[Intro] Yeah, ay Welcome to Japan, konnichiwa (ay) Sakura, sushi, anime, neon (uh) The guidebook never lies to you But it never tells the whole truth (yeah) This is real, this is the bottom Tokyo Reality, let me show you somethin' (let's go) [Verse 1] 6 AM alarm, straight to hell (uh) Packed train, canned up, can't inhale (for real) Dead eyes, phone screens, blank faces This is the daily, this is Japan (ay) 300K a month, sounds like a dream Take-home 230, know what I mean? (huh?) Deductions, deductions, where'd it go Who's eatin' my money? I don't know (who?) Pension, insurance, taxes, triple combo Every payslip got me feelin' so low (down) Prices going up, wages stayin' flat Thirty years stuck, ain't no comin' back (stuck) Salaries frozen while the neighbors pass "Developed nation"? Who said that? (who said that?) [Chorus] This is Japan, such a beautiful land (so clean) This is Japan, it's breakin' where you can't see (breaking down) In the places tourists never go The young keep grindin' till they're worn to the bone (worn out) This is Japan, where we hold it in (hold it in) This is Japan, where the silence wins (so quiet) Behind the smiles we're all at the limit But morning comes and we work again (again) [Verse 2] Aging nation, you heard about it? (you know?) One in three gonna be a senior (for real) Birth rate droppin' to an all-time low Under 700K, where'd the babies go? (where?) The pension I pay ain't comin' back to me Not enough shoulders for the weight, you see (nah) Used to be ten holdin' up one Now it's one-on-one, piggyback, no fun (one on one) Marriage? Kids? That's a nice joke (haha) Can barely feed myself, already broke (broke) Dates cost, weddings cost, tuition too Love is priceless? That ain't true (lie) Student loans, twenty years to repay Fresh outta college, in debt day one (in debt) Hit the calculator before I dream That's the "smart way," or so it seems (who?) [Chorus] This is Japan, such a beautiful land (so clean) This is Japan, it's breakin' where you can't see (breaking down) Behind the smiles we're all at the limit But morning comes and we work again (again) [Verse 3] KAROSHI, look it up, it's in your dictionary (facts) Death by overwork, made in Japan, scary (sad) Black companies, unpaid overtime "Ganbare" one word, sweeps it all aside (stop) Mental breakdown? Can't say it out loud "Don't be a burden," that's what we're taught (shh) When the morning train stops with an announcement Someone else just vanished on the tracks (rest in peace) News moves on in three minutes flat This country got numb, imagine that (numb) Learnin' to live while ignorin' the pain That's the scariest part of the game (word) [Verse 4] Yen keeps sinkin', how low can it go (down down) Overseas trips? Can't afford it no more (can't afford) We used to buy the world, now we're for sale "Japan's so cheap" is trendin', without fail (trending) One bowl of ramen, 3K in NY Same job, half the pay, tell me why (half) So the talent's leavin', wavin' bye (bye) Sushi chefs and engineers Chasin' dreams on the other side (outside) GDP number four, Germany passed us Economic giant? That's past tense (past) TVs, semiconductors, gave up the throne Still runnin' FAX and hanko at home (why?) Missiles next door, J-Alert screams Rudest alarm clock you've ever seen (wake up) Defense budget doubled, where's the fund? Same old story, our wallets again (again) [Chorus] This is Japan, gettin' cheaper every day (so cheap) This is Japan, gettin' left behind (left behind) While the world keeps spinnin' at full speed We're standin' still, we're frozen in time (frozen) [Bridge] Voted? Yeah, I did, many times (I did) Nothing changed, not a single line (nothing) Turnout's higher on the senior side Politicians only see the votes (votes) "Silver democracy," that's what they say The future's decided by those not stayin' (huh) No protests, no riots in this land "Shouganai," we swallow all we can (swallow) Patience is a virtue? Nah, it's a weakness Quietly, quietly, sinkin' in silence (sinking) [Final Chorus] This is Japan, such a beautiful land (so clean) This is Japan, it's breakin' where you can't see (breaking down) This is Japan, where we hold it in (hold it in) This is Japan, where the silence wins (so quiet) Behind the smiles we're all at the limit But morning comes and we work again (again) [Outro] Don't get it twisted, I don't hate this place (love) Four seasons beautiful, best food on earth (best) When trouble comes, we help each other out Even in disasters, we wait in line (respect) That's why it hurts, that's why it's a waste This country could be so much more (we can) That's why I'm rappin', hopin' things will change Stayin' silent means the end of the game (word) Well, back to work tomorrow anyway (haha) This is Japan, this is what's real Tokyo Reality (yeah)
