao) is a relative clause. "夢を語る" (yume wo kataru) describes which face you want to see. 「を」 marks the direct object, here, the *face*.

• 大切な何かを守るとき 踏み出せる一歩が勇気なら

  ➔ Conditional Clause (とき...なら)

  ➔ This sentence uses "とき...なら" to create a conditional statement. "大切な何かを守るとき" (taisetsu na nanika wo mamoru toki) means "when protecting something important." "踏み出せる一歩が勇気なら" (fumidaseru ippo ga yuuki nara) means "if the step you can take is courage."

• 行き場なくした強がりのクセが 心の中で戸惑っているよ

  ➔ Past-Tense Verb Modifying a Noun; 「〜ている」 Form for Present Continuous/State

  ➔ "行き場なくした強がりのクセ" (ikiba nakushita tsuyogari no kuse) translates to "a habit of putting on a brave face that has lost its place to go". "行き場なくした" (ikiba nakushita) is the past-tense verb phrase modifying "強がりのクセ" (tsuyogari no kuse). "戸惑っている" (tomadotteiru) shows the state of being confused.

• 少し幅の違う足で 一歩ずつ歩こうね

  ➔ Adjective modifying a noun; Volitional Form (歩こう)

  ➔ "少し幅の違う足" (sukoshi haba no chigau ashi) means "feet with slightly different widths". "違う" (chigau) is the adjective modifying "足" (ashi). 歩こう(arukou) is the volitional form of 歩く(aruku), meaning “Let’s walk”.

• ありきたりの言葉 あなたに言うよ 「これからもずっと一緒だよね…」

  ➔ Direct Quotation with 「と」; Question Marker 「よね」

  ➔ 「と」 is used to mark a direct quote. 「これからもずっと一緒だよね…」 is the quoted statement. 「よね」 is a sentence-ending particle used to seek confirmation or agreement from the listener. It translates roughly to "...right?" or "...isn't it?"

• 明日への扉 そっと開く

  ➔ Noun + Particle 「への」 indicating direction/destination

  ➔ 「への」 indicates the destination or direction, in this case, the "door *to* tomorrow". It combines the particles へ (e) and の (no) for possessive.