Nogizaka46 offers a sentimental story of young love in ‘kimibakari’. The poet oochan writes lyrics that track a romance month by month. Yasushi Akimoto arranges a sweet, memorable melody for the J-pop group.
Released: March 31, 2026
kimibakari
Nogizaka46
kimibakari Meaning & Lyrics (Nogizaka46)
The lyrics writer drafts a detailed account of infatuation, from a shy April meeting to blushing at summer fireworks. In a key line, the performer sings, ‘Both the goldfish and I were blushing bright red.’ He follows the narrator’s journey through seasons of doubt and devotion.
Amai kaori tadayou namanuruiA sweet scent drifts in the lukewarm air,
Shigatsu kimi ni attandait was April when I met you.
Nanka kuuru na kanji shiteta kedoYou seemed kind of cool at first, but
Angai kushaa tto waraundasurprisingly, you smile so widely.
Gogatsu rokugatsu wa tada mitetaThrough May and June, I just watched you.
Kizukeba me de oikaketaBefore I knew it, my eyes were chasing you.
Muda ni machi de kimi o sagashitariI’d look for you in town for no reason,
Basu de battari negattariand hope we’d bump into each other on the bus.
Shichigatsu ame no hi no yuugure niIn July, on a rainy evening,
Mukashi no eiga no hanashi shitewe talked about old movies.
Taimumashin kimi nara kako miraiIf you had a time machine, would you choose the past or the future?
Tonikaku ima ga tanoshikuteEither way, I was just having fun right now.
Tokeru you na yurayura hachigatsu niIn the melting, swaying heat of August,
Yabai watashi suki ni nacchattaoh no, I’ve completely fallen for you.
Natsumatsuri hanabi mite ii kanjiWatching the summer festival fireworks felt so right.
Watashi mo kingyo mo makkakkaBoth the goldfish and I were blushing bright red.
Doko ni itemo kimi no koto bakariNo matter where I am, it’s all about you.
Nani o shitetemo kimi bakariNo matter what I do, it’s only you.
Suki da suki da kimi gaa suki daaI love you, I love you, I love you.
Suki da aa aa suki nandaI love you, ah, I really do love you.
Hito o suki ni narutte nan nan darouWhat does it even mean to fall in love with someone?
Furueru hodo mirai ga machidooshikattariSometimes you can’t wait for the future so much that you tremble.
Hiza kara kuzureochiru hodo kako o kuyandariAnd sometimes you regret the past so much that you collapse to your knees.
Deawanakattara somosomo konna kanjou nakatta wake dashiIf we hadn’t met, I wouldn’t have felt these emotions in the first place.
Demo deacchattanda yo naaBut we did end up meeting, didn’t we?
Jinsei de konna kototte nankai aru no kanaHow many times does something like this happen in a lifetime?
Sonna no hito ni yoru kaI guess that depends on the person.
Aa a nan nanda koryaAh, what even is this feeling?
Kugatsu juugatsu no kaze ni kakureteHiding in the winds of September and October,
Juuichigatsu irozuitathe world changed colors in November.
Juunigatsu wa fushigi ne tonari deDecember was strange; right next to you,
Watashi mo kushatte warattetaaI was also smiling so widely.
Doko ni itemo kimi no koto bakariNo matter where I am, it’s all about you.
Nani o shitetemo kimi bakariNo matter what I do, it’s only you.
Suki da suki da kimi gaa suki daaI love you, I love you, I love you.
Suki da aa aa suki nandaI love you, ah, I really do love you.
Are kara nannen tatta no kanaI wonder how many years have passed since then?
Konna mirai wa wakaranaiI never knew the future would turn out like this.
Ichigatsu ni onegai o shita noniEven though I made a wish in January,
Kako wa dou ni mo kawaranaithe past can’t be changed no matter what.
Dekiru no nara shigatsu ni modoritaiIf I could, I’d want to go back to April.
Hachigatsu ga yappari ii no kanaOr maybe August would be better after all.
Demo douse watashi wa baka dakaraBut I’m an idiot anyway, so
Onaji koto o kurikaesuI’d just repeat the exact same mistakes.
Doko ni itemo kimi no koto bakariNo matter where I am, it’s all about you.
Nani o shitetemo kimi bakariNo matter what I do, it’s only you.
Suki da suki da kimi gaa suki daaI love you, I love you, I love you.
Suki da aa a suki nandaI love you, ah, I really do love you.
Suki da suki da suki da suki daaI love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.
Suki da aa a suki dattaaI love you, ah, I really loved you.
Nannen tattemo omoundaaNo matter how many years pass, I’ll still think of you.
kimibakari Music Video
The ‘kimibakari’ lyrics convey a touching nostalgia. Featuring Nogizaka46, this track from their catalog is a perfect entry into Japanese lyrics translation.