Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, styliz… Read Full Bio ↴Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, stylized as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan, in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi. Starting out as a college band, Asian Kung-Fu Generation released a series of independent EPs featuring lyrics mostly sung in English. In 2002, they released their major-label EP debut Hōkai Amplifier, from that point singing their lyrics in Japanese. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western alternative rock acts as well as their own local Japanese indie-rock and punk scene. Their songs incorporate various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast tempos and prominent power chord guitar riffs in addition to rhythmic groove and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim. Asian Kung-Fu Generation has been cited as one of the best, most balanced modern rock bands to emerge from Japan in the 2000s.

The four of them came together in the music club of their university in 1996; for Gotoh, Kita, and Yamada, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION was the first band they ever formed.

After a while, they began to perform at the school and in the local Yokohama area. Interestingly, their first songs were all written in English and, in fact, their first independent 6 track album (released in 2000) was entirely sung in English. The CDs were sold at concerts and over the internet.

In 2001, beginning with "YMD" they held many self-planned events at Yokohama's CLUB24.

Once "Konayuki," the first song in which they used Japanese lyrics, was completed, they sent copies to all the independent shows on the FM stations, and were consequently able to get their music played for the first time on FM radio.

After that, they released their second CD of original works, this time using Japanese lyrics. It achieved great success within the region and at all the Live Houses.
From this time on, starting at Shibuya, Shimokitazawa, Kichijouji and other places, they started putting on shows famed for their energy.

In 2002, they submitted a track to the Underflow Records Compilation CD. In November of the same year, they released "Houkai Amplifier," their first Mini Album to be produced professionally. This album, which would decide their future, debuted in the number 1 spot of Highline Records weekly charts, and also made it to the number 35 spot in the Oricon Indies Chart.

On April 4, 2003, "Houkai Amplifier" was re-released under Ki/oon Records. That summer, they appeared at FUJI ROCK (on the "ROOKIE A GO GO" stage), and at SUMMER SONIC '03 in Osaka.

Following their October 16, 2003 single "Kimi to Iu Hana," their first full album "Kimi Tsunagi Five M" was released on November 19.

From January 19 to February 25 2004, they went on the "five nano seconds" tour. All shows immediately sold out and were a massive success.

In 2004, their first proper single "Siren" and their second single, the iconic "Loop & Loop," were released, the former on April 14th and the latter on May 19th.

Their self-planned event ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents "NANO-MUGEN FEST" took place on July 1st at Nihon Budoukan and, that summer, they appeared live at festivals in areas all over the country. On August 4th, their new single "Rewrite" was released, followed by "Kimi no Machi Made" on September 23rd.

On October 20, 2004, their long-awaited new album "Sol-fa" was released and this really pushed the band to the forefront of the J-Rock scene. Then, on November 2nd, they started their second national tour: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Tour Suihai No!

June 8 2005 saw the release of "NANO-MUGEN COMPILATION," an album composed of songs from various acts, both Japanese and English-language alike. Included was their first single after "Sol-fa": "Blackout." Later, the band released their first real single in over a year; "Blue Train."

In 2006, the band released another single "World Apart," followed by their third album, "Fanclub." A month later, they released their latest album "Feedback File," which includes live versions of some of their most popular tracks.

Their song "Haruka Kanata" was chosen to be a theme song for the anime series "Naruto," and the popular single "Rewrite" was selected as a theme song to the hit anime series "Fullmetal Alchemist." The song "Aru Machi no Gunjou" was used in the animated movie "Tekkon Kinkreet," and the song "After Dark" was used as a theme song for the animated series "BLEACH." The song "Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat" was used as the opening theme for the anime "The Tatami Galaxy".

Konayuki
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

この僕では君の寂しさも
この僕では悲しみも癒せぬかい？

この僕では君の痛みなど
この僕では苦しみも癒せぬかい？

この不確かなやすらぎすら
僕には居心地のいいものです

いずれ全てが無に帰るとも
僕の目、僕の手でそう　確かめるよ

It's my crazy song for alive
It's my crazy song for your love
It's my crazy song for my time
Please me,tell me how find my style

この街では繰り返しの業
積もりゆく過去
風に舞う粉雪

嗚呼、痛みすら
嗚呼、悲しみさえ

この不確かなやすらぎすら
僕には居心地のいいものです
いずれ全てが無に帰るとも
僕の目、僕の手でそう　確かめるよ

It's my crazy song for alive
It's my crazy song for your love
It's my crazy song for my time
Please me, tell me how find my style

この街ではくり返しの業

積もりゆく過去
風に舞う粉雪

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's song "粉雪" present a melancholic introspection and a focus on the transience of life. The singer reflects on their own limitations to heal and soothe their loved ones' loneliness, sadness, and pain, and accepts the inevitability of everything returning to nothingness. However, despite this bleak outlook, the singer finds some comfort in their uncertainty and sense of belonging in their own existence. The chorus repeats the lines "It's my crazy song for alive," "It's my crazy song for your love," and "It's my crazy song for my time," possibly suggesting that the act of creating and living through music is the singer's way of coping with their emotions and making sense of their surroundings.

The use of the metaphor of "粉雪" (konayuki) or "powder snow" adds another layer of meaning to the song. The snow represents the accumulation of past events and memories that continue to shape the present and the future, as well as the fragility and beauty of life. The snow also evokes a sense of isolation and disconnection, as the flakes are scattered by the wind and do not stick together. However, the snow can also be seen as a comforting presence that covers and transforms the mundane reality of the city.

Line by Line Meaning

この僕では君の寂しさも
Is it possible for me alone to heal your loneliness?

この僕では悲しみも癒せぬかい？
Is it possible for me alone to heal your sadness?

この僕では君の痛みなど
Is it possible for me alone to heal your pain?

この僕では苦しみも癒せぬかい？
Is it possible for me alone to heal your suffering?

この不確かなやすらぎすら
Even this uncertain tranquility

僕には居心地のいいものです
Feels comfortable for me

いずれ全てが無に帰るとも
Even if everything eventually returns to nothing

僕の目、僕の手でそう　確かめるよ
I will make sure with my own eyes and hands

It's my crazy song for alive
This is my crazy song about being alive

It's my crazy song for your love
This is my crazy song about your love

It's my crazy song for my time
This is my crazy song about my time