Nogizaka46’s ‘saigonikaidanwokakeagattanowaitsuda’ mixes thought-provoking lyrics with a driving melody. Yasushi Akimoto composes the music, while Takahiro Furukawa writes the words. The song takes you on a journey of perseverance and self-reflection.
Released: March 22, 2026
saigonikaidanwokakeagattanowaitsuda
Nogizaka46
saigonikaidanwokakeagattanowaitsuda Meaning & Lyrics (Nogizaka46)
The lyrics open with a vivid scene: ‘I dash up the stairs all at once, and I love the feeling of catching my breath.’ The poet uses this metaphor to describe life’s challenges, balancing moments of doubt with the determination to keep moving forward.
Kaidan ikki ni kakeagariI dash up the stairs all at once,
Kata de iki o totonoeru no ga suki daand I love the feeling of catching my breath.
Nandan atta no darou kaI wonder how many steps there were,
Nanika o yarikitta ki ga surubut I feel like I’ve finally accomplished something.
Yaranakereba ikenai kotoThe things I’ve got to do
Atama no sumi hikkakatteare always stuck in the back of my mind.
Itsumo nanika owarete iruI’m constantly being chased by something;
Sore ga jinseithat’s just how life is.
Kyou koko made hayakarou gaIt doesn’t matter if I got here quickly today
Osokarou gaor if I took my time.
Time kisotte nani ni naruWhat’s the point of racing against the clock?
Sono ue ni wa nani ga aru ka nanteIf I keep expecting something great to be at the top,
Kitai shitetara rakutan suru dake daI’ll only end up being disappointed.
Dore dake ase o nagashita tokoro deNo matter how much sweat I pour into this,
Yume ya kibou ga kanau to kagiranaithere’s no guarantee my dreams and hopes’ll come true.
Soredemo muda na koto da to utagau no kaEven so, are you going to doubt it and call it useless?
Ima nokori no kurushisa miageru naDon’t look up at the struggle that’s still ahead.
Zenryoku hikari wa nanimo mienakutemoEven if I can’t see any light through this effort,
Saigo ni kaidan o kakeagatta no wa itsu dawhen was the last time you ran up the stairs with everything you’ve got?
Usugurai zakkyo biru ni waInside this dim, crowded building,
Shimetta kuuki ga yodonde iru yothe damp air’s just sitting there, stagnant.
Kinou mo mita nightmareIt’s the same nightmare I saw yesterday,
Dareka ga koronde ochite ikuwhere someone’s tripping and falling away.
Tachidomatte jitto shiteryaIf you just stop and stand still,
Jikan no suna wa kiete shimauthe sands of time’ll simply vanish.
Aircon no oto dake gaAll I can hear
Kikoete kuruis the hum of the air conditioner.
Sekai de wa boku dake gaAm I the only one
Kodoku na no kawho’s lonely in this world?
Ano door o akeru made waI won’t know until I open that door.
Okujou ni wa aozora ga aru no niEven though there’s a blue sky on the roof,
Ato dore dake no tenjou ga aru no kaI wonder how many more ceilings are in my way.
Dareka ga boku o tasukete kurenai naraIf there’s nobody here to help me out,
Jibun no chikara de tadoritsuku shika naithen I’ve got to reach it on my own.
Ikutsu no shippai ni kizutsuite kita no darouI wonder how many failures have left their scars on me.
Mou ushinau mono toka attakkeDo I even have anything left to lose anymore?
Sore nara mou ichido dake yatte miru kaIf that’s the case, maybe I’ll give it one more shot.
Saigo ni kaidan o kakeagatta no wa itsu daWhen was the last time you ran up the stairs with everything you’ve got?
Dare no mae ni mo mada mita koto naiThere’s a first step right in front of everyone,
Mirai e no ichidan me ga arun daleading to a future that nobody’s seen yet.
Elevator o sagashitatte nai darouYou can look for an elevator, but you won’t find one.
Utsukushii taiyou sono mashita e noTo get right under that beautiful sun,
Chikamichi wa naithere aren’t any shortcuts.
Nan okukai arai kokyuu surebaHow many hundreds of millions of ragged breaths must I take
Jiyuu toiu na no kaze o kanjirarerubefore I can feel the wind of freedom?
Nanimo ugokazu ni jitto soko ni iru naraIf I just stay here without moving a muscle,
Boku wa shinda mo douzen dathen I might as well be dead.
Sono ue ni wa nani ga aru ka nanteIf I keep expecting something great to be at the top,
Kitai shitetara rakutan suru dake daI’ll only end up being disappointed.
Dore dake ase o nagashita tokoro deNo matter how much sweat I pour into this,
Yume ya kibou ga kanau to kagiranaithere’s no guarantee my dreams and hopes’ll come true.
Soredemo muda na koto da to utagau no kaEven so, are you going to doubt it and call it useless?
Ima nokori no kurushisa miageru naDon’t look up at the struggle that’s still ahead.
Zenryoku hikari wa nanimo mienakutemoEven if I can’t see any light through this effort,
Saigo ni kaidan o kakeagatta no wa itsu dawhen was the last time you ran up the stairs with everything you’ve got?
saigonikaidanwokakeagattanowaitsuda Music Video
‘saigonikaidanwokakeagattanowaitsuda’ lyrics offer a powerful reminder to embrace life’s struggles. The performance by Nogizaka46 adds energy to this anthem of persistence.