Kawai Yuto: Japanese Boy Singing Sensation and the Song That Made Him Globally Famous

Recently, a young Japanese boy has been popping up in my various feeds, singing his little heart out on what looks like a TV talent show. His voice is crystal clear – almost perfect – and the judges are soon brought to tears (with, perhaps, a little over-acting on their part).  The song seems wistful, almost melancholic – its sheer gentle clarity won me over immediately, despite the fact I did not having the first clue what he was singing about.  The song itself seemed vaguely familiar – I wondered if I had heard it before, maybe in my occasional foray into Studio Ghibli movies. So, who is he? And what, lyrically, does the song convey?

From my own cultural perspective (Welsh), what hit me immediately about the song (without having a translation) was the overwhelming sense of hiraeth it created in me.  A sloppy translation would call it homesickness but it runs deeper than that.  It’s more of a longing – one for a place, a time, a person (all three together, even) that cannot be returned to – it is gone.  I wanted to discover a little more about the singer and, of course, whether or not the lyrics matched the feelings the music provoked.  I did this with a little trepidation – some people are so talented that, if they so wish, they could transform you into a weepy blob on the carpet simply by singing their shopping list.

First, though, watch the boy perform and make your own mind up.

So, question time: who is the Japanese boy singer?  His name is 川合結人 - Kawai Yuto -  and he comes from the Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.  He will be 14 in December, so I guess we have to enjoy the voice while the going is good.  One can only hope his voice may well mature into something equally as extraordinary.

Very little is known about Kawai – his parents are very protective of his privacy.  He is apparently enjoying middle-school and tries to balance a “normal” life with his TV and singing commitments. He has an older brother – there is a 13 year gap between the two of them. Kawai has yet to record his debut album (surely that must be imminent?).

Young Kawai is not a new sensation – at least not in Japan (and also Korea, where he has received a lot of recent exposure on the 日韓 Top Ten Show).  In his home country of Japan, his earliest public appearances were on local talent shows and smaller singing contests in 2021.   He then gained wider recognition on 現役歌王 (Current Singer-King JAPAN), which started broadcasting in 2023, where he was introduced as the “少年歌唱王” (boy singing king).

The clip above is from July of this year (2025).  The show in which Kawai sang this particular song was a “Special project commemorating the 60th anniversary of Japan–South Korea diplomatic relations” and as we will see, perhaps the song was well chosen for an event such as this.  This special show as called Japan–Korea Singer King Battle. Ultimately, Park Seo‑jin defeated Takenaka Yudai (Japan’s “No. 1”) in the final showdown, giving the Korean side the overall win.  Oh well - at least Kawai has many more years to enter competitions and come out the winner.

As for the song, my first suspicion turned out to be correct.  It is indeed from a Studio Ghibli film, Kiki’s Delivery Service which I had seen at the cinema around 1990.  The song is called Meguru Kisetsu (めぐる季節) which translates as “The Turning Seasons” or “Seasons That Go Around”.  Although we can’t reproduce them here for copyright reasons – the lyrics reflect growth, change, and the passage of time.  It is sung by the protagonist Kiki, a young witch in-training and echoes her journey from childhood into independence.  Yes, of course, I have had to watch the movie once again.  It’s still lovely.

Here's the original version from the film.  You can even read the lyrics and try and sing along with it (if that takes your fancy - I tried and failed fairly miserably).

As part of her witch training - a rite of passage for young witches in the Studio Ghibli universe - Kiki is sent to live independently for a year in a new town. There, she launches a delivery service, flying on her broom to transport goods and make a living. The story follows her journey of personal growth, self-confidence, and resilience as she faces the challenges of living alone and discovers her own identity. This emotional arc is beautifully underscored by songs like Meguru Kisetsu, whose gentle, wistful melody mirrors Kiki’s nostalgia, quiet determination, and the bittersweet passage of time.  It ends on an optimistic note – that she will “ cross over to the dreams that are coming into view".

As such, it was quite fitting that a TV show dedicated to 60 years of diplomacy between two countries which have history, included a song that expresses such hope for the future. 

So, final question.  Was the song meant to engender a feeling close to hiraeth? Yes  but no. The wistful melody of Meguru Kisetsu evokes a feeling remarkably close to that deep, bittersweet longing for the past or for a home that may no longer exist that the Welsh know as hiraeth.  Certainly, in the context of Kiki’s Delivery Service, the song mirrors Kiki’s own nostalgia and quiet yearning as she leaves her familiar village to live alone in a new town. Yet while hiraeth often carries a sense of unattainable loss, Meguru Kisetsu balances this melancholy with gentle hope, reflecting Kiki’s growth and her gradual acceptance of change. The result is a musical expression that resonates with longing, memory, and the tender courage required to move forward. It beautifully captures the emotional complexity of both the character and the passing seasons.

Just as Kiki set out on her journey of self-discovery and we all got to watch it, that is equally true of Kawai Yuto.  I can only hope that like Kiki in the movie, young Kawai continues to grow in hope, independence and resilience until he gets to his own happy ending. Who knows – it certainly looks like this remarkable young man has already begun that journey.

Postcript

Kawai Yuto teamed up with Yada Keiki, a Japanese singer known for his powerful and emotive performances, again on Current Singer-King JAPAN to perform the emotional classic “Love is Over.” If you already have the hankies out, don't put them away just yet...