imase writes and performs Aoba, a song that blends gentle melodies with poetic reflections. The tune mixes his vocals with contributions from Shuta Hasunuma, Takuma Kase, Toshihiko Kasai, and Matt Colton. The lyrics describe a world waking up, where emotions and memories blur like colors at dawn.
Released: February 27, 2026
Aoba
Imase
Lyricist
Imase
Composer
Imase, Shuta Hasunuma, Takuma Kase, Toshihiko Kasai, Matt Colton
Aoba Lyrics English Translation by Imase
The poet compares fleeting feelings to a lenticular cloud, a swirl of emotions that won’t disappear. One line, ‘The blue bleeds through,’ captures the bittersweet beauty of a new day. Imase uses images of the sea and sky to show how memories grow clearer yet distant with time.
Kaaten o fukuramasetaThe curtains billowed out,
Kaze ni tsurarete hi ga sashikondaLured by the wind, the sunlight’s poured in.
Okita yo sekai mo koshi o agetekuI’ve woken up, and the world’s starting to move too.
Usuku naritsuzukeru hoshi moEven the stars that keep growing faint,
Hakumei no naka deWithin the dim twilight,
Kinou o hikizutteru mitaiSeem like they’re dragging yesterday along.
Wazuka ni nokoru yoru noPassing through the exit
Deguchi nuketeOf the night that’s barely left,
Koko ni itsuzukeraretaraIf only I could stay right here.
DakishimetaThe junk I held close
Garakuta waWithin my arms
Kagayaki o mashite kieruShines even brighter and fades away.
AkehanatsuI’m throwing it open,
Somete ikuLetting it stain,
Aosa ga nijindekuAs the blueness begins to bleed through.
Yoake ni yoake ni yoake niAt dawn, at dawn, at dawn,
Ao ga nijimuThe blue bleeds through.
Yoake ni yoake ni yoake niAt dawn, at dawn, at dawn,
NijimuIt bleeds through.
Kanashisa yori karui setsunasaA bittersweetness lighter than sadness,
Setsunasa yori mo karui ureshisaA joy even lighter than bittersweetness,
Itsudemo kasanari sou ni natteruThey’re always on the verge of overlapping.
Marude tsurushigumo no you daJust like a ‘lenticular cloud’,
Uzumaku kanjou waThese swirling emotions
Fukinagasarenaide iruWon’t be swept away.
Asa o mukaenai you niSo that I don’t have to face the morning,
Tsunagime nakuI spread the clouds out seamlessly
Kumo o hiroge aragau noAnd try to resist.
Me no mae niIn front of my eyes,
Mieru monoThe things I see
Ima wa toumei na kiokuAre transparent memories now.
Umi no you niLike the sea,
Sora no you niLike the sky,
Hanareru hodo aoiThe further away, the bluer they get.
always lost onAlways lost on,
Kakaete mo surinuketeEven if I hold them, they slip through,
always lost onAlways lost on,
Hikari ni sukasaretekuTurned translucent by the light,
always lost onAlways lost on,
Hajimari to owari waThe beginning and the end.
Itsu no hi mo aoEvery single day is blue,
Hi wa nobori hibi o terasuas the sun rises and lights up our days.
DakishimetaAll the scraps I’ve held close,
Garakuta wathis worthless junk,
Kagayaki o mashite kieruglows even brighter before it fades away.
AkehanatsuThrowing it all wide open,
Somete ikustaining everything in sight,
Aosa ga nijindekuas the blue starts to bleed through.
Yoake ni yoake ni yoake niAt the dawn, at the dawn, at the dawn,
Ao ga nijimuthe blue begins to blur.
Yoake ni yoake ni yoake niAt the dawn, at the dawn, at the dawn,
The ‘Aoba’ lyrics convey a sense of quiet longing, and imase creates a sound that mirrors the calm of dawn. The song offers a mix of introspection and hope, wrapping listeners in its serene yet emotional tone.
